It was often said that the happiest day in a woman's life was the day she got married and Draupadi , being the pampered , naive princess of panchala had thought the same too. She'd conjured dreams about a happy marriage , a happy marriage with an adoring husband and a house full of kids - a marriage in which equality , companionship and love would thrive .
But she'd been proven wrong - No one had told her that marriage was a bargain ,a bargain where a woman was married to gain an alliance , to appease bruised egos and to pacify tempers. Royal princesses were told that they had the right to choose their partners , yet when it came to the actual process , they had very little to say.
Most fathers forced their choice on their daughters , without a consideration towards the maiden's heart. Then there were those men who didn't trust their daughter's choice and hence held contests where the winner would be married off to their daughters
.
Then there were those fathers , who'd already made a choice , but went along with a farce of a swayamvara , adhering to the tradition. Her father belonged to this category. In fact , his choice was the sole reason for him to beget her - a daughter , who can marry his nemesis's best student - Parth and thus assuage the insult meted out to him by Drona.
She laughed , as she remembered her father's lofty statement that she would be married of to Parth . She thought that her old man had become Senile. The pandavas along with their mother has succumbed to a fire accident - a fire accident where Lord Agni , had burnt their palace to ashes and dust.She had begged her father to let go of his ambition and come to his senses. Her father had scoffed at her statement and had told her that , he would have Arjun as a son-in-law , even if he'd have to drag his person to the Swayamvara hall from the netherworld.
And on that fateful day , her eyes closed in prayer , she had requested God to listen to her father's wish : A wish , which if came true , could assuage his insult , could lift his stature in society, and could ensure that his daughter was married to the warrior she had fallen in love with .
As she had walked towards the mandap , she couldn't help but glance at the faces gathered , searching for a resemblance for her Parth , Krsna's Parth who would come and whisk her away on a white steed , after he proved his mettle by passing through her father's test.
Parth had not come that day - and she had been terrified that she would be married off to some ugly pot bellied monster , who could shoot through the rotating wheel by looking at its reflection. She had thanked her God in abject relief , as prince after prince , tried their hand at the contest and failed miserably. She had laughed , a loud booming laugh inside her head , as she saw many an eager face droop into a disappointed expression on failing the test and losing her hand in the process. She laughed with joy as she realized that she may not be married tonight - she had more time on her hand to wait for Parth.
It was at that instant that Karna stepped forward , Karna - the king of Anga , the bosom friend of Duryodhana who had failed earlier ; Karna - the mighty Kaurava warrior ; nemesis of Arjuna and his equal when it came to prowess; Karna - the last warrior standing ; Karna - who'd surely pass her test.
She watched with macabre silence as Karna strung his bow . She watched as he took his aim and corrected his posture. She watched him as his brows furrowed in concentration - and for an instant , she thought that marrying Karna would not be a bad option. She would not be the celebrated princess of Hastinapur , would not be Parth's ardhangini , would not be the daughter-in-law of the kuru clan. She would the queen of Anga , a small nation ; with no major role to play in the ultimate game of politics. Worse than that was the fact that , she would be called a Suta's wife , would be accepted yet treated like an untouchable , if she married Karna and that was not applicable to the dusky panchali's ego.
Taking a deep breath in as Karna was about to shoot , she gathered her strength and shouted out " Suta Putra ; do not shoot - you are not worthy of my hand in marriage - you do not deserve the honor of being panchala's son-in-law". As the court came to a standstill at her statement , she saw a Brahmin youth step forward - saw him smirk at Karna ; before he turned to her father and requested a chance to participate in the contest. From the corner of her eye , she saw Karna step back , Karna the mighty who'd been defeated by a dainty damsel's words. From the corner of her eye , she saw her father smile - as the learned Brahmin took his aim and the rest they say was history.
Decades later , as she stood in the mahasabha , she remembered vividly the day of her Swayamvara , a day where a single decision of hers would have made her life better. She was a queen now : a queen , who was being insulted by her in-laws ; a queen who had been wagered away by her husbands ; a queen who was being called a whore ; a queen who was not seen as a human being by her king and princes.
She could have been a queen - a queen of a kingdom not inherited ; but won by blood sweat and toil. She could have been a queen - a queen who was the beloved of her king - a queen who would not need to rely on sympathy to save her honor. As she looked at Karna , whose eyes were filled with sympathy , pity and some other powerful emotion that drew her to him - she realized that she could have been the luckiest woman in the world , but for the spiteful words she had uttered on that fateful day.
It was often said that the happiest day in a woman's life was the day she got married - but in her case , it was a day she'd regret - a day she'd never forget - as she had made a wrong choice - a choice which would haunt her till the end.
But she'd been proven wrong - No one had told her that marriage was a bargain ,a bargain where a woman was married to gain an alliance , to appease bruised egos and to pacify tempers. Royal princesses were told that they had the right to choose their partners , yet when it came to the actual process , they had very little to say.
Most fathers forced their choice on their daughters , without a consideration towards the maiden's heart. Then there were those men who didn't trust their daughter's choice and hence held contests where the winner would be married off to their daughters
.
Then there were those fathers , who'd already made a choice , but went along with a farce of a swayamvara , adhering to the tradition. Her father belonged to this category. In fact , his choice was the sole reason for him to beget her - a daughter , who can marry his nemesis's best student - Parth and thus assuage the insult meted out to him by Drona.
She laughed , as she remembered her father's lofty statement that she would be married of to Parth . She thought that her old man had become Senile. The pandavas along with their mother has succumbed to a fire accident - a fire accident where Lord Agni , had burnt their palace to ashes and dust.She had begged her father to let go of his ambition and come to his senses. Her father had scoffed at her statement and had told her that , he would have Arjun as a son-in-law , even if he'd have to drag his person to the Swayamvara hall from the netherworld.
And on that fateful day , her eyes closed in prayer , she had requested God to listen to her father's wish : A wish , which if came true , could assuage his insult , could lift his stature in society, and could ensure that his daughter was married to the warrior she had fallen in love with .
As she had walked towards the mandap , she couldn't help but glance at the faces gathered , searching for a resemblance for her Parth , Krsna's Parth who would come and whisk her away on a white steed , after he proved his mettle by passing through her father's test.
Parth had not come that day - and she had been terrified that she would be married off to some ugly pot bellied monster , who could shoot through the rotating wheel by looking at its reflection. She had thanked her God in abject relief , as prince after prince , tried their hand at the contest and failed miserably. She had laughed , a loud booming laugh inside her head , as she saw many an eager face droop into a disappointed expression on failing the test and losing her hand in the process. She laughed with joy as she realized that she may not be married tonight - she had more time on her hand to wait for Parth.
It was at that instant that Karna stepped forward , Karna - the king of Anga , the bosom friend of Duryodhana who had failed earlier ; Karna - the mighty Kaurava warrior ; nemesis of Arjuna and his equal when it came to prowess; Karna - the last warrior standing ; Karna - who'd surely pass her test.
She watched with macabre silence as Karna strung his bow . She watched as he took his aim and corrected his posture. She watched him as his brows furrowed in concentration - and for an instant , she thought that marrying Karna would not be a bad option. She would not be the celebrated princess of Hastinapur , would not be Parth's ardhangini , would not be the daughter-in-law of the kuru clan. She would the queen of Anga , a small nation ; with no major role to play in the ultimate game of politics. Worse than that was the fact that , she would be called a Suta's wife , would be accepted yet treated like an untouchable , if she married Karna and that was not applicable to the dusky panchali's ego.
Taking a deep breath in as Karna was about to shoot , she gathered her strength and shouted out " Suta Putra ; do not shoot - you are not worthy of my hand in marriage - you do not deserve the honor of being panchala's son-in-law". As the court came to a standstill at her statement , she saw a Brahmin youth step forward - saw him smirk at Karna ; before he turned to her father and requested a chance to participate in the contest. From the corner of her eye , she saw Karna step back , Karna the mighty who'd been defeated by a dainty damsel's words. From the corner of her eye , she saw her father smile - as the learned Brahmin took his aim and the rest they say was history.
Decades later , as she stood in the mahasabha , she remembered vividly the day of her Swayamvara , a day where a single decision of hers would have made her life better. She was a queen now : a queen , who was being insulted by her in-laws ; a queen who had been wagered away by her husbands ; a queen who was being called a whore ; a queen who was not seen as a human being by her king and princes.
She could have been a queen - a queen of a kingdom not inherited ; but won by blood sweat and toil. She could have been a queen - a queen who was the beloved of her king - a queen who would not need to rely on sympathy to save her honor. As she looked at Karna , whose eyes were filled with sympathy , pity and some other powerful emotion that drew her to him - she realized that she could have been the luckiest woman in the world , but for the spiteful words she had uttered on that fateful day.
It was often said that the happiest day in a woman's life was the day she got married - but in her case , it was a day she'd regret - a day she'd never forget - as she had made a wrong choice - a choice which would haunt her till the end.
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