Karna-The legendary ruler

New place, new life

2 years later, Rangamati village, Banga,

A young 10 years old kid sat on the bank of Bhagirathi. It was almost midday, the heat was so intense that all the villagers took shelter in their own houses or under the shades. Even the cattles left the field and went under the trees to protect themselves. Only this boy was sitting under the sun. In these last two years, the villagers were accustomed to his unusual behavior. 'Radha's son is so weird,' that they said. He could withstand immense heat easily. As if his body was completely fire and heatproof. Another thing was no one saw him smiling or laughing. As if he had an impenetrable shield of seriousness around him. But even after all his weird behavior, the villagers liked Adhirath's family. Adhirath, his wife Radha and his son, all three were polite, kind and always helped others. Radha was also a little different. The villagers still remembered the day when they first came there from Hastinapur. When village chief Sudharma asked about the reason of their visit, they requested asylum. Adhirath informed them, 'The city has wealth. But it has no sympathy for lower caste people. We are Sutas. Our only designation is to be the servant of the upper class. We are nothing but slaves and they can do anything with us. That's why I came here, far away from Hastinapur.' 

Sudharma being a kind man offered them a place to stay and introduced him to a local craftsman. Adhirath was quite good in making and fixing Chariotes. He and the chief craftsman visited Tamralipto, an important port city of Banga, not very far from Rangamati, to sell their products. When the village women tried to talk to Radha, to their astonishment Radha introduced them to her eldest son Radheya and told 'my youngest son Shon is playing hide and seek now. But soon he will come in front of you.' When the surprised women were looking at each other's face, then the 8 years old boy quietly said, 'My brother is dead. But Radhama still believed that he is here somewhere and will return soon.' That day the villagers understood that Radha, due to the shock of her youngest son's death. lost her mental balance. She was normal in most of the time, but she always claimed that her dead son was just playing with her. 

In the last two years, Adhirath and his family were well adjusted in the village life. Adhirath's son Radheya also helped him in his workshop and taking care of the cattle. From the outside, they looked like a perfect happy family. But Radheya's life was just like a dormant volcano. From the outside it looked like a normal area but inside a huge destructive force was getting ready to come out and burn everything in its path.

Radheya was thinking about the new laws announced by the king of Banga. The priests of the capital city Gour had made a prophecy and ordered the king to prepare a huge temple to please Goddess Durga to protect their kingdom from storms and cyclones. So the king ordered a tax that should be collected from everyone. All the local villagers and craftsmen were tensed. The common people of Banga were not dearth poor, but not very rich as well. With their hard works, they could just manage 2-3 meals a day for their families. Now with the new tax, it would be difficult for them to make both ends meet. 

Radheya remembered how his father and other people of the village were discussing to approach the royal governor of Tamralipto to send a petition to the king. Yesterday they went to meet the governor and still they did not return. In the village, only the elders, women and kids were present now and everyone was tensed about them.

Radheya remembered his life in Hastinapur. 'All are same', he thought. 'There the low caste people are not allowed to have the proper education or other skill except the one designated by their caste. And here the lower castes are forced to pay unnecessary taxes to meet the demands of the kings and the priests. They demanded saying it will help us to wash our sins that we committed in the previous birth. For those sins we took birth in lower caste.....what a stupid thought', he exasperated. If it was the Radheya he used to be two years back, then he would definitely said or did something. But now he understood, sometimes being silent and waiting for the right opportunity was necessary than directly taking action. 

'So my favorite grandson is sitting here and I am waiting for him for the last half an hour,' Radheya recognized the voice immediately. His most favorite person in the entire village. 'Mohan Dadu (dadu=grandpa in Bengali), I am so sorry. Just keep an eye on the cattle, but completely forgot about the time.' 'It's okay Radheya, I know you are tensed about the new situation, in fact we all are.'

Radheya, 'Dadu, do you think the governor or the king will agree with the petition.'

Mohan smiled sadly, 'I am confident that they...will never agree to our proposal. Which king will agree to stop the construction of a big palace or temple, which will increase his prestige? The pride of a king is more important than our life.'

Radheya, 'But Dadu, we are the ones who do all the basic works. The farmers produce the food, the craftsmen prepared the things important for daily chores. Without us, they cannot survive, but still, we are nothing to them. Every profession in society is important. Then why everyone considers the lower tier impure, untouchable and worthless?'

 Mohan sadly, 'My dear, you are right, everyone is important. In fact, in the ancient period, everyone was respected for their skills. But now instead of giving knowledge, the Brahmins were spreading superstitions. Most of the Brahmins and Kshatriyas are exerted their hegemony on every aspect of life and to raise their power they are suppressing others. But they just forgot, more we divided...there is more chance to fall.'

Radheya, 'Dadu...we lower caste people are not allowed to have the education. Then how come you know all these important things?'

Mohan, 'From experience, dear. Listen Radheya, don't follow anything written on the books or said by a person or even by the Gods. God gave us intelligence, use it. You cannot progress unless to ask questions and know the subjects better.'

Radheya sat there silently. Mohan dadu was one of the eldest of the village. They did not know much about his previous life as he came there seven years ago with his granddaughter. Both his daughter and son-in-law died, he informed the villagers. He was good at making clay pots and that was his source of earning. 

'Dau, here you are chatting with Radheya and I am looking for you in the whole village. And you Radheya, sitting here, lazying while your mother is waiting for you.' Hearing the angry voice both of them chuckled. Without turning they knew it was none other than Mohan dadu's granddaughter Vrushali. In the entire village, she was the only one who has the courage to scold Karna. Even at a young age, Karna's personality scared the villagers. because of his quiet nature, he had no friends apart from Vrushali. She was the one who did not pay heed to his grumpy face but shouted at him when necessary. Karna though not said anything aloud but liked her dominating nature over him.

Mohan, 'Sorry dear, we were just discussing about the new taxes,'

Clouds of tension covered Vrushali's face as well. Everyone was afraid of the new demands. But she collected herself and said, 'Don't worry. Prabhu Narayan will never do such an injustice to us. After all, we are his children.'

Radheya, 'No not children, from how are we treated, it seems more like stepchildren. To protect a single child Prahlad, he came down as Narsingha Avatar. But what about the low caste kids who were taken as slaves and killed due to their master's whim? He saved Prahlad as he was a Kshatriya. But the life of the slaves had no importance to him.'

Vrushali was sad, She knew that Radheya did not believe in Gods. She was not sure, but she thought that there must be something in his past that had changed his perspectives. He might have a traumatic experience. But she did not say anything to dig out the raw pain he hid in his heart. She just said, 'Don't say like that. God loves us all. he will definitely protect the innocents. Maybe it was their previous birth's sins...

Radheya (snapped), 'I don't believe in that bullshit. Those's the theories the Brahmins say to us to make us feel guilty for our own existence. So that we should not revolt against their torture. What's the point of punishment if the recipient did not even remember the crime. I believe everyone has the right to live their life whether it was human, animals, asuras or Rakshasas.'

Mohan looked at the boy proudly. At such a tender age, this boy had such deep thinking. 'If the kings of Aryavart possess half of his wits, then our future of our country will be changed.' Now Vrushali said, 'Okay enough debate, let's go back home. All the villagers who went to Tamralipto will return soon.'

They returned home without knowing the horror waiting for them in the future.