Episode#18
Later Duryodhana proceeded to Mathura
for the advance mace training from Balarama the elder brother of Vasudev Krishna and Subhadra.
Duryodhana being Kuru prince, Balarama invited him to stay with him at his house and gave him a lesson every morning and evening.
The young and beautiful Subhadra daughter of Vasudev and his second wife Rohini was in her adolescence, she watched him stealthily, he was handsome with well built physique, tall, broad shoulders, swollen chest, even his attitude and his arrogance infatuated her, she was almost in love with him.
Duryodhana had cited Subhadra watching him stealthily from her window - and he fell in love with her, when the training was over and he was to return Hastinapur the following morning; he got up early, it was dawn and the sun was yet to rise when he saw Subhadra walking towards the Yamuna river.
He quickly followed her, she was clad in a single piece of cloth - a body wrap, the bangles in her wrist and the silver anklets on her feet jingled as she walked gracefully, her long hair blew with the strong breeze and spread over her face - he followed enchanted by her youth and beauty.
She went towards the demarcated bath area for women, kept her dry wrap on the stone and walked inside the river in the single apparel, Duryodhana watched her from his hide-out, heavily sweating in cold winter morning for fear of being caught, after few dips, she emerged out looking like a water fairy as her long hair trickled water-beads that appeared like diamonds and that piece of cloth was fully drenched, she was beautiful and voluptuous curves of her body, with her wide good and narrow waist, broad shoulders and exaggerated spherical breast, she lay on her back on the big stone; she closed her eyes while her milky feet played in the flowing water of Yamuna river.
Duryodhana heart beat faster, as he has never seen a young girl in a single piece of cloth, lying fully drenched on the stone with a wide open arms, Duryodhana unable to control his emotions, he walked towards her and sat beside her on the stone! All along, she had known that the Kuru Prince Duryodhana had followed her, she didn't open her eyes, her heart beat faster and her lips went dry, she clamped her fists tight, she expected the Kuru Prince will take her in arms and hold her tightly, fondle her wet hair and put his lips on her lips, she would then put her arms around his neck and hold him tightly and never let him go, she wandered in her little dream world.
Duryodhana was eager to take her in his arms, set aside her scattered hair from her lovely face and put his lips on her lips, but could not muster enough courage to do so! She was a trifle disappointed but to ensure his feelings, without opening her eyes she asked "do you love me?"
Listening to these golden words his heart skipped several beats, with the rising sun, the villagers would now throng on the bank of Yamuna river, and hence Duryodhana hurriedly asked her "will you marry me?" She slowly opened her eyes, looked straight into Duryodhana's eyes and replied "Yes"
She got up, covered with her dry wrap herself, looked back smiled and started walking, while Duryodhana sat there and watched her with fond eyes until she was gone. The Kuru Prince was impressed with her confidence, assertiveness and spontaneity of actions.
Later in the day, as he got into his chariot after touching Guru Balarama's feet, he looked up at the window but she wasn't there, surprisingly, he saw her on the borders of Mathura, standing under the tree and shedding tears, he stopped but before he got out she was gone.
He felt uneasy, he wanted to run back, put her in his chariot, rush to Hastinapur and marries immediately, he realised that he was madly in love with her. On the other hand, Subhadra hid her face in the pillow, cried bitterly and wishpered "O Kuru Prince do not leave me alone - take me with you!"
After reaching Hastinapur, Duryodhana, in conjunction with his conspiring uncle Sakuni had built a easily combustible palace made of wax, on their pilgrimage tour to Varnavrata, but the wise Vidura advised Pandavas to escape through a secret tunnel and burnt the wax house with six villagers in it - in order to misguide Duryodhana and Sakuni that Pandavas with their mother were burned to death. This was followed by heavy mourning at the Kaurava's court.
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