Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Pandavas in Agyatvas (exile) in Raja Virat’s Matsya Kingdom: Yudhishthir (Mantri Kank), Arjun (Brihannala – the dancer who teaches dance to princess Uttara), Bheem (Raja Ballaw – cook), Sahadev (Tantripal, a cowherd), and Nakul (Bhamgranti, horse trainer) and Draupadi (Sairandhri Malini, Hair stylist for Queen)
Upon Sudeshna (Queen of Virat’s Kingdom) insistence and order, Sairandhri (Draupadi) serves madhira ka paathra – alcohol to the military commander of Virat – Keechak. As Sairandhri is about to leave after serving him, he stops her and makes his advances and tries to uncover her face. Sairandhri tells him that she has the Vardan (protection) from the God and tells him to not misbehave with her. When he touches her again, she pushes him and then forgives him from the punishment as he is Sudeshna’s brother and she owe her food to the queen. Keechak becomes suspicious of Sairandhri and thinks that she belongs to a superior family and is on a lookout to find out the answer.
Pandavas brothers meet together after Bheem invited them by sending Sattu Ladoos (sweets) which was an indicator for meeting. Pandavas became happy on seeing each other while Sairandhri doesn’t visit them since she was given the task to serve Keechak by Sudeshna. Pandavas realize this about her.
Shakuni, Duryodhan, and Dushyasan come to meet Raja Virat in his assembly and informs Virat about the presence of Pandavas in his kingdom since last 1 year. Raja Virat responds that he is not giving shelter to Pandavas and he is not aware of their presence. Duryodhan incites him for a war in case he doesn’t cooperate with him. Keechak steps in to mediate the matter. When he hears Dushyasan speaking about Draupadi as the beautiful women in the world, he goes to flashback and comes to the conclusion that Sairandhri is actually Draupadi. With this in mind, he gives his nod and help to Duryodhan in finding Pandavas by exhibiting all the people who came from outside his kingdom and living since last 1 year. Keechak does this without a proper consent of Raja virat and tells with authority to Duryodhan that what he said is accepted and abided by the king.
Keechak now knows that Sairandhri’s real identity and has lust for Draupadi and also for becoming the ruler of Matsya Virat kingdom. He goes to Sairandhri and calls her Draupadi thus revealing her true identity. She becomes anxious on hearing this. He touches and blackmails her to come to his room at night and also wants to marry her. He says that as she is already has 5 husbands so what’s wrong in having a 6th husband.. At this point, Keechak already crossed the limit of Draupadi’s patience. His proposal to Draupadi is that if she agree to his demand, then he will hide her and pandavas presence in his kingdom during the assembly next morning. He tells her the trade-offs in accepting his demand as if Pandavas’ identities are revealed before their end of Agyatvas then they need to repeat the Agyatvas making them to spend another 13 years.
Draupadi meets Pandavas and informs them about Keechak’s evil offer for her. Pandavas understands that Keechak will take undue advantage of their situation. Arjun says that Keechak has lust for Draupadi and also the greed to become the King of Magaysta kingdom replacing Raja virat. At his end, Keechak opens up with Shakuni and Duryodhan and expresses his desire to become the King. He urges them to go on a war with Raja Virat as he cannot directly kill Raja virat and his son – Uttar. He wants to use Kauravas as a proxy to kill Raja Virat. He offers his full unconditional support to Shakuni in finding Pandavas if they agree to his plan of a war against Virat. Shakuni agrees to his offer. After this, Keechak goes to meet Draupadi. Shakuni explains to Duryodhan that Keechak is a big fool and believes that he will be killed by Bheem the same night for his grave insult inflicted on Draupadi. Shakuni says that Pandavas in no way will disregard the behavior of Keechak, even the pandavas are ready to go to Agyatvas again as Draupadi’s respect comes first and their priority. Shakuni informs that when Bheem goes to kill Keechak, he will hear the sound of Bheem and Keechak which will indicate them the time and place of the killing and they can go to nab Bheem and Draupadi revealing their identity and thus breaking their Agyatvas and hence clarifies that there is no need of a war against Virat.
Shakuni does not know that Arjun has a plan to safeguard their Agyatvas while at the same time killing Keechak. Arjun who is Brihannala (dancer) will be going to help Bheem in his quest for killing Keechak. Arjun will employ his dance and drum sound to nullify the sounds that will be produced when Bheem and Keechak are fighting. In this way, Keechak will be killed by Bheem without Shakuni reaching there to nab Bheem and revealing his identity. Stay tuned to Mahabharat for this development on Star Plus.
A special Note:
Quote of Brihannala (Arjun) to Prince Uttar (son of Raja Virat)
— Dance can help even in war. Dance is useful in both Sangharsh (fight/warfare)and Shanti (Peace)
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