The silence that filled the hall was as eerie as it was heavy. King Dhritarashtra's proclamation had stunned every living soul present in his royal chambers.
"Maharaj......" The chief minister's voice fumbled.
"What is it, Vidura?"
"Surely....... we can discuss this issue further in a more objective light-"
"My decision is not subject to change." The king said with all the firmness that his authority granted him.
"Maharaj Yudhishthira of Indraprastha, I hope you are pleased. You are free to appoint men you see fit for this investigation. The committee you set up will be given full assistance from every member of the Hastinapura Court and Army."
Yudhishthira was too stunned to even reply to the king. He simply nodded.
"Prince Lakshman Kumar, you are hereby directed to comply with any and all orders you receive from this Investigation Committee. In the meantime, you are free to prepare your defense and support your innocence with verifiable evidence. However, under no circumstances must you question or disobey any order you receive from the Investigation Committee. Is that understood?"
Lakshman didn't even bother to look up. "Yes, your Majesty."
"Prince Abhimanyu," King Dhritarashtra's gaze turned to the teenager in empathy. "On behalf of the Royal Court of Hastinapura and the House of Kurus I extend you my deepest apologies. How is your leg now?"
Abhimanyu spoke up. "It's much better now, Maharaj."
"Very well. I pray for your speedy recovery. Vidura, let us end this discussion here. Thank you all for coming."
With a swift glance at all those present, King Dhritarashtra left the court in a hurry, assisted by his aide and closest friend Sanjay. Karna knew very well he was headed out to Queen Gandhari's gardens for a short walk. He bypassed the gradually dispersing crowd and rushed through a small alley that opened up to the path that Dhritarashtra was likely to take after a brief stroll through the flower beds.
Catching his breath, he leaned against the stone wall, waiting.
When Ashwatthama had informed him of what was happening, he had immediately set out for King Dhritarashtra's quarters, wondering what would be the result of this impromptu meet. Never could he have guessed the actual result, and he was sure he was not alone. Judging by the dumbfounded looks on the faces of all those present, it was apparent that the king had taken everyone away with a storm.
His wait ended sooner than he had expected. Dhritarashtra rounded the corner and stopped immediately, sensing his presence.
"Karna," he stated with quiet calmness as if knowing that he would be there waiting for him.
Karna bowed down. "Maharaj," he greeted with folded hands. "Please afford me a few minutes of your time. There are some things I wish to have clarity on and I am afraid only you can help me with the same."
The sun had set long ago. Black had won the fight to rule the sky and the darkness that had gathered around seeped onto them like a predatory snake.
"Yes Karna, what is it?"
"You know that very well. May I ask the reason why you are acting in such an unfair manner?"
"You think I am being unfair? Son, perhaps this is one of the few times that I am being just."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but the excessive hostility towards Lakshman is simply overcompensation and not true justice"
Dhritarashtra smiled. "You have never been one to mince your words, I'll grant you that."
Karna sighed. "Lakshman should not bear the fruits of our misgivings. He cannot be the way to correct the sins of the past."
Dhritarashtra looked at him in wonder. "He is not. To think that he would hurt Abhimanyu is preposterous."
"Have you informed him of the trust you have him in?"
"He knows it very well."
When Dhritarashtra had opened the court for discussion, it was not surprising to have the Pandavas vigorously demanding justice for Abhimanyu's sake. The forbearer for this importunity was Nakula, who was excessively fired up and refused to mellow down even at the request of Yudhishthira.
"I am sorry, Brother, and those present in the courtroom. In no way do I seek to be disrespectful, but alas! The situation demands stern action be taken. My nephew's life is of the highest priority and this accident, if one can even call it so is enough to shake my faith in the Crown's ability to ensure the safety of our family."
"Prince Nakula, none of your concerns are invalid." stated Bringrog, the presiding head of the Society of Tradesmen and one of the key members of Dhritarashtra's council of noblemen, 'which is why an investigation will be conducted into this matter."
"The Crown's assurances are not enough to assuage me anymore. An independent and fair inquisition is the need of the hour."
"And you doubt the King's ability to award you with the same?"
"As unfortunate as it is we do."
Gasps reverberated around the hall with the speed of light as an anxious Yudhishthira pulled Nakula to the side. "Nakula! This level of impropriety is unacceptable!"
"He is not wrong." Arjuna intervened. "Elder Brother, I stand with Nakula. We have suffered tremendous injustices in the past by the order of the court, however, I refuse to have my children face the same fate. Our demands are neither unfair nor inappropriate."
"And pray tell Arjuna, do you fear that my court is unwilling to pay heed to your request?" King Dhritarashtra responded in a tone that was tranquil and sombre. "Why do you think I have called all of you here?"
"The question we have, Maharaj is whether our voices will be truly heard and our demands be acted upon."
"They will be." Dhritarashtra turned to his left, where Sanjaya stood whispering something in his ear. Soon, the royal scribe entered the court and took his designated seat, pulling out a roll of parchment from his jute bag. "I have called him here to have the discussion in this court recorded in order to avoid discrepancies later and so that other kings may go through the transcript to know what happened here today in this private court."
"But Maharaj, is it wise to make this available to all? These are our personal matters."
"Is it Vidura? I don't think so. As Nakula has stated, it is the Crown's responsibility to ensure the safety of its guests. They are not here as families but as rulers of Indraprastha and hence all matters of the court must be conducted with transparency.
And so, the King of Hastinaupra asked the aggrieved, in this case, the Pandavas to present their case.
Karna grimaced as the chronology of the day was established, and witnesses brought in that shed light on the turn of events through which Abhimanyu acquired Lakshman's chariot. Hunaar, the spokesperson for the Pandavas, laid down the final nail in the grave when he brought in the soldiers of Indraprastha who had discovered the fault in Abhimanyu's chariot wheel that had resulted in his fatal accident.
"Your Majesty, respected members of the Royal Court and esteemed Kings from across Bharatvarsh, all the facts, and evidence I have presented today prove it without a doubt that this was a plot to hurt Prince Abhimanyu." Hunaar turned to his right, where Lakshman stood, tense and waiting. "And none of this could have been orchestrated without the support of Prince Lakshman Kumar."
Karna looked around the room. He saw men taking in Hunaar's theories. Some were even nodding without realising. His gaze met Ashwatthama, and they reflected the same thought–this was not good.
"Maharaj, it is imperative that the court must grant the severest of punishments to the perpetrator of this crime, which in this case is Prince Lakshman Kumar. It is through God's grace that the attempt on Prince Abhimanyu's life was foiled. Through his grotesque actions, Prince Lakshman Kumar has disgraced the House of Kurus and brought shame to the faith that the esteemed members of the Royal Court have in him. He must face the consequences of his actions."
"ENOUGH!"
The room was shaken by the sharp ring of Duryodhana's voice, who stood by the gateway eyeing Hunaar with absolute fury. The rage in his eyes was so compelling that Hunaar faltered, taking a step back from the centre of the court.
"You dare accuse my son of deceit and murder?" Duryodhana fulminated, taking slow and deliberate steps towards Hunaar.
"Pr-Prince Duryodhana, I am merely recounting the facts of this case and-"
"Let me tell you one pivotal fact then; my son is not responsible in any manner whatsoever in what happened to Abhimanyu. Is that understood?"
"I-uh-"
"Is that understood?"
Hunaar gulped. "Ye-Yes. Understood."
"Here we go!" Nakula bared his teeth and began to clap hard, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent courtroom. "As expected, the proceedings of the royal court will have to be terminated now that Prince Duryodhana is here. He alone gets to decide who is guilty and who is innocent."
"What can I say, Nakula? Given the absurdity of your accusations, I am forced to step in and stop you from embarrassing yourself. My son did not do this."
"Then how do you account for what happened?" Arjuna closed in, grinding his teeth as he glared at Duryodhana. "What Hunaar said.... makes perfect sense whether you like it or not. What other explanation is there?"
"And why would Lakshman be interested in hurting Abhimanyu?"
"Perhaps to accomplish what you couldn't?" Bhima yelled out, his hands clutching the handle of his gada.
"You should stop drinking so much sura. You have clearly lost your mind!" Duryodhana moved towards Bhima, his breathing heavy and irregular.
"Are you upset that your son failed? Well, what can I say Duryodhana, it's not so easy to eliminate any of us. The ones who dare to, get what they deserve. You, of all people, should know."
"Bhima." Duryodhana hissed with a warning stare. "You are crossing your limits."
"It's about time we do," Arjuna replied, standing by his elder brother and glaring back at Duryodhana. "My son means the world to me. You try to take him from me, Duryodhana, and I swear I will burn down this entire city."
"If Lakshman really wanted to kill Abhimanyu, why would he wait for so long?" Ashwatthama questioned. He turned to Dhritarashtra. "Maharaj, Abhimanyu has been here for months now."
"Because Vardhamana was the only time that my son was away from me."
"Have you forgotten Arjuna, that it was you who insisted on Abhimanyu accompanying Lakshman on this journey?"
Arjuna blinked.
"Tell me, am I wrong?" Ashwatthama challenged him again.
"I made an error in judgment."
"Indeed. As it turns out, Lakshman's character is just as black." Nakula added. Turning to Bhima he remarked, "Can't blame him, I suppose, he has had Duryodhana for a father."
"Enough. You say one more word against him...." Duryodhana hissed, stepping directly in front of Arjuna.
"Or what? What are you going to do?" Arjuna replied, squaring off his shoulders. The tense moment which had the entire room gasping was broken off by the intervention of Lakshman, who put himself between the two cousins.
"Father. Uncle Arjuna. I request you not to be swept away by emotion. We are standing in the royal court and any form of impropriety would be an insult to the Crown." Lakshman appealed. His words had the desired effect. Arjuna moved away, breath heaving, trying to control his wild anger.
"A child has to teach both of you basic etiquette now," Vidura remarked in disgust.
"Maharaj, I request your permission to speak."
Dhritarashtra nodded, relaxing into his chair and reposing his hand on the armrest of his throne.
"The respected spokesperson for Indraprastha's overview of what happened that day is absolutely, without any question correct. He is, however, wrong in his inferences." Lakshman straightened up, turning his gaze to Hunaar. "The case that is being presented is entirely circumstantial. There is nothing that can conclusively prove that I had a hand in Cousin Abhimanyu's accident. The success of this grotesque plan, if it was so, rested upon the acceptance of my chariot by Abhimanyu, which was brought upon by the disobedience of his own horse that is guarded and cared for by the soldiers of Indraprastha. I request the honourable spokesperson to establish how I could have possibly accomplished that."
An investigation into this matter will reveal all the necessary linkages, Prince Lakshman Kumar."
Lakshman was taken back by Hunaar's response. Even though he was by far one of the most sensible boys Karna had ever come across, he was also a prince. It was unlikely that he had ever been spoken to like that by anyone.
Lakshman went up directly to Yudhishthira, in part anger and part indignation. "Maharaj Yudhishthira, I submit myself to you, your ministers, and law officials for any inquest you may wish to proceed with. There is nothing I am not willing to do to prove my innocence. I have never, not once, wished harm upon Cousin Abhimanyu."
To say that Yudhishtira looked torn would be an understatement. For once Karna could feel his pain, this was nothing if not the repetition of their past and Yudhishtira truly wanted to believe Lakshman even when the facts were so against him.
"This is not the court of Indraprastha."
Eyes snapped back to the gilded, golden throne of Hastinapura. 'This is my court and I will decide what will happen now."
The tension in the room dissipated a little, men already anticipating the next course of events. Karna could see Nakula scoffing and Arjuna's lips curling into a cruel smile, much like they did whenever life was unfair to them. Bhima's temper was soaring high and Yudhishthira was rubbing his hand along his arm in a firm attempt to pacify him. Karna couldn't hear what Yudhishthira was saying from where he stood, but he doubted it did much to quash the anger of the giant Pandava.
"I have heard the side of the Pandavas and given the facts and pieces of evidence they have presented; they are not unjustified in believing that there may have been a sinister ploy to harm Abhimanyu. They believe that the alleged perpetrator is Lakshman, my grandson, and more importantly, the prince of Hastinapura. Their accusation is a stain on the everlasting glory of this noble House of Kuru, and a blot on the values and beliefs of the Kauravas."
"For this reason, I cannot treat this matter lightly nor should I given that the Pandavas are guests here. They came here with the belief that they would be treated in accordance with the laws prescribed in our holy books - that which bestows paramount importance to guests. Their presence here is reflective of their support to Hastinapura's cause, should the kingdom of Magadha ever wish to attack, and this event has brought over the clouds of doubt over this alliance. By doing so, the fates of this kingdom and all of its citizens, those who have already suffered tremendously hangs in the balance."
Yudhishthira opened his mouth, perhaps to disagree with Dhritarashtra's conclusion, but the king continued. "And so, I cannot and will not let this incident rot in arms of obscurity. Yes, an investigation will be conducted in the most judicious manner possible, and if," Dhritarashtra paused, "if Lakshman is found guilty of this abhorrent crime, he will be exiled to the farthest corner of this country."
Total silence reigned over the court. Karna couldn't believe it either. Was this the same king that had done absolutely nothing when he came to know of Duryodhana's attempt to poison Bhima? And now he was willing to award his grandson political exile if Lakshman's culpability was proven?
"Father!" Duryodhana exclaimed. The vein in his sweaty forehead was bulging out. "This is preposterous. Completely.... unacceptable..." He wasn't alone in his dissent. Numerous minsters stood still in absolute shock, ready to back Duryodhana.
"It is what it is. My decision is final."
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"Maharaj, I wish to understand your decision. Political Exile? Where is this coming from?" Karna ignored the alarmed look that Sanjaya gave him on account of his raised voice and instead focused on Dhritarashtra.
"Do you not have faith in Lakshman?"
"Of course, I do!!"
"Then what worries you, Vasusena? If you are confident of his innocence, then you should be at peace."
"Maharaj, a lot of people would be delighted if the alliance between the Kauravas and the Pandavas breaks. There are kings here who supported Hastinapura in the Kurukshetra War, who are displeased that the kingdom sought support from Indraprastha. And there are voices of dissonance in the Pandava faction, too. Should there be any interference with nefarious intentions, it would be Lakshman, who would face the severest punishment through no fault of his own!"
"Then let us hope that the investigative committee will do a fair job."
"The committee that will be set up solely on the Pandava's discretion and will have no representation from our side? How is that fair?"
"Yudhishthira will see to it that there is no breach of ethics. Now you must excuse me, I would like to head back to my chambers."
Karna watched as Dhritarashtra left quietly. Sanjaya gave him a look that he had given him several times in the past; one that meant that they would have a talk about this later.
He kicked a pebble out of his way and onto the fountain, where it landed with a click against the marble. Frustration ground him. He felt like he had failed Lakshman.
After a few minutes, left with nothing but his own chaotic thoughts, Karna decided to leave. The day had been rather tiring and worrying unnecessarily about things that weren't under his control, at least for now, was pointless. He would figure out a solution.
The winds were ferocious that evening, a reflection of what happened in the court. Dead leaves crunched under his feet on the stone pavement that was hard and dry, a sharp contrast to the wet ground on both sides of it. It had rained sporadically that afternoon.
He jerked back as a cloth drifted past him, at the mercy of the wind. He extended his hand and caught the soft fabric. It was a silver angavastram, delicately embroidered and beautifully woven, now covered in mud and grime. Karna dusted the cloth and looked around him, wondering who it belonged to. Had to be a noble no doubt, who else could afford such extravagance. Karna remembered the last time he had worn something like this was in the days before the Mahabharata had begun.
Ditching the route to his home, he steered to the right over to the large plots of land. He knew this path would lead him to the royal stables and beyond that was the beginning of the forest wilderness, where most kings, guests of the state, hunted occasionally with formidable gusto. Maybe this angavastram belonged to one of them.
As he closed onto the stables, he was met with several guards trying to calm down the animals, who seemed rather perturbed by the pick in the wind. Some saluted him fervently, some ignored him, most just seemed unsure of what to do. They knew him, of course, but they also knew what he had done. There was apprehension, for they probably realised they were disrespecting him, but their allegiance to the crown forbade them from greeting a traitor like him. Karna made it easy for them. He just nodded and quickened his pace.
At the outskirts of the stables, Karna found someone standing near the old well. Three dogs bustled around the man as he fetched water with the pail, pulling the rope with a grunt. He stooped down, placing the pail near his feet. The dogs hurriedly drank, wagging their tails as they did.
Karna knew who that man was.
Sahadeva.
Karna turned back, then realised what he was holding in his hand. He sighed deeply. Talk about luck.
Sahadeva noticed him coming, but kept his eyes focused on the dogs. When Karna had reached him, he stood up.
"I believe this is yours."
Sahadeva looked down.
He nodded and extended his hand. Karna gave him the cloth, eyeing the youngest Pandava with acute sharpness. He was disturbed, Karna could tell. There was frustration there too and a bit of anger. It was a bit jarring. He had seen this expression on Nakula, Arjuna, and Bhima but rarely ever on Sahadeva.
There was a momentary pause. Karna wasn't sure, but it almost felt like Sahadeva had something on his mind that he wanted to out loud. He was waiting and deliberating, questioning himself.
There was a shift, and the moment passed soon enough.
Sahadeva walked away without another word, leaving Karna thoroughly confused. He felt oddly guilty as if he had missed some sign, as if he could or rather should have done something. But what could he have done? It wasn't like he had anything to say.
Scratch that, he had plenty of things to say, he just didn't want to. Fear was a powerful inhibitor. Fear of what, though, he couldn't tell.
Gradually he made his way back to his home where he was greeted by a tense Ashwatthama sitting on one of the old, rickety chairs. There was something nostalgic about it and it brought over a wave of memories. Back when he hadn't been married and how he would spend the nights in with Ashwatthama and Duryodhana, having the most intense, philosophical, and occasionally bizarre conversations about whatever caught their fancy. Duryodhana would arrange for drinks and food from the royal kitchens. The nights began in different ways, but they almost always ended with Karna carrying at least one of his friends to the bed, where they lay passed out until the next morning. Neither Duryodhana nor Ashwatthama knew when to stop with the sura.
"I see that your conversation with the King went unfruitful," Ashwatthama said, stretching out his legs.
"I don't understand any of this, Ashu," Karna shook his head. "Why?"
"I thought you would help me with that. What did the King have to say?"
Karna parroted back their conversation as he stalked off into the kitchen to spring up a beverage for them. It was something he had learnt from the mountain folk. A local drink - sweet and hot, made from fermented rice, crushed apricots, and jaggery.
He handed it to Ashwatthama, and sat down, blowing over his own steaming cup.
"What even is this?"
"A new recipe I learnt."
"Hmm...... it's surprisingly good."
"Thanks."
"I suppose it's not that hard to make if you could make it."
Karna smiled. "Admit that you liked it and you are absolutely and unconditionally awed by my cooking skills."
"A little humbleness would do you wonders."
Karna shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "Not my style."
Ashwatthama let out a small chuckle before doing the same. "I wish I could erase everything that has happened in the last few hours. As if things aren't already terrible with a war coming."
"I am very worried. The scope for iniquitous intervention is significantly high and we have no power whatsoever in this situation."
"Were you able to talk to Lakshman? Or Duryodhana?"
"No. Lakshman headed straight to his chambers. He was so distraught that I knew it would be cruel to force a conversation with him then. I will wait for tomorrow when hopefully he would be doing better. As for Duryodhana, well, he is absolutely furious. I am guessing he would have a long conversation with King Dhritarashtra."
Karna didn't think anything would come out of it. The conviction with which Dhritarashtra had spelled out his sentence was just too unshakeable. He could just hope that Duryodhana would be able to get to the King, however, minute the possibility.
"Kaditula sent you a letter."
Karna narrowed his eyes at Ashwatthama. "And I am sure you behaved decently and let it be for me, the intended reader."
"After what happened today? Of course not." Ashwatthama scoffed, granting him a wicked grin. He turned serious the next second. "He has assured you that he will investigate the matter himself and try to find out what really happened that day."
"Very well."
The winds had quietened down now. The breeze was gentle and for a few moments Karna just watched the leaves rustling through his window. What a day, it had been, he mused.
Ashwatthama pointed at the wooden crate he had brought with him. "I brought some sura."
"Of course, you did."
Ashwatthama chuckled. "So, shall we begin?"
Karna smiled and shook his head. "Finally. I thought you'd never ask."
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