The Gall of Gammon

Chapter 44

The Gall of Gammon

Disclaimer: This story is my humble attempt to write a fanfiction of the epic Mahabharata. My intention is not to hurt anyone's sentiment.

Aum Namah Shivay!!

Major Jayant Roy, SM is a fictitious character. Any similarity with any living person is merely a coincidence.

Chapter 44

Mahendra Hills, Dwapar Yuga

Jayant/ Duryodhana POV

I started climbing the hill, leaving my friend behind me. While climbing, I turned my head to look at him. He was sitting on the ground, and meditating. I smiled a bit and then climbed the remaining distance. When I reached the top of the hill, the first thing I noticed was a small Mahadev Temple. I went there and bowed my head to the Adiyogi. Then, I head a metallic sound. I turned my head towards the source of the sound.

An old man was sitting under a tree. I couldn't properly look at his face, because the long white hair covered a part of his face. But the large battle axe in his hand gave away his identity.

The immortal Brahman, the disciple of Mahadev, the Avatar of Narayana, the one who killed all the Kshatriyas in the world twenty one times, the one and only Bhargava Parashurama was in front of me. He was sharpening his axe with a stone.

The sight of the Great Axe made me truly a bit afraid. But still, this was my human emotion to be afraid. But the truly brave person was not who ever felt any kind of fear, but who can suppress his fear and perform his duty. I slowly walked towards the great sage and crossed my hands.

"Pranipat, Gurudev." I bowed my head to him.

Sage Parashurama looked at me. His eyes under two white eyebrows were like a powerful scanner that scanned me from top to bottom.

"Why are you calling me Gurudev? You are not my student. I have a name, call me by It.", He said in a gruff voice. His grip tightened on the axe.

"I can't, Gurudev, because I have multiple reasons. You are the Guru of Dronacharya and I am his student. You are the Guru of Pitamah Bhishma, and I am his grandson. You are the Guru of Radheya Karna, and I am his friend. I can't insult you and insult them by calling you by your name. You are also an elder and a great sage. I am just a normal, common human being. I have no right to call you by your name."

Sage Parashurama stood up. Now I looked at him properly. He was taller than me, probably six feet and ten inches in height. His hair and eyebrows were white, but his body was well muscled. His skin was wrinkled due to his old age, but still those hands and broad shoulders would make young people jealous with him.

"Do you know why you are here?" He asked me.

"Yes, Gurudev. Radheya told me that you want a duel with me as his Guru-Dakshina. But can I ask you the cause of this demand?"

Jamdagneya's hard eyes met mine.

"I am not bound to tell you anything. Now do not waste my time. If you are ready to fight, then get a weapon from there. If you do not want to fight then accept that you are a coward and leave this place." He pointed his right hand to a wooden weapon cabinet. I looked at the cabinet, and saw a variety of weapons there. There were swords, maces, spears, knives, bows and arrows and some unfamiliar weapons too.

"Don't be shy. You can use anything from there." Bhargava said in a mocking voice. I heaved a sigh, and made up my mind. Mahadev himself taught sage Parashurama the art of weapons. He was also the pioneer of unarmed combat and martial art. If I engaged with him with a weapon in my hand, then he could finish me in the blink of an eye. If I challenged him in unarmed combat, then there was a probability of me lasting a few minutes. My skin was diamond hard, but my opponent was the incarnation of Narayana with an axe given by Mahadev himself.