The Bend in the Road (A Karna-Arjun what-if story)

The next generation

Arjun's pov

Panchal

"Five villages?" Bheem had been grumbling from morning. "Why did we let Madhav talk us into putting our preparations on hold for today so he could go and negotiate for five villages? If he accepts, are we truly going to forego the war?"

"They are not going to accept, Bhrata Bheem," said Sahadev, rolling his eyes.

"How are you so sure? Would you not accept, if it was offered to you?"

"Did you just compare me to Bhrata Duryodhan?"

Prativindhya and Srutakarma, who had been lazing around with them since morning, laughed. Abhimanyu perked up.

"I want to meet our Uncles someday, Father."

"No, you do not, child," said Sahadev firmly.

"But I have never met them, and all my cousins have."

"Yes, well, wait a couple of weeks," said Bheem. "You will meet them on the battlefield."

Abhimanyu looked around at Arjun, who shook his head.

"Your uncles are the two you grew up with and these four." He waved at his four brothers. "Our cousins are in no way your uncles."

"Come back to the point," Bheem insisted. "What are we to do if the offer is accepted?"

"Some attempts are meaningful only for their spectacular failure, Bheem." Draupadi had entered the room with Drishtadyumna at her heels. "Govind has complete faith that Duryodhan will turn it down. Turn down the sacrifice of five villages. After that, there will be no doubt about the righteousness of the war."

She had a large container of warm sweets in her arms, which Drishtadyumna fell upon the moment she set down on the table. Bheem and his nephews followed in a hurry.

"Thizarliant," Drishtadyumna said, on to his third.

"Do not speak with your mouth full," said Draupadi tartly. "At your age, Drish--!"

Sustoma, Satanika and Srutasena bounded in as soon as they got the whiff of Draupadi had prepared sweets. Ghatotkach, whom Hidimba had dropped off at Panchal just the previous day, but had been inducted into his cousins' hearts instantly, loped in after them.

Arjun exchanged a smile with Draupadi as Bheem and Drishtadyumna fought right along with the children to grab the meltiest sweets, but his mind was elsewhere.  

He simply wanted Madhav to return soon after the final negotiation attempt.

***

Nakul and Yudhishthir came in an hour later.

"Madhav sent ahead the message that Duryodhan has turned down the request of five villages, too," said Yudhishthir.

"Greedy insecure pig knows we can expand a barren village into an Indraprastha," added Nakul.

The children laughed. Only Yudhishthir and Abhimanyu frowned. 

"Is Uncle Duryodhan insecure and greedy?" asked Abhimanyu.

"About the height of both the qualities," said his twin uncles.

"Uncle Dussashan too?"

"No. He is simply dumb," said Nakul. "Dumb and vicious."

"Nakul," said Yudhishthir. "There is no need to use such words in front of your nephews." He turned to Abhimanyu. "They are not very nice people, Abhi. If a formal occasion arises, you may get to meet them, but with the war coming, I do not foresee any such occasion."

Arjun had no idea why Abhimanyu always wanted to meet that part of their family they would much rather not consider family at all. He suspected it was because he felt left out when his cousins--Draupadi's five sons--talked about the Kaurava side of the war, as they must often do.

They had grown up in Panchal under the tutelage of their grandfather King Drupada and uncles Drishtradyumna and Shikandi. None of the three were good at hiding their hatred for the Kauravas after what happened to Draupadi at the dyut sabha and the following exile. It had taken the Pandavas enormous to effort to get Draupadi's family to forgive them--which Arjun did not blame them for--and as for Duryodhan and his allies, they would never be forgiven by Panchal. All of Draupadi's sons had grown up hearing tales of Duryodhan's devilry and all that was wrong with the world.

Unlike them, Abhimanyu had grown up in Dwaraka with three peace-loving parental figures, Subhadra, Madhav and Balaram. He had only heard stories of valour and goodness; he knew nothing about conflicts and politics. To him, the world was essentially a wondrous place and its human inhabitants, essentially good.

Sometimes Arjun wondered if Subhadra and Madhav should have exposed him a bit more to the real world. Half the time he was not sure Abhimanyu understood the ugly emotions behind the war at all. But just as often he thought he loved Abhimanyu so much simply because of his innocence.

As news of Madhav's negotiation spread, people from all over the palace dropped in to discuss it with them. Subhadra and Uttara's arrival reminded Arjun afresh that his baby boy was now married.

Just the idea was funny.

At eighteen, Abhimanyu was barely an adult himself. It had probably not been the entirely correct decision to get him married so early.

But after the generous love King Virata had shown towards them for a year, it would have been very discourteous indeed to turn down his proposal at an marital union. He had originally offered Uttara's hand to Arjun, which was absolutely ridiculous because he viewed Uttara exactly as he would view a daughter. They could have tried the match with Prativindhya, Arjun supposed, who nearing thirty, but Abhimanyu and Uttara had taken to each other the very day they met.

That, and the fact that Madhav supported the wedding enormously.

Arjun glanced out of the window again. How long did it take a man to travel from Hastinapur to Panchal? Was Madhav up to something again?

He would not be surprised.

"My Father, Uttar and the army is arriving tomorrow," Uttara was saying.

"I shall go to receive them at Panchal's borders," said Abhimanyu in a fit of gallantry that made his brothers laugh. They found his wedding as hilarious as anyone.

Uttara, however, looked pleased. Arjun grinned to himself. His son would make more of his marriage than he had ever managed, starting without a slip of tongue and an exile.

King Drupada called for everyone in the court soon after.

"We have started sending out invites to our allies," he told Yudhishthir. "The date of the war has been fixed two weeks from today."

Arjun went with Yudhishthir and Bheem to take a look at the list.

Matsya, led by King Virata, Chedi led by King Drishtaketu, Vrishni led by Satyaki--Arjun could not think of his disciple and friend with any title--the Nagas, led by Iravan, his oldest son...

Arjun looked from Abhimanyu to Srutakarma and sighed. He felt fatherly toward only two sons of his four, which seemed to him a cardinal sin.

War always did stir up a lot of forgotten and unknown bonds.

***

Madhav made his entry into Panchal with a satisfied smile.

"Why do you look so happy, Uncle?" asked Abhimanyu, who had unsurprisingly been leading the procession to welcome him. "We  hear your negotiation failed."

"Oh yes, my dear," Madhav assured, giving him a hug. "It did."

Arjun frowned at him. Madhav's eyes were alight when they met his. However, he did not say anything further on his visit to Hastinapur.

What has he been up to now? wondered Arjun. 

With Madhav, it was never just one plan.