WEAPON OF GOD :: Mahabharat

CH.23. DILEMMA

Shikhandini watched Evi buckle down onto the floor.

"EVI!" she rushed down the stairs but before she could reach to her friend, she saw the three Kauravas shielding her from the two royals.

Her eyes darted towards the Pandavas who were now fuming with rage. Shikhandini didn't know how much Evi was familiar with the Pandavas, but was very well aware of their enemity with the Kauravas.

" Take her to her chambers!" Shikhandini ordered a few servants but was stopped was Duryodhan. " What is it Rajkumar?" Shikhandini asked.

" She's very heavy to be lifted by them. Call Vasudev"

Shikhandini's face scrunched up in confusion. " How heavy can she be?" she wondered but decided to heed to Duryodhan's request. As she looked back, she couldn't find Krishna on the gallery. "Where is he?" she searched, but to no avail. Until her gaze went back to the Pandavas.

Krishna was talking to the Pandavas, probably consoling them, Shikhandini thought. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't walk up to them and face their disappointment. She turned to Duryodhan 

" Vasudev is busy calming the crowd, let the servants carry her-"

" SAKHI!" Shikhandini saw Draupadi screaming and dashing towards them, as Evi completely collapsed on the ground. Draupadi knelt beside Dussashan, trying the same to keep Evi conscious.

" She has fainted" Dussashan panicked. " We need to do something quickly!" he looked at her older brother for help.

" Let the servants carry her!" Shikhandini ordered and signalled Draupadi and Dussashan to move.

" The servants cannot carry her! She's too heavy!" Draupadi exclaimed. Shikhandini was now concerned. 

" She cannot be that heavy?" Shikhandini didn't understand why everyone was acting as if Evi was impossible to lift.

" She IS. I don't know why, but even six of our soldiers couldn't lift her. I don't know who can but we need to-"

" Let me Rajkumari" Duryodhan stepped up as Dussashan took his place of guarding Evi from Jayadrath's wrath. " I have lifted her before"

Draupadi didn't know what to do. She never liked Duryodhan, but knew she had to let someone carry her. She reluctantly moved away and let Duryodhan lift her up in his arms.

" I will accompany you" Draupadi demanded.

" Drau- what about the swayamvar?" Shikhandini asked, as stress made her voice shake.

" I don't care about it" Draupadi turned her gaze to Evi. " I have already accepted her as my wife".

Shikhandini stared at her sister in daze. " What are you talking about Drau?" 

" I cannot talk to you now Jiji" Draupadi looked back and saw Duryodhan already making his way towards the exit. " Please take care of the Swayamvar. I am sorry for all of this. I will do anything to make things right, but I won't marry anyone else other than Evi" Draupadi stated before running off to catch upto Duryodhan.

Shikhandini's head spinned as she looked around. " what am I going to do?" Her head ached as she herself wanted to vaporise from the spot. Curses were being hurled from each corner and Shikhandini couldn't do anything. It wasn't the first time a swayamvar has seen such atrocities happening, but for a woman to win a swayamvar of another woman was not something that the men agreed to.

However the kings settled as the Pandit for the marriage, as well as Nainavati asked to address the court.

" It is to be known that even though the woman has completed the task of the swayamvar, I as a Rishi am not competent enough to wed two women. Whether it is legal or not, is a subject of scrutiny as in none of the rules were genders mentioned. But I as the Pandit won't be able to bring this marriage to a success"