The Second Dice Game
“One more game. Thirteen years of exile. A kingdom's final price.”
Contains: gambling, addiction, loss-of-kingdom
Story Summary
After Draupadi's humiliation and divine protection, the blind king Dhritarashtra intervenes and grants her a boon, releasing the Pandavas. But Duryodhana, consumed by hatred, demands one final game. Yudhishthira, bound by his tragic flaw of gambling, cannot refuse. The stakes are set: thirteen years of exile—twelve years in the forest, and one year incognito. If discovered during that final year, the exile extends another thirteen years. Shakuni's loaded dice seal the Pandavas' fate once more. Accepting their defeat, the Pandavas prepare to leave their beloved Indraprastha and begin the long exile that will shape their path to war.