"Vaishnavi! I- I just want to-", Arjun couldn't speak any further. He held her hand, only for her to harshly whip his hand away and looked away from him. "Explain! Rajkumar Arjun!", she asked him while her blood was boiling. He looked at his hand, which just got rejected by her, and smiled sadly. "Vaishnavi! I- I'm sorry!".

She looked at him with an unbelievable expression and said, "Sorry!? You are sorry? Does that make any sense Arjun? What are you sorry for, tell me? For breaking your promise or for breaking my heart?". Arjun looked at her with a tear stricken face and told, "I'm sorry for everything, Vaishnavi! I- I broke your trust!". She just chuckled bitterly and said, "Trust? Trust is something I've lost at everyone a long time ago, Arjun! And after so long, i thought I got someone who i can trust with blinded eyes, you! And you proved me wrong! If you wanted to marry her so badly, why did you fake promise me?".

Arjun continued, "I did not want to marry her, love! I'm not interested in marrying her, at all! I just-", to this she pushed a bowl near her and said, "Not interested? Haha! Let me tell you Rajkumar! You are the one who won her! Not your brothers or anyone! And you are expecting me to accept this bullshit?".

Arjun tried to hold her hands, but she moved away from him, "Don't! Touch! Me! Tell me why did you let this happen? You promised me that even if god comes and tells you, you wouldn't marry!". Arjun could not bear her indifference with him, and was controlling himself from crying out. Composing himself, he started saying, "Bhrata Yudisthir ordered me to do it, Vaishnavi! He is more than god to me! That's why. I thought he knew about us and was taking this decision-", she just pushed him by his shoulders now, cutting him off. She screamed, "You could have just told him! TOLD HIM! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT! She could be my sister, but YOU ARE MINE ARJUN!", she fell on her knees and started to cry real badly. Arjun went towards her and hugged her, while she hugged him back and started crying. She held onto him tightly and hiccuped, "I- I hate you, Arjun! I don't-", to which he hugged her tighter, "Don- don't say that, please!", there was a sense of desperation in his voice.

She started to cry even more and held onto him with her life. "Don't- Don't leave me, Arjun! Please! Don't marry her!". He closed his eyes tightly while crying, "I- I'm sorry! Vaishnavi!". Vaishnavi harshly pushed him away and stood up, wiping her tears away, she said, "If you don't! Then fine! I'm taking a decision today, Arjun! As you have broke your promise, I release you from it! You don't have to abide by your promise, as it doesn't exist anymore, Arjun! If you don't want me, then I don't want you too!".

Arjun said in a hurry, "Please, don't push me away, love! I can't live without you! I'll do one thing! I'll let everyone know that I married you, initially! And that you are my wife! I-", but got cut off by her, "Don't you dare do that! I don't want you anymore! I restrict you from doing it, Arjun! If you really tell anyone, I'll make sure that I would go to some nowhere land, far far away from you, Arjun! Just like you don't want me, i don't want you as well. And I don't consider our marriage as a marriage anymore!"

Arjun didn't know what to say, only thing which was in his mind was to stop her. "Vaishnavi! Please don't do it! I never said I don't want you! I want you, my love! You are my wife!". She looked at him raising her eyebrows and said, "Married? When you don't respect it, i don't want this as well!", and proceeded to pull out her chain from her neck.

Arjun went forward to stop her, but he stopped in his track as he saw that the chain was refusing to come out of her neck. It wasn't breaking, as he said when he tied it to her. He saw it and started smiling. Frustrated, She tried to take it off her head, but a huge gust of wind came suddenly and pushed her away, only to get caught by Arjun by her waist. She looked at him with a shocked expression, while he said smiling at her, "See! I told you! It won't break, never! And you are my wife, Vaishnavi! How did you think you can escape me? Huh?". She tried to get out of his hold, but the more she tried, the held onto her stronger.

"A- Arjun, leave me!", she stuttered, as she was feeling so many things which she shouldn't be feeling. She was supposed to be angry at him. "Arjun!", a voice interrupted them, making Arjun leave her. He turned around to see who it was, and saw Bheem, Nakul and Sahadev were coming towards them. Bheem came into the scene and said, "Vaishu! H- How are you?", he couldn't speak further as he knew what this poor girl was going through.

"You don't ask it, Bheem! Your brother has made me really happy today, by his deeds!", she said spitting hatred towards her husband. Nakul went towards her to hold her hand, but she stopped him, "No Nakul, you will get hurt If you try to touch me!". He looked at her confused and asked, "But, Bhrata Arjun could touch you? Is it because he married you?". She looked at him with a shocked expression and asked, "so? You guys knew? And didn't stop? Wow guys, proud of you!", and clapped her hands. Sahadev interrupted, "No Vaishu! It's not like-", but got cut off as she raised her hand, telling him to stop. "I've heard enough explainations for today, Sahadev! And you guys are going to marry my sister! You will be tired for tomorrow's ceremony! Please go take rest! And yeah, tell your brother to stay away from me!", she looked at Arjun with a bitter expression at the last sentence and left the place in anger. Arjun looked at her with a sad smile, as Bheem patted his back, and Nakul and Sahadev hugged him.

***

The ceremony of the marriage was huge, as this is something the whole Aryavart never has seen before. Many people just flocked to see this rare thing happening, one woman marrying five men. Many people considered it as something immoral and unholy. Balram clearly didn't like what was happening, and now has a grey image for Pandavas. Draupadi, as a beauty she is, came to the dias and sat on her seat, ready for the marriage.

The five men, now clean shaven and well groomed, came towards the dias and stood with garlands on their hands. As Draupadi asked her, Vaishnavi stood behind her as her bridesmaid and was ready to welcome her brothers in law. Arjun looked at her with a guilt stricken face, as she didn't even bothered to look at him. She was on the verge of breaking down as she saw her own husband was ready to marry some other woman.

She welcomed all of them with a straight face, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. Yudisthir did not understand this behaviour of hers, but proceeded to go ahead. As the wedding proceed, Vaishnavi still hoped for Arjun to throw away everything and come back for her. But it all got crushed as they all proceeded to tie the mangalsutra on her sister's neck. Vaishnavi's already broken world has gotten demolished at this sight. Her husband was taking pheras with his new wife, whereas she was standing there, throwing flowers at them. She kept her hand on her mouth to control herself, and started to leave the place immediately. "Ishwari!", she stopped midway and turned towards her sister who was calling her, "I love you more than anything in this world, my sister! So I want to hear it from you! Please wish me from your mouth that I'll lead a happy life with my family, my husbands". Vaishnavi's knees were already giving up at this thought. How can he wish some other woman who married her husband, to live a happy life with him.

She mustered her courage and said without looking at anyone, "I-", she couldn't say any further. She closed her eyes tightly and said, "I hope you lead a happy life with your husbands", and looked at Arjun, who was looking at her with a sad face. Getting extremely happy, Draupadi stood up, only to get tripped, but was caught by Arjun by her shoulders, preventing her from falling. Vaishnavi couldn't tolerate any of this anymore and ran inside the palace, With the other brothers except for the eldest one look at her sorrowfully.

She wasn't walking straight anymore, as her knees completely gave up. Her mental strength has also given up on her, and she was the most vulnerable at that moment in all her life. She didn't know where she was walking to and was looking really tired. She just continued to walk somewhere, stumbling here and there, pushing everything away on her way. Her tears have dried up, and she was having no expression on her face. She recollected all her memories from the past, With Arjun, and everything triggered her to a point where she was just waiting for her death.

All of a sudden, an old man came in front of her, and stopped her with a stick, as he can't touch her. She looked at him confused and tried to remember where she saw him. He started to laugh loudly while she just wanted to sleep, for no reason. This kind of reminded her of that day in Dwaraka.

"Finally! Devi Vaishnavi! The Avatar of Ardhnarishwar! The time has come! Haha!", he started laughing and the Carpet looking thing appeared. She finally recognised who he was and tried to get out of the place in an instant, her mind not working at all. But he stopped her again with the same stone he showed her in Dwaraka. She looked at it and understood why she was feeling all sleepy suddenly. That was the same sandal stone with, which has caused her to pass out that day. She was thinking how did this guy knew about her being sensitive to sandal. He screamed, "We Asuras have been waiting for this moment only, Devi! Right now, you lost your will to live. You being vulnerable is the only way we would get you! Our lord, Kali, is waiting for you! Shall we go?", the old guy said, while she lost any will to fight or think anymore. Her mind was consumed with Arjun's betrayal.

Meanwhile, the marriage ceremony was finished and everyone was going inside the palace. Arjun was looking at the earring, which he fixed again the last night and was going towards Krishna. Everyone left except for them both and Arjun started to speak, just then he did not feel something going right. He was feeling damn uneasy and his chest was feeling tight. He rubbed on his chest, and accidentally the earring fell off his hand and fell near a cow. Suddenly, he realised something which petrified him.

The smell of Petrichor was gone.

Not even the slightest smell was there. He looked at Krishna, who held the same expression as him, the expression which screamed, 'she is in danger!'. They both nodded at each other and started to search for her. Arjun went to take the earring back, but the cow pushed it by its leg, causing it to fall on a pot of water. He sighed frustratingly and went to get it, but the maids took it and threw it in the nearby pond.

He thought for a moment and immediately understood that the nature was helping him to find her. He immediately followed wherever the earring was taking him. Passing from the pond to an old man drinking water. Then a bunch kids taking the bowl, in which the earring was there, to play hit stone. Arjun silently followed everything and as the kids hit the bowl with the stone, the earring went inside a garden, making him run there.

Vaishnavi wanted to fight by gathering up courage, but she already gave up on herself and was loosing consciousness. As she was about to fall, the old guy placed the carpet below her for her to fall on that. But, just then, an arrow was shot towards him and another on the carpet, making it fly away. The old man was fatally hit by the arrow on his chest and looked up at who did it.

A furious Arjun was sprinting towards him, shooting a rain of arrows at him. He wanted to cover himself up and escape, but oh boy, Arjun was super fast and hit him with a series of arrows, making him real weak. Arjun immediately caught Vaishnavi, preventing her from falling. The old man got shocked at him and said, "You! You can touch her? How? Even Devathas can't!".

He held her cheeks, shook them trying to wake her up, "Vaishnavi! Vaishnavi can you hear? Be with me!". She looked at him smiling and held his cheeks before passing out. Arjun's blood boiled as he saw his love in a dying state and looked at the old man, who was trying to escape.

Krishna came running there and held Vaishnavi, and looked at that man with bloodshot eyes. Arjun went towards him and held him by his hair, which caused him to cry out in pain. "Who are you? How dare you touch her! How can you touch MY VAISHNAVI!? TELL ME!!!", Arjun screamed and pulled his hair even more, looking at her. The carpet, which fell down, came towards the old man and rolled him, while Arjun was looking away, making the old man vanish away into thin air.

Arjun looked at the sight with shocked expression as he didn't understand what just happened. He immediately went towards Krishna, and asked him while holding onto her tightly to his chest. "Madhav! What is this? Why is this happening? Who- Who is he? Please explain!".

Krishna sighed closing his eyes and started saying, "For you to understand this, I need to tell you the whole thing, Parth! From the very beginning!".

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tadaa lovelies! I'm back to the game lol! Doctor told me to take rest, but who cares lol!

Are you guys excited to know the whole story behind our Vaishu! Then wait for the next chapter.

Anyways, how was the chapter guyss!!! Please vote and comment 😺 ❤️ 😄