Kairavi

Chapter 21

Yudhishthir and Nakul tried to push it open, but their efforts went in vain as the lid didn't even budge. "I think some rocks are blocking it from the other side."
"Hold her Sahadev." Vrikodar handed Kairavi to him and charged at the exit like a bull. The collision blasted it open. Debris and dust flew off in air as the whole gate came off, creating a loud rumble along with it.

Immediately, Nakul began looking for the purple flowers he had in his mind. Kunti fetched some water and began cleaning her wounds carefully while he crushed and sieved the juice with his hands. Sahadev swept some dry nilgiri leaves as an alternative for thyme.

Nakul mixed the contents together and made a concoction, his adept hands worked swiftly under presure. Sahadev supported her upper body on his knee and put the freshly-prepared medicine in her mouth. The brew left a soothing sensation while going down her pharynx.

"The oushadhi has began to release it's effect. Look, her lips are regaining colour already." Arjun remarked, staring at his brothers' work. But the twins were worried about the ghastly burns sitting on her arms and legs.

A couple of hours later, Kairavi opened her eyes in Rajmata's lap.
She was lost in her thoughts when the princess woke up.
She moaned in pain and caught her mother-in-law's attention. "Putri.. Nakul! Sahadev!" She called out to her sons who were collecting fruits for the family.

Both of them rushed to her side on hearing their mother's voice. "Kairavi, you almost took my life away!" Tears had invaded Sahadev's eyes again. But Kairavi was too occupied in her pain to commiserate with him. Her injuries were covered with some yellow paste, and it was stinging like hell.

"Arya! It hurts!" She winced. "I know, I know love. But the burns are really severe, you'll have to deal with it for a few weeks." Nakul consoled.
'What did he just call me?' Kairavi was taken aback. His eyebrows were scrunched up in concern, and his hands clutched hers as he spoke. She felt a nervous excitement seeing him like that.

Nakul realized what he had said. He looked away quickly but she pulled him back by his wrist. "What was that?" She asked. "What do you think it was?" He shot back. "Not another fight please." Said the exasperated Bheem, joining his hands.
"Were you worried about me?" She asked in a small voice. "No I was celebrating because my wife was almost burnt alive. Are you mad or what?" Anxiety had taken the form of irritation.

'Nope he's still the same. Dumb of you to think he liked you Kairavi.' she thought to herself.

"Nakul! Keep mum." Kunti ordered.
"Putri. Nakul carried you all the way from your kaksh to the tunnel in the burning palace when you weren't awake. Both of my sons brought you back from the mouth of death without even thinking about their own lives." Kairavi was speechless.

The smothered flame of hope lit up again. Somewhere within, she knew that she was fond of him, but her mind always asked her to deny that attraction.
After all, the heart knows no language; it only knows love. And hers sensed it in Nakul's heart too.

A mixture of emotions flooded inside her: pain, surprise, happiness, guilt, relief, all of them at once. "Arya.." she started but Nakul gestured her to stop. "No, let me talk first." He pleaded. "I am truly, deeply sorry for how I treated you that day. You didn't respond to my apology letter that I kept with your food so I thought you hated me-" "What letter? The ones you sent with Purochan?" She cut him off mid-sentence. "No, the one I sent with the food, the day you arrived." He clarified.

"But I didn't eat the food, neither did I see your letter." The truth was out. "I-I don't- I'm sorry. I should've behaved like an adult rather than jumping to conclusions." He sighed.
"I forgive you Aryaputra Nakul." she nodded, seeing the sincerity in his words. Atleast he owned up to his mistake.
"Do you have anything else to say Nakul?" Kunti urged him on. He sighed.

"Yes.. I think I fell hard for you the first time we saw each other. You looked ravishing even when sleep-deprived, and you still do. Trust me, I would marry you again anyday even if you came in front of me covered in blood, cuts, burns or whatever. And it's not just the way you look Arni; your innocence, your childishness, your benevolence, sacrifices, basically everything about you has given birth to massive respect in my heart. And probably love too." He confessed.

"Arni?" she asked. "Yeah, that was the first thing I thought of when I saw you. Beautiful and tranquil as the moon itself."
Her husband had given her a new name, and that made Kairavi's heart swell with joy. "And Kairavi.." she turned towards Sahadev.

"I feel the same as Nakul. I would've backed away from the marriage if I knew about his true feelings. I love you too, and never intended to hurt your feelings like that.

I thought Nakul just wanted you as a trophy wife so I decided that I'd be the one to give you importance and love if my brother does not. That's why I agreed.
I cannot reverse those events now, but I promise I'll try my best to prove myself worthy your love. And, and one more reason could be because I feel really empty without your presence. It's like shouting in a void and never getting an echo back..." The youngest pandav looked towards the ground.

"Who said you are not worthy of my love, Arya? I was hurt by Aryaputra Nakul's words so I refused to meet or talk to you; I thought it'll prove I'm not thirsty for anyone.

And I have promised the almighty to never differentiate between you two. Both of you will have an equal share of my heart. Chandraputri Kairavi is never going to bail on her vows." She paused.

"Who would've thought it would require two pieces to complete me, Aryaputron?" she smiled through her tears.
It was an overwhelming amount of felicity for her to register, just the day after she thought she'd never be happy again. She felt like she was in the right place, this is where she truly belonged. Destiny had united her with two people who were worth even dying for. And Kairavi was ready to do that if needed.

"I swear mata, I will eat Nakul and Sahadev up, if we don't have those fruits right now." Bheem roared.