EIGHT
Sudeshna did not send Draupadi to her brother at once. She waited two weeks in the hope that good sense would dawn on him. She thought that, perhaps, he had been so lonely during his long campaign that he had lost control of himself. She prayed that a few nights in his palace with his wives would cool some of his ardor.
Instead, daily, a messenger came from Keechaka asking why she delayed keeping her word. On the seventh day, a servant came and told Sudeshna her brother had taken to his bed. He neither ate nor drank, or saw any of his wives or children. He did not go to the court, but seemed ill for his very life. The queen sent a message back that this very day, at noon, he should wait for the flower girl.
Sudeshna sent for Draupadi. Just a fortnight remained of the Pandavas' exile. The Matsya queen had even hoped she could see the year through and then Malini would leave Virata. It was not to be and Sudeshna loved Keechaka too much to let him languish as he did.
When Draupadi came into her room, she found Sudeshna in bed. The queen said, "I am feeling unwell, Malini. I hear Keechaka has brought some herbal wine from his campaign. Take this carafe to his palace and fetch me some." She did not look at her flower girl directly.
Draupadi said, "Just two weeks remain for me to leave your palace. I beg you, don't send me to your brother for the wine."
"And why is that?"
"He made advances to me in the garden. I did not tell you because I thought you would be upset. If you send me to his palace, he will take advantage of me. All these months you have looked after me as your own daughter. Just fourteen days remain before I vanish from your life. Don't send me to Keechaka now."
Guilty, but determined, Sudeshna said furiously, "How dare you? My brother is a kshatriya, he would never stoop to making advances to a maid. You have become arrogant, Malini and lazy. This is just an excuse to avoid a chore. Go and fetch me the wine at once. Keechaka will hardly notice you, let alone lay a finger on you. It is your vanity that makes you think every man who sees you must desire you."
Draupadi opened her mouth to speak, but Sudeshna held up an imperious hand and cried, "I don't want to hear another word. Go and fetch the wine. I am thirsty!"
Tears in her eyes, Draupadi took the silver carafe from the queen. Neither woman looked at the other and the sairandhri walked out without another word. Trembling in every limb Draupadi came out into the day. The Sun was overhead and, in despair, she prayed, "Surya Deva, I beg you by my chastity, protect me from Keechaka."
The Sun heard her and sent an invisible rakshasa to watch over Panchali.
Keechaka was at his window, waiting. When he saw the flower girl making her way through Sudeshna's garden toward his palace, he ran down his stairway. He flung open his front door and stood beaming at her.
"Come in! Come in!" cried Keechaka and Draupadi quailed when she saw the look in his eyes.
She said, "My lord, I have come to fetch some wine for your sister, the queen."
He winked at her. "You have even brought a carafe to fill! I will send the wine with someone else. You come with me, let me show you my bed of swan's-down. Since the day we met, I have had it made up for you and covered with mallika flowers. Cruel one, how long you have made me wait, how much you have made me pine for you. It has been worth the anguish. Just look at you, how perfect you are! Oh, my love, you are the most beautiful woman on earth. Give me that carafe and let me feast my eyes on you."
She stood frozen before him and said again, "I have come for wine for the queen and not for your pleasure, my lord Keechaka. I beg you, fill the carafe and let me go back."
A spasm of darkness twitched on his face. Keechaka's voice grew hard, "Fill the carafe and let you go? You must be mad to think I would let you go just like that!"
Soft as a hunting cat, he moved between her and the door. He shut it behind his back. He loomed over her for a moment, then seized her wrist and pulled her to him. Draupadi screamed and flailed out at him. At that moment, it was not just she who struck him but the Surya rakshasa who had come in with her, invisibly. Keechaka staggered back and fell. Momentarily, Draupadi stood astonished, then she wrenched the door open and fled.
She knew she could not run back to Sudeshna, she would find no refuge with the queen. Her hair streaming behind her like a black cloud, her clothes slipping off her dark body, Draupadi ran toward king Virata's palace.
With a roar, Keechaka sprang up and went after her. He caught her again as she flew through his garden and flung his arms around her. He meant to ravish her out in the open, as he had done countless women in far-flung cities he had plundered. Draupadi's screams rang through the afternoon and again the Surya rakshasa struck Keechaka, knocking him down.
Draupadi's screams brought Bheema running out of his kitchen. He saw Keechaka flung down and Panchali fleeing from him toward Virata's court. Bheema rushed to pull up a tree in the king's yard, to smash Keechaka down. Then Kanka the gambler was at his side, hissing, "Everything will be lost if you do this!"
There were others called out by Draupadi's screams. Yudhishtira said aloud, "This tree is still green, you can't use it for firewood."
Somehow, Bheema controlled himself. But now Keechaka was up and flying after Draupadi and Yudhishtira and Bheema went after him.
Panting, weeping, her clothes awry and her hair disheveled, Draupadi ran into Virata's sabha with Keechaka hot on her heels. When she was near the throne, he caught up with her. He kicked her down at the Matsya king's feet and stood raging over her.
Panchali wailed, "Virata, look what happens to one who has sought refuge in your kingdom! I am a married woman and this animal means to ruin me. I have come to you for sanctuary, for though I have five husbands they won't help me today."
Yudhishtira was at the king's side and Bheema was in the court, his eyes on fire. It was a moment when anything could happen. Yudhishtira contained Bheema with a look. But what was he going to do about Draupadi, who was beside herself?
She cried again at Virata, "You saw him kick me, O king. I ask you for justice!"
But Keechaka was the Senapati of the king's army; he was Sudeshna's brother and Virata dare not cross him. Mildly, Virata said, "Young woman, I only saw what happened here in the sabha. I did not see what happened outside, or how you provoked Keechaka. Surely, he is not so angry without reason. Moreover, Keechaka is our Senapati and I suggest you leave our sabha, Sairandhri."
Yudhishtira still had to restrain not only his own anger, but his wild brother with a warning look.
But there were others in that sabha who knew Keechaka well and were less afraid of him than the king was. Some of them spoke up.
"The young woman is noble."
"We know Keechaka, he must have tried to molest her."
"Whatever the provocation, he should not kick a woman."
Yudhishtira saw Draupadi's eyes fill again; he also saw the rage in them. He was terrified that, just two weeks before their exile ended, she would give everything away and tell Virata who she was.
Kanka said, "Sairandhri, you heard the king. Go back to the queen's apartment. Your gandharva husbands will know the injustice done to you and see it punished. Perhaps the time is not right and they don't care to be cursed again, after their long penance. Only fifteen days more and you will be free. Wait until then before you seek justice. Go now, go back to your rooms."
The sairandhri did not move. Her jaw was set and Yudhishtira saw the stubbornness in her eyes. Malini said, "King of the Matsyas, you have no dharma."
Kanka the gambler cried, "Sairandhri, Virata is the most righteous of men! And look at you, young woman, with your clothes in disarray, your hair loose, crying immodestly in a court full of men: you look like an actress. Go back to your apartment!"
With a moan, Draupadi straightened her hair. She set her clothes right and wiped her tears. Her eyes flashing, she said to Yudhishtira, "You are right, O wise man, to call me an actress here. But it is only because my first husband is a gambler that my other husbands have to be cowards today!"
With a scowl at the sabha in general, she stalked out. Ballava, the king's cook, had already left. It seemed twelve years in the forest had taught him a sound lesson in patience. Even he would not risk another exile, when only fourteen days remained for their ajnatavasa to end. With a sigh of relief, Yudhishtira settled down beside the king, to a game of dice. But his heart raged within him.
With a sneer on his lips, Keechaka also walked out of the court, more determined than ever to have the sairandhri.