"Ashwathama! What happened son? Why are you injured?", Dron asked his son, who had a bruise on his hand, neck and his leg. Drupad noticed it as well and asked the same. Ashwathama replied, "I don't know! I just was talking with Vaishu and accidentally touched her, and the next thing I saw was the ground! And again, to see why this happened, I tried to touch her hand, but i- i couldn't even go near her!".

Dron looked at him confused and said, "Son! You said she likes you? And that you also love her? Then why did this happen?", Dron asked, making Drupad to get shocked. Drupad asked him, "Mitr, what are you saying? I- I can't believe this! Ashwathama and Vaishnavi are!?". Dron looked at him, nodded and smiled, "This is the reason I called my son over here, Mitr! I wanted to talk about her marriage with you, as you said she also is like a daughter to you!".

Drupad immediately went and hugged his friend, patted his back and said, "Wow! This is wonderful, Mitr! I would not be able to find anyone else more perfect than your son for my Vaishnavi!". He realised something and immediately broke the hug, "But, if they like each other, why did this happen?". Dron also shared the same look as his friend. Ashwathama asked them, ever so confused, "Why did what happened? Please tell me!".

Dron looked at him and said intently, "Putr! Due to the penance she did, she became invincible. She is born for some divinely reason! She awakened all her powers son! And one of them is, any man, with any ill intentions, or bad thoughts, or is not good according to her subconsciousness, cannot even touch her. There is an external force that would be stopping them from touching her. Even her own brother Balram can't touch her without her permission! And if anyone did touch her defeating the force, they would be pushed back once, and for the second time, they will be burned to death! Only someone, whom she considers to be more valuable than her own life to her, will be able to even handle the force. But going by your words, you should be able to touch her! And you are telling me that you can't? This doesn't add up, my son!".

***

"Can I get a painting of Prince Arjun, Ishwari? I want to see him", Draupadi asked her, who was lost. She was thinking of ways to tell her the truth of them being in love with each other. She wasn't going to give up on him, as she thought she was not cut out for sacrifices. Draupadi noticed that her sister was lost thinking about something, she shook her out of her imagination. "Huh?", Vaishnavi came out of the trance and asked her. Draupadi looked down shyly and asked her, "Will you draw Prince Arjun?".

Vaishnavi looked at her and asked, "Why Krishnaa?". Draupadi looked up and said, "Offo! Of course to see how he looks! I've heard you have met him not just once or twice, but many times! How does he look? How is he? His character? His likes, dislikes etc.. Tell me what all you know! But tell while you draw him!", she told her.

As much as Vaishnavi wanted to tell her the truth, she couldn't break her dearest one's heart by denying her request. So she sighed and took a brush and went near the canvas and started drawing him. She started telling Draupadi with so much love in her heart, "He is an introvert! Doesn't speak much! Doesn't react much! Has all senses under his control. But has a lot of things going on in his head. He won't discuss anything out with anyone, he will be battling with his thoughts alone".

Draupadi sat down and was intently listening to her. She mixed two colours and started saying, "But, you know! He knows what to say when people are sad. He is- He is just like a baby in my eyes! Very Naive! Very Kind hearted. Anyone would think of protecting him from any external forces and keep him away from all negativity. Keep him all to themselves".

She splashed those colours and threw away the brush and started painting with her fingers. Caressing her drawing, she said with tears, "That stupid guy doesn't think of himself. Not even once! It's just his family and his loved ones!", she remembered how he also went on a penance just because she went on one. "He doesn't argue. Thinks a lot before speaking anything! Doesn't hurt anyone, not even his enemies! And most of all, he is a great warrior!". She finished the painting and looked at it, and was in awe of her own talent. The painting looked so real, so real, as if he spawned there.

Draupadi came near her and saw the painting, and was in awe of his looks. "He looks like this? This handsome?", Draupadi asked curiously. Vaishnavi just nodded her head lost in his eyes, even when it was just a painting. Draupadi immediately hugged her, which made her come out of her thoughts. "You both seem to be really close! You told me many things about him that no one has ever done!", Draupadi said while hugging her. Vaishnavi just replied, "Y- Yes!".

'I- huh.. I don't know! I don't know what- Kanha!'

Krishna, who was feeding pigeons, turned around at her call. He smiled and said, "Sakhi! Look, the pigeons are fighting for their food!", making Draupadi look at him. She made a worried face and asked him, "Ou! Why are the fighting, Govind?". Krishna looked at Vaishnavi,who was looking at the painting sadly, and said, "Because they thought the food I give is all theirs! They have to understand that whatever I give, they have to share amongst themselves!". This made Vaishnavi get annoyed. Draupadi went towards him and said, "No, Govind! I'm just shocked at how, a small bird like pigeon is fighting for what it thinks is belonging to it! I'm amazed!". Vaishnavi shot her head up at that statement. Krishna sighed dramatically, "Haah! What to do sakhi? Even birds know what to do! Humans don't have this mindset! At all!", making Vaishnavi turn towards him.

She looked at them and said, "What human doesn't have? Everyone is fighting for what they want! They are selfish!", she said bitterly. Krishna smiled at her and said, "Well, what is wrong with being selfish for what you love? Doesn't that make love special?". Vaishnavi didn't reply for this, as her mind was filled with a million thoughts because of that one question.

A maid came and announced just then, "King Drupad is asking for Princess Draupadi, Princess Vaishnavi and Dwarakadeesh Vasudev Krishna! Today the muhurat is really good to announce the Swayamvar! Please come with me". Vaishnavi was unable to tolerate all this. The situation they are in only will lead to her lover's marriage with her sister, both of whom she considers her world. She looked at Krishna and he just shook his head, and gestured to go to Arjun.

"I'm not coming! You guys go!", Vaishnavi said. Draupadi turned towards her and asked, "What? Why Ishwari? Come with us now!". Vaishnavi wanted to escape the situation, so she deliberately held a knife tightly for her to bleed, which was in a platter of fruits, and made it look like an accident.

"Ouch!", she shreiked in pain and was about to fall, but balanced herself by holding her painting. "Ishwari!", Draupadi ran towards her and held her hand. She soon did first aid for her and strictly told her to take rest and not to go anywhere. Vaishnavi just agreed with her and pretended to fall asleep. As Soon as Draupadi left the place, she removed the bandaid and closed her eyes, making the purple glow to come and heal her wound. She immediately got up to go out of the building and saw the painting once more, this time a red hand was imprinted on his image, with her blood.

***

She was restlessly roaming around the place near the Idols. She didn't know what to do at this point. She cannot break any one of those hearts by telling them the truth. She wants Arjun, as well as Draupadi's happiness. She was defeatedly punching the air in frustration. Her chain fell off her hand somewhere again, but the chain was caught by a certain veiny hand. She just grunted in frustration, and spoke to the idol in front of her, "Really? I am dying over here and this chain also wouldn't listen to me, and here you are, looking at me smiling. Just take me back to you! Or Just come here to take away all the confusion and engulf me in happiness".

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms engulfed her from behind, basically back hugging her, making her gasp out loud. "Here! Engulfed you! Giving happiness is the only thing remaining!", the person said. She turned towards him and couldn't control herself anymore and hugged him tightly, crying, "Arjun!".

Arjun immediately got alerted and hugged her back, consoling her. "Shh! What happened? Tell me! What happened?". She hiccuped and said, "Arjun! Just- Just a bad dream! It was so real that i- i-", she couldn't complete the sentence. He rubbed her back and consoled her, muttering sweet nothings in her ear. As soon as he made sure she isn't crying anymore, he made her look at him and asked by keeping his hand on her cheek, "My love, what happened?", his voice was so soft, that it made her hug him again.

"I- I had a dream that you- you-", she couldn't even say that out of her mouth. She mustered up courage and said, "That you m- married someone- married someone else, not me!". He broke the hug and looked at her with a dismissal expression. "Oh man! That is just a dream, right? That's anyways not going to happen, love! You are the only one for me!", he tried to reassure her. He continued, "Tell me one reason! One reason that I'll do something like that?".

She broke the hug, looked at him sharply and said, "You are a Rajkumar, you remember? Isn't that a valid enough reason, Rajkumar Arjun?". He shook his head with a disapproving face and went towards the idol. He took the black thread, which was hanging on the trishul and started to tie it to her chain. "Vaishnavi! You are just afraid of that dream! I would never do that! I'm not a Rajkumar anymore! You remember?".

"But what if?", she asked, unable to tell him what is going to happen in the future. He looked at her, breaking his concentration from the chain, "What if? What if I get married? This is what you wanted to ask?", her eyes went down and she nodded. He tilted his head and chuckled at her. He went to her, held her hands and said, "You don't believe that I will marry you or not, do you?", which made her immediately look up at him. She hit him on his chest and said, "Nonsense! No Arjun! I- Arjun! You don't know many things about me! The place where I come from, there, infedility is really common. And- and in Aryavart, where Polyandry is really common, I- I am just-", she just sighed, unable to say anything more.

He smiled and started to say, "Vaishnavi, love, It is true that I don't know many things about you, infact, it could be a possibility that I don't know anything about you! But, I don't care. I don't care about your past, but I do care about your traumas. Even if you don't share any happy moments from your past, share your sad memories, which has affected you deeply, so that I could also feel the same pain that my love is bearing. I promise that I make sure to lessen the pain, if not by 100%, atleast by 0.01%. I am not asking you to share everything right now, only do it when you feel like it. And coming to our marriage part, I don't know, I've always felt like we've been married long time ago! Now, if that's true, even if god comes and tells me, unless you do, to marry some other person, I Would Never Do That".

She looked at him and asked with innocent eyes, "Really? You will not marry anyone? But- but what if circumstances- did not allow us to- marry? What if an inevitable situation comes, and we won't unite ever?". He kept his hand on her cheek and said, "That will never happen, love! You can't escape me! Not in this life, not in any lives as well. No matter how many lives we have, I will be born for you, and you will be born for me. I will find you out wherever you are, and will take you away from everyone! You told me I let my arrow pierce your heart, but, you are my string to my bow! Without you, I'm- I'm nothing!".

She still wasn't sure as she knows what will happen in the future, but his promise made her feel at ease. "Arjun, I-", Arjun immediately cut her off by saying, "And if you still aren't convinced, I will marry you right away!".

Meanwhile, in the palace, Priest told Drupad that they entered the Muhurat, which was amazing in starts and anyone will only attain victory if they do anything. Drupad told all his soldiers to announce the grand news of Swayamvar and fire up the crackers.

Here, Vaishnavi looked at Arjun just dumbfounded, not comprehending what he just told. "Arjun! What are you saying? Is it- how is it even possible?". He replied, "Why not? At times, we have to be selfish for our love!".

In the palace, Drupad went towards the Shiva idol in the Palace, and said, "I pray to you, o lord Ishwar! I wish for Arjun to get married to my Daughter Draupadi!", while Draupadi smiled blushing, looking down, saying to herself, "Rajkumar Arjun!", and chuckled.

Arjun showed her the chain, which was now mixed with the black thread, making it look like a nuptial chain. He started tying it on her neck, saying, "Vaishnavi! I, Arjun, Son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, taking all the five elements, this nature and The destroyer god Shiva and Mata Parvati as witnesses, accept you as my Wife with all my heart!". After he finished tying it on her neck, he took a handful of kumkum and applied it to her hair partition. At the same time, the fire crackers started to light up the whole sky, making it look like the entire universe is celebrating their marriage.

Meanwhile, Krishna closed his eyes and a drop of tear escaped from his eye, which was noticed by Draupadi. She asked him worriedly, "Govind! What happened?". He just looked at her and shook his head. He blessed them from his heart and the breeze turned into a wind.

The wind caused the flowers from the tree to fall on the newly wed couple, as if Krishna himself was blessing them. She looked at him with tears in her eyes full of love and respect for him. She then took the nuptial chain on her hand and looked at it with pure devotion and adoration.

He bent down to her height and smilingly said, "Now, this chain will never break away or leave you, ever!".

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Heyyy ya guysss! Aahhh my babies are finally married! But it's unofficial tho 👀, what do you think will happen next in their lives?

Anyways, how did you guys like the chapter? Please vote and comment!