There is a thin line between DESIRE and REALITY.
Reality is thorny, hard, cruel, something which a person wish to run away from and that's when a person's inner demons comes out in a way of desire, desire to get those things which a person can only...
"you know you don't need repeat that now. I forgive you. Now, come, the time is going of coronation"
"yes"
The Pandavas and Kauravas can't help but to become happy as their Guru is now happy and this situation happened without any bloodshed.
"let's start the coronation"
The coronation ceremony started as all of them gave their congratulations and blessing to Ashwatthama.
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"what are you thinking about?"
Ashwatthama, just becoming a King of Northern Panchala overnight and getting so much inside his head thought to take fresh air in the balcony as he lean towards the railing with his closed eyes, thinking about the past events carefully until a voice pulled him out of his comfort zone as he turned around to see it his Pitashree.
"Pitashree" Ashwatthama muttered as he took a deep breathe, God knows when was the last time they had conversation like this about what they are thinking? Or how their day is going? Or anything like a family.
"Are you not happy after becoming king?" His pitashree ask, their must be some expression on ashwatthama's face that lead him to ask this question to ashwatthama.
Taking another deep breathe ashwatthama decided to let his mouth run as his mind is in shock to work process.
"I won't say I am not but being King is not everything" Ashwatthama expected some kind of expression or another scolding in return but got surprised when Drona smiled at his son as he said "you are right, status isn't everything but status is something at the same time. You have already seen what happens to Brahmin and lower class people, so status is important if you want to run away from all these but getting lost in this status and power is harmful too...........I am proud of you.....my......son"
Ashwatthama felt his eyes stinging but he was happy that his Pitashree left before he could see ashwatthama's wobbling lips, red nose and teary eyes. He sighed looking at the moon before turning around to leave but got surprised when he meet a pair of dark wide eyes, who look equally surprised as he whisper shouted "Karna!!"
Ashwatthama can see sleep inside karna's eyes but he does not appear to be just woke up, it seems karna didn't even slept as his face shinning under the moon light, his long hair are completely open with curtain bangs making ashwatthama realise how long karna's hair are in general as he asks "why aren't you sleeping karna?"
Karna seems to come out of shock before whispering, not wanting to disturb anyone's sleep "I am not sleepy" Lies cause ashwatthama already saw sleep in his eyes but he will let it go for now as he nodded with karna standing beside him.
"thank you for today. You are indeed the best adviser......who are you?"
"Radheya Vasusena Karna, sutaputra" Ashwatthama nodded at the truth in the sentence as he can feel karna's curious stare on him making him reply to unsaid question.
"it is a divine gem. I am born with it on my forehead, it gives me power, protects me and almost.....almost give make me invincible and immortal"
Karna look at ashwatthama, astonished as he realised the amount of trust Ashwatthama is putting on him to tell him about this gem. He nodded before turning around to leave but stopped when ashwatthama ask him something "would you like to be my friend too?"
"..................yes, sure" Ashwatthama went inside with a satisfied and happy smile on his face leaving karna alone with his chaotic mind and worried heart.
Pitashree won't be happy with this news of me being friends of Princes especially when he warned me not to befriend anyone here..............
"guess I have to go back to explain everything to Maa and pitashree" Karna muttered to himself before going inside to take a break from all this.........Royals and their Royalty.......is just more complicated and difficult than ganit (maths) itself.
NEXT DAY
"let's meet soon mitr Ashwatthama"
"sure" Ashwatthama said nodding at suyodhana's words as he greeted Pandavas and other kauravas formally, telling them to come again as a formal invitation being the King since only eldest kaurava is his friend not others but being his pitashree's student and princes of Hastinapur, he told them.
"let's meet soon karna" He says to karna with a smile which karna returned with a formal nod, hmm.......it is going to take time to make karna trust them and open up a bit.
He can't help but chuckle at the nod before he went forward to pull karna in a surprise hug making others surprise too but he could care less because of karna's strategy, his pitashree first time told him that he is proud of his son and he does not want anything else.
"reach safely" Ashwatthama says before his eyes caught Arjuna's stare who bowed a little neutrally making ashwatthama do same, he can't say he is okay with Arjuna enough to talk to him.....even formally but still his soothed heart does not hate him too. In short Arjuna is somewhere between the line of dislike and like inside ashwatthama's mind and arjuna does not need to know this too.
Soon the Hastinapur Princes departed from Northern Panchala after making Ashwatthama king, giving their Gurudev his Gurudakshina with old friend and their kripi kaki a happy family.
Now they can know, who will be the Yuvraj of Hastinapur?
