This is a Mahabharata Fanfiction mostly based on facts we see in Star Mahabharat. The Mahabharat in its entirety holds a lot of facts and is a complicated and marvelous creation, but this is just a fanfiction. There are several facts which were not included/ not correct in Star Mahabharat but I am specifically basing my fanfiction on the serial with some changes. So there will be several anomalies. This story is just meant as an entertainment and there is no intention to hurt anyone's feelings, religious or otherwise. I have just borrowed the characters to weave a storyline.
As always it may take some time to come up with the next chapter due to health reasons. Kindly bear with me as I really intend to take this story to a conclusion. Thank you all for the kind comments and I will always welcome comments and suggestions. You all are truly great readers and encouragers. Thank you and regards.
I am time and again overwhelmed by all the positive comments and encouragement. It means a lot. Thank you all.
15. Yudhistira.
Despite the heavy canopy of trees in the forest, the sun still beat mercilessly upon the warriors seated on horseback. The orange and white pair of angavastra swayed elegantly in the gentle breeze. Following the two royal members were only two guards who were also abreast their horses. The first pair of horses carrying their riders were starkly different in appearance, one pure black and one blinding white, but there was great visual beauty even in this disparity.
"Why did you bring Rajkumar Arjun's horse, Samrat?" The question was asked by Anga Raj Karna, clad in bright orange robes and matching angavastra. When included with his normal radiance, the son of Adhiratha looked resplendent.
But doesn't he feel the heat? Was Yudhistira's wary thought.
Yudhistira was clad in his usual white robes, having been manhandled into changing into a fresh one before leaving the palace. Mata Kunti had insisted and had directed Bheem to ensure he did. Bheem had carried out Mata's orders perfectly and the brothers had shared a moment of much needed respite, when the Vayu putra had chased the Samrat around his chambers trying to pull at his dhoti. The squabble had ended in a stalemate and Bheemsen had to be satisfied with choosing his Bhrata's robes.
The temporary mirth had all but disappeared when they had paid a final visit to Arjun's room before their departure. The archer was burning with fever, still coughing blood and Yudhistira had placed a kiss of blessing and affection on Arjun's forehead.
"You will be ok, my dearest brother and we will not rest before you are. Keep fighting, my Phalgun." Yudhistira had pricked his hand with his knife and had anointed Arjun with a drop of his blood, praying with what power he possessed and what strength he had, that his brother may keep receiving whatever energy Yudhistira was capable of giving.
"Samrat Yudhistira?"
Shaken out of his thoughts, Yudhistira glanced at his companion. "Yes, Angaraj?"
Karna looked a trifle irritated. "I just wanted to know why you have chosen to ride Prince Arjun's horse," he repeated.
Yudhistira automatically went to reply but hesitated, "How did you know that this is Arjun's horse?" Yudhistira was curious to know.
"It is pretty simple. All his horses are adorned with ornaments engraved with markings of Dwaraka. They are very easy to identify."
Yudhistira was taken by surprise at Anga Raj's observation. He was right; Arjun's horses, at least his favorite four, were all adorned with beautiful ornaments painted with peacock feather motifs, the symbol of Dwaraka.
Yudhistira stroked the mane of the horse he was riding lovingly, "This one right here is Arjun's favorite and has been his companion through most of his travels and what most of us missed, was that Arjun was riding Anay yesterday when he accompanied Dushyala to this forest."
"They had ridden?" Karna sounded stunned. "Of course, they had ridden..."
Yudhistira managed a chuckle. "Common sense, isn't it?" he said. "But none of us questioned how Dushyala could have dragged Arjun from this far to the palace. It is only today, as we were getting ready to leave, that Dushyala rushed in with this bit of information. It was truly her idea that we should take Anay as this, Anga Raj, is a very smart horse." Yudhistira again stroke the horse's forelocks and was rewarded with a light nip on his fingers. "He was trained by both Arjun and Nakul."
"The princes train their own horse?" Karna sounded surprised, yet again.
This would get very old very soon... was Yudhistira's thought. "Yes, Angaraj," he replied. "My brothers and I, we do not like leaving everything to our attendants." As an afterthought he added, "You may also like to know that Bheem loves to cook, Nakul and Sahadeva attends to the serious ailments of our subjects, Nakul also attends to most of our animals and livestock and Sahadeva loves carving and even building chariots. Arjun...Arjun loves to help our subjects with almost anything; it may be tilling someone's land, patching up a roof or going on long and perilous journeys to kill some demon or sprite."
There was a long silence after Yudhistira's little interlude and the Samrat stole looks at their sworn enemy. Angaraj Karna looked pensive but for once his face did not radiate the hate that it often did whenever he heard about any prowess related to the Pandavas.
The day continued to grow hotter and soon Yudhistira felt sweat beading his brows and running down his back. Angaraj Karna looked slightly more composed but had also started to look flushed. They had been traveling for quite some time but more than that, they had been scanning the path for any evidence or blood drops.
They had found some blood splatters and Yudhistira had carefully packed up the entire soil sample in the little mud jars provided by Nakul and Sahadeva. All the jars were lined with protective herbs so as not to contaminate the samples placed in them. But that was a while ago. They had not seen any trace of Arjun's return journey for quite some time, and it was only Anya's sure-footed navigation that assured Yudhistira that they were not going ashtray.
"We should take a short break, Angaraj," Yudhistira called out after they had trekked another few miles. "The horses are tired and so am I."
"Of course, Samrat."
There was a small clear creek nearby, and the horses were loosely tied so as to enable them access to both fresh water and grass. Yudhistira took out a tub of liniment from the pack tied to Anya's saddle and started to rub it on the horse's legs and flanks. The soldiers rushed in to take over the task but were shoed away by Yudhistira. "You may go and start a small fire so that something may be cooked," he directed.
Yudhistira took time to carefully rub Anya's legs and took out what stones had wedged inside his hoofs. The other horses were also quickly tended to and as he was finishing with Angaraj Karna's horse, the man came in with armloads of branches.
"Are we trying to burn up this forest, Angaraj?" Yudhistira couldn't help teasing.
"Huh?" Karna looked up at Yudhistira. "Is it too much?"
The Samrat started laughing. "Define too much, Angaraj. It is definitely a lot more than what is needed now. And most of the branches also look damp, it will be difficult to keep the fire going."
Angaraj looked so thwarted that Yudhistira toned down his teasing. He had to remember that this person may not appreciate the subtle nuances of humor as his brothers. Angaraj had always come across as being too serious, much more than Yudhistira himself was, which was saying something.
"It is okay, Angaraj Karna. Let me see what I can do."
Yudhistira took the huge bundle of firewood and carefully sorted the drier ones. Using his knife, he removed the damp exterior of some of the other branches and then handed them over to the soldiers. "This should suffice, but if not then let me know," he directed.
The food, a fairly simple course, was quickly made ready and it was only when Yudhistira and Angaraj Karna had taken their seats on the riverbank that the later commented, "Not many Chakravarti Samrats would know how to clean up branches or how to start a fire."
"Not many would have had the experience of living in a forest, Angaraj," Yudhistira returned whilst sipping the stew. "Twice for us and three times for Arjun; we were forced to learn a lot, Angaraj. Karna"
Yudhistira could see the gloom settle on Karna's features and felt a pang of guilt. Bringing up such things now was rather unwise and very unlike the normally mellow eldest Pandava. But he was being reminded time and again that this person, Angaraj Karna, had impulsively and most childishly vowed to kill his Arjun, his most complex yet beloved little brother. Till date Yudhistira, despite his entire knowledge of Dharma and his resolution to always follow it, was still unable to reconcile with Karna's vow or the inane hatred he held for Arjun.
"Why did you come along with us, Angaraj?" Yudhistira asked finally. "I did not want... I do not want that anyone be forced to help and your views on Arjun is extremely well known. His life is not important to you, Angaraj and I cannot have anything, or anyone jeopardize his recovery."
Karna had placed down his bowl on the ground and was staring intently at the Samrat. "I may not have the same regard towards your brother, and not even a fraction of the worry, to be honest, but I... I will never jeopardize his recovery, as you put it, Samrat Yudhistira. Have a little trust in my sense of honor, at least."
Yudhistira scoffed. "Your sense of honor, Angaraj? Please spare me the theatrics."
Karna looked taken aback. "Just because I am a son of a charioteer doesn't affect my sense...."
"Oh, stop with that, Angaraj!" Yudhistira surprised himself with the pitch of his interruption, but he had reached his limit towards drivel for today. Karna looked equally taken aback and he, thankfully, ceased talking.
"It is not about you being the son of Sriman Adhiratha; the son of a charioteer as you put it. Not everything is about that one thing in your life, Maharathi Karna! Your father is Pitamah Bhisma's charioteer, and he is much respected by me and my brothers. You have obtained your education from Gurudev Dronacharya and then you were further blessed to be taught by Prabhu Parashuram. So, I certainly did not refer to you birth status!" Yudhistira paused for a moment to catch his breath and then added, "I sincerely hope that you do not need to be reminded of the events in your recent past which made me utter such a thing,"
"The Varnavrat incident..." Only a slight whisper escaped Karna.
Yudhistira raised up his hand to stop any further recourse from Karna. "I would prefer that you leave that particular incident unspoken of...." He hesitated. "I should not have brought this up."
"You are not wrong but..."
"No Angaraj!" Yudhistira snapped back. "No, I am not wrong, and that is the biggest issue!" He fixed Karna with a look which would have made lesser men quell. "Let us not discuss this any further. It does not serve any purpose. Arjun's life is more important to me than any conspiracy and even my own kingdom. So, I will depend on your Sense of Honour, Angaraj."
Though the sun was blazing, there was sufficient shade near the riverbank. But nothing could sooth Yudhistira. Without his brothers by his side, he felt oddly stripped off his strength. And depending on a person who has time and again threatened Arjun, was further unsettling him.
Karna has staring out at the horizon and his bowl of food was also left discarded. Yudhistira could have sworn that there was a flicker of guilt on the archer's face and for a quick moment Yudhistira felt as if Arjun was sitting beside him. Both Arjun and Karna possessed the same sharp features and concentrated looks, though there would always be a sense of peace in Arjun's visage which was missing from Karna's.
"We should get moving, Angaraj."
But even as Yudhistira prepared to get up, Karna said, "I was denied education as per my capability as I am not a Kshatriya, and this made me leave Guru Drona's Ashram and then further lie to Gurudev Parashuram. So, it all ultimately comes down to my birth status. Not something that you will relate to, Samrat, born of the royal household as you are."
There was so much suppressed anger in Karna's voice that Yudhistira stared worriedly at him. "And you speak of Gurudev Dronacharya; he was always partial towards Arjun. He denied me the knowledge of Brahmastra and celestial weapons in general, because of my birth status..."
"No, he did not!" Yudhistira interrupted. He had his eyes on Karna's face and caught the trace of sneer. "Gurudev did not bestow the knowledge of Brahmastra on anyone other than Arjun and Ashwathama. Why do you not ask Gurudev the reason instead of just speculating? And I believe you should also mind your age, Angaraj. At Gurukul, you were there only for a very short time with us but even then, you were always trying to eclipse Arjun, despite the fact that Arjun was just a little boy at that time. And the Kala Pradarshan; the Kala Pradarshan was meant only for the Kuru princes. It was never an open contest. Guru Dronacharya has a lot of students, and there are several outstanding warriors amongst them, but none of them were invited. What made you do what you did, Angaraj?"
Sensing that he had vented much more than he ever did and that it was uncharacteristic of him, Yudhistira settled at abruptly ending the tirade and making a beeline for Arjun's horse.
Anya was looking refreshed and one of the soldiers had taken care to wipe off the dirt that had settled on him. Karna was still sitting on the riverbank, staring at the light ripples.
There was no particular expression on his face but from his stiff shouldered stance Yudhistira could well judge the tension apparent in them. It was not his intention to antagonize Karna but there was just a lot brewing between them. Yudhistira did not possess even the slightest impulsiveness if compared to his brothers, but he would not be able to forgive himself if Karna's enmity towards Arjun adversely affects his brother's recovery in any manner.
"Coming, Angaraj?" He called out again.
Karna finally stood and made his way to his own horse. While readjusting the reins he commented, "You should have accompanied Mahamahim, Samrat. My company is not suitable for you."
Yudhistira exhaled noisily, brimmed with exasperation. "And partnered you and Bheem together? I already have one brother unconscious; I do not need another one to share the fate and the possible murder of a king to contend with."
The look on Karna's face was comically hilarious and Yudhistira had to suppress his laugh.
"I will hardly be murdered by Prince Bheem!" came the indignant reply. "Though you are wise to worry about his health."
"Oh, I know that I am wise," returned Yudhistira. They had restarted their journey further into the depths of the forest and the horses were maintaining a steady canter. "It was the only combination that made sense. But you did not answer my initial query, Angaraj. Why did you agree to being a part of this search?"
Karna turned to look at Yudhistira and the eldest Pandava could read the uncertainty on his face. "Mahamahim asked and I couldn't deny."
"Why?"
"Because it is Mahamahim", Karna threw up his hands and exclaimed. "And...Well as per what we know from Dushyala, your brother...Arjun seemed to have saved the Kauravas, which also includes Yuvraj Duryodhana. What Mahamahim requested is nothing, when compared to the enormous debt Arjun rendered by saving my friend's life."
It was clear, exactly how difficult owing up to this was, for the proud warrior and despite all, Yudhistira could not help but feel his respect towards the moral character of the Angaraj increasing.
Yudhistira nodded to show his acceptance. They kept moving. The forest was not too deep and populated mostly by birds of various kinds and the occasional herd of Golden Deer. But there was no specific trail. When Arjun had accompanied Dushyala, it looked like he had made his own path. There were clear indications of some bushes having been hacked and some plants moved out of way.
"We are on the right trail," Karna said. He pointed at one of the trees and right enough, there was a bloodied handprint on it; very much recognizable even though it had dried out.
A shiver ran up Yudhistira's spine and he hastily looked away. Arjun's broken and pale body flashed before his eyes making him feel nauseous. Karna alighted to collect the blood sample and they were kept riding.
They could not fathom how many kroshas had passed, but suddenly they found themselves in a clearing, the same clearing where Arjun was shot. There were flowers strewn all over the ground and there was patchwork like marks all over the ground where the soil layer had been violently disturbed. It looked as if, a gale had taken birth in the small piece of land and had uprooted the smaller plants, shrubs and climbers.
The clearing in itself looked peaceful but felt disturbed. There was a negative vibe of energy all around and Yudhistira had to calm a suddenly distressed Anya, even as the horse moved away towards the edge of the clearing. There had been a clear brook running alongside but where the stream should have been crystal blue, the water here had turned murky. The trees which had borne fruit even days before, as was evident from the fallen fruits on the ground, looked as if they had been torched by lightning. There was a prevalent noxious fume in the air and Yudhistira could feel his eyes water from the sting.
"What is this?" he gasped.
Karna was intently studying the marks made on the ground. He plucked a dead leaf off the tree, crushed it and brought the dust up to his nose. The next moment he had hastily flung away the debris as if it was poisonous and quickly dusted off his hands.
"It is nothing good," he murmured. "How is Arjun even fighting this?"
Though the rest was said in an undertone, Yudhistira caught the intone and another shiver ran through his body. He looked at the area again and couldn't disagree with what Karna had said. Something had wiped out the entire life out of this piece of land and it was just the side effect here. His brother had taken the arrow to his chest.
"What type of energy discharge can cause this, Angaraj?"
"I truly do not know, Samrat. It is unlike anything I have seen before. Even when I trained at Lord Parashuram's hermitage," Karna added hesitantly. "But..." He trailed off.
Yudhistira walked up to and stood in front of Karna. "But what, Angaraj?"
Karna locked eyes with Yudhistira and the Samrat could see the bewilderment in them. "The effects...The effects are somewhat like that of the Narayanastra."
When someone would ask Yudhistira later, he would be unable to explain his feelings over the next several moments. The surroundings, its destruction, the unnaturalness of the entire thing all but disappeared for him. All he could hear was Karna's voice saying, "Narayanastra."
The elusive weapon. The weapon whose effects could cause the destruction of the cosmos as they know it. The weapon which was magnificent, benevolent and devastating all at the same time. A weapon which embodied Lord Vishnu himself, the weapon which can stop all other unstoppable weapons. His brother was hit by the Narayanastra? By the grace of Lord Narayan! How is he even alive?
"Samrat?"
Karna's voice pulled Yudhistira back to the present and he rubbed his face wearily. "The Narayanastra, Angaraj? Is that even possible?"
"Not The Narayanastra, Samrat, but something similar." Karna looked thoughtful. He broke off some more of the dead branch and held it up to Yudhistira; the Samrat recoiled away from the stench that emitted from the particles; it was nothing like anyone he had ever come across before.
"The actual Narayanastra would have caused immense damage. But this one is also very similar. I remember when Gurudev Dronacharya...well when he elucidated to us the destructive effects of the Narayanastra. The Astra cause instant destruction of the world around as we know it. But this Astra concentrated itself only on the immediate surroundings," Karna continued. "He had also said that the only one thing which can stop the Narayanastra is..."
"Lord Narayan himself?" Yudhistira quipped.
Karna chuckled and there was not one trace of amusement in the sound. "The only thing that can stop the Narayanastra is absolute dedication to Lord Narayana, and to not fight the weapon."
Suddenly it was as if an epiphany had revealed itself to Yudhistira. In his exhilaration he grabbed hold of Karna's shoulder, a fact which the Angaraj looked rather surprised about.
"Arjun did not fight back! Do you remember what Dushyala said? Arjun did not fight back! He did not evoke any Astra of his own! He can shoot arrows even without the aid of his bow, but he choose not to!"
Karna nodded. "It makes some sense now, I will agree Samrat. Despite him being my nemesis, as you have already remarked upon, Arjun truly does not require a bow to shoot. Neither do I, for that matter." There was obvious arrogance in his voice, but it was tampered.
Yudhistira paced around, scanning the surface of the clearing, searching for anything. Any piece of substance which might give Nakul and Sahadeva something to work upon, some clue to aide Arjun's treatment.
"It was certainly not The Narayanastra," Karna continued speaking. "The real one, I mean. But this Astra was probably worse because it was not the original. It did not target total annihilation but concentrated itself on that one arrow. Dushyala was right, that arrow would have had the power to destroy the entire Kaurava lineage had the intention been true. But Arjun...Rajkumar Arjun took it upon himself. He did not fight it. He must have recognized it for what it was or what it purported to be."
"What are we looking for, Angaraj Karna? Tell me." Yudhistira was carefully moving around the blackened bushes and plants, occasionally picking up things he found suspicious.
Karna now made his way to Yudhistira and took the blackened stone from his hand. "Not rocks, Dharmaraj. We are looking for anything which might resemble any part of a weapon or even any unusual residue, bits of cloth or anything to that effect."
Yudhistira nodded and for the next prahar, both of them perused and prodded every tiny bit of the clearing and also the area beyond it. They found hoof marks, showing that there had been another horse present, they found a piece of unusual stone, a few stray feathers, some spilled blue liquid and a variety of little items which they thought might hold some credit.
It was when Yudhistira was searching the area where the flowers were scattered, that he stepped on a bush and the next moment jumped back on feeling a searing pain on his heal. One look at his left foot and he found it to be heavily bleeding, the blood having soaked through his footwear and already pooling on the ground.
"What happened?" Karna rushed over, having heard the commotion and gawked at the injury. "How did you cut yourself?"
Yudhistira pointed at the bush and after parting it carefully with his sword, Karna brought forth a war knife.
"It's Arjun's Knife; one of them, at least," Yudhistira spoke up. He had gingerly made his way to a boulder and was cradling his foot, trying to stop the blood flow. "Please bag it, Angaraj. I may have already contaminated it with my blood."
Karna shook his head and placed the knife inside a cloth bag before making his way to Yudhistira. "Let me see the wound please, Samrat. It is on your foot, so it will tend to bleed heavily, and we need to stop the bleeding soon."
Yudhistira, however, shook his head. "No Angaraj. You are a king. It will not be prudent for you to take care to my foot. I will manage. Where are the soldiers?"
"I have just sent them to search a little further." There was a note of discontent and some anger in Karna's voice and Yudhistira fixed an intent look on him. "You may trust me, Dharmaraj. I may not have any special medical expertise, but I can certainly stop a wound from bleeding. And if it is a matter of me being a king, well..." Karna did something unexpected; he took off his crown and placed it carefully on a patch of grass. "Without my crown I am just a commoner." He added. "I am just the son of a charioteer."
Before Yudhistira could protest further, or argue his point some more, Angaraj Karna had taken a hold of his foot and was washing the cut with the water that they were carrying.
"It is not proper, Angaraj." Yudhistira objected again.
"I have seen you tend to Arjun's feet just yesterday, Samrat. How is this different? We have agreed to keep aside what differences are there between us for now, haven't we?"
"Stature does not matter within family, Angaraj," Yudhistira said gently. "Arjun is my little brother. Samrat or an Ascetic, it is never improper for me to tend to him."
"I would request you to stop protesting and moving around your feet, Samrat." There was some anger in Karna's voice. "I may be far below your stature in society, but I believe that I am you senior in age. Kindly pay heed to that and let me tend to this cut. I also truly do not want your brother Bheem to try to kill me."
Yudhistira did not really have any reply to this logic and despite his misgivings, he let Karna attend to the cut on his feet. Arjun always kept his weapons well-tended and the knife had been deadly sharp. It had sliced into his foot, leaving behind a deep gash. Karna made quick work of cleaning the wound and used some banana leaves they were carrying and pounded it into a paste. He packed the wound with the paste, and sealed it with turmeric powder thickened to an adhesive. As there was no clean cloth, Karna tore an inner part of his Angavastra and tied the wound firmly.
"I think we should leave, for now, Samrat." Karna said after some time. He had spent a while longer on searching the clearing again and the soldiers had also returned, having had found Arjun's other knife. "It is better that you are treated at the palace, and we should get the samples in."
Yudhistira had been sitting in silence, almost in a state of meditation. The medicine had started taking effect and the blood stream had slowed down. He was taking in the entire area and time and again, his mind went back to his brother lying unconscious. He did not know whether anything that they have found here, would help Arjun. He was hoping that Krishna would get to Hastinapur soon and he was felling somewhat guilty that he was getting along with Karna to some extent.
Even this felt akin a betrayal to Arjun. Angaraj had every intention of killing or at least defeating his Phalgun. Angaraj was Duryodhana's best friend and best armor and was involved in every conspiracy made against the Pandavas. He picked a fight with the Pandava brothers just because he believed that he was superior to Arjun in archery. Yet, despite knowing all, Yudhistira could not summon any anger towards Karna at this point. What did that make him?
"Are we ready to leave, Samrat?"
Yudhistira looked at Angaraj's radiant face and found himself nodding; there was truly nothing more to be done here. "We will wait for Pitamah and Bheem where we had separated."
Karna nodded and with a smile, which looked more like a grimace, he helped Yudhistira over to Anya and held the horse steady so that the Samrat may be safely seated. And the little group left behind the destroyed little groove and made their way back to the palace. And as they were leaving the place, Yudhistira turned to look at the blackened trees and his father's words from long back flittered through his mind,
Life will always show you different possibilities for the same situation, my son. Never just accept one solution and never discount anybody's contribution either. Listen to all but make take your own decisions. Your mind is steeped in Dharma, my child, and it will never lead you astray. Always remember that Dharma does not bind anybody. Righteousness always sets you free. So let your thoughts also be free. And any time you start feeling overwhelmed, just close your eyes and let go of all your thoughts. The only thought that remains will be your answer."
Discretely wiping a tear away, Yudhistira gathered himself and started assembling the thoughts in the mind; the time for emotions have passed, now it was the phase for action. The Samrat was ready to face the battle head on.