A day or so had passed, and the ashram seemed familiar now, I had commenced to embrace things and the lifestyle here. The morning was the busiest, as we fetched water from the well and prepared for the day ahead. Since my first day at the ashram, and the happening at night I had begun evading Ashwattama, his existence would upset me. I felt hazardous with him, he was mean rude and arrogant, and whenever possible I tried to evade him.
The lessons had begun, and most of the students would sit under the banyan tree for the classes of Arthshashtra or Yuddh Niti. Meanwhile, I sat near the fencing, with Nakul and Sehdev organizing myself for my next class of archery. I was very much impressed by the education system of this era, and gradually I began to forget my life back in the Kaluga. Occasionally I missed everyone, and the affection they had for me, but now it all felt like a dream.
Abruptly I saw students moving toward the backyard of the ashram, as we thought back to it to be our first class of archery in this session, everyone was called with their Dhanush, Gurudev was an exceptional archer, and elucidated he was a proud moment for all of us, Arjun, Bharata bheem and yudhisthira, traversed us moving towards the backyard, Arjun through his eyes told us to come along, but apprehension and anxiety engulfed three of us, sitting aside the fencing we saw each other, with a feeling of disappointment of being bad in the subject.
"I feel dreading, I don't like archery," said Nakul in a husky voice, while getting up from the ground and dusting off his clothes from the damp soil. His utterances indeed showed how bad he was at archery and how frightened he was of showing off his dire skills to Gurudev.
"Bhrata Arjun likes it the most, I feel we can just read up from them," said Sehdev, comforting Nakul.
"what if they punish us if we perform badly-?" said Nakul.
"No-come on Nakul, it's our first class. Why would they punish us if we aren't good at it," I said veering around to look at Nakul, who wasn't even moving from his place.
"hmm, Nakul she's right," said Sehdev mashing his lips and nodding.
"Okay, I'll just hide behind Bharata Bheem," said Nakul sauntering at a pace all of a sudden, meanwhile me and I stood there looking at Nakul and his weird acting. Sehdev shook his head in dismay seeing Nakul forgetting his Dhanush there, i picked it up with a little chuckle and we moved into the assembly area.
Reaching there, I saw Duryodhan and his gang standing at the front, ashwattama standing beside him, coming into the woods, as I looked at him for once he instantly rumbled his eyes, avoiding any eye contact and I too gave him an eye roll, looking at duryodhan who gave me a little smile, before Dussassan broke in him and began to speak something in his ears, the congregation of students was so noisy, each student talked much, I stood beside Arjun who was teaching Nakul how to hold a Dhanush adequately.
"Look, you don't have to worry just say to Gurudev you don't like archery," said Arjun making him hold the bow, in his hands.
"hmm, you brothers are so disgraceful that you are polluting the name of our Kuru kingdom. How can you not know how to use a Dhanush-?" said Duryodhan loudly with his evil smile and narrow eyes.
"I know how you use a gada, would you like to test its priye, Anuj Duryodhan," said Bhrata Bheem laughing from behind, he shifted forward siding Nakul and Sehdev from their way and walked towards Duryodhan. He stood there, as Bhrata Bheem moved toward him, they were face to face almost on the impulse to fight. Duryodhan conveyed his Dhanush from Dussassan bringing it up in front of Bhrata Bheem, meanwhile, Bheem made a large fist out of outrage clutching his jaw tightly.
"back off Bhrata Bheem, before you fall onto the ground, and that would not look that great," said Duryodhan moving a bit closer to Bheem who was double his size and height. Duryodhan looked like a child in front of him, looking at Bheem with his face up whereas Bheem looked down at Duryodhan with a little smile spread over his lips.
"I can pick you up and make you sit on the tree there," said Bhrata Bheem with loud laughter, which made all Arjun and Nakul Sehdev laugh along with some students, Bheem was cut in by Bharata Yudhistira who peeked at him with a profound response and distress loaded his face.
"stay quiet Bheem, and move back," said Yudhistira.
The atmosphere started to become tense, as all of the Pandavas except Yudhistira were immersed in a cold war with all of the Kauravas. Duryodhan with his utmost urge to start a brawl stood in front of Bheem, who too seemed to be on fire. I stood there with apprehension and uncertainty, trying to comprehend the condition.
Seeing Gurudev approaching the students began to scramble, followed by Duryodhan who backed off and stood in the contrary of the Pandavas, with aggression and hatred plainly in his stares. I was stunned by the hostility both of the parties carried for one another. Noticing Duryodhan he looked at me with sorrow, as I stood beside Nakul and Sehdev.
"Good morning, students. As the new day begins we are here to learn archery. I believe one should at least learn the art of archery to an extent. I want you to look at the wooden bird placed on the branch of that tree, and you have to aim its eye."
The bird was placed on the branch, which was far away from the place we stood at. It had a craved eye, which was the aim, for all of the students to mark. We were meters away from the place, where Nakul stood behind Bheem and tried to avoid any eye contact with Gurudev.
"I will call out the names and you've to aim it accordingly," said Gurudev looking at the bird and the students simultaneously. I took a step back, as a feeling of despondency crammed me, I inspected the gathering looking at all of the other kids who were mostly my age or some years old, looking competent enough to aim the wooden bird, I looked down at the Dhanush I held in my hands, it became tough to put down in the emotion I had at the moment, I mashed my lips together while my heart beat roused up, as Gurudev called the first name from the queue.
"Nakul, son come here and aim the bird," politely instructed Gurudev, a chuckle left through Sehdev's lips, he kept his palm upon his mouth, incapable of controlling his laughter, I showed him stares to stop, grinning at the end. Nakul who was hiding behind Bheem came out slowly with his eyes looking down, and anxiety showing up on his face.
"come here son, and aim at the wooden bird. And tell me what do you see," claimed Gurudev.
Nakul walked near Gurudev, lengthening his bow and gradually intending for the branch. His hands began to quiver as he indicated his arrow towards the branch, his bow wasn't consecutive, and he swallowed hard trying to make up for the situation he was in. He constricted his eyes, looking finely at the aim.
"what do you see son-?" doubted Gurudev.
"umm, a wooden bird kept upon a branch," said Nakul with his quick response and thin eyes.
"hmm, keep it down, Nakul. You have to rehearse a little more. Learn how to have patience while you try to achieve something. Don't rush into judging things" said Guru Drona, directing him to move back.
"ji Gurudev," said Nakul striding back to come beside me, he jutted his eyes slightly coming and hitting me a little on my shoulder. Thereafter Gurudev called many of the students one by one Bhrata Yudhishtira, Dussassan, Bheem Abhay and Duryodhan was called and was sent back without aiming at the wooden bird, Gurudev asked them the same question-"What do you see" and they would answer accordingly Bhrata Bheem responded with the fruit that the tree crab, Bharata Yudhistira answered back with how he saw a colony of ants walking beneath the tree and how hitting the bird could impact them, Gurudev was very much impressed by his kind gesture and thus he asked him to move back.
When Arjun was called, everyone looked at him with longing and anticipation, Nakul's eyes filled with light up as he saw Arjun taking the yield of the Dhanush, whereas Duryodhan saw him with loathing and envy. On reaching the spot where he was aiming at the bird, Gurudev asked him the same question.
"What do you see Arjun-?"
"The bird's eye, Gurudev." Let out Arjun, while implying his sharp arrow towards the bird's eye and waiting for Gurudev's order to shoot.
"Hmm, nishana sadho putra." Said Gurudev with a smile stretching over his lips, Gurudev's eyes filled with light up and he took a resonant whiff scanning the throng and looking merrily towards Arjun as if they found gold among the coppers. But Arjun was more than that, he was a diamond, a rare emerald or a shining pearn who figured it out.
He successfully shot the bird's eyes, but the bird stood still and the eye got persecuted under the impact of the arrow, Gurudev kept his arms around Arjun in fondness and Yudhistira looked contemptuous, I was filled with pleasure and excitement. Nakul who stood beside Arjun leapt and clapped glancing in the direction of Duryodhan who was the unhappiest, Duryodhan on seeing the pleasure among Pandavas chose to leave, before an arrow came and shot the bird alone, resulting in the bird falling to the feet Guru Drona.
I looked in the path of the arrow, which came out of nowhere. Everyone glimpsed here and there with a bewildered reaction, scanning the populace and examining for the citation of the arrow, glancing at the tree I saw someone moving from the other end.
He looked older than many of us, wearing mundane clothes, long pitch-black hair with a blond complexion and golden earrings. He had a sun imprinted upon his forehead through saffron and Chandan, he held a huge Dhanush along with some arrows and he walked gracefully towards Gurudev who stood baffled at the moment. Gurudev darted towards the fearless young man he walked like a lion, and he had this robust aura that was so flattering and influential.
"Pranipath Maharishi Guru Drona." Said the young men, touching the feet of Gurudev. His voice was soft and unpretentious, he looked towards the feet of Gurudev touching him through his fingertips, everyone stood there in utmost stillness looking at the boy who had taken everyone's attention.
"Yashyashvi bhava vats. Who are you-"? Questioned Gurudev, he got up and looked at him with so much yearning and jollyness in his eyes, a smile spreading over his lips as he began to speak.
Karna. He replied.
Hello, um sorry once again for the late updates but istg i hate colleges I've got these endless assignments in a short period and it's just so annoying and time and I just cannot focus on writing. I literally have no clue about this chapter, tell me if it was boring or good.
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