Can the evening sun give this much of heat? But that evening the rays of the sun burned her. She asked. Why?
Why do you burn me? Don’t I bow before you in absolute piety? Are you angry with me, my Lord? Did I hurt anybody whom you liked? The sweat drops flowed from the forehead down to the tip of the nose and hung there. The vermilion mark on the forehead got mixed in the flow of the sweat. Alas! I have got trapped with a poor Brahmin family. What can I do other than blame Fate which turned me from the state of a Princess to a Brahmin’s wife? The others walked in front. The one who garlanded me tried to hold through my fingers; but I drew my hand back. Not out of shyness. He is the one who tried to make Drupada’s daughter his wife! He came amongst the kings and it was the most opportune moment for him. Great brains! Luck favoured him. What for? To put out Draupadi’s luck! In the presence of the heroic kings and Karna who had stolen her heart, he took her away and made her a partner in their misfortune. Who is Drupada country’s Princess now? Just a poor woman in abject condition! The wife of an ordinary Brahmin!
The long walk ended in front of a potter’s hut.
A woman seemed to be looking at them through an open window, and her shadow suddenly disappeared behind the walls. Who was she? She was wearing a white cloth with the tip of it covering her head. The eldest brother’s wife? Potherds were lying scattered here and there. A dirty surrounding. Couldn’t she clean it up? Why did they live in this potter’s hut? Draupadi grew suspicious. The elder brothers knocked at the closed door. Again, the woman’s face flashed on and off near the window. Draupadi was sure that she had seen her. Why did she hide from her?
The eldest called out.
“Mother, open the door. See what alms we’ve got today?”
The eldest brother looked on with a secret smile. The look in his eyes was difficult to understand and it stirred up some misgivings in Draupadi’s mind. There seemed some inscrutability in his look. A woman’s voice arose from inside.
“Five of you share it among you.”
The moment she finished saying, the door was open.
“Why do you call out? All of you enjoy.”
The repetition…! the words were improper. She seemed to be pretending to have seen me for the first time. Her white dress indicated that she was a widow.
She behaved as though she had committed a mistake. Then she asked.
“Who is this? She seems to be a Princess. Where did you get her from?”
The second eldest with a fat belly and body was the one who gave the reply.
“The Princess of Drupada, Parthan won in the contest. She is
the Princess of Panchala.”
“Children, You could have said it earlier. I misunderstood. Unknowingly I happened to say, all the five of you could enjoy the alms.”
The old woman showed surprised and wonder. Her evil intention and crookedness became clear very soon.
“Mother said it unknowingly.” Parthan tried to feel relieved. “No, no. That’s not possible. We have to obey Mother’s word
as we did in the past.”
Fully knowing the mother’s secret intention the eldest took advantage of the situation. Draupadi was shocked when she heard his words. What was he trying to say? She glanced at Parthan’s face. He was about to say something. Man becomes clever when he uses opportunities. Blocking Parthan, the first one said lightly as if he had defeated the enemy.
“ You mean to ask how to marry when the two elder brothers remain unmarried, don’t you Partha? We can obey Mother’s words. Let her be the bride of five of us.”
A thunder broke in Draupadi’s mind. For a fraction of a second…she thought…had I been sunk beneath the earth…!
“What your eldest brother said is right.” Mother nodded and the cloth cornering her head fell loose behind. Gray hair appeared as though the silver wires were tied tautly through black hair. From the forehead to the top and from there to back.
“My words have to be obeyed.”
Mother, stricken with anxiety, said.
Parthan shivered slightly. He pressed on Draupadi’s hands.
The eldest spoke as a command.
“All the five of us must accept Draupadi as our wife.”
Draupadi was dumbfounded. Five of them to share me? What a contradiction! Is Panchali destined to be in this kind of an unfortunate situation! Outside, the ravens were squabbling over some morsel. Or, was it happening in my mind? How long can I live subjected to my lot with my body and mind lifeless? Draupadi is dying here. Drupada’s daughter, Yagnjaseni, Draupadi, is losing life and vitality from her body and mind. My God! No one should be ill-fated as such.…This misfortune should not fall on the coming generation. A bright future should happen for a woman where her likes are given importance. Womanhood is not something which has to be selected through competition. Her thoughts and words must be powerful. Women must have a brilliant future.
Though a huge-bodied man, the second eldest tried to argue now.
“Elder brother, this is neither a fruit nor a vegetable, to be shared and divided. This is a human body. Parthan himself should marry her.”
“No, no. Don’t disobey your elder brother’s words!” Mother intervened. Parthan was about to say something. But again, the eldest blocked him and said.
“Yes, Partha! As we, your elder brothers, Vrukodhara and I remain unmarried, you the third one cannot marry. So isn’t it best for all of us to marry her?”
Parthan swallowed the words he wanted to utter. Mother says without knowing anything. The eldest says knowing everything. Draupadi could not absorb and justify the eldest brother’s unnatural interference.
The sun was fading towards the western region with great sorrow and reluctance. Nature looked suddenly old and stood mute like a sorrowful middle-aged woman, surrendering all her wishes and dreams to her husband. Was it I who went wrong? Or my Father or Brother? Was Panchali’s body a gift to be given for winning the contest? I lost my comforts and happiness through my parents’ decision to conduct the contest. Better say, Father complied with Brother’s idea. I also didn’t oppose when my brother said, only a great warrior should marry me. When there’s the noblest and the mightiest warrior Karna, why should I worry? That was my thought. But that Swayamvara was the one which shrouded my life with a black shadow . The one who won the contest must be a great warrior! Is a mere Brahmin bhikshu a warrior? A Brahmin is virtuous, but fearful. For such a Brahmin the contest is a big challenge…to raise the splendid bow and tie the string tightly…to make the bow-shoot correctly and reach the target…when Draupadi thought of it , she was confused. What is the relation between Krishna and this Brahmin youth? When each warrior entered, Krishna created a magical confusion and each one was defeated. Krishna’s magic play is superb!
When Draupadi got into the potter’s hut, it was dark inside. Very faint light. Some parts of the walls of the narrow room had fallen away. The roof was thatched with grass and the floor below was panelled with the branches of the tree. Some unbearable stifling odour hung in the air. Is this their own home? All the children sat around Mother. Arguments and debates were going on. Arguing over the sharing of a woman among the five! Not even asking about my opinion, my likes and dislikes, as if they were dividing food. Draupadi sat on a soiled carpet. Nobody told her to sit. Nobody asked whether she wanted water to drink. Greedily and excitedly they were discussing the sharing of a wife . The second eldest, like the eldest, was satisfied about the sharing. Parthan shook his head as he could not agree with them. The younger ones stayed away. Draupadi felt ashamed. Those people might not be born in an aristocratic family.
Mother looked closely at Parthan who was unwilling to abide by her wish and said.
“Partha, the eldest two are not married. Dharmaja is twenty eight and Vrukodara is twenty six. You being younger than they, it is not righteous to have marriage only for you.”
Parthan’s face reddened. Or, was it that, had the fiery flame in his chest kindled to his face ? His face showed signs of constriction and restlessness. The eldest went on saying.
“What Mother says is right. Righteousness is of utmost importance. Have you forgotten what Acharya advised. only if words are powerful enough , strings of bows will be powerful.”
Parthan stared at the eldest. Mother stood frightened on seeing the beginning of a war brewing among her sons.
(Cont’d)
