Chapter Text
Panchaali was walking down the hall, in the palace of her father-king. He had announced that she was to be married soon (without even consulting her). But her father had given her a freedom that was rare for women of the land - Panchaali was to choose her own husband from a throng of suitors! This made the prospect of marriage an exciting one, and our heroine had a spring in her step as she walked, along with her brother and her friend, to the hall where a painter had arrived with portraits and stories of eligible suitors all over the land.
Yawn. As the portraits were revealed one by one, Draupadi found her attention waning away. They were all of men who looked like they could be her father. All the stories were the same as well, each king or prince being brave, strong, and rich. Panchaali had half a mind to let the painter go early, and retire to her chambers.
"Krishnaa, wait for Arjun's portrait. He is the most skilled archer on this earth, and if I dare say, easy on the eyes as well. You will want to see him," her good friend Krishna spoke. Krishna had always adored her, and had called her 'Krishnaa', a female variation of his own name, to signify their bond.
The painter then brought out the portrait of the Pandavas (sons of King Pandu) on Krishna's instruction, and oh boy... Draupadi was glad to have listened. All five of them were handsome and manly, there was no denying that. Arjun seemed to be the one with a bow held in his hand, looking regal. The princess was drawn to his alert eyes - they held a mischief in them - along with an emotional depth. She asked for his story. Hesitatingly, the painter began:
The third son of King Pandu, Arjun was born as the blessing of the sky-god. He lived with his brothers in a forest, as their father had taken up exile to atone for his past sins. After King Pandu's death though, all the children came to the kingdom of Hastinapur, where they received extensive education alongside their cousins, the Kauravas (sons of the Kuru family). Arjun quickly surpassed everyone else in archery skills - he is also said to have obtained divine weapons from his guru. In a tournament held at Hastinapur, Arjun was even crowned as the most skilled warrior among all the one-hundred-and-five princes! Prince Arjun is regarded all over India as the strongest opponent, whom even the Gods would think twice before crossing!
But Princess...
Prince Arjun is dead.
Draupadi felt her eyes widen, felt her breath catch in her throat, and looked to Krishna for confirmation. The painter continued.
"Recently, Arjun and his brothers, collectively known as the Pandavas, went to a lavish palace for a vacation, gifted to them by their cousin, Duryodhan. But the evil Duryodhan had different plans, Princess! Oh God... the palace was made up entirely of inflammable materials, and he burnt them all alive, with their goddess-like pure mother!"
The painter was in visible distress at this point, and could go no further. The five princes must have been adored by the common people.
But what was Draupadi to do now? The only man she liked amongst her suitors was dead...? Heaving a stricken sigh, she gestured to the painter to show her the remaining suitors. There may be a chance that she'd like at least one of them.
The next portrait that the painter brought out stopped Panchaali in her train of thought. The painting stopped everything, her breathing, her blinking, her heartbeat. It was as if the painting stopped the flow of time itself.
"Sakhi (friend), sakhi, are you listening to me?" Krishna's voice brought her back to her senses. Even her brother was looking at her with a concerned gaze.
"Draupadi, are you feeling alright? Do you need me to help you sit down?"
Draupadi turned her face away as she blushed. How could she admit the instant attraction flaring up inside her at the portrait of this man, like a roaring fire leaping up in its urge to engulf the whole sky?
She shyly glanced at the painting again. The portrait contained three men, posing in a throne room. But the one who caught Panchaali's eye was the most inconspicuous: his posture relaxed and friendly, his clothing simpler than the other two, and his eyes... his eyes were like a calm ocean that quenched the evergreen fire inside the Yagyaseni. She had an urge to see that man smile; something told her that he looked very handsome when he smiled. But those eyes also told Draupadi that the man did not smile often. They seemed to gain their calm from an unknown sadness, sadness that Panchaali wanted to know about.
"Tell us about the men in the painting." Krishna spoke to the painter. The artist complied and Draupadi got to know that the prince sitting in the centre was the very same evil Duryodhan who had plotted to murder the five Pandavas. And the man sitting beside him was his younger brother Dushhasan. They both looked like princes, with elaborate jewellery and arrogant expressions. The painter told them that Prince Duryodhan was the crown prince of the Hastinapur kingdom, which was extremely powerful, with unbeatable warriors on its side. Panchaali's brother hummed his approval for such a strong kingdom. But Panchaali was looking somewhere else.
"Who is that...? That man, standing beside Prince Duryodhan?"
Krishna stiffened.
"That is someone who is far below you, my sakhi. He does not belong to any royal family. Do not pay him any mind."
Draupadi's curiosity was not sated. She felt like she had a right to at least know about the person in the picture, so that her mind could be put to rest.
"Tell me about him nevertheless," the princess ordered the painter. The painter, surprisingly, did not have much to say about the mysterious man.
"Vaasudev Krishna is right in what he says, Princess. He is Karna, the king of Anga, but he does not have any royal lineage... There are even rumours that he is the son of a charioteer. His station is far below yours, Princess." The painter answered, head bowed.
But the princess had noticed something else.
"This man, Angaraj (king of Anga) Karna, he carries a massive bow with poise. Is he also an archer, Govind?" She asked Krishna.
"Yes... he is an archer, sakhi, and he is probably the only man in this whole crowd, other than Arjun, who can successfully complete the task your father has set in order to win your hand in marriage."