Patience was one of the earliest virtues taught to a young Kshtriya. The lion must learn to be patient as the prey appeared in the most favourable spot before leaping. The bird must exercise patience as it builds its nest one twig at a time. The spider must be patient as it weaves its web. Just like every creature in nature, a warrior must be patient.

Yet Nakul, a man well above his teenage years of hot blooded impatience felt himself losing a battle against anticipation. He tried to concentrate on the meet and greet between his named in-laws as he and his family were welcomed inside the magnificent palace of Dwarka.

His wife was doing the most of the talking. They were greeted by his brother-in-law Krishna and his wives along with a dozen maids holding plates of flowers and aarti. The ladies were chattering amiably no doubt delighted to meet Mohini and their Anvi after so many days. Anvi seemed to be arguing with her uncle. In what matter exactly, Nakul was unsure of but usually Anvi's scepticism stemmed from Bhrata Krishna's determination to maintain his mystique.

This time Nakul didn't join in on the fun to tease his daughter and add to the curiosity about her favourite uncle's omniscient ways. His eyes wandered around the crowd which was smaller compared to the other times when they had visited Dwarka before. It was to be expected after all. One could hardly miss the urgency in the air as the work for festivities continued around them.

After all it was the marriage of the revered Balram and renowned Krishna's sister. Their sister who was to be married to his brother. Which led to the question, where was his brother.

Nakul knew it was somewhat illogical to expect his brother to be waiting for his arrival when he must be busy with something.

'Busy with what?' his treacherous mind whispered. 'What sort of duties would the groom have in his own wedding?'

So why wasn't his brother whom he hadn't seen a glimpse of in the past decade here to meet him?

His mood soured. Somehow he managed to return gracious salutes and greetings but he felt restless. The decade-long constrained patience of seeing his brother again was coming loose. Nakul wondered how rude it would be for a son-in-law to barge inside ignoring everyone and seek out his infuriating-dutiful-perfectionist brother and maybe punch him on his face.

"Perhaps it is best if Arya would accompany Bhratashree. Bhrata Arjun has always been more amiable to suggestions when faced with his younger brother and his dearest friend," Nakul tuned in to the conversation going on before him. Abhijishya was looking at him expectantly. He felt rather clueless about what suggestion was being referred to but he understood the opportunity his beloved had created for him.

He agreed easily.

"Rajkumar is too gracious," Dwarkeshwari Rukmini appeared pleased. "Arya, please accompany him. I shall take Abhijishya and Anvi with me. Subhadra has been very eager to meet them."

Krishna smiled accepting the words of his queen. Nakul bowed appropriately. They parted from the ladies and made their way to the guest palace of Dwarka.

As they walked along, they were greeted by several residents of the palace. Dusk settled around them engulfing everything in increasing darkness. However the servants were diligent. More earthen lamps were lit which washed the palace of Dwarka in a yellowish glow.

"So what have I agreed to?" Nakul asked his brother-in-law who looked back at him with laughter dancing in his eyes.

"Nothing too impossible," Krishna replied no doubt enjoying his predicament.

As if that didn't sound omnious enough. Nakul, even after years of occasional conversation with Krishna, still couldn't accept his way of never answering in simple words. He did not enjoy word play like his wife. In his opinion, he did that enough with the several ministers of Indraprastha. He curbed his urge to groan.

"I beseech you, the esteemed Dwarkadheesh. Please forgive this one's lack of attention and enlighten me. I cannot fathom to excel in the task bestowed upon me by Dwarkeshwari if I am in the dark about what I am expected to do," Nakul did his best to plead. They both knew Krishna wasn't a fan of formal wordings.

"Ah, enough enough. You princes and your words," Krishna chided. "Do not think I am unaware of your motive behind your manner of speech."

"I would never," Nakul remarked seriously.

Krishna huffed out a laugh. "It is the unanimous decision of the ladies that Paarth does not wear white on his wedding with my sister. Even the thick borders of gold threaded embroidery doesn't take away the paleness. Mata's words. Not mine."

Nakul was confused. Surely his brother would give in to the wishes of Mata Devaki whom he respected like their mother Kunti.

As if sensing his confusion, Krishna replied, "Subhadra does not wish Paarth to be asked to do anything he doesn't want."

"Ah," Nakul exclaimed. That explained everything. It seemed his Bhabhishree was quite considerate.

Both of them arrived in front of the guest wing of the palace. The doors were opened as soon as his arrival was announced.

Nakul entered the chamber. There stood his brother, leaner from the years spent travelling through the wild and more relaxed than Nakul had ever seen. Arjun, like most royalty, had a taste for finer things in life but his spirit always withheld a wild freedom that never liked the constraint of one place. He liked to travel and see new places. It was almost like Arjun could never have enough of the world. From what scant accounts Nakul had received through many of their men upon their encounter with Arjun, one always remained the same. 'Rajkumar Arjun doesn't stay at one place for long. Rajkumar says he wants to see everything of Aryavart and beyond.'

There were exceptions of course- like the couple of years his brother Arjun had spent in Manipur. Nakul had then wondered if his brother would be content to return back to the duties of the palace. Arjun would return. Nakul knew that. But would he be happy, he had wondered. It had been childish and even if Mohini had softly reassured him - 'A few years of distance doesn't dull the attachment of familial love. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.' -without asking, Nakul wondered if Bhrata Arjun who was so competent at everything felt a void like Nakul did whenever he caught himself looking for Arjun's guidance. He wondered whether the world his brother travelled to find himself would one day be the reason the Pandavas lost Arjun.

And now Arjun stood before him, freshly groomed in preparation of his wedding tomorrow with a wide smile on his face.

If Nakul were not who he was now- a father, a respected warrior, a formidable voice of reason in Indraprastha's court- he would have ran and embraced his brother tightly. Moreover doing so would be childish. Nakul didn't want his elder brother to still view him as a child. Thus, he walked fast and bowed down to touch Arjun's feet but was yanked up into a desperate embrace before his fingers could even touch them.

"Silly brother of mine, is that how you greet your brother after so many years?," Arjun said, his voice thick from unshed tears.

Nakul embraced back just as fiercely. "You were always the one who insisted I seek your blessings as you are nearly a year elder."

"So now you decide to be the most obedient," Arjun pulled back to get a better look at Nakul.

Nakul wondered what his brother saw but he himself was too misty eyed to decipher the emotions that displayed on his brother's face. He just hoped whatever he saw made his brother proud.

"Jyesth is not lenient as you. Someone had to step up and do your duties while you were on vacation," Nakul snarked back. It was perhaps unbecoming of him to say such words but in his heart, Nakul was a little bitter about Arjun's decision to follow through their shared vow and leave in the tender years of Indraprastha. He knew that it was unfair on his behalf to feel so but the brother in him wanted his family to stay together.

Arjun seemed to understand as his brown eyes softened. He clapped his brother on the back. "You have come a far way, Nakul. I have heard how valiantly and expertly you have dealt with the domestic affairs while grooming the army along with Bhrata Bheem. I could not have done better."

Nakul felt his chest expand and flushed at the praise. He had always treasured his brothers' words and opinions. However he wished he could agree entirely. It seemed Arjun was unaware about the recent development regarding the opium scandal in Indraprastha. He would inform his brother later.

Arjun then stepped sideways, his eyes searching for familiar figures. Upon not finding anyone else, he turned to his brother, "I thought Abhijishya and my dear niece would be accompanying you."

"Our dear Abhijishya has taken it upon herself to greet all the elders as decorum dictates so that Nakul could meet you as soon as possible," Krishna answered as he joined them. He smiled pleasantly at his friend, "Paarth."

"Madhav," Arjun smiled back with a slight dip of his head. "Were you waiting outside for very long?"

"Not at all," Krishna said. "I just thought of accompanying Nakul here and see how you were doing this evening."

"I just returned from a spar with Satyaki. He was understandably disappointed that you had not joined us," Arjun replied.

Krishna appeared amused. "Baldau would cuff my ears if I shirk my duties and join in your glorified squabbling. Satyaki is going get a earful from Bhabhishree Revati as he was supposed to supervise the arrangement for donations."

Arjun winced in sympathy. That meant Satyaki would be given stable duties soon by Balram. "I should not have coerced him into a spar then," he concluded.

"It can't be helped now," Krishna grinned. "I must take your leave. There are still a few details to iron out. I will join you both at dinner. In the meantime, your brother should show you what he has brought along, shouldn't he?"

Nakul refused to sigh. He had an inkling this would happen. "Not a gift," he clarified. "I thought Bhrata would like me to choose his garbs for his wedding. It has been ages since I did so, hasn't it Bhratashree?"

Then he asked the maids to bring forth the clothing that had been arranged. Krishna left them to their discussion regarding the attire Arjun would be adorning.

Arjun didn't protest or insist on wearing his usual festive choice of attire. Nakul had observed Arjun was partial if not obsessed with white. Pearly white to swan white, cloud white to snow white, silvery white to golden white- Arjun preferred wearing all existing variants of white. Nakul knew it had also to do with a constant challenge too. In the art of war, his brother Arjun endeavoured to always keep his white clothing impeccable and treated each stain of blood or dirt as a mistep or lesson.

So when Nakul laid out the softest of blue silks with gold embroidery at the edge, a subtle golden white shawl that would surely glimmer in the sun and gold jewellery before Arjun, he expected some sort of protest from his brother. Afterall, Arjun never put down his penance of perfecting the art of war.

Instead Nakul found an arm around his shoulder and Arjun readily agreeing to his suggestion. It seemed like Bhrata Arjun had indeed missed him as much as Nakul missed his Bhratashree.

A.N. - I know the chapter is short but I just wanted to write something just including Nakul and him meeting Arjun after so many years.

Vote and comment if you liked it.

I'll try to kick up the speed of the plotline as much as I can from the next chapter onwards till the snippets make sense.

Until the next time,
Byeee ;")