Elements of Fire

21. Hibiscus

"No Maharani you can't take it from me."

"Why little one?"

"Because if I give it to you then tomorrow when it welts you won't know where to find another one."

Draupadi gently stroked her hair, smiling brightly at her sweet innocence.

"What's your name child?"

"I am Suritha."

"And is that your sister over there?"

She nodded looking a little scared. Draupadi laughed softly touching her cheeks reassuringly.

"So Suritha how do I get that flower?"

"You really want to?" she asked her face gleaming in excitement.

Draupadi nodded matching Suritha's delight.

"There is a very beautiful place a little far from here. There are so many more flowers there."

"Okay we will go there. Give me some time to complete my work here."

The Queen of Anga smiled happily as Suritha jumped in joy waving and gesturing to her sister to join them.

"Maharani this is my elder sister Sanitha"

"Hmm" Draupadi smiled animatedly "Sanitha is such a nice name."

"Thanks" came a shy reply.

"Maharani is it true that you were born of fire?" Suritha asked, her eyes gleaming in curiosity.

"Yes I was."

"Haww. You didn't get scorched?"

"You came out of the fire fully grown?"

For the rest of the afternoon the nervousness that had began benumbing her senses gave way to her regal, confident, kind self charming those around her, as only the excited, unadulterated chattering of the two girls filled her ears.

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"This place is so beautiful girls" Draupadi said inhaling deeply "Just like you two had described it to me."

The lush green meadow starred with colorful flower bushes submerged in the golden light of the late afternoon sun was entrancing.

"Maharani you can pick as many flowers as you want" Suritha said gleefully already making a dash towards the bushes with her sister.

Draupadi smiled to herself. It reminded her of Panchal and her sister. She felt care free again, brushing the soft flower buds with her hands. She picked a bunch of yellow marigolds. The bright colour brought the image of her sakha (male friend) to her mind.

She sighed. She missed her maiden days in Panchal when the fabric of her life was not woven with so many complications.

"Maharani we made this for you. It would go well with your red saree" Sanitha beamed at her, holding up a headgear made with red hibiscuses and little ferns.

Seeing it would have brought a smile to anyone but Draupadi's face was devoid of one. Instead an unsettling expression began eating away at her fine features.

"Maharani"

Hearing Suritha's soft, trembling voice Draupadi smiled affectionately as her hands gently wrapped around her waist pulling the little girl closer to herself. Yet in her eyes she bore a distant melancholic look, a sharp pain.

"I love the headgear both of you have made for me. It is beautiful and most importantly it is has been woven with so much of love. "

Yet the blemish of the dice game came boomeranging back to her. The red hibiscus flower with its five petals had its store of bleak memories.

"But I cannot accept it because..." she took a deep breathe, "Because the red hibiscus flowers reminds me of something scary in my life which I want to forget."

Sanitha watched her with a questioning and knowing look. Draupadi nodded.

"But my little Suritha I will definitely come to meet you two again" Draupadi said cheerfully.

"Really? When?"

"Whenever you two want to."

'You can just come here and call out to us. We will come running."

Unknown to them a sturdy young Brahmin watched them intently. His beautiful eyes trained from years of practice gazed straight and unfaltering at the merry, chattering trio.