The Broken Bond

Awaited Outburst

As the hoofbeats began to die down, Karna turned and raced up the stairs to the palace. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Queen Kunti moving toward him, but that only made him quicken his pace. It seemed to Karna that instead of a tilaka, a shameful brand was burning on his forehead, which was visible to everyone.

I doubt his skill as an archer...

Master Drona's words flew over him like a vulture following a dying beast.

Who knows the fool who taught a suta...

Bhagwan Parashurama taught me, Karna, that would be a good slap in the face for that arrogant Drona, knowing he was insulting his own teacher, But alas! He could not, because then he would have to confess to deceit, and he would never wash away this shame.

I doubt his skill as an archer...

Karna sometimes thought that at birth he received a curse that dooms people to refuse to see him even when looking at him point-blank. At that moment, he was closer than ever to believing in this curse completely.

Karna hid in the chambers allotted to him. He sent away the servants, in whose eyes he caught mocking curiosity, and paced the room from corner to corner.

His body yearned for action, anything to vent the muscle-twisting tension. His spirit and heart wanted a fight - with Arjuna, with Drona, with each of the famous fighters, so that he could defeat everyone and prove his superiority. But the war was far away, and even Karna did not dare to leave his chambers. If he went out, he would have to see the servants and courtiers again, talk to them, and they all knew for sure that he was not taken into battle because they considered him too useless. Now Karna could not stand someone else's ridicule or, even worse, pity.

The large room seemed mercilessly cramped to him, expensive patterned lamps, queen-size bed and statues constantly came under the arm or leg and interfered. Karna wanted to break them and throw them away, but only the knowledge that one should not spoil someone else's good stopped him.

After a while, a servant peered into the room, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Minister Vidura asks to be received, king."

Karna stopped. What could Minister Vidura need? Perhaps King Dhritarashtra decided that since Karna could not help his son on the battlefield, then he did not deserve the crown, which means that he should take it back? Karna would not regret its severity, but his heart was squeezed by anger at the fact that he would again have to accept someone else's contempt.

- Let him come in.

In any case, Karna was not going to hide from Vidura.

Vidura entered, they exchanged greetings, and Karna glared at him. He reminded Karna of a brahmin with whom he had once shared the road in Panchala. The Brahman was a strict but kind person, and never refused to help if asked. Karna doubted that, despite some similarities, Vidura's minister would have shown the same generosity.

He tried to control himself. In any case, he should have shown the utmost courtesy to a man whose age, rank and wisdom were greater than his own.

What does the Chief Minister want from me? Karna asked after the silence had dragged on for a while.

It seemed to him that Vidura seemed to be trying to cope with awkwardness, although it was strange to think that a minister could feel awkward in front of the son of a charioteer, even if he put a crown on his head.

"Do not take this as an insult, Anga-raj, but I must ask," Vidura began, causing Karna to shrink inwardly, preparing for the coming blow. "Do you know the shastras and the rituals that any king must perform?"