So...that went differently than I expected. I could see it heading that direction (partly because I'd skimmed ahead through the next chapter), which curtailed my Storytelling for this week, actually. Originally I was going to have Draupadi offend her father by coming out as polyamorous (hence the five husbands), but that's not really how the story goes.
In Divakaruni's version, there's an undercurrent of Draupadi actually being in love with Karna -- not that she's ever truly met him. At this point, the brothers are distant from her, and Kunti is more of a monster-in-law who just wants to maintain emotional control over her sons. I'd envisaged Draupadi's relationships with the Pandavas as like that between Rama and Sita (at least before Sita's kidnapped), where they're all loving and devoted to each other and help each other through tough times. The reality is completely different, at least in this novel, which is kind of disappointing and depressing.
On the other hand, the palace intrigue angle is likely more realistic. True to the rest of the epic, the Pandavas and Draupadi have more to worry about than their true interpersonal relationships, given that one side of the family is trying to kill them and the outcome of the family feud determines the fate of an entire country, etc. I had a fairly idealized view of the Pandava family going into this novel, and it's pretty well crushed now.
scenes from the Mahabharata surrounding the Pandava brothers' marriage to Draupadi
from manuscript, c.1800 (Wikimedia Commons)
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