Brothers
It's a thing everyone knows. Nakul is the most beautiful man in all of Aryavart. His eyes are bright and he is almost always smiling and it feels as if one is looking at the Sun, if Nakul turns his attention towards them.
He is benevolent. He loves his evening walks, he greets all of the members of their household and even the temporary service providers. He knows almost all the servants personally and knows about their families. He knows all about the horses in the Royal stable and personally takes care of Bheem's horse, who had been a weakling when it was young but Bheem and Nakul had rescued the poor thing and Bheem looked if he would cry without the horse and Nakul had nursed him back to health and still takes special care of the majestic horse.
Nakul knows the habitat of their state like the back of his hand. From the capital to the deepest forests and the snarling rivers, he knows nature and he wields it like a limb. He conquered the West with guerrilla tactics that he claims were just "common sense". He writes a book, and gives it to Arjun when he leaves for his vanvaas— he knows his elder brother and he knows nature and he wants nature to work in his brother's favour.
He brings flowers for his wives everyday— sometimes if Draupadi feels petty, she taunts her other husbands for Nakul's gallantry and chivalry. Karenumati puts the flowers in her hair everyday and at evening, the same flowers go into the warm bath prepared for Nakul and when he climbs into their bed, he knows he smells like the flowers he gave her earlier. It makes her hold him a little closer.
He goes on runs and plays with the children, Abhimanyu especially loves him. The infant cannot play with his elder brother and cousins but Nakul holds him in his arms and throws him in the air and Shatanik whines that he misses being that small and Nakul takes it as a challenge and then he spends hours with the boys, throwing them up in the air and catching them, listening to them laugh for hours and hours.
When Nakul goes to Yudhishthir, Yudhishthir pretends to be put out because Nakul always drags him away from the work of the Emperor and takes him for horse riding, claiming that the ride around the city would help him get a more practical idea of the administration. Both of them know that Yudhishthir knows all of his state like the back of his hand and the ride around the city is just an excuse for him to leave the rooms and be free for a while.
Sahadev is the one that sees the whole of Nakul in a different light. Everyone sees the beauty, the friendliness, the grace and the happiness. As if he were the sun, basking them all in his warmth. But Sahadev knows that the warmth of the sun burns and burns and burns until there is nothing left.
Sahadev is the only one who has seen Nakul kill, without a thought of justice. He is the only one who has seen Nakul hold him so close that there were bruises on Sahadev's arms later. A man had tried to assassinate Sahadev, once. Nakul had been the one to capture him and when he brought the assassin back to the Royal court for justice, the man was barely alive. His arms and legs were twisted in unnatural ways and his nose looked broken and his eyes were swollen and—
Yudhishthir had looked disappointed in Nakul but had ordered the assassin to be hanged till death in a week's time.
The very next day, there were reports that the assassin escaped. This time, his dead body was found deep in the bowels of the forest at the edge of the city.
Sahadev, known for his expertise in medicine, was called to identify the cause of death. "Internal bleeding," he said, and pointed out some other deep gashes. He breathed in, and with that, locked away the real reason of the death— a poisonous flower that Sahadev knew all about.
Nakul smelled of that flower.
When they were walking to their sword practice, Nakul pulled Sahadev in a half hug and kissed his temple. "My baby brother, do you think you can race me to the arena?"
"Race you and best you, too!" He said, pulling away to start to run but he stumbled and barely caught himself on the wall whilst Nakul took off, laughing. Sahadev looked down to see the beam of the construction, Nakul had deliberately let him go at the place to make him stumble and give himself a head start.
"I'm telling Jyesth that you're a cheat, Bhratashree!" Sahadev yelled and started running.
Nakul laughed some more, avoiding the stairs and jumping down the floor. "Stop being a crybaby!"
They ended up on the ground of the arena where all the brothers and wives were waiting for them, as Sahadev tackled Nakul and they rolled around in the ground, still arguing about who won.
Sahadev heard Bheem laugh,"You two should have been conjoined twins, you insufferable children."
Yudhishthir elbowed him with a grin,"Hush, now. I think they're trying to do just that."
"They're already joined at the hip," Arjun said,"The gods just wanted to provide us some respite so that they may separate. Shoo, now, get up and see what example you're setting in front of your children!"
Nakul and Sahadev looked at each other for a beat. Nakul squeezed Sahadev's hand and Sahadev smiled at him.
They looked at their brothers and stuck out their tongues.
