Draupadi- the Tale of an Empress

by Saiswaroopa Iyer

  Only she had no idea how to wield it!

  Yudhishtira, the eldest. Focus on him for a year.

  She told herself this, looking at her image in the small pool of water, big enough to reflect her entire form. But it was not her appearance that bothered Draupadi. It was the belief that Kunti placed upon her.

  To preserve the legacy of Pandu! To inspire his sons. To gather their strengths.

  Blankly looking at her reflection, she suddenly found another face staring at her from the placid water.‘Yudhishtira. I mean, Arya…’ She saw a slight smile on his lips when she took his name. The silks of royalty suited him. A sense of calm played in his eyes. Something in them commanded respect. She looked directly at him. She remembered the short conversation she had with him at the swayamvara. Not breaking the lock of gazes, she turned towards the bed.

  Yudhishtira remained where he was, even after she had taken a step towards the ornate bed. He saw her turn again and look at him. Her large eyes spoke of courage. Something quite different from what he had expected. The questions that had raged in his mind ever since the polyandrous wedding was decided, seemed to evaporate. The guilt of ‘usurping’ his little brother’s rightful bride, even for a year, subsided, and he dearly hoped it was not just his reaction to her beauty. While it could be said with reasonable confidence that the princess of Panchala was a peerless beauty, there was something more about her that connected to him.

  She seemed like someone who would share his burden.

  ‘Draupadi!’ he said suddenly.

  But where could he begin?

  She tilted her head, expecting him to say more. He seemed to be at a loss for words. Pursing her lips, she remembered the lessons of the senior women at the palace that evening. She had been told that the groom becoming speechless at the first sight was the beginning of her dominion at home. Draupadi was sure that it was just a myth. Yet, she could not help the smile and the mischievous glint in her eyes. However, the contemplative hesitation on her husband’s face signalled something else.

  ‘I remember seeing you when you were…perhaps twelve or thirteen autumns old…when…’

  ‘When the five sons of noble Pandu conspired with Shikhandi and captured my father?’

  He had not expected her to come to the point with that lightning speed. Her eyes showed neither approval nor reproach. Possibly some questions. He nodded in affirmative, thinking of an explanation that would not offend her. ‘Let us say, it wasn’t one of my proudest deeds and we were blind in our devotion to Drona.’

  ‘I suppose, after the defeat of your cousins on the battlefield, the back-door attack was the only way left for you to render your gurudakshina.’

  He had expected a tinge of hostility. But she put forth only her observations. Perhaps it was because of the light from the multiple lamps shining through the latticed partitions, but her dusky skin glowed. Yudhishtira felt his heart miss a beat when his gaze moved over her supple curves. He ached to lay his soul bare in front of her.

  ‘Not very proud of the means we had to deploy. But from the limited scope of a disciple, indebted to his guru, it seemed heroic then,’ his eyes narrowed sheepishly.

  The eldest Pandava had no qualms in admitting his mistake. But a tinge of pain reflected in his eyes. Draupadi sensed more than regret. ‘The realization of being just a tool in pursuit of personal revenge must have hurt later.’

  Yudhishtira’s brows rose at the perceptive deduction. There was a time when he, as the newly crowned heir apparent of Hastinapura, had sought the support of his guru, Drona. He had banked upon the preceptor to oppose the idea of their ‘short’ stay at Varnavata. Yudhishtira had sensed danger the moment he had been asked to visit the place on a flimsy pretext. But the guru whose wish he and his brothers had fulfilled by putting their lives at risk had deserted them when they had needed him the most.

  ‘The guru failed to reciprocate when you needed him to?’ her tone suggested her eagerness to understand his predicament.

  Yudhishtira responded with a slight nod but turned away, not wanting her to see his pain. Draupadi walked closer and squeezed his arm. His other hand clasped hers, holding her close to him. They remained that way for a while. He had almost lost track of time when he felt Draupadi snatch her hand away and press her head. ‘Princess, are you all right?’

  She nodded, trying to smile. But soon, she cringed again. She wished the nagging headache would choose some other time and not bother her when her groom was about to bare his soul in front of her. ‘Just the early morning rituals and the excitement of the night before…’ Draupadi tried to dismiss it when he held her hand and led her to the bed.

  ‘Lack of sleep. By Mahadeva, I hope you are not the kind who keeps awake and suffers these nagging headaches.’

  She hardly had the time to answer before he made her sit on the bed and began pressing her temples. His arms brushed against her shoulders now and then. There was something comforting about his proximity.

  Something pleasurable too.

  Her sigh was audible when she leaned her head against his chest. She felt him pause abruptly; his heart was pounding. Looking up, she saw his eyes, still brimming with concern. ‘It felt good, Arya.’

  ‘I am hardly done,’ Yudhishtira smiled. ‘And the rituals were harsh on you.’ He noted the casual shake of her head. That very moment, he realized the strength in her shoulders. Like many princesses, she was trained in combat. It came as no surprise. He still remembered her angry eyes, trying to protect her father. If not for Shikhandi’s intervention, she might have even succeeded in slowing them down that day.

  ‘I must say, it was brave of you that day when you were defending your father. Perhaps things would have been different, had you succeeded.’

  ‘Very different,’ she responded, not showing any emotion. Had she held them off until the guard had arrived, the five brothers would have possibly been captured instead. Knowing her father, Drupada would have let them go. In all probability, she would have been married to Yudhishtira when the two royal families would have sat down to reconcile. But Drupada would have been saved from the agony and needless rage. ‘Even though the result would have been the same, the journey would have differed,’ she added after some more thought. Yudhishtira’s massage had relieved her of the ache. But she did not feel like stopping him.

  ‘You seem to steal words right out of my mouth!’ Yudhishtira chuckled. He held her close to him. She turned around to face him. He descended upon the bed, still holding her in his arms. Beneath her coyness, he saw her readiness to step into his life.

  ‘Something holds you back, Yudhishtira.’

  A cloud of melancholy passed over Yudhishtira’s face. His efforts to seem normal were not working. He had to ensure his new wife knew what she was getting into.

  ‘Do you know what awaits you, Draupadi?’

  ‘If you mean the intrigues and slander that surrounds a polyandrous marriage…’

  Yudhishtira shook his head. ‘I won’t even try and downplay the complications there. But there are more pressing issues in your marital home. If you happen to have one, that is,’ he said sadly.

  ‘You were the heir apparent at Hastinapura before the incident at Varnavata. And now that your cousin Duryodhana holds the position, you worry about our future at Hastinapura?’

  Yudhishtira slowly rose to his feet. ‘I am also worried about exposing you to the dynamics there. You must know that the fire “accident” at Varnavata was, in fact, a wilful attempt. The resthouse constructed for our stay was made of highly inflammable lac called “siva”.’

  ‘You expect more attempts like the fire “accident”?’ Draupadi asked.

  Yudhishtira said, ‘My brothers are restless to speak in the language that our “cousins” understand. I am sure that my cousins who left no stone unturned in demeaning us will talk about this polyandrous marriage and subject you to slander as well. Think of living with the possibility of a familial clash.’

  Draupadi rose and tu
gged at Yudhishtira’s arm. ‘Vengeance has far-reaching consequences, Arya. So does jealousy.’ She saw him look at her with a knowing smile. ‘A clash between both can be disastrous, Yudhishtira. What can we do to avoid that?’

  Yudhishtira stepped closer. ‘That would require me to relinquish the Kuru throne and settle for a much smaller principality, Draupadi.’ He added, ‘And I am sure my beloved uncle will try his best to ensure that we get a raw deal.’

  There was something in his wry smile that made Draupadi feel protective of him. If they chose to stay back at Panchala, a similar fate awaited them. At least, going out to claim a province of the Kuru kingdom could bring them newer fortunes.

  ‘It is your rule that matters, Arya. Besides, the size of the principality need not remain small for life, noble Pandava,’ Draupadi beamed.

  If it was ambition that shone in her eyes, he yearned to be the one to achieve it. Before he knew, Yudhishtira had drawn her into his arms again. It was a long and pleasurable night for both. At the end of it, the eldest son of Pandu fell asleep as his new bride looked at him fondly. Draupadi felt a new surge of power. She had to find out how far it could go.

  Twelve

  Khandava Prastha

  The view from the window of the hill mansion overlooked the wilderness of Khandava. Having moved there in early autumn, Draupadi enjoyed gazing into the yellow carpet of leaves that the season left in its wake. She was overjoyed to see the onset of spring with wild blossoms. The villagers had begun to look up to her and Yudhishtira. The lack of luxuries did not bother her. With Yudhishtira by her side, she felt right at home.

  The weather, however, was not congenial when the rains started. One day, during monsoon, Draupadi was filled with a sense of foreboding. She tossed the entire night, sleep deserting her, despite Yudhishtira’s warm embrace. He noticed her waking up earlier than usual, and followed her. He was surprised when she chose to visit the chamber with the weaponry.

  ‘Something is bothering you, My Queen.’ Even his gentle words startled her.

  ‘Draupadi! What is wrong, love?’

  She did not have an answer. Yudhishtira’s doubts about her health and enquiries about her wish to visit her natal home only annoyed her. She loved it when Satyajit or Shikhandi visited them, but for reasons unknown to her, she did not miss Panchala at all.

  ‘Or is it me?’

  ‘Yudhi?’

  Yudhishtira withdrew with a sad shrug. ‘The absence of Arjuna. Have I not been…?’

  ‘No, My King,’ Draupadi frowned. ‘I do miss Arjuna, but that’s not what worries me. Nor do I blame you for his departure.’ Looking closely in his eyes that betrayed hurt, Draupadi felt at a loss. Yudhishtira had more than once expressed that he felt like an intruder in her life, which he believed, was rightfully to be shared with Arjuna. Draupadi had initially felt touched with his sensitivity, but it had been her choice to enter into this polyandrous marriage.

  With her stipulated period with the eldest Pandava ending, she was actually beginning to fear missing his gentle warmth. With a start, she realized that she would soon be sharing her bed with the giant Bhima who, she feared, did not have even an ounce of his elder brother’s sensitivity.

  ‘This is our last week together. I fear I will miss you!’ she blurted out. She saw a flicker of affection pass Yudhishtira’s face. ‘I…I fear being with…’

  ‘Bhima?’ Yudhishtira called out, sensing a presence outside the room, almost making Draupadi gasp. ‘Come in!’

  ‘What is with you two and the weaponry chamber?’ The giant entered with a sly grin, unaffected by the solemn expressions he saw on both their faces. Looking at Draupadi’s unforgiving frown, he lifted his hands. ‘All right… I just wanted to ask Draupadi if she wants to accompany me to Sire Aryaka’s place the next fortnight.’

  ‘Our mother’s grandfather, the Naga chief…’ Yudhishtira explained.

  ‘…who refuses to die even after a hundred and twenty autumns,’ Bhima added, chuckling again.

  ‘A very dear and important ancestor of ours, Draupadi,’ Yudhishtira did not have to explain further as she nodded with a slight smile.

  ‘There is a shorter and a more adventurous route to his hamlet through the wilderness!’ Bhima said, and was pleasantly surprised when Draupadi nodded with certainty. Observing her in the past months, he had come to know that that she liked riding. ‘I shall have the steeds groomed for the journey,’ he beamed and left.

  There was something in Bhima’s parting smile that made Draupadi rethink her earlier opinion about the giant.

  The journey to Aryaka’s hamlet was longer than Draupadi had expected. Fortunately, the skies were clear and the small retinue did not have to worry about rain. She and Bhima were accompanied by only three guards as Bhima did not want to take a battalion that would disturb the peaceful hamlet.

  There was something troubling about the hamlet. Looking at it, a frown marred Bhima’s usually exuberant face. ‘Something has gone wrong here,’ he muttered when Draupadi asked him. ‘I think they fear someone.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Brother Bhima!’ a chirpy voice called out. The couple turned to see a girl of barely thirteen springs wave.

  A grin broke on Bhima’s lips and he spread out his arms. Instead of running into them as he expected, the girl stopped by the threshold of her humble home and kept waving at them.

  ‘Is this our sister-in-law?’ she asked, looking at Draupadi with wide eyes. Draupadi beamed at her and asked her name.

  ‘Vikadru, the youngest great-granddaughter of Chief Aryaka,’ Bhima introduced her, brushing the girl’s long curls. ‘Where is your sister?’

  ‘Saurasi…’ the girl began, her greyish pupils dilating, betraying terror. Draupadi drew her closer, concern mounting for her new-found family. Their simplicity had already won her heart.

  ‘Vikadru!’ the voice was feeble but authoritative.

  Bhima and Draupadi turned to face the chief of the hamlet. His wrinkled face broke into a feeble smile after seeing Bhima. Draupadi knelt at his feet, introducing herself.

  ‘It has been a good couple of months since we shifted to Khandava Prastha, Grandsire. ‘How come you did not visit us?’

  Tears filled Aryaka’s eyes. He broke into sobs when Bhima enveloped him in an embrace. Bhima realized that in happier times, he and his bride would have been given a warm welcome at the Naga hamlet. The settlement now looked like a ghost of its former self. ‘What is wrong, Grandsire Aryaka?’

  ‘It is that rogue Takshaka again,’ Aryaka whispered, ushering them inside his home. The sight shocked Bhima. Aryaka’s grandsons lay on the floor, tending to fresh injuries. Bhima’s eyes fell upon a girl, sitting huddled in a dark corner of the room.

  ‘Saurasi?’ Bhima was about to rush to her when Draupadi stopped him and approached the girl. Injuries showed on the girl’s neck and shoulders.

  ‘Who did this to her?’ Draupadi exclaimed, trying to console the girl, but in vain.

  ‘Kalasena, the son of Takshaka,’ Aryaka collapsed into Bhima’s arms again. ‘I saved your life when you were defenceless, Bhima. Now, please help this old man and save my people from that abomination of a naga.’

  Draupadi looked at Bhima, her eyes red due to shock and anger. ‘Our own family suffers this way and we don’t even have a clue?’

  She could not help but blame her husbands, and at that moment, it was directed towards Bhima, who did not miss the ridicule.

  ‘Stay here,’ he growled at her and stormed out.

  ‘Bhima, wait!’ Aryaka and Draupadi called after him. But the departing giant did not look back. Draupadi spent the next couple of hours trying to enquire after the other nagas who seemed to have suffered similar atrocities. But she remained distracted with the thought of Bhima. An hour before sunset, she saw the giant Pandava stride in, dragging a man mauled out of shape and covered in blood.

  Barely yet painfully alive!

  Blood splattered on the floor when Bhima threw him at Saura
si’s feet. The man tried to plead but only vomited more blood.

  Draupadi and Aryaka cringed at the sight. Saurasi clung to Draupadi, her terror multiplying.

  ‘Bhima! She is just a child!’ Draupadi gasped at the rage and vengeance that had taken over her husband.

  ‘Yes, a child!’ Bhima growled, making everyone freeze. He stomped on the injured man’s neck. ‘Whose innocence was defiled by this…abomination!’

  ‘Kalasena!’ Aryaka gasped.

  Draupadi, however, remained unimpressed. Her tongue felt bitter, and her throat, dry. Taking a quick leave of the Naga family with assurances from her side, she left without bothering to see if Bhima was following her. She could hear him call her. But she could not turn back. It was not that bloodshed was new to her. But something felt wrong about the way Bhima had meted out retribution.

  Thirteen

  Bhima

  Riding back to the imperial mansion, she sought out Yudhishtira to secure a quick shelter for Aryaka’s family. After Bhima’s killing of Kalasena, she was sure Takshaka’s faction would attack the already weakened people ruled by Aryaka.

  Though disturbed at the turn of events, Yudhishtira ordered his attendants to start building a new home for the persecuted nagas. ‘It is not just Aryaka’s faction that is suffering, Draupadi. Other villagers, too, have faced Takshaka’s brutality. The rogue naga hides in the wilderness with his minions and raids the other nagas as well as the villagers. Now, they have gone beyond looting and…’ his pause was pained. ‘It will be a shame to let them continue unabated. They have to be stopped.’

  Draupadi shook her head.

  ‘It is the first time I am seeing you talk about action without thinking of any attempt to reform, My King.’