Elements of Fire

35. A Long Night-2

"What is it that triggered you to act thus? I know it is something important and not some silly gossip. Please tell me" Karna asked, gazing at her intently.

Draupadi turned away instantly. She was not expecting this interrogation from her husband, yet when she would look at his concerned eyes, she could not bear no to assuage them.

"Panchali?"Karna pressed again.

"Oh yes...yes... I was walking in the gardens and I heard—"she stopped, how would she lie about the fact that she had overheard his parents talking.

"So you were eavesdropping again?" Karna said teasingly trying to leaven her apprehension, before continuing in a graver tone "What did you hear?"

"Aarya, who is Vrushali?" she asked resolutely, cropping away the other details, "Do you know her?

She carefully monitored her husband's reactions. He gave her a keen look before giving bestowing on her his heavenly smile. His eyes shone in a mix of joy as well as pain. She could safely conclude that it was nostalgia which was currently holding him.

"Vrushali is my childhood friend, my next door neighbour, she is Stayasen's younger sister, but she is very intelligent and witty" he began happily like a man who opens a dusty but much cherished box of old treasured items "We played so many games together. We would argue and laugh and eat the wild fruits growing in the forests at the end of the day."

Draupadi watched him nearly jumping in his place in elation. He clapped his hands gleefully recalling some adventure while getting a fruit or cooking up an unsophisticated meal with improvised items. She understood that they were very close.

"And you know Panchali, the best part was playing hide and seek and then hiding away for hours till our mothers got us home by pulling our ears" he continued delighted at the sudden revival of blissful gone by days "And the most embarrassing moment were when she used to drag me to play house."

He laughed aloud at that, but Draupadi couldn't help clenching her fists tightly, as a strange childish jealousy started to make room in her mind.

"So when playing house..." she began unsure of how to put across her query "You were the husband and she was your wife?"

Karna burst out laughing at that, his face was now red, his eyes were sparkling. He was more than happy to indulge her questions about the best days of his life, his short childhood which had been snatched away from him way too quickly by the orthodox rigidity permeating through the social fabric.

"No, Panchali, I never had the honour" he answered, laughing softly "I was usually the horse of the family."

Draupadi stared at him amazed. It was so difficult to imagine a formidable warrior like him walking on all fours imitating a horse. Her lips twitched uncontrollably, it was such a funny sight to visualize, her musical laughter rippling through the room.

"You find it so funny Panchali?" Karna teased, raising an eyebrow in mock annoyance "But she was such a sweet and understanding girl. I have some childhood memories worth cherishing all my life thanks to her, though I did not hear of her after I went off to train under Guru Parshuram. She must be married off and settled happily with her own family by now."

Karna was drawing circles on the silk bedsheet with his fingers, a sad smile on his lips, nostalgia raking though him. Draupadi observed her husband keenly. So, she had guessed it right, he was indeed not aware of the marriage proposal his parents were deliberating.

A subtle smile spread across her lips, perhaps then Radha ma and Pitashri Adirath still hoped and trusted them to make their life together better. Just then, her husband's intense gaze rested on her, his eyes brimming with curiosity and worry.

----------------------------