The golden chariot rolled through the gates of Hastinapur, catching the attention of every passerby. On its high seat sat Arjun, regal as ever, but beside him was the one who turned many heads—Subhadra, the Princess of Dwarka, his new bride.
But the fire within the palace had already been lit. Not by torches, but by a queen's fury.
---
Draupadi sat in silence, her eyes fixed on the blooming madhumalti outside her chamber. It was as if nature herself mocked her mood. Her hands, tightly clenched on her lap, betrayed the storm inside.
> "He had promised. Under the stars, in the dark woods, with only the gods as our witness—he had promised."
And yet, here he was, walking through the gates with another woman.
She refused to see him. Refused to speak. If he had broken his vow, then she would uphold her pride.
---
Meanwhile, Subhadra stood before Draupadi's chamber door, unshaken. Her brother's warning echoed in her ears.
> "She is Agni's daughter, Subhadra. If you want peace, let your heart speak before your pride."
Without waiting to be summoned, she entered.
Inside, the air was thick with silence and unspoken fury.
Draupadi turned, her gaze piercing.
> "So, the princess of Dwarka wishes to claim a throne that is already taken?"
Subhadra bowed gently, not in submission, but in respect.
> "I came not to claim anything, Maharani. Only to keep a promise... and perhaps, win your trust."
Draupadi's laughter was dry.
> "Trust? A strange word for someone who walks in beside my husband, without my knowledge."
Subhadra stepped closer. "He came for me because he had to—because he had promised me too. Long before fate tied you together."
Draupadi's eyes narrowed, but she did not interrupt.
> "If it pleases you to know, I would have remained in Dwarka. I loved him quietly, from afar. But he swore on my tears, that he would not leave me behind again. So he brought me here… not to steal his love from you, but to share his world with me."
For a long moment, nothing was said. Then Draupadi looked away.
> "You speak well, princess."
> "No, I speak from love," Subhadra replied softly. "And I have come to earn yours too."
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---Arjun's POV
As the chariot wheels slowed near the palace gates, Arjun's heartbeat grew heavier.
He had imagined this moment a hundred times—each one ending in fire.
Not from the battlefield. But from her eyes.
>" Draupadi..."
He hadn't broken a vow lightly. He had done it to honour another. Yet, guilt clung to him like damp ash—silent, suffocating.
> "If I could go back, I'd still marry her—the fireborn woman who shook my soul the moment our eyes met. But that doesn't mean my heart was ever false to Subhadra."
He looked sideways at his second wife. She looked peaceful. Trusting. Unaware of the storm that awaited.
But he... he could feel the fire already rising beyond the stone walls.
He could almost see Draupadi's wounded pride, the hurt hidden beneath her composed fury.
> "How do I explain, Draupadi? That a man can be loyal to two promises, yet still fail at both? That I am still yours, even if I have also become hers?"
He knew she wouldn't understand. Not today. Maybe not for a long time.
And still, he would bear the weight. Silently.
> "Because I made a vow to her heart too—and I will not let either of you carry this pain alone."
---
Later that evening, Draupadi emerged from her chamber. Her walk was proud, as always, but the anger had cooled into grace.
In the royal court, Maharani Gandhari welcomed the new bride. The palace rang with soft murmurs and the echoes of veena as Subhadra walked in with folded hands.
Gandhari held her hands gently.
> "Welcome to Hastinapur, child. May your heart find harmony here."
---
Elsewhere in the vast kingdom, a raven flew with a sealed letter—marked by Duryodhana's royal signet.
>" Come back, my friend, the letter read. The Pandava has returned. And so must you."
Karna, standing on the edge of his courtyard, looked at the distant sky and sighed. He had known this day would come.