Angaraja Karna, mostly called Vasusena by those close to him, sighed as he watched the useless drama unfolding in the court of Hastinapura. He was bored by the arguing going amongst the adults. Even his Jyesht's most boring lecture on Dharma was interesting that the current on-goings of Hastinapura court.
Honestly, was it it so hard to decide some simple matters like who would get which part of the kingdom?
If the Pandavas wanted Khandavprastha then just give them that and be done with it!
But no!
The beloved Mahamahim Bhishma cannot see injustice done to his favourite grandchildren, so he was trying to convince Prince Yuddhisthira to choose some other place. But that obstinate prince was hell-bent on the barren land. On the other side, he noted with some amusement, Suyodhana was busy in trying to give them what they wanted.
For the first time the cousins were working together, he smirked at the thought.
He sighed again, really wanting nothing else other than to sleep with his head on Radha Ma's lap, but as he glanced at the court hall, he could see that the thought would remain as a wish.
"Bored?" whispered Ashwathama, one of his best-friend's beside him. He turned towards him nodding slightly so as to not catch attention from the Kuru elders.
"Well, this has been going on for a while," said Ashwathama, while Karna snorted softly, "For the past hour, Drauni. Are there no works in the court other than this?"
"This takes precedence, apparently," said Ashwathama, his annoyance clear in his faint whisper.
"O Suryanarayan! If they don't decide in the next fifteen minutes, I am going to leave," murmured Karna with an annoyed glare at Bhishma's talking self, not noticing Ashwathama's curious look at him, "I have a sister's wedding to attend, for God's sake!"
"Your sister?" said Ashwathama, a bit surprised, "You never said you had a sister. We thought it was you relative's wedding."
Karna bit the inside of his cheek, closing his eyes briefly at blurting that out. He cursed himself for not paying attention to his surroundings. In his defense, how was he to know that Ashwathama was paying attention to him?
He gulped, slowly turning to meet his friend's curious dark eyes, "Ah, did I say sister!? No, not a sister. I mean, yes, a sister -"
"What are you saying Vasusena?" said a confused Ashwathama, "Do you have a sister or not?"
"Yes, I mean no...I don't know?" Karna blurted out, only to contemplate whether he should bang his head on a wall. Repeatedly. Until it burst open. Cancel that. His armour would protect him.
He messed up, terribly!
Sorry Bhrata Shani, he prayed within his mind as he glanced at his annoyed friend.
"You don't know whether you have a sister or not?" repeated Ashwathama with a 'are-you-serious' look, "What have you drank last night, Vasusena?"
"Uh, milk?" said Karna, mind drifting towards the tasty and warm Kesar Badam milk (Almond milk with saffron) that his Mata Sanjana had prepared for him. He unconsciously licked his lips, as if already tasting the warm concoction that he had drank the night before.
Ashwathama watched his friend as he went into his dreaming state with an incredulous look. He slightly jerked his shoulder's with his own, the moment Karna licked his lips, "Are you sure you did not drink Madira (alcohol; wine)?"
Karna jerked to glanced at him with an annoyed look, "I have never touched alcohol in my life and do not plan to either. Where did you get that rubbish idea!?"
"Just saying," back-tracked Ashwathama, blinking at the strong denial, "No need to get offended, oversensitive man!"
"I am not oversensitive," pouted Karna, making Ashwathama smirk, "Whatever makes you sleep at night."
"Are you both done!?" roared Bhishma, glaring at them with an annoyed look.
Both the friends finally noticed that their conversation had been heard by the entire court, as they glanced at each other. Karna shrugged nonchalantly in response to Ashwathama's panicked look, which made Mahamantri Vidura's and Gandhar-raja's eyes to widen, while Bhishma fumed. Duryodhana hid his laugh at Karna's casual behaviour at being caught gossiping with Ashwathama.
Dhritarashtra, who was informed by his ever-present aide, Sanjay, looked amused than angry. He knew those two friends of his eldest well and was aware that both could not stay still for more than two hours at a time, and the court had stretched for a good three hours.
But before Bhishma could reprimand them harshly, a slight smoke started to arise from the middle of the hall. The smoke cleared to expose the imposing figure of the eldest son of Surya Deva.
Yuddhisthira gasped while Karna turned wide eyes at his eldest brother.
What in the world was his Jyesht doing here!? Shouldn't he be in Martanda Desh or even in Suryaloka or perhaps in his own abode? There was no reason for him to be in Hastinapura, unless, Karna eyed the gaping form of Yuddhisthira, he came to meet his son.
He seriously doubted that when Yama turned his twinkling wine eyes towards him.
"Pranipat Pitashri," greeted Yuddhisthira with a dumbfounded look on his face, when no one else did. He had not thought he would meet his father in Prithvi Lok, yet here he was. Was someone going to die today?
"Kalyan ho, putra!" blessed Yama with a small unseen smile, as he turned his intense gaze at the other mortals, who felt that their soul had been pierced and it's secrets discovered. His lips curled into a slight sneer as his eyes met Gandhar-raj, who seem to shrink on himself.
"Pitashri?"
Yama blinked slightly, turning towards his small son, who thankfully had not married that Agnisuta, or he would have been forced to disown him, "Yes, little son?"
Karna almost laughed out-loud at that, barely able to stop himself. He could see Yuddhisthira's face flushed red at the endearment.
"Uh, Is everything alright?" asked Yuddhisthira, hesitating yet going forward at Yama's reassuring gaze, "Any reason for coming here?"
"Ah, yes!" Yama said, this time looking at Karna with a direct gaze, "Little son, good for you to remind me. I am here to take someone."
The urge to bang his head against something hard was too much to control as Karna found himself hidden behind Duryodhana and Ashwathama. He really wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
So much in keeping everything secret! When his own eldest brother was hell-bent on breaking it, what can his poor self do other than follow?
"Angaraja Karna!?" said Yuddhisthira, glancing at the hidden figure of the King. His nervous eyes took note of Duryodhana's determined face though fear was evident in his eyes as he stood in front of his best friend. He couldn't help but be a bit jealous that his cousin was ready to stand in front of a God for his friend and yet he cannot share the same love, protectiveness for his own cousins.
He looked back at his father, (Wasn't that surreal to say, after all Pandu was his father for so long that he had forgotten that he had another father) who was striding towards Duryodhana.
"Jyesht, shouldn't you try to stop Lord Yama?" asked Arjuna, nervously. He was standing with an ashen face, as he watched the God of Death stride towards his arch-nemesis (an arch-nemesis who had not been paying him an iota of attention after he got married to Panchali).
"Bhratashri, I don't think anyone can stop the God of Death," said Nakula, a bit impressed at Duryodhana and Ashwathama's stubborn nature as they kept standing in front of Angaraja resolutely.
Yama watched slightly amused at the two young mortals who were hiding his baby brother behind them. He gave them a small smirk, because seriously he was impressed. Not many would dare to stand tall in front of him for their friend. Nonetheless, he was getting late and so was his baby brother. Hence, he reached in between them and tugged his brother out in the open.
"What are you doing here?" asked his baby brother with an annoyed look. How adorable!
"You have good friends, Anuj," Yama said as he patted Duryodhana and Ashwathama's head all of a sudden.
"Don't tell me you came here to tell me that, Jyesht," said his baby brother again with an unimpressed look on his face. Yama noticed he was even taping his left foot and his arms were crossed in front of his chest. He also detected his cheeks were puffed in annoyance.
Aw! So cute. His baby brother was way too sweet. Even in an annoyed state, he was rather soft-spoken and polite.
Duryodhana, on the other hand, looked up at his head, wondering if he was dreaming. Yama dev had come and patted his head, like he was a five years old child!! He looked at Ashwathama, who was pinching himself and then shaking his head repeatedly, thinking it as an illusion.
Yuddhisthira gaped with a wide mouth as ANGARAJA called his father, Jyesht!!!
He turned towards his brother, all of whom had wide open jaws which he shut with a pointed look, then he glanced at his Pitamaha, who looked dazed as he stayed seated on his throne while Gandhar-raj looked way too pale to look healthy. He turned back to his father and Angaraja, who was staring at his father with an unimpressed look and his father, instead of being offended or angry looked at him with an adoring look.
He pressed two fingers on his forehead. He at least hoped the Sun had risen in the right direction because everything here had gone wrong and he was confused, way too confused.
"Baby brother, you're needed at Martanda Desh," said Yama calmly as he placed a hand at his brother's shoulder, "Why aren't you there yet? Come, I am here to take you."
"Jyesht, I already informed I would come tomorrow," said Karna blinking at his statement, "Why am I needed now?"
Yama shrugged, "Mata said to get you."
Karna slouched at once; he could never say no to his mothers. Unknowingly he pouted at having to go immediately.
"Can't I go tomorrow?" He said with a moody look as he turned puppy-eyes at Yama, "Please?"
"I don't kn-" Before Yama could finish his sentence, Karna immediately held his hand tightly, intensifying his puppy look, adding the waterworks in for good measure, "Please Jyesht? For your youngest and most favourite brother in the world? Please,please please, please."
"Alright!" said Yama with a resigned look, his brother was a devil when he was being cute, "I will tell Mata you would come tomorrow."
Karna's face immediately brightened like the sun in the sky, making Yama gave him a fond smile, as he murmured affectionately, "Mischievous baby brother!"
Karna laughed out loud at that but did not negate the statement at all as he gave an enthusiastic hug to Yama, "Dhanyavad Jyesht!"
Yama sulked in the hug a bit, but even he had a tiny smile on his face.
➼ Chitragupta - the 17th Manasputra of Brahma.
"Maharaja!" called a wise knowing voice from the entrance of the court, disturbing the astonished silence of the room who watched the brothers separate from their hug.
"Who is it?" asked Dhritarashtra with a bewildered voice.
"Not for you, Maharaja," said Karna, completely relaxed beside Yama, "It's Chitragupta ji! He is here for Jyesht."
"Oh," said the Kuru King with a glad sigh, wondering if he could digest that his eldest's friend called the God of the King as eldest brother. Wait! Doesn't that make Karna a Suryaputra? He was getting a headache.
"Pranipat Rajkumar Vaikartana!" greeted Chitragupta with an impish smile, making Karna smirk too, "Pranipat Chitragupta ji! Kaise hai aap?"
"Ji kushal mangal!" said Chitragupta, "Yamalok ka nyay, apke Pitashri ka tej aur hum kabhi badalte nehi, Rajkumar."
"Satya vachan, Chitragupta ji," Karna glanced at Yama with a mischievous smile, "Toh aap kya yeha Jyesht ko lene aye hai?"
"Ji," nodded Chitragupta, "Maharaja, you have a lot of work pending. Shouldn't you complete them before Rajkumari Saaravi's wedding?"
"Jyesht!?" Karna turned to look at Yama with a mock surprised look, "You better go and finish them. Saaravi won't be happy if her eldest brother misses her wedding because of pending work."
"I suppose," said Yama, before he turned towards Bhishma with a ferocious glare, who flinched, "Aren't you the son of Devi Ganga?"
"Ji Yama dev," said Bhishma, "Pranipat."
Yama nodded at his greetings but did not reply back; instead his voice turn soft and a saccharine smile spread on his lips, "Gangaputra, would you like to take a trip to my abode? You see I have a huge pot filled with coconut oil, waiting in boiling temperature, ready in Yamalok. The only problem is, it does not have an occupant there yet. Perhaps you would like to take a dip there? My baby brother loves heat," He gave him a questioning look at Bhishma's pale face, "Or perhaps would you prefer the pot filled with ice water? But it also has some itching powder mixed in it. I am sure you would have the best stay there."
"Jyesht!" admonished Karna gently sending a pleading glance at Chitragupta who look way too amused at his King's protective avatar, "Stop threatening Mahamahim."
Yama huffed in response, giving a stern glare at Chitragupta who ignored it like a pro as he latched on to his arm, finally deciding to lend a hand to Karna, "Chaliye Maharaja! Rajkumar se aap baad mei baat kar lena. Bohot karya sesh hai."
Yama's face was dark as he glared at Karna, who was muffling his laughter at Chitragupta's antics; His face all of a sudden changed into a sunny smile, so resembling his father that it made Karna cautious and stop laughing.
The son of Radha squinted with a suspicious look, "Aap muskura kyu rahe ho? Kya kiya hai apne?"
"Zyada kuch nehi," said Yama, with a slight smirk, "Sirf Shani sang aya tha mera, pata nehi kaha gya fir."
Damn! His Jyesht was too much! thought Karna, as he slapped a palm on his head.
➼ Did it turn out funny? I guess not. *sulks away in a corner*