FEW WORDS FOR WORDS

Later that day, when Mata Kunti and her sons were called out of their rooms for dinner by the servant, Subhadra and her brothers were already seated, waiting patiently. For Subhadra, though, it wasn’t just her Bua she was eager to see—she was waiting to catch a glimpse of Arjuna again. She had spent the entire evening thinking about him, unable to stop replaying the moment they first saw each other. His hair, his eyes—those eyes that had gazed into hers so lovingly—his lips that softly spoke her name, making her feel whole. His face, so strikingly handsome, was etched in her memory. From the first time their eyes met, she knew she would never forget him.

Meanwhile, for Arjuna, he couldn’t shake the memory of the sound of her anklets. It wasn’t as if he had never heard the sound of a woman’s anklets before, but hers was different. It was soothing, like relaxing music to his ears, and he longed to hear that particular sound again. All he wanted was for that melody to reach his ears once more.

As Arjuna approached the dining room, his heart melted at the memory of her anklets. Before he could even step inside, he heard Subhadra's voice, sweet and familiar, accompanied by the gentle jingle of her earrings. The sound instantly brought a smile to his face, stirring the same warmth he had felt earlier.

Nakul, who had keenly observed the slight smile on Arjuna’s face, wasted no time in teasing his brother. He quickly went to Arjuna's side and nudged him playfully, saying, "Sahadeva was right, there's no denying it now! Bhrata Arjun has been acting strange. Just look at his smile, Mata!"

"Nakula, stop teasing your brother so much," Mata Kunti gently chided, unaware of what was truly going on with Arjuna. Even Balarama didn’t know what was stirring in Subhadra’s heart. But Krishna—he knew everything. Without needing to see, he understood it all. He smirked slightly as he greeted his Bua and her sons, who had just entered the dining room. Krishna noticed the way Arjuna’s smile lingered and how his eyes kept searching for Subhadra. With a playful glance, Krishna cleared his throat and said, "So, it seems Arjuna is the one who likes Dwarka the most? Arjuna, do you really like Dwarka that much?"

Unaware of what his Jyesth had said, Arjuna absentmindedly nodded, his thoughts still lingering on Subhadra's earrings. "I don't like, I love," he muttered softly, his voice so low that no one else could hear him—but Krishna did. He smiled knowingly, nodding his head gently.At that very moment, Subhadra, as if sensing Arjuna's presence, immediately turned around to see him.

"Bua, I hope you like the meal, I made it with my own hands," Subhadra said with a bright smile, clearly eager for a compliment. Balarama, always ready to tease, chimed in, "If my sister made the meal, I’m sure it’s... okayish."Subhadra pouted in response, her cheeks puffing slightly. "Bhaiya, you never miss a chance to tease me, do you?"

All Arjuna could do was smile, his eyes drawn to Subhadra. Strangely, he couldn’t focus on her face—her jewelry alone was enough to make his heart race. He hadn’t yet gotten a close look at her face, as his attention kept drifting to the beautiful ornaments she wore, each piece capturing his gaze.

After dinner, everyone gathered for a casual conversation. Yudhishthira spoke up, "Jyesth, Dwarka is perfect. I feel so grateful just to step foot on such pure and beautiful grounds." Krishna hummed in response, smiling at his nephew’s praise.As the evening drew to a close, it was time for everyone to retire. One by one, they began to leave the room. But Krishna didn’t miss the way Subhadra quietly exited first, followed closely by Arjuna. He just smiled softly.

Subhadra stood in the grassy field, a mix of patience and nervousness enveloping her. Even though they hadn’t spoken or planned to meet, she felt a quiet certainty that Arjun was on his way.

She heard the footsteps and felt her heart race. As she turned around, she didn’t realize Arjun was right behind her. For the second time, they found themselves so close, but this time, her hair got tangled in his necklace.

His face turned worried, his voice filled with concern. "Does it hurt? I’m truly sorry—I never meant for this to happen. I had no idea—""Shhh, it’s alright," Subhadra said softly. "Instead of worrying, why don’t you help me untangle it?"

He could only nod, lost in the moment, unable to move. After a great struggle, Subhadra finally untangled her hair from his necklace. When she looked up, she found Arjun gazing at her with an intensity that took her breath away.

“So, Rajkumar Arjun, how did you know I was here?” Subhadra asked, playfully and pretending to be a bit annoyed. “Come on, tell me now!”

"Oi, why are you mad? I... I just came here for a walk! Alright? I care about my fitness! Mata told me to always take care of myself so I can take care of others," Arjun said."Ohh, so you’re saying you didn’t come here for me?" Subhadra teased, her tone playful.Arjun’s face shifted to worry and confusion. He wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he also didn’t want to sound too eager.

"Fine then, don’t reply to me," Subhadra said, turning away from Arjun with a pout, her expression showing playful hurt.

Arjun hesitated, panicking. "Subhadra, no, I didn’t mean to hurt your fee—"But Subhadra burst into laughter, turning to see Arjun’s confused face.“Hahaha! I tricked Rajkumar Arjun! Arjun, the Great Prince, got scared because of my little joke!”

Arjun took the chance and made an offended face, causing Subhadra’s smile to drop instantly.“Rajkumar... no... did I offend you? I didn’t mean to... I’m sorr—”Before she could finish, Arjun burst into laughter. Now, it was Subhadra’s turn to look confused. Within seconds, she realized he had tricked her just as she had done to him.She smiled softly as she watched him laugh, the sound of his laughter making her heart race.

And just like that, they both became a laughing mess! Arjun couldn’t help but feel a surge of happiness, knowing he had made Rajkumari Subhadra laugh.

"By the way, Rajkumar, I want to visit your home sometime! I want to see how you live," Subhadra said with a smile."Hmmm... interesting. Sure, Rajkumari! You’re always welcome there," Arjun replied.Subhadra beamed at his words."You know, Rajkumar, I’ve heard a lot about you from my Bhaiya," she said."What did you hear about me?" Arjun asked, his curiosity piqued."Oh, Bhaiya said that Arjun, one of the Pandavas, is a great archer who can aim at anything. That’s what he told me, but honestly, I have my doubts," she teased with a playful grin.

"Oh, so now a Rajkumari from Dwarka is doubting my abilities?" Arjun said with a proud smile, fully confident in his skills. "Fine, Rajkumari, give me a chance to prove myself."

"Fine," she replied, pleased to have found another excuse to spend more time with him. With a shy smile, she turned around."Good night, Arjuna," Subhadra said softly before walking away.But the funny thing was, neither of them had mentioned a time or place for their next meeting. They simply parted ways, knowing they'd find each other again.

Sooooooo~ I’ve been working on including more conversations in my story, and I hope the way I delivered them was effective. I’d love to hear your thoughts! I’m also trying to give the characters more depth and am putting a lot of effort into choosing the right titles for each chapter, which I find quite challenging.❤️