Story: The Dangerous Flower

The court was divided with some favoring the Kurus and others on the side of the Pandava brothers. Duryodhana sat on his throne laughing at the Pandavas' humiliation. Finally, he was able to get his revenge. The crowd turned their attention to Draupadi, who had just been dragged in. So many in the court started spouting insults and some went as far as spitting on her.

“Enough,” Duryodhana’s voice boomed in the giant courtroom. “Yudhishthira sold this woman, so now she is mine. I want her taken to my chambers,” Duryodhana turned to address Draupadi directly. “You will wait for me there. I expect you to be cleaned up and presentable by the time I arrive.”

Draupadi looked up to her husbands for help. However, none of them could muster the courage to meet her gaze. Tears started streaming down Draupadi's face and she dropped her head in sorrow as the guards led her to Duryodhana’s room. When she arrived at the dimly lit room, all she could make out was a giant wooden desk that stood in front of the library that lined the wall. She turned her head and saw the monstrous bed that took up most of the room. As soon as she saw it, fear gripped her heart. The guards left and she ran to look out the window, hoping she could escape, but the only thing on the other side was a great cliff. Draupadi fell to the ground and sobbed. She repeatedly called out to Krishna for help. When she uncovered her eyes, she saw something in the corner of the grand table that looked like a plant she had once heard about. She knew the properties its leaves held and suddenly Draupadi jumped up with a plan ready.

Draupadi in the court

Draupadi went to the door and asked the guard to fetch her some water. A servant returned with a pitcher of water and two gold cups. Draupadi rolled her eyes at the cups thinking they were too over the top, but still thanked the servant and closed the door. She quickly ran to the table and looked at the plant. She had forgotten what it was called, but she remembered encountering one in her garden when she was a little princess in her father’s kingdom. She loved how the flower looked and smelled and remembered her father telling her to be like this flower. This plant looked harmless but if anyone were to ingest its roots, they would immediately die. Her father told her to look harmless on the outside but be a deadly weapon at the core.

Draupadi grabbed it by the stem and uprooted it. She tore off a small section of the root and crushed it with one of the books on the shelf. After it turned into a powder, she gently scooped up the dust and poured it into the pitcher. As she was mixing the contents, the noise that was coming from the courtroom ceased. Draupadi knew it was time and her heart pounded, fearing that this plan would fail. She had just placed the pitcher back on the tray when the chamber door flew open.

Duryodhana drunkenly stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. Draupadi hated the sight of his smirk that he gave her. “Finally! You’re mine,” he slurred.

“Finally! I was getting anxious waiting for you!” Draupadi replied, faking enthusiasm to dispel any suspicion. “Ever since I’ve laid eyes on you, I have only ever desired for this moment.”

“And what would that be, dear?” Duryodhana said with a burp at the end. Duryodhana had found his way to the chair behind his desk and gestured for Draupadi to come share his seat. Draupadi smiled at him and started pouring some water into a glass.

“I have always wanted to be yours. I hate the sight of those awful Pandavas. They are greedy and malicious. They are morons compared to you,” she replied as she walked around the table to him. She went and sat on his lap handing him the drink. Duryodhana took it without thinking and said, “You’ve wanted me?”

“Oh yes, of course! Just look at you! You are so strong and the most handsome man I have ever known,” she said as her hands held his face. “Those Pandavas should be bowing to you. Everyone can see you’re the mighty one.”

Duryodhana chuckled, pressed the glass up to his mouth and drank the cup dry. Draupadi held Duryodhana’s hand and led him away from the table. Halfway to the bed, Duryodhana let go of her hand and fell to the ground.

“What have you done to me?” he choked out. Draupadi just stood in silence as she watched the life go out of him. It was done. Her husbands and she could go live their lives without fear of this monster anymore.

Draupadi and the poison

Author's Note: In the original story, Draupadi is forced into Duryodhana's court after Yudhishthira gambled everything away in a dice game. When she is thrown into the court, she is called names and laughed at. Then, one of the men in Duryodhana's court, Dushasana, claims that she should be put to shame and disrobed. Since her husbands cannot help her, she cries out to Krishna for help. Krishna heard her and extended her cloth so that every time Dushasana tried to remove a layer, he would find another underneath. This continued on until here was a large enough pile to make one hundred saris. With the help of a sage, Draupadi was able to win back all that Yudhishthira lost in the bet. The brothers and Draupadi return to their kingdom to plan their revenge.
Later, the brothers get invited back for another game and to no surprise, they lose again. This forced them into exile. I personally thought it was stupid that the brothers went back so I thought it would be better to end Duryodhana's life earlier. In the video, it kept talking about how powerless the Pandava brothers were so I was wondering what would happen if Draupadi won the battle for them.

Bibliography: Epified: Mahabharata Episode 45 - Draupadi Disrobed