Living in Exile and the Start of the Great War

Days in the forest came and passed. Arjuna was sent on a journey to the realms of the gods to learn about weapons unknown to mortals and become more powerful. The Pandavas quickly had assimilated into their new lives in exile Draupadi however was having a more difficult time. She could nott wait to get out of exile and seek revenge against the Kauravas.

“Patience Draupadi, now is not the time to start pulling out weapons. The time for revenge will come” Yudhishthria would calmly speak every time I questioned him. I couldn’t stand life in exile, I a queen was now doing work no royal should and wearing cloths worse than any normal. The only good times was when Krishna would visit and bring news of my sons. After years, we finally also met up with Arjuna.

Twelfth year of exile

It was a normal day. I was seeing my husbands of as the left to go gather food. I stayed back attending the camp. However, they were not the only ones in the forest that day. King of Sindhu, Jayadratha was journeying through the forest. As he neared their camp, he was bewitched by Draupadi’s beauty.

“Beautiful maiden, I am Jaydratha, king of Sindu. I am eager to know your name. Are you perhaps a celecstial dancer fallen from the heavens?”

He is princess Dushala’s husband. Uncle Dhritarashtra’s son-in-law therefore my brother-in-law.

“I am queen Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas.”

“Leave those worthless Pandavas and this harsh forest life. Come with me and all my possessions will be yours.”

“You fool! How dare you insult my husbands. They will make you suffer for your audacity. Leave to your wife before they return and finish you.”

“How dare you refuse ME! You ungrateful women”

I fought hard and screamed for help. Even with all my fighting, his strength was superior to mine. Suddenly I was in his chariot. My husbands must have heard my screams because I heard them fighting off Jaydratha’s men. Jaydratha watched as his whole army was getting killed by two men.

“Arjuna and Bheema, my husband came to my rescue and destroy you just as I had warned.”

Jaydratha, terrified ran for his life however he was quickly caught and shaved a piece of hair. Yudishthria decided his punishment. I was appalled when I heard he had been spared for not wanting to cause Dushala and queen Gandhari any grief. He left with my pride hurt once again and my husband doing nothing about it. I screamed at Yudisthria for not killing him after what he had done but he said having his pride hurt was a greater wound than death.

Thirteenth Year

It was finally the thirteenth year. To be safe, we decided to go undercover as servants at Virata’s palace. I was not fond of it but followed. Everyone took special roles in the palace. I dressed as a handmaiden and once I told the queen I was married she finally allowed me in the palace. However, my peaceful days in the palace did not last. Commander Keechaka, brother of the queen had come back and just my luck he had taken a liking to me. He tried to court me but I refused him and warned him I am a married woman. I thought the queen as a woman would take my side but I was too hopeful as she had just ordered me to him. I had an uneasy feeling in my chest as I neared his chamber. My gut feeling was proven right. As I walked in he grabbed me but I pushed him hard and ran to the king for protection. But he was afraid of his commander and did nothing. “Why are all these men in power such cowards” Bheema was my only hope. He made a plan to lure Keechaka into the dance hall and once there Bheema finished him off. The queen was not happy about her brother’s death.

Our days in exile were finally ending and were ready to claim what was ours. However, we quickly found out Duroyodhana has other plans. He somehow had convinced king Dhritarashtra to make the Pandavas give up their part of the kingdom and not seek war. After lots of unsuccessful back and forth. The Pandavas were convinced Duroyodhana was never going to just give them their part of the kingdom. Yudhishthira finally made the decision to declare war.

Finally, all the insults the Kuru court caused me would be avenged by why was did not feel fully happy.

Days passed and both sides gathered their armies and gathered in Kurukshetra. The war was beginning.

“May victory be yours for you are upholding dharma”

“May the sound of your way cry strike terror in the hearts of the enemy

“May your mighty bow protect our honor and our men”

“May your fight with the strength of a hundred gods”

“May you slay the enemy and return to me unharmed”

It was the first day of battle I finished my rituals of a queen and I watched as my valiant husbands set forth to fight for just. The Mahabharata war has begun.

I prayed to the gods to protect my husbands, father, and brothers. Krishna appeared before me.

“You’ve your role as your birth predicted but the battle within you is yet to begin”

Author's note: The last lines of this chapter is Draupadi performing a ritual done by queens when sending men off to war. Life in exile was quite troublesome for Draupadi as she makes it very clear she can't wait to leave. Even though she had gotten mad at her husbands for not giving her, her place or protecting her you can still see her great devotion to them. No matter how many men try to woo her, she stays firm to her husbands. She also follows them to wherever they go even if she doesn't completely agree on it. In their own way, I think the Pandava brothers protect and care for her.