Karna-The legendary ruler

Revenge or Justice

A few days later,

The village was slowly trying to recover from the nightmare. The royal officials did not get much by destroying the village, but still, they took everything the villagers had, their cattle, poultries, little ornaments the women had, everything. The villagers were angry but helpless. They are lower cates, poor, powerless...how would they fight with the powerful royalties. It was their previous birth's sin for which they were suffering. But little did they know a flame was already formed that was just waiting to get proper fuel to burn everything.

Vrushali was staying with Radha now. She was still under trauma. Radha and Adhirath were trying their best to bring her out of her depression but she lost all her enthusiasm to live. But another thing that worried Adhirath and Radha were ...Karna. 

Karna was unnaturally calm and silent. He rarely spoke to anyone and he spent most of his time in the forest. Adhirath first thought that Karna was also depressed after losing his dadu but a mother knew best. She understood that Karn was planning something but she knew it was impossible to take him away from his target. Since childhood her Radheya was stubborn. Whenever he set his mind on something, he would definitely do it. But Radha was scared. Slowly in those two years, she came in terms of her youngest's death, now she did not want to lose her eldest. Being stubborn was not for Sutas. The only way they could live in this country was by obeying the powerful people without asking questions. Her youngest paid a hefty price for his stubbornness, she could not allow that fate to her eldest as well.

In the forest,

Karna was busy sharpening the arrows. Since childhood, bows and arrows were his first love. Whenever he had the chance, he used to watch the soldiers practicing or went to the workshops of the blacksmiths to see the weapon making. 'What an irony..' he thought. 'Low caste people can make the weapons but cannot use it or learn to wield it.' But Karna had a photographic memory. He learned to make and use bows and arrows. He himself practiced it and now the time had come to use his knowledge.

At first, he was in a dilemma, stay with his parents and forgot everything like others or fought for justice. He knew if he left and tried to punish the sinners, then he could never come back. But on the other hand, he could not sit idle after all these. 'A man should get out of their comfort zone to bring change. Even the birds left the warmth of their nests to learn how to fly. If they can do it, then why not us?, Mohan Dadu said once. 'No, I cannot sit here and pretend nothing had happened. I will fight.' at last he decided.

Later at night, he got up from his bed and looked at his parents. His Adhirath baba and Radhama, the two most precious things of his life, but today he had to leave. He just left a note and prayed that his parents understood his plight.

 'Radhama, Pitashri please forgive me but I have no choice, I could not live with all these screams that haunt me like living nightmares. I cannot forget Shon's face, Dadu's dead body. For the last two years every night, Shon comes to my dream and asks me for justice and now Dadu is there with him. So I am going to take my revenge. I don't know what I am doing is right or wrong, revenge or justice. But I have to do something. Please forgive me as I was never able to give you peace. I know that I am a very bad son, worst brother, bad grandson. But please forgive me and don't try to find me. I don't know if can come back or not but if I can I will only return if I managed to make you proud. Take care of Vrushali and tell her that she is the best thing apart from my family in my life. Take care. Pranipat.

Karna took his bow and arrows and covered them in clothes so none could see te. Then he left for Tamralipto. He went to the city many times with Adhirath. So he knew the route. He also knew the way to the Governor's office. So he started his journey to his destination.

Next day,

Adhirath's house was in a complete mess. Radha after getting Karna's note cried. She knew that her son would definitely do something like that. He was not the one who would remain silent against any injustice. The villagers were also tensed. What were his plans? If he did something against the Governor then that might affect the entire village again. The new chief Sushen (Sudharma's son) clearly warned Adhirath that if Karna did something that was against the law then he would be ostracized from the village. He did not want any more problems in the village. Adhirath wanted to go to the city to find Karna and bring him back. But Sushen sternly informed him that if he wanted to stay in the village then he had to give up all his relations with Karna as Sushen was sure that Karna had definitely planned to do something bad. Adhirath still wanted to go but Radha stopped him. She knew her son and she realized one thing. Nothing was going to stop Karna now.

2 days later, Tamralipto

Karna came to the city, two days back and he stayed near the street of the Governor's palace posing as a beggar. He observed all the activities and found that the governor had the habit to go to the courtesan's house every night with some of the officers among them those two who attacked their village were also present.  In the courtyard of the courtesan's house, there was a stage where the dancers displayed their dance, and the Governor and his friends sat there to enjoy it. Karna found a tree from where he could do his job. So next day he just climbed the tree and hid under the thick bunch of leaves. Then he waited. The governor was always surrounded by guards but no one even dreamed of an attack from the air. 

In the evening the Governor and the officials came. The dance started and Karna waited patiently for the right opportunity. He took out two arrows and strung them in the bow. The officials were too drunk and they themselves started dancing. seeing both of them in his line of arrows, Karna released them. Two arrows hit the targets together. Without wasting time Karna took another arrow and aimed at the Governor. seeing the officials hit by two arrows everyone was stunned and before they reacted Karna released the arrow again. This time it hit the Governor in his stomach. Without wasting time Karna jumped from the tree and ran. He already knew the escape route from the city. So before the guard could find him he would run away far from the city. 

The next day, the entire city was terrorized. Someone killed the Governor and two officials. Some guards described the killer to be a strong, dark, well-built man with heavy weapons but no one in their dreams could think that the killer was a ten years old boy. When the guards were searching for the killer in the city Karna already left Tamralipta. He knew that after killing the royal people he could never go back to his village. But his parents had Vrushali, she could take care of them. So now his nomadic life began.