~*~Some Peaceful Days And Memories Of The Past~*~
Around 13 months of our exile had passed. The woods of Kamyaka were among the most beautiful forests we have ever lived. The forests were covered with variety of trees bearing various kinds of fruits and flowers. The heavenly smelling flowers perfumed the entire atmosphere. The sweet fruits of these trees not only satiated our hunger but also satiated our souls. These trees also served as dwellings to multiple types of birds. The chirpings of these birds combined with gurgling sound of River Saraswati and chanting of the Vedic hymns felt like a soothing music to our ears.
Bheem, being the son of God of Wind, can trace the flowers just with their fragrance. He often brought these beautiful flowers for Panchali to cheer her up. Sometimes Nakul would even make jewelries out of those flowers for her. And Panchali, just like a small innocent kid, would get delighted with these little tokens of love from her Aryas.
Panchali had always been fond of flowers. When we built the palace of Indraprastha, she specifically asked Mayadanav to create the most beautiful garden for her. These gardens should consist of all the beautiful flowers from all over this world. As asked by Draupadi, Mayadanav indeed created the most beautiful garden, that one could even think of.
Whenever, she got freed from her household and royal responsibilities, she along with the kids would go there to relax herself. The flowers even seemed to blossom with her mere presence. At times, she would adorn herself with those beautiful flowers and she looked so beautiful that even nymphs of heaven would get jealous of her.
Sometimes, even we accompanied her to the gardens. I rarely got chance, because my courtiers loved to keep me engaged with the courtroom proceedings and meetings. Whenever her year was due with me, she would often complaint that I don't give her enough time. I said nothing just smiled at her. But now I cherish those few precious moments of the past, I spent with her.
I silently hoped to spend those lost moments with her but she did not even like to look at me. In these 13 months, we never spoke to each other in private. Even in presence of my brothers, she would speak to me only when it was required and sometimes, her taunting words were directed towards me and my practices of Dharma. Did it hurt me? Of course, because I am also a human being, made from flesh and bone, but I knew I deserved it.
My Kalyani was never like this. She always used to stay very happy. She always used to forgive us for our mistakes. It's me and my wrong decisions which has turned our lovely happy blooming flower into gloomy decomposed one. Thinking about her I suddenly remembered about a small yet cherishing incident back at Indraprastha.
##Flashback##
One day, we received a letter from one of the kings, who was ruling under my kingship. In the letter he described about threat from a demon called Markasura and sought assistant from to eliminate this demon.
My ever-enthusiastic brother Bheem sprang up to action even before the messenger could complete reading the letter. He had resolved in his mind to slay that demon. He assured the messenger of his assistant and bowed infront of me seeking my permission. Without even waiting from my reply, he swiftly left the palace in his chariot with his mace and other weapons towards that demon's abode.
When Draupadi got this news, she got agitated. She was, after all, Yagyaseni, her fury was indeed tremendous. The thought that, without having any information about that demon's strength or weaknesses, how could her Arya, alone, had inflicted himself into this grave danger, was making her restless. She even got angry with us, because we failed to stop Bheem. We tried to make her understand, but she had resolved not to listen to us at all.
After one week Bheem returned, unharmed and successfully slain the demon. He came to me and took blessings from me and embraced Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev in a tight bone crushing hug, which was obviously not at all tight and bone crushing from Bheem's perspective.
He was about venture into Draupadi's quarter when Nakul stopped him to tease him, "Majhle Bhaiya (Middle Brother), before you go into the hungry lioness's den, just eat this laddoo from this little brother of yours for the last time." Nakul immediately popped a laddoo inside Bheem's mouth.
After swallowing the laddoo, Bheem asked, "Hungry lioness!! What do you mean? Tell me clearly Nakul or I will break those teeth of yours."
Arjun, "Majhle Bhaiya, isn't the palace is seeming too peaceful. This peace is an warning of the approaching storm. Very soon this peaceful atmosphere will turn into a violent raging storm and for that credit goes to you."
When Bheem still looked confused, Sahadev came to his rescue, "Panchali is extremely furious because of your reckless stunt of venturing out alone to kill that Markasur, without taking any precautionary step. Better you stay careful." Then he sort of whispered to Bheem, "Trust me, if I had been in your place, I would have never thought of standing infront of her until her anger subsided."
Sudddenly, Nakul satirically asked, "Hey, Sahadev are you getting any premonitions about our majhle bhaiya's condition?" Sahadev too replied in the same tone, "Of course Nakul, I can see smokes coming out Draupadi's quarters and majhle bhaiya's all the hair are standing as if he got a huge shock." With this three youngest brother of mine, cracked into a loud roar of laughter. I just chuckled listening to their banters.
My strongest brother, whose might terrified every sinner, was terrified himself of Panchali's wrath. of this world, gulped down and gave a puzzled expression.
Suddenly his face glowed up. He again went out, this time without his chariot, only to return after some time with a huge branch full of red beautiful flowers. He thought of bribing Panchali with her favourite flowers to escape her wrath.
Indeed, marriage has its own advantages and disadvantages. In Bheem's case, marriage had made him smarter.
Giving us one last grinning look, he entered inside the lioness's den, I mean, Draupadi's quarters.
What happened inside the chamber we don't know, but for next few days we all had to evacuate our palace. A large swarm of bees, whose nest was on that same flowery branch of tree, had fall down, while Bheem severed the branch. The group had traced Bheem's back to the palace and launched their attack on all the palace inhabitants including us. Thanks to Nakul and Sahadev's celestial salves which provided immediate relief from the bees' stings. No wonder, Draupadi completely forgot about her anger with the advent of this new problem.
When finally, the bees' problem was over, Draupadi and all four of us specifically made Bheem promise, never ever to bring the entire branch of flower for the purpose of gifting to Draupadi. If he ever wanted to gift flowers to her, he should pluck them individually. Nakul and Sahadev, kept on teasing Bheem for this incident until that unfortunate Dyut Sabha day.
##Flashback over##
These little incidents of the past, still submerged in some of the deep corners of my heart, acted as a salve to those deep wounds of my heart.
During these 13 months, many sages, brahmans, our kiths and kins visited us.
Drishtadyumna, our brother-in-law was sent by our father-in-law, Maharaja Drupad along with the whole army of Panchal. He himself was attired in his armour and clad with all his weapons. Shortly after arriving he informed us that he had come to wage an war against Hastinapur to punish Duryodhana and his gangs for dishonoring us at the Dyut Sabha.
Being the son of Agni, his wrath was furious too, just like his sister. I tried to pacify him with my words regarding our responsibility to undergo penance for these 13 years and requested him to have patience for the time being. To my utter surprise Panchali too supported me. Once his wrath cooled down, he bowed infront of me and promised me the support of his army whenever, I desire to wage war against Hastinapur. Finally, he along with his army returned Panchal.
Vasudeva Krishna, our cousin, had already taken my sister-in-law along with her son Abhimanyu to Dwarka, while we left for our exile. Putra Abhimayu was just 3 years old then. I am guilty to that child and his mother also, for separating them from my Parth.
Vasudev Krishna had come to pacify us and especially Draupadi. Draupadi had always been a dear friend of Vasudev. It was his blessings which had saved Draupadi's honour at the Dyut Sabha. For this we were deeply indebted to him.
On seeing Vasudev, Draupadi could not hold herself anymore and wept bitterly infront of him. Vasudev tried to sooth her with his lovely charming words, "Krishne, don't cry dear. These tears of yours are very precious. Don't shed them thinking about those 4 sinners. Whatever happened at Hastinapur is not just your insult, it is the insult of your entire civilization and entire race of women. Even though, I don't want this war to happen, but this war will certainly happen and the earth shall drink the blood Duryodhana and his gang."
I knew Keshav was not an ordinary person, he was himself an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. So I went near him and asked, "Keshav, how could this war happen, if you don't want it?"
Keshav just smiled at me and replied, "Bade Bhaiya (Big Brother), had I ever wanted you to get robbed in the hands of those deceitful Duryodhana? Had I ever wanted disrobing of Draupadi? In this world, everything does not happen as per my will. Similarly, this war will certainly happen and will happen at such a huge scale that no one has ever thought of."
That day I understood, even Narayan, does not have any control over the destiny. What is destined to happen will certainly happen.
He further advised us, "Of course you all should lit the fire of justice inside your hearts but don't let this fire rage so much that you all get burned yourselves."
He stayed with us for some time and then returned to Dwarika. His mere presence had somehow cheered us. After all he was called Madhav for some reason.
The sage blessed with forever youth, Rishi Markandeya, too visited us. All six of us duly paid our respects to him and sat around him to take his blessings and valuable advice. Unlike other sages and monks, visited us so far, Rishi Markandeya' s beautiful smile was adorning his lips. Unable to contain myself, I asked him, "Rishivar, so far who ever has visited us have given sorrowful expressions after looking our plight. If you don't mind may, I know the reason of that beautiful smile of yours playing on your lips."
Rishi Markandeya replied in his ever-charming voice, "Putra, your plight has indeed saddened me. But I am smiling remembering a similar scene I witnessed many ages ago. A virtuous king, his wife and his brother, left their royal lifestyle and stayed in the forests of Dandakaranye for 14 years in order to fulfil a promise given by their father. Even kings like Bhagiratha, also had to face lot of hardships in order bring Ganga to this earth. Putra, therefore do not get distressed with this hard phase of your life. The purpose of your birth is to establish dharma on this earth, and for fulfilment such great purposes, requires greater sacrifices. So far you have followed the path of virtue and truth. I hope you will follow the same in future also. I bless you that at the end of these 13 years of exile, you will get back all your fortunes, that you have lost."
He stayed with us for some more time. He gave us various valuable advices about way of life and finally went away.
The frequent visits of so many sages, continuous chanting of those holy vedic hymns by those snataka brahmans accompanying us, was somehow instilling a feeling of peace in my soul. Other than the wounds caused by my failing relations with my brothers and dear wife, the wounds caused by Duryodhana and his gang started healing slowly.
One such evening, I was resting on a hay mat outside the hermitage. Bheem, lost in his thoughts, was sitting under a sal tree outside the hermitage. Arjun, Nakul, and Sahadev were engaged in sharpening their respective arrows, swords, and axe. After so many months, Panchali came and sat beside me. Her face was filled with sorrow and dejection. Unlike before, I was unable to understand the mind of my Kalyani. The Kalyani with whom I married, was lost somewhere. I guiltily casted a love filled glance at her. She too raised her eyes to look at me, opened her mouth to say something, but could not form any word. She again lowered her eyelids. It seemed as if Kalyani has come to tell me something to me but was unable to voice up her thoughts.
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