‘The brute who insulted our queen had the nerve to intrude our peace, Eldest. I desisted from teaching him a lesson. But then, he had to sow seeds of enmity with the Gandharvas and insult their women as well. Who are we to interfere, Samrat? Even if we try, what can we tell those who fought only to guard the honour of their women?’
She saw Arjuna and the twins in a similar mood. ‘If you insist, we shall accompany Princess Bhanumati to the outskirts of Kurujangala and make sure that the patrol guards of the kingdom escort her back to Hastinapura safely.’
Draupadi exhaled, as if an invisible burden was lifted off her shoulders. Bhima and Arjuna were overcome with rage, but neither of them had the heart to gloat over Bhanumati’s misery. She waited to see Yudhishtira’s response.
‘Let the Kuru household not look broken in front of a stranger, dear Bhima. We owe it, not to Duryodhana, but to those ancestors who brought glory to our lineage,’ Yudhishtira reasoned.
‘Bah! To keep up their honour, we go and secure the release of the one who sent that hard-earned goodwill down the river?’ Bhima turned away.
Draupadi had seen him rile and rant at Yudhishtira’s obstinate restraint. But this was the first time she saw him disobeying the eldest Pandava. As absurd as the idea of saving Duryodhana seemed, there was something wrong about Bhima’s mutiny. Draupadi went forward and held Bhima’s arm. ‘Listen to him, Bhima. Secure Duryodhana’s release.’
Bhima glared at her in disbelief and walked away.
Draupadi stopped Yudhishtira from following him and went herself. She saw Bhima trying to immerse himself in watering the plants she had sown, but in vain. He saw her and paused, slamming the pot of water aside.
‘Bhima…’
‘Enough, Draupadi,’ he snapped. ‘Looks like even you have forgotten what happened on that fateful day.’ He looked into Draupadi’s eyes, conveying his struggle of the past years. ‘I know what I saw in your eyes when that…coward Dushasana…kicked you in the sabha. It haunts me and it will haunt me long after I kill all those brothers with my bare hands.’
‘It is exactly what I don’t want, Bhima,’ Draupadi replied calmly, placing her hand on Bhima’s shoulder. Suppressed rage made his muscle flex and squirm under her hand. ‘We cannot allow the wounds of that day to fester within us.’ Bhima saw her eyes narrow. ‘Overcome those Gandharvas. Let your cousins know whom they will face after our exile. Go, Bhima.’
‘Naiveté was never your nature, Draupadi,’ Bhima shook his head. ‘Like they will give a damn about favours we grant them today.’
‘They shall not remember, Bhima. But morally, as well as strategically, we stand at crossroads. If we turn Bhanumati away in this state, we are being callous and petty. Mother Kunti did not give birth to such men. I did not marry such men.’
Bhima threw up his head. But for all his frustration, he gave in and mutely picked up his club. Draupadi held his hand tenderly. ‘This is not just a moral stance, Bhima. This will be an act that shall stay in the memories of many.’ Remembering the days at Indraprastha, her eyes assumed a nostalgic look. ‘Remember when our Krishna killed the king of Chedi at the Rajasuya, Bhima? You cited the incident many times, saying that is how one needs to deal with enemies who heap insults at us. But Krishna killed him only after a series of wrongs. Some wrongs so heinous that we wonder why he waited in the first place.’ Her husbands knew she had a soft corner for Krishna. And she knew how they loved him. She continued, ‘Shishupala, the erstwhile king of Chedi, was his cousin. Your cousin too. Krishna waited his crimes out to a point where even Shishupala’s mother, his aunt, could not blame him for killing her son.’
Bhima sighed, knowing what came next. ‘You will now ask me what Krishna would have done in our place today. He would have charmed those Gandharvas into releasing Duryodhana. Like he charmed his brother Rama from killing that Jarasandha. Remember that I had to finish his job!’
Draupadi beamed through her own flood of mixed memories. ‘I do not urge you to be Krishna, Bhima. Your brothers are what they are because you are what you are. But this is something which only you and Arjuna can do.’
Draupadi’s face withered in painful speculation. ‘Who knows what will happen after the period of exile? It shall not harm us to help our enemy in need once. So that he knows. So that Bhanumati and the rest of the world know who the Pandavas are.’
Twenty-seven
Jayadrata
Bhima and Arjuna left in pursuit of the Gandharvas. With great difficulty, Draupadi convinced Bhanumati to have her meal before they retired to bed. Yudhishtira decided to keep watch for the first quarter of the night, convincing Nakula and Sahadeva to catch some sleep. He looked at Draupadi with gratitude when she came to share his watch, leaving Bhanumati safely inside the hermitage.
‘How is the princess of Kashi?’
‘Still in shock, but she managed to sleep,’ Draupadi replied, putting more firewood into the yajnavedi. When it wasn’t the time of a yajna, the flame served as a night light in their courtyard.
‘Will she be able to bear it when Duryodhana dies?’
Draupadi’s hands froze at the calm yet firm determination in those words. She looked at him.
‘Can I count upon you consoling her the same way, when the day comes, Draupadi?’
It took her some time to find the words to speak. ‘Are you… Samrat, are you implying the certainty of war?’ She looked at Yudhishtira closely. He didn’t react. Remembering their past arguments where Draupadi had favoured immediate action against Duryodhana while Yudhishtira had always advocated restraint, this seemed new to her.
‘Princess Bhanumati might not be this compliant that day when she knows that your husband killed hers. But still, the onus of her future lies with us, Samragni,’ Yudhishtira’s voice had assumed a prophetic tone. Something about it seemed odd. He did not seem like the Yudhishtira she knew. Draupadi shook him by the shoulder, hoping to snap him out of whatever it was. But Yudhishtira remained unmoved. ‘What disturbs you about Duryodhana’s death, Draupadi?’
Draupadi had to think. It was one thing to wish for Duryodhana’s downfall. But it was another thing to envisage a war that would claim much more. If the cost of re-establishing dharma was war, then Draupadi knew they had to pay it. It was just that the certainty with which Yudhishtira spoke of it seemed unnerving. The fact that the peace-seeking Yudhishtira not just desired but was predicting the destruction of his enemy was something different. It threatened a whole shift in the balance that she was guarding. If Bhima or Arjuna came to know about their brother’s readiness for war, even gods would not be able to restrain them. Draupadi remained thoughtful till Yudhishtira gently held her palm.
‘I knew that my pacifist attitude bothered my brothers. I am also aware that the ordeal you had to bear that fateful day was due to the same, Draupadi. But I never thought this would bother you,’ he smiled.
Draupadi shook her head, ‘Arya, I would be equally unnerved if Bhima started to favour peace at the cost of all that we have lost.’
Yudhishtira raised a finger, ‘Now is when I need to confess, Draupadi. Perhaps, I should have done this earlier. Ambition to reunite the land of Bharatavarsha was sown in my heart by my late father Pandu. His fateful death left us at the mercy of our uncle. Our uncle’s desire was to see us face everything, from ridicule to multiple attempts at assassination. I have tried to fight my desires ever since. But I could only suppress them, never overcome them. Ambition kept rising within me. But my attempts to control that ambition cost me my wife and brothers, their self-respect, and dragged the empire to another vortex of power struggles.
‘But as long as the desire to fulfil my father’s dream remains within me, it would be foolish to try and prove the lack of ambition to this world. It is high time I owned my desires, Draupadi. When we lay back the claim to what is rightfully ours, we shall stop at nothing. We shall go to any lengths in undoing the damage done till now.’
He saw Draupadi look at him without batting an eyelid
. ‘Are you with me, Draupadi?’
Only the last question seemed to bring about a movement in her eyes. Her brows arched in surprise and amusement. ‘What makes you think otherwise, Yudhishtira?’
‘Even if ambition has taken root within me, I need you to share it. Without you as an integral part of any initiative, I will stumble. I also need you to inspire the other four. They wish for a war. But there might come a time when they might waver. Breaking apart in such circumstances would be disastrous on multiple levels.’
The image of the burning flame in her eyes was her only response. ‘Let the twins sleep, Yudhishtira. Tell me more about war.’
The night passed in grave discussions between them—about allies, their own motivations, strengths and weaknesses, various pitfalls they would encounter, the worst-case possibilities, and more. They continued until the predawn hours, till they heard the rishis from the neighbouring hermitages wake up. More noises could be heard from the northern side of the lake. Draupadi sprang to her feet on hearing Bhima and Arjuna’s voices.
Arjuna entered the courtyard first, accompanied by a stranger—tall, sun-tanned, yet radiant with pronounced features. ‘Chitrasena, the lord of Gandharvas. He insisted that he would release Duryodhana only in your presence,’ Arjuna introduced him to Yudhishtira and Draupadi.
Yudhishtira nodded and glanced over Arjuna’s shoulder. He found Bhima standing with a group of Gandharvas, each wearing a different expression, ranging from glee to annoyance. He found Duryodhana encircled by them, still bound and roped. ‘Welcome to our abode, Lord Chitrasena. I cannot express my gratitude for your agreeing to release our cousin, Duryodhana.’
Chitrasena, who had remained stern until then, found Yudhishtira’s smile too infectious to not smile back. ‘I had heard about you too much to turn down your request, Samrat Yudhishtira.’ He walked to a seat and greeted Draupadi. After being seated, he called out to his followers who brought Duryodhana inside. ‘But, eldest of the Pandavas, do you even know what your “dear” cousin was doing on the banks of Dvaitavana? Are you aware of his flouting the code of this serene forest and violating nature after intruding with his noisy and pompous retinue?’
Seeing Yudhishtira tackle the question with the best of his diplomatic skills, Draupadi kept herself out of the conversation and glanced at Duryodhana who was wounded and bruised. Battered with defeat and dishonour, his face had lost all emotions. She then turned to see Bhanumati, still asleep. It would be heartbreaking for the princess of Kashi to see her husband in this state. When she turned back, she saw Yudhishtira tell Bhima to free Duryodhana.
‘It was too close this time, but don’t repeat this folly again, dear brother,’ Yudhishtira smiled at Duryodhana.
With the twins returning with more firewood, Draupadi busied herself with preparing food for the Gandharva guests. She saw Duryodhana leave immediately without a word of gratitude. The Kuru crown prince did not even wait for a pleasantly surprised Bhanumati to get ready and accompany him. Draupadi shrugged to herself, and asked a couple of servants from Hastinapura to stay back to escort Bhanumati safely to the Kuru capital.
The Gandharvas left after the meal on a cordial note. She observed Bhima’s glee continue over the day, at times peaking when Nakula or Sahadeva joined him in his amusement. There was a moment when even Yudhishtira gave in. It reminded her of their days at Indraprastha before the preparations for the Rajasuya had started.
As a family.
At least till the next intrigue faced them.
After this, the days passed uneventfully for some time. Draupadi sensed the anticipation of war gradually rise among her husbands. It was exhilarating as well as terrifying. Especially when she imagined the full might of the land of Bharata, divided and pitted against each other.
On days when the five brothers left to hunt or fetch water and wood, she would ponder over the impending war. On one such day, she was so preoccupied with the multiple possibilities, that she realized the presence of a royal host in front of their hermitage only when the king entered the ashram. He looked familiar.
Where had she seen him?
Draupadi narrowed her eyes and called out to Rishi Dhaumya, who had come to live beside their hermitage as soon as they had returned to Dvaitavana. Rishi Dhaumya received the king and looked unsure when he came to Draupadi to convey the news. ‘He is Jayadrata, the king of Sindhu, Samragni. The husband of Princess Dusshala, Duryodhana’s sister.’
Another Ghoshayatra?
Draupadi frowned, looking at the army that accompanied Jayadrata. Unsure about the sudden arrival, she saw the king of Sindhu waiting at the entrance of the ashram. Stepping out of the hermitage, she welcomed Jayadrata cordially.
Jayadrata stared at her before he found words to respond to her pleasantries. He marvelled at her dusky skin, resisting age with all its vigour. He looked at her arms, strong and supple. ‘Queen Draupadi,’ he acknowledged her at last, his gaze coming to a halt at her eyes. ‘A forest is not the place for the likes of you!’ The words were spoken even before he could get a grip of what had come over him.
Draupadi looked up, her eyes narrowing at the crass remark. She had only extended a welcome to him because of the Pandavas’ affection for Dusshala. ‘The valiant sons of Pandu will be back soon, king of Sindhu. They will be eager to know about the well-being of sister Dusshala.’ She led him to the stone seats that had been erected in the courtyard, and proceeded towards the hermitage. ‘Let me guide your army towards the lake so that they can refresh themselves.’
To her relief, Rishi Dhaumya was at the entrance of the ashram. A look at his face told her he sensed trouble too. She thought about asking him to send some young rishis in search of the five brothers. But she was stopped. Draupadi turned around when Jayadrata held her hand.
‘Jayadrata!’
‘I was on my way to Hastinapura, My Queen. But your stunning beauty changed my mind. Come away with me before your husbands return…’ Before he could continue, Jayadrata felt a stinging pain on his cheek. Draupadi shoved him out of her way and hurried towards the hermitage. Jayadrata’s gaze followed her. She was moving towards the dagger she had been sharpening! He chased her, just managing to grab her by her arms before she could reach for the weapon. He pulled her towards him. She tried to wrestle out of his grip, but Jayadrata had blocked her way.
‘King of Sindhu!’ Rishi Dhaumya thundered, grabbing his staff. ‘Stop this folly or death by the hands of the Pandavas awaits you!’ Hurrying to Draupadi’s side, the rishi tried to help her to her feet. But Jayadrata’s sword swished across the air, dangerously close to his neck.
Draupadi thought fast. With his army by his side, it was humanly impossible for Rishi Dhaumya or herself to stop Jayadrata. ‘Rishi Dhaumya! Rush to the five brothers!’ she urged the shocked Dhaumya. ‘Pray, leave!’ She dearly hoped that the Sindhu army would not stand in his way.
Jayadrata laughed at her instructions. Pulling her along the pathway, despite her resistance, he jeered at Rishi Dhaumya. ‘Pray, rush and fetch those husbands of hers! They shall swoop down on me and protect her like they did at the sabha in Hastinapura!’
Draupadi swished at the rebuke, like a cobra would at the arrival of an intruder upon its anthill. The Pandavas would surely fight and overcome this rapacious brute within no time. But his army of over a hundred cavalry and many more foot soldiers had to be taken care of!
‘Bhima! Arjuna!’ Draupadi screamed at the top of her voice. Jayadrata, unable to drag her anymore, lifted her over his shoulder and took her to his chariot. ‘Foolish army of a foolhardy king!’ she shouted at the cavalry. ‘My Arjuna, with his newly-acquired astras, my Bhima, with years of hardened muscle who overcame fearsome rakshasas with his bare hands, will come for your king. They will come for you!’ she thundered, simultaneously trying to hold back Jayadrata from cracking the whip. ‘Run for your lives and save yourselves from being beheaded by the archer who faced the Mahadeva himself in a single bout! Worse, if you fall under the wrath of B
hima, even your own wives will not be able to make out your disfigured faces dangling on your corpses! Desert this rat and run for your lives!’
A frustrated Jayadrata slapped her hard across the face. Not giving him the pleasure of seeing her pain, Draupadi bit her own lip until she bled.
Her repeated warnings worked and the armies began to scatter. Jayadrata ordered them to regroup. Some of the cavalry tried to goad the foot soldiers to fall in line. But Jayadrata could not stop his army from splitting and fighting with each other.
‘Foolish woman!’ he spat, shoving Draupadi. ‘Don’t you see your misfortune if you continue with those good-for-nothing imbeciles?’
Draupadi sneered through her pain. ‘My misfortune is much lesser than poor Dusshala’s! For my husbands do not lust after women against their consent! My fragile sister-in-law is better off widowed, than as a wife to a brute like you! My husbands shall see to it!’
Jayadrata ignored her warning. He finally managed to get some of his men in line and cracked the whip, ‘Towards Hastinapura! Let me see how far her husbands come for her!’
Draupadi kicked at his groins.
Stunned at the pain, Jayadrata held her cheeks with his left hand, digging his nails into her face. He was about to force his lips on hers when an arrow whizzed between them and took down the banner of his chariot.
Twenty-eight
Farewell to Dvaitavana
The resounding twang that followed sent the army into another round of confusion. Jayadrata turned around in shock. But he found no one. Such a precise aim had to be Arjuna’s. Before he could spot the archer, Jayadrata heard a horseman shriek in pain and fall from his horse, with an arrow through his back. Another did not even have the chance to scream as the next arrow beheaded him. The rest of the army that surrounded Jayadrata scattered when the third life was claimed.
Draupadi- the Tale of an Empress Page 15
