Draupadi's Swayamvar

However he was later comforted by a rumour about the possible escape of the Pandavas in secrecy.

But the whereabouts of the Pandavas were not known. Drupada, his son Dhristadyumna, Sikhandi and his ministers joined together in a conference to chalk out their future program.

There was no point in waiting indefinitely for the Pandavas to come out of their self- imposed disguise.

After much brainstorming, Drupad came up with a plan. The announcement of Draupadi's

Svayamvara was intended to force Arjuna to come out openly.

Accordingly the Svayamvara of Draupadi was proclaimed. And Drupad took all the necessary precautions so that nobody other than Arjuna could win the Swyamvar, which led to this challenge which was heavily biased towards the archers.

The court was filled with the clatter of armor and the sounds of ambitious warriors attempting the challenging task set by King Drupad. Despite their confidence, one after another, they failed to even lift the divine bow Pinaka.

Aryan observed the proceedings with a detached amusement. The biased nature of the challenge made it clear that King Drupad had a particular suitor in mind, and that suitor was none other than Arjuna.

As the unsuccessful attempts continued, a murmur of frustration and disappointment swept through the assembly. The tension in the air was palpable, and the weight of expectation rested on the shoulders of the archers present.

Duryodhan, Shakuni, and the others watched with frustration, exchanging glances as the warriors struggled with the divine bow. It was evident that none of them possessed the skill or strength required for the task.

After seeing that everyone was almost giving up but there was still no trace of Arjun, Drupad stood up from his seat and adopted radical tactic by challenging the warriors' pride.

Aryan, knowing the inevitable outcome, leaned back in his seat, exchanging a knowing glance with Karna.

He had already warned Karna to not be reeled in by him. So there was no scene where Karna stood up to prove himself but was insulted by Draupadi based on his caste as a charioteer so that he won't enter the competition.

Aryan watched eagerly, the moment had almost arrived for the true contender to step forward.

Just as the atmosphere reached its peak of anticipation, a new contender rose. The entrance of a figure dressed as a Brahmin caught the attention of the entire assembly.

This unassuming Brahmin walked confidently towards the divine bow, and a hush fell over the court.

It was none other than Arjuna in disguise.

As Arjuna prepared to string the divine bow, Aryan couldn't help but appreciate the clever strategy employed by King Drupad. The Swyamvar was not just a test of skill; it was a carefully orchestrated plan to bring Arjuna out of hiding.

With fluid grace and unwavering focus, Arjuna effortlessly strung the divine bow. The court erupted in a mix of astonishment and applause.

Draupadi herself watched with a curious gaze, unaware of the identity of the disguised Brahmin.

Aryan, unmoved by the spectacle, anticipated the unfolding events. The disguised Arjuna, guided by destiny and King Drupad's strategy, took aim at the revolving fish, and the arrow hit its mark with precision.

As the court erupted into a mixture of awe and disbelief of the kings, Draupadi approached the disguised Arjuna to garland him.

Karna had also realized the true identity of Arjun after this incident since he knew that other than him, the only person who could complete this challenge was probably Arjun. And coupled with Aryan's words before leaving Udra, he was almost certain.

On the other hand, Aryan, with his astute understanding of the political dynamics at play, knew that the stage was now set for the emergence of the Pandavs onto the grand canvas of the Mahabharata.

° °

°

After the Swyamvar ended and Draupadi left with the Brahmins, who were actually the Pandavas in disguise, Aryan once again approached Duryodhan.

But Duryodhan was already in a bad mood and didn't want to talk to him so he tried to bypass him without saying anything, which undoubtedly displeased Aryan.

* swish *

With a flick of his hand, Moksha was summoned and it lodged itself on the ground in front of Duryodhan, blocking his way.

"What is the meaning of this Udra naresh? "

Duryodhan said angrily as he felt humiliated by the mocking gazes directed at him by the surrounding people.

"Oh, you're angry now, are you? But you should be happy that my spear didn't directly pierce your throat instead. "

Aryan said coldly.

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Shakuni immediately stepped forward to mediate with a smile.

"Your majesty Aryan, I don't think it is beneficial for anyone if we cause enemity between Hastinapur and Udra for small reasons. So please be generous and forgive my nephew for his mistake this time. "

"But uncle Shakuni, I..... "

Although Duryodhan wanted to retort back, but he was stopped by Shakuni in time.

"Just stay silent for now Duryodhan and let me handle it. Ah, like I was saying Udra naresh, if nothing else then please forgive him for the sake of Dushala. I guarantee on my end that something like this won't happen again."

Seeing the uncle and nephew duo's antics, Aryan couldn't help but smile.

"In fact, the reason why someone who obviously tried to kill me is still alive is because you're Dushala's brother. But this is the last chance. If there's a next time, then I won't consider these non existent feelings at all. "

"Hahaha, thank you for your generosity Udra naresh. Thank you very much. "

Shakuni immediately said with a flowery smile while Duryodhan's face contorted in anger.

"But nonetheless, I still need to teach you a lesson. Just right, I recently learnt a new trick and you can help me test it out. "

With that, Aryan immediately grabbed his hand in the air towards Duryodhan while activating his Snatch ability.

* swish * * swish *

Then, amidst everyone's surprise and shock, first his mace, then jewels and ultimately even his clothes flew out magically, leaving Duryodhan stark naked in the middle of the court.

It all happened so fast that no one could react at all.

Then, the whole court burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha"

"Hahaha, look at this, Hastinapur's distinguished prince Duryodhan ! Hahaha! "

"Oh my god, so small, hahaha! "

Duryodhan felt like he was struck by lightning as these discordant laughter echoed in his mind while Dushasan and Shakuni anxiously tried to cover him up.

"That should teach you a lesson. And by the way, don't even let the thought of revenge sprout in your heart. Otherwise .... "

Aryan left the words at that and staggered out of the court with Karna following behind him.

During this whole ordeal, no one dared to interfere at all and just looked from the side as Aryan destroyed Duryodhan's pride.

At the same time, they also understood that this was also Aryan's indirect warning to everyone else to not mess with him.

° °

°

Mount Olympus

In the throne room, there were twelve thrones placed in a circle. And among them, three of the thrones were a size bigger compared to the rest.

Naturally, they were for the Big Three Zeus, Poseidon and Hades.

Currently, all the Greek gods had gathered here in the room and each of them had solemn expressions on their faces.

"Well Zeus, now that everyone is here, can you tell what is the reason for you to call us for a God's Gathering so urgently? "

Poseidon said a little annoyedly, clearly he didn't want to be here at this time.

"Don't throw tantrums Poseidon, I have called you guys for a very important matter. "

Zeus said unhappily.

"Is it about the Trimurtis disappearance? "

Athena asked calmly with a thoughtful look on her face, attracting everyone's attention.