ruhi

But you, oh you.

You held my hand for 21 really fast heart beats

And I was addicted.

____________________________________________________

Arjun loves monsoon.

It's a fact that's been known for years in his family. Bheem loves late night walks. Yudhishthir absolutely loves raw mangoes. Nakul loves to create colours from flowers. Sahdev is irrevocably in love with wood crafting. Arjun loves rains.

They first found out about it when Arjun was four, they were still in the forest and the little terror escaped from Pandu's side to play in the mud near their hut and was drenched in less than the five minutes it took for Pandu to realise that his middle child was missing from story time.

Of course, Arjun's play time had been cut off as a punishment for going away without informing his father and subsequently getting sick, but Arjun discovered something that day: rain isn't as bothersome as Mata Kunti thinks. Water dripping from his lashes, droplets falling on his lips, the soft cold of the weather and the smell of earth and the vibrant verdant of the rest of the forest— all of it, really, was beautiful.

The taste of rain was addictive.

However, as he grew older, he realised something else as well.

No one in his family liked the rain. Mata Kunti hated the humidity. Bhrata Yudhishthir hated the dark and gloomy weather. Bhrata Bheem hated the muddy earth under his feet. Nakul hated the rain because it meant that a lot of animals would suffer from the weather due to not having proper shelter. Sahdev hated the rain because the clouds later always hid the stars that he loved to watch every night.

Every time it rained, Arjun went out of their hut, on a walk. It was his mission to spot beautiful flowers covered in water droplets and discern their smell. Rain water drenched berries tasted much better too.

He is used to it, honestly. It doesn't really bother him anymore. He just brings his family flowers from his walks and annoys them by trying to embrace them while still wet from the rain.

Multiple times, Bheem bhaiya has threatened violence against Arjun because he keeps shaking his head near Bheem bhaiya to spray him with the water in his hair, like a wet dog trying to dry off. Each time, Arjun hides behind a progressively more amused and exasperated Yudhishthir and while the eldest tries to corral Bheem bhaiya, Arjun wipes his wet hands on Yudhishthir's angvastra.

(Yudhishthir never gets annoyed at Arjun for that. He never even changes the half damp angvastra, even if he has to attend court with his little brother's wet hand print on his arm or shoulder. Arjun gets stupidly sentimental about that fact every time it rains, too.)

____________________________________________________

When they leave the burning palace behind them, Arjun, with calloused hands and aching shoulders, laughs as it drizzles, gradually curling all Nakul and Sahdev's hair. Nakul's hair remains in those loose curls and Sahdev's hair, not long enough to curl properly, sticks to his forehead in waves that look absolutely ridiculous.

He and the rest of the brothers annoy Sahdev about it until Mata herself has to step in and protect her favourite son from any further ridicule.

Arjun makes eye contact with Bheem and they both grin, knowing instinctively that they'll both be dragging this instance to irritate their youngest for the rest of their lives. If Yudhishthir squeezes their shoulders in silent gratefulness to lighten the mood, only the eldest three need to know that.

It's easy, after that. The ground under their feet softens because of the rain and Arjun ignores his brothers as they wonder if the rain had extinguished the fire in the palace and if the people would find out that the Pandavas and the Raj Mata are alive after all.

A part of him, older than blood and flesh, older than his years on earth, the part that shows strands of gold in his hair— it already knows. It knows the way of the rain as it sees the canines in Yudhishthir's smile. As it hears the booming voice of Bheem. As it smells the continuous smell of jadibootis from Nakul, despite the man never carrying those. As it sees the abnormally large irises of Sahdev.

It already knows the rain like the blood in his own vessels.

The palace still burns. The rain refuses to touch such filth.

____________________________________________________

She is absolutely radiant.

Panchali is everything. She's fiery, she's intelligent, she's a great conversationalist, she laughs whenever Nakul sits grumpily in the kitchen because his newest try at cooking didn't meet his high standards, she teaches Bheem the different types of embroidery she knows because she knows he likes to keep his hands busy, she oils Sahdev's hair every time he gets a headache because he gets overwhelmed with all the information he understands from the stars, she banters with Yudhishthir over philosophy and does a little dance whenever she manages to leave him speechless, rare as it is. She convinced Mata to put on kajal for her birth anniversary— something that Mata hasn't done since Pitashree and Mata Madri passed.

He regrets his big mouth for putting her in a horrible position on the very first day of their marriage, but dear lord, he is so in love with her, he can spend a lifetime only observing her eyes crinkle with her big smile whenever anyone pays her a compliment.

He isn't a poet, but he thinks she's poetry in motion and he wishes he could encapsulate what she means to him in words but all the words in the world couldn't describe a miracle such as her.

The first rain after their marriage comes when she still isn't entirely comfortable in the role of the wife and is just settling as a friend first. It was something that they had decided mutually. Panchali's fate had been forced enough. She deserves time to get to know them all first and then be a wife, the expectations of the society be damned.

So when, Arjun, grinning ear to ear, tells them that he'll be back, the rest of his family doesn't react much, except the warning Mata gives him to be careful because it's twilight now and the night will soon swallow the village they're staying overnight in and with the rain, no fire will be possible to be a source of light for him to see anything.

(She doesn't see the world as clearly as he does when it rains. When thunder strikes the sky and all Arjun sees is a bright day despite dark clouds. When there's rain drops clinging to his eyelashes and his vision is ten times sharper and he can see all land where any rain touches.)

Panchali looks up from the flowers she's weaving into Bhrata Yudhishthir's hair and frowns at him, asking him where he is off to, what cannot wait until it stops to rain.

Bheem bhaiya shows all the exasperation of a man who already knows he's about to be annoyed to death when Arjun returns as he tells her about his love for rain.

Panchali raises her eyebrows, half impressed and half incredulous. She asks him if she can accompany him on this walk.

Elation rushes through his veins and he doesn't even think for a second before he says yes, his heart pounding in his chest much faster than the thunderclaps in the clouds that are not half as alluring as Panchali's eyes.

As they walk under the rain, Panchali walks beside him, matching each of his steps. The sound of rain against the earth is nothing compared to the sound of her payals tinkling and her bangles hitting the thick silver bracelet he wears. It's a harmonious sound that he wants to swallow. He wants to twist his heart so that his heart beats sound like their jewellery brushing against each other.

As the rain slowly but surely drenches them both, they come to stop under a gulmohar tree, which looks like there are rubies littered on the leaves, such is the brightness of the redness of those flowers.

"You know," she says, grinning as she wrings her hands to rid her hands of the extra water on her fingers,"I do suspect that you are quite right about this rain, husband. I have never felt so... exhilarated. The rain on the balcony of the palace and the rain under an open sky are two widely different things."

Arjun laughs, because he knows she is half truthful but half determined to not compliment him since she has learnt that he preens too much at every compliment.

(Every compliment given by her, that is. Sahdev teases him ceaselessly about being completely and ridiculously transparent in his worship of their wife. Arjun does not hesitate to remind him that he knows that Sahdev has forged his favourite delicate chain into a ring for their wife, who wears it every day and Sahdev preens much more than Arjun whenever he sees her fiddle with the ring.)

"You can admit that you enjoyed the rain, dear wife. I promise, I will not preen for the compliment you pay to nature."

Panchali laughs and moves closer to him, intertwining their arms and grasping his forearm in her hand. "Of course not, husband. I do enjoy the rain. Satisfied?"

Arjun looks down at her— she is almost a head shorter than himself— and sees that she is already looking at him.

Thunder strikes. She jumps slightly before pretending nothing happened and slipping her hand into his, slotting their fingers together.

The drops of rain cling to her eyelashes, a rivulet rides from her nose to her lips, sliding down to her throat and merges into the necklace she wears. Her cheeks are flushed and hair is stuck to her forehead and her tilak is smudged.

Arjun's stomach tightens.

All he can think is that he's seen all types of flowers covered in the rain, except the lotus.

Now, he has seen his wife's eyes under the rain. They are much better than any lotus in any water body in any land.

"And I enjoy you, sweet wife." He says, gently pushing away a wet strand of hair from her forehead so it does not fall into her eyes.

Panchali smiles, the one where her eyes crinkle, the smile she smiles when someone compliments her, and ducks her head.

It is then she realises that they are holding hands. She takes a breath sharply, squeaking as she does when she is embarrassed and the hollow of her throat is even more pronounced for a single second.

She leaves his hand immediately, but does not move away, standing shoulder to shoulder.

When they return home, Arjun and Panchali both wring their hair near Bheem. This time, Bheem almost catches and pinches Arjun for teaching Panchali his "absolutely uncivilized and annoying" habits. Panchali is about to be tickled, too, because Bheem bhaiya is nothing if not good at retribution.

They both hide behind Yudhishthir, who does placate Bheem bhaiya while Arjun wipes his hand on his angvastra and Panchali wipes hers on his dhoti, leaving their hand prints on his shoulder and waist respectively.

Sahdev pinches Arjun for stealing away Panchali from braiding his hair and Nakul grins at him because after coming back from the rain, Panchali beelined to Nakul immediately to request his help in cooking and he, at his core, is an opportunitist.

"Agni-jā yoshatī atisundarī, kamal-patra-nibhe ekanayanā, śyāmā, keśā nila-valyah, nakhā su-nābhā, bhrū lāvanyavati, stanau gambhirāvati"

----

Ancestral Gen: au 1 – Devyani's sons vs Sharmishtha's sons

Ancestral Gen: au 2 – All the sons trying to make their own claim*

*[Puru taking the curse away from Yayati doesn't happen]

Ancestral Gen: au 3 – The taking of the curse happens and that pisses the other brothers even more to rebel against Yayati and later Puru for the injustice done to them

Ancestral Gen: au 3: possibility 1 – Madhavi's kids join in the war (cuz it would be diabolical)

Ancestral Gen: au 3: possibility 2 – Madhavi's kids don't join in the war (cuz they genuinely don't want to associate with their fucked up maternal family)

[this is actually unnecessary af but I added it cuz I hate Yayati and and also because Kurus have been a fucking disaster since the beginning]

Anyways getting back to the topic at hand

Gen 1 – Bahlika vs Shantanu (just because)

Gen 2 – Devavrat vs Chitrangada and Vichitraveerya*

*[The oath taking of Bhishma before Satyavati married Shantanu doesn't happen and the question of making whom the heir happens post marriage and birth of Chitrangada and Vichitraveerya]

Gen 3: au 1 – Dhri vs Pandu

Gen 3: au 2 – Devavrat's kid(s) (which we will assume he had before giving up the throne, with the incarnation of Vasu Prabhasa's wife as his wife) vs Vichitraveerya's sons — Dhritarashtra and Pandu

Gen 3: au 3 – Chitrangada's son whom he had before dying and was too young to rule (supported by Bhishma) vs Vichitraveerya's sons – Dhritarashtra and Pandu (supported by Satyavati)*

*[Chitrangada's son is biologically a Kuru, while Vichitraveerya's sons are born through Niyog with Vyasa making them only be related to Satyavati. But, they are by the societal norms and law the sons of the previous king so...]

Gen 3: au 3: possibility 1 – Shantanu and Satyavati married and had Chitrangada and Vichitraveerya

Gen 3: au 3: possibility 2 – Bhishma and Satyavati were the ones married and had Chitrangada and Vichitraveerya (making each support the team with their own blood relation) [This is my least favourite one actually but it would be an interesting au if they were married instead]

Gen 4: au 1 – Kauravas vs Pandavas (the usual I mean)

Gen 4: au 2 – Kauravas (100 born to Gandhari) vs Dhritarashtra's bastard sons including Yuyutsu*

*[Dhritarashtra had a few numbers of bastard kids with different women other than Yuyutsu (because be honest guys the possibility of that is not that low). Pandavas in this AU don't interfere, they are settled well in Indraprastha without any Dyut and feud with the Kauravas]

Gen 4: au 3 – Three way battle between Bhurishrava (who suddenly appears claiming the throne through the ancestry of Bahlika) vs Kauravas vs Pandavas

Gen 4: au 4 – Kaunteyas vs Madreyas* (it would be the most traumatic and farfetched au tbh but well... Ehhh not the worst a person can imagine ig)

*[No intervenes from the Kauravas as the throne is passed down to the Pandavas smoothly, and fued happens among the brothers]

Gen 4: au 5 – fight among the Kauravas with all 100 — or some other than Duryodhan — wanting the throne for themselves and rebelling against Duryodhan*

*[The brothers divide into half with Duryodhan's team having the support of Dhritarashtra and Jayadrath and Vikarna's team having the support of Gandhari and Shakuni??]

Gen 5: – Upapandavas with support of Panchalas vs Abhimanyu with support of Yadus

Gen 5: possibility 1 – The Kurukshetra doesn't takes place in gen 4 and the throne was passed easily to Yudhishthir

Gen 5: possibility 2 – Post Kurukshetra feud between the Upapandavas and Abhimanyu for the throne after Yudhishthir

Gen 6: au 1 – Yuyutsu's kids/grandkids (could be born post or pre Kurukshetra) causing a rebellion against Parikshit (putting claim on the throne from Dhritarashtra's lineage)

Gen 6: au 2 – Yaudheya's kids (who were born before he died) vs Parikshit

Gen 7 – Honesty Idt anything can happen in this generation except maybe Janmajeya doing something bigger than what he did in canon and causing a bigger disaster with the Yajnas (ft. Astika the chaddest), ending the lineage once and for all with his death

*[his son Shatanika isn't born in this]

Gen 8 – Each kingdom (who were related to Kuru family in any ways) quarrelling over who gets the throne after Janmajeya's death and fighting with Shatanika [this just would be hilarious]

Ok yes so this is probably peak geek moments, and I'm sorry if someone's sentiments are hurt. Just take this lightly as a joke like y'all take the sexualization of Krishna lightly on some occasions ahem...

TV APPRECIATION WEEK 2025 || DAY 1: First TV obsession

Little Duryodhan is like main Yuvraj banane wala hu aahe jaake Raja banunga aur *gestures to his other brothers* tum sab banoge mere mantri-

Little Dushasan asks Bhaiya itne mantralaya bhi hai kya humare paas 😭😭😭😭

He calls Chitraverma and Chitrasen Chi-Chi 😭😭

Gestures to two random boys , tum dono sambhaloge Griha mantralaya

Dushasan says Bhaiya ye humare bhai nhi sevak hai 😭😭😭😭