Kurukshetra: The defining Krishna-Arjun journey

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟠: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕖

Krishna's pov

Krishna enjoyed his allies' wonder at him hiding the sun enormously as they rode away in a large cluster, but none more than Arjun's.

The day they first met, nearly thirty years ago, he had known. Showing off to Arjun was the most gratifying owing to the way he reacted. The way his eyes fill with wonder and his voice went down to a stunned whisper, and mostly, the admiration shining through.

Krishna glanced back at Arjun and smiled to himself.

All these decades of turmoil and hardship had not changed his friend a bit. He was still as innocent and as easy to read; and he still made Krishna want to protect him as fiercely.

"Did you hear the way the King of Anga insulted me, Arjun?" Bheem's loud griping tore Krishna away from his thoughts. "We were fighting with his preferred weapon, I got him to retreat twice, and after that what gave him the audacity to touch me with his arrow, as if I am beneath his dignity to even kill?"

"Bhrata Bheem," said Arjun reproachfully.

"See," said Krishna to the sky. "He reproaches his brother for speaking of death while he himself does so without regard for his friends."

"I'm sorry, all right?" said Arjun. "I got carried away."

"Get carried away again and do something about the boastful arrogant King of Anga as well," said Bheem instantly.

"Take the chariot to him, will you, Madhav?" said Arjun unexpectedly.

"Why?" demanded Krishna.

"I wish to speak to him," said Arjun.

"Look, that is a scenario that we can very easily avoid--" said Yudhishthir.

"Please, jyesht." Arjun spoke firmly. "Madhav?"

Shrugging at Yudhishthir, Krishna turned around their chariot and they headed west, leaving behind their allies.

***

Karna was in conversation with some of his allies and had yet not dismounted from his chariot.

"Angaraj!"

He looked around in surprise at Arjun's defiant shout.

"You shamelessly insulted my brother today," said Arjun coldly, "and were an integral part of the unfair plot by which my son was killed yesterday."

"Your brother deserved it," said Karna. "If we start counting insults, I think your brother will come out superior."

"Oh, I don't know," said Krishna airily. "You and Bheem two might come neck to neck, Angaraj. My Arjun, in fact, is going to lag behind by far."

Arjun's glare was cue for him to shut up.

"My son certainly did not deserve it," he told Karna, his voice now shaking. "I swear I will kill your son in front of your eyes, Angaraj. You will watch, and be unable to protect him."

Krishna felt something akin to a chill. He had never--never--heard Arjun sounding cruel. Even in his rage, Arjun could never be cruel.

Karna's lips curled in disdain.

"Try, by all means," he said. "My Vrishasena, a sutaputra though he is, is quite as good a warrior as Abhimanyu."

"You don't even deserve to speak his name." It was fury and pride that helped keep Arjun's tears at bay, Krishna could tell. "I will make you regret the moment you disarmed Abhimanyu from behind. They say he was already bleeding fatally and had lost his armour and chariot before you did so--"