DIFFERENT SURYAPUTRA

Chapter 36

Yuvraj of Kampilya, Dristadhyum came to the swayamvar hall. He greeted everyone,

Dristadhyum: Pranipat, I am grateful that you all took out your precious time to accept and honour our proposal. The swayamvar ceremony will be held after a prahars so I request all of you to accept our hospitality till then.

Saying so he ordered the maids to take care of everyone and entertain them. He also said to guide them if they want to have a tour of the palace. Karna wasn't very interested in staying there so he stood up and told Duryodhana and Ashwathama that he was going to look around, they both shown desire to accompany him but Karna told them there was no need as he would just be roaming and it's better for them to stay there only. Despite what he is and his powers he knows very few would be interested in talking with him as he was low born, they dare not say that to him but he knew the rigid and casteist mentality of the era.

Karna left there and a maid offered her service to show him around but Karna politely declined.

Karna was roaming around, he was just walking around then suddenly he saw someone standing there and looking at pillars in the front, upon closely looking he found the person wasn't looking at pillar but the garland hung on it. Despite the heavy decoration only that pillar was left undisturbed so it stood up among everything especially with a beautiful Lotus garland on it. Karna didn't know why but he stepped towards the pillar and in a few seconds he was beside the person staring at it.

The person was clearly very startled by sudden intrusion, the person was wearing soldier's clothes with Armour on his chest and sword strapped around his waist, he was wearing a turban which covered his entire face except his eyes. For the sudden arrival of instinct he pulled out his blade and swung around. His sword was stopped by another sword which belonged to Karna. Karna who has defended himself quickly seeing the oncoming attack was first surprised but was calm, he analysed it was indeed him who suddenly arrived causing another person to attack him in reflex.

Both Karna and unknown person were looking at each other and clashed swords did fight for supremacy for a brief moment but seeing a gut in gaeb of royal the soldier withdrawn his swords,

Soldier: I apologise for attacking you Maharaj.

Karna felt strange as there was a trace of femininity in voice which was really hard to distinguish any other would have not found if they were not attentive like he was, especially after facing an attack. He carefully looked at the soldier, he could see a small frame and with the agility and speed the person withdrew the blade it would be impossible for man to have such grace.

Karna: I apologise for startling you devi. You need not to apologise. It was my mistake to come here unannounced.

Person: How do you know I am a woman?

Karna: Your stature and voice are clear indications though you concealed it very well but it is not easy to fool the ear and eyes of an archer. I have to say You are quite well versed in swordsmanship.

Person: Thank you for your praise Maharaj. I should have been more alert and heard your footsteps.

Karna: It's alright, I can understand you were lost in admiring the garland, it's indeed very beautiful.

Person: Beautiful things seldom originate from cruelty, pain and injustice.

Karna was surprised by the sudden sentence, he looked at the soldier but the eyes of the soldier were not on him but on garland. There was a trace of suffering, hope and longing along with indifference, anger and unwillingness. He couldn't understand why there were such conflicting emotions in a single gaze. It seems the words have been unconsciously spoken by another party.

Gears were turning in his head and he could somewhat guess the identity of the opposite party along with the origin of the garland. No wonder she was staring at the garland with such complicated emotions. It could only be Shikhandini or Amba's reincarnation but wasn't she supposed to become a man till now. Karna was stumped, It's not like he could say that he knows her by any account or could tell that he knows her past life. He only sighed and murmured,

Karna: Justice can be late but can never be absent. Everyone had to pay for our sins sooner or later, even trinity couldn't escape from their karmfal.

Shikhandini looked at him with astonished expression,

Shikhandini: Do you really think so?

Karna: It's not what I think devi but it is the truth.

Shikhandini: Truth!!! I don't think so. Arrogant and powerful people abuse the weak and helpless. Still the oppressor lives with the luxury and the oppressed could only do his bidding and if he or she opposed they became pirah, an outcast. An outcast has left this garland here. She roamed around the entire Aryavart, doing harsh austerities. To get this garland she even pleased Lord Kartikeya with all heart though harsh penance, at then she was a weak woman with no training as warrior hence she asked help from so-called warriors but still nobody was willing to help her get her justice enraged she threw it here as it was last place she visited.

Karna knew she was talking about herself only. He was familiar with the story of Devi Amba and in one such folklore there was a tale about a garland she received from Lord kartikey. He really sympathise with her,

Karna: No boon or blessings would go waste, if it didn't succeed it just meant that was time for it to be fulfilled. Devi. Karmfal is something no one could escape, not even tridevs.

Shikhandini: I also thought that till sometime before but now I am not sure. I think when one covers up their deed through the veil of Dharma and duty they get leeway.

Karna: Dharma??? Devi, No Dharma ever allowed to hurt innocent people. Every action has consequences. The leeway that anyone might see is just because their pot of bad karma is still to be filed after that the fall starts. The higher one stands the harder they fall.

Shikhandini didn't know why after talking to the person beside her , relief came to her after losing the battle to Kuru princes. It didn't change anything but it felt nice.

Karna also didn't know why he was blabbering so much, this is the first time he ever talked to a stranger for so long that to a woman. Maybe because he felt sympathy towards knowing so much about her but what he neglected was how her presence didn't irk her. It's not that Karna was cold but subconsciously he tends to distance himself from Stanger or those he felt weren't worth his time.

Both stood for a brief time there staring at garland but afterwards they left but surprisingly both smiled at each other. It wasn't something both do, it just wasn't their nature but still a miracle happened. Both didn't even ask for names of each other but an understanding seems to have formed between them.

Shikhandini returned to her duties while Karna strolled around before returning to Swayamvar hall.