Flame To Fire : A Journey Of Love

Chapter 15 : New Life

Panchali looked around Arjun's chamber, feeling a strange sense of anticipation in her stomach. Her chamber was yet to be set and until then, it was the most expected of her to stay in her husband's chamber.

Everything felt so new and unfamiliar to her here in Hastinapur. She missed the nostalgic scent of incense mingling with her blue lotus fragrance in her chamber.

She glanced around his room, taking in the simple yet elegant decor. His room seemed quite messy, and she could already know he rarely stayed in his room. His chamber was a far cry from the grandeur of her chambers back at her Shaktiprasth palace, but Panchali found herself strangely drawn to the simplicity of it all.

Walking ahead, she ran her hand gently over the neatly folded angavastras in various shades of white, cream, and beige hanging down in the almirah.

Stepping ahead, she stood in front of the huge mirror, her ethereal reflection falling on it. She looked at her reflection, she looked different. Amused, she twirled around and looked at her reflection again. The almost invisible vermillion on her forehead, the chudamani holding back her untamed tresses, a marital heirloom gleaming on her ring finger, she looked nothing like how she was before.

As she shook her head and walked ahead, she noticed several flower vases kept around the same place near the balcony. Mentally making a plan on how to give a better look to his chamber, she walked towards the swing in the balcony.

Arjun was very inclined to nature, she found it with just a glance over the vines of floral plants creeping over the swing. She softly held a branch of the overgrown vines on the seat of the swing and led them around the chain holding the seat.

Walking ahead, her eyes spotted the writing table with several scrolls and empty parchments, and a quill with dried ink staining the fresh parchments. She gently took the quill and placed it afar, and pushed the parchments away from the folded scrolls. Then, she separated the acknowledged scrolls away from the unread and sealed scrolls.

Sighing, she stepped back. She was stepping into her new life as the wife of Prince Arjun in the most unexpected way, and she was secretly enjoying it.

"Already taking up the duties of a wife, are we?" Panchali turned around to face the source of the voice, with wariness in her demeanour.

Her composure immediately softened as she spotted the Dowager Queen Kunti, her mother-in-law.

"Pranipat, Rajamata." She greeted formally.

Her greetings were acknowledged with a nod. Kunti observed her keenly.

"You are very beautiful, too beautiful to be described in words. No wonder my son couldn't help but marry you." Kunti took a proper look at her daughter-in-law. She herself was one of the most beautiul women of her times, but her daughter-in-law would easily surpass the heavenly apsaras.

"You could have called for me if needed." Panchali didn't know what else to say.

The guards didn't inform her of her arrival, and Panchali was confused as to why she was being visited, for it was definitely not to get complimented of her beauty.

"Don't I have the right to visit my son's chamber?" She was visibly upset with her son, and seemingly, her daughter-in-law too. "Of course, I don't. My own son had forgotten the existence of his mother and forsaken all the right I had on him before deciding on his marriage, didn't he?"

"Are you upset with us?" Panchali came straight to the point, and Kunti looked at her, displeased with the sharp tone used.

"How does it matter?" Kunti turned away as her eyes teared up, she didn't want to seem like she was insecure about her position in her son's life.

Panchali sighed and walked up to her upset mother-in-law.

"Shvashru Ma, I know you are displeased with me because of my marriage with your son which reached you only as a piece of news. I also understand that you are upset with your son for taking such an important decision of his life without seeking your advice or permission. But you hold the highest place in his life, second to none, and you need not be reminded of that by a complete stranger like me. I will stand by your son in each step of his life, no matter if he lives the life of a prince, hermit, or even pauper. I am his companion for life. But you are his mother. His whole world begun at your wish of begetting him, and his whole life is for abiding by your wishes. And as his wife, I pay you my utmost respect. I shall accept anything you want from me at this moment, anything except separating me from your son. Not because of anything else but because I hurt you, I hurt mother." Panchali spoke resolutely, without giving up on her pride.

"Mother?" Kunti questioned expressionlessly, and Panchali looked away to hide her teary eyes.

"Not mine, but you are a mother. And a mother is a mother, no matter whose." She said softly.

"Mata," Panchali snapped towards Kunti, confused. "Mata is it for you, for I am in the position of your mother from now."

Panchali felt a strange warmth spreading through her heart. She was not used to feeling affectionate, but it was pleasantly sweet.

"Mata..." Panchali pronounced softly, liking how it sounded.

For the first time since Panchali met Kunti, the Queen Dowager smiled at her lovingly and placed her hand on the younger lady's cheek so affectionately that Panchali could savor the affection she felt at that moment for years.

"I was in a different idea about you, and you convinced me that I couldn't have found a more perfect match for my son. Saubhagyavati Bhava, Priya Panchali." She blessed heartily.

"Putri is it for you, Mata." Panchali didn't know what made her say that, but she did with no regrets.

Kunti smiled and embraced her daughter-in-law.

"You are entering a new life as the wife of Phalgun. My institutions say that you would take up that role perfectly. So, I wouldn't go on giving lengthy advice to you like my mother-in-law did to me. But I'd just say, live your life with my son to the fullest. He is quite demanding, and thinks he is the one at control always, let him think the same. But that doesn't mean I am asking you to be submissive to him. You are his equal in all senses. Do not leave way for any kind of distance to arise between you two due to any reason. Stay by his side forever." Kunti glanced at Panchali. "I know you will."

"And if he ever troubles you or if you both ever have a fight, I would always side with you." Kuni chuckled at Panchali's cheek reddened in embarrasment. "But there is this most important piece of advice I could give you."

Panchali, who was quite unattentive to the advice being given to her, snapped at the sudden seriousness.

"Remember, you should always be the only person who has the hold over his heart. Never let any other lady enter his heart, or his life."

Panchali's face fell.

"Well, I wish I could spend some more time with you, but I have to prepare for your post-wedding rituals. Take enough rest, Putri." Kunti left Panchali alone, not before placing a hand over her cheeks lovingly.

Panchali walked up to the window of the room. Wasn't she other lady entering Arjun's life, when he already had someone in his heart and wanted her in his life?

She closed her eyes, letting all the heavy thoughts slip off her mind. She was living the life of Panchali. She was entering a new life in a literal sense. She was entering into the new life of Arjun's wife. She had her own reasons, but she began to question if it was worth it, worth starting a new life with Arjun.