Elements of Fire

55. Of Two Fire-Borns -1

"I am sorry, my dear sister" he said, still looking down, trembling faintly.

Draupadi shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears, her fingers underneath her brother's chin already moist.

"Bhratashri?" she whispered, her voice quivering. She gently uncoiled the clenched fists pressed on his knees and then guide his face up to her level.

"I was terrified when you nearly fainted in the council chamber" he said gazing at her intently.

"But I am alright" she replied, struggling to mask her shock, sitting so close to him she could see the how his handsome face no more blazed like before, and beneath his sharp eyes now reddened, she could see traces of the dark circles, his sharp features were now starting to gaunt.

"You have been well here in Anga?" he asked after sometime, having calmed down considerably, even forcing a little smile.

"Yes, Bhratashri, I have been quite well" she answered comfortingly, "I have intellectual stimulating tasks to do every day. I also head an entrepreneurial initiative especially for widows and poor women and orphans so that they can live a self dependant life of dignity. And it is gradually flourishing!"

" And after Aarya made basic literary education compulsory for all, even the adults are showing interest in learning, the maids keep coming up to me now and then asking for help" she continued excitedly, " And what's more, the corruption in the bureaucracy has lessened because people are not ignorant anymore and—"

"The whole of Aryavart knows about the liberal and progressive vision of the King and Queen of Anga" Dhristyadyumna interjected and then in a graver tone, "I wanted to know about you, you my dear sister."

"I was just saying and you say the entire land knows about it all..."

"Is that what all your life comprises of?"

She opened her mouth and shut it as her brother enquiring gaze bore into her. She observed his hair too had a recent dampness and he too was dressed simply like her husband. Her eyes trailed down from his shoulder and stopped abruptly a little above his elbow.

"Bharatshri, what happened?" she asked anxiously, touching the considerably deep gash on his upper arm, carelessly cleaned, the blood drying out and falling off in flakes from around the wound, "Bhratashri?"

"It is nothing, Draupadi" he answered waving his hand in emphasis, somewhere at the back of his right knee was a similar wound, which was thankfully hidden from her.

"No it is not nothing, Bhatashri" she replied sternly, pulling his arm closer to get a better view, 'How did you get it?"

"You are still stubborn like before" Dhristyadyumna said, laughing consciously, glad his sister was now standing some distance away, her back to him.

"That doesn't answer my question" she called to him, fumbling at some drawers in a large cabinet, while muttering to herself, "Wherever does Aarya keep his emergency medical supplies?"

Dhristyadyumna gulped. How he sustained the wound was not a very pleasant story but to delineate it to his sister was not particularly something he wanted to. 

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