Karna: A Fallen Hero or A Sacrificing Sage? (Karna Series 1)

Chapter 49: Karna's First Failure!!!!

That day seemed most humiliating for Duryodhan when he was forced to marry that slave girl. He was cursing his luck. He thought that nobody ever could get a hand on him being the crown Prince of Hastinapur. But his assumption proved wrong. Due to the involvement of that damn cousins of his, Yudhhisthir and his two younger siblings, Bhim and Arjuna, he was now forced to be married to that low-class girl.

She was not in reality a slave. She was the Princess of Gandarav clan. She was in reality quite high-class girl among others. Kasturi was a good natured girl too. She was a loyal and faithful to her family and parents. But that day had ruined her wishes. She was molested and r**ed against her wish. She lost her urge of living. But for the sake of her family's name and reputation she was forced to marry that beast. Yes, also like Bhanumati, Kasturi also considered him just as a monster.

Duryodhan never believed his luck. He was angry with his bodyguard Shrutakarma for asking help of his cousin Yuddhisthir. Why should he went there to seek help?!!

All of a sudden Shrutakarma came before him. He bowed his head deep in respect. He was happy to see his Prince well and alive. But not his Prince. Duryodhan was gritting his teeth in anger. He wanted to punish him severely.

"Ask for the weapon. Mace, sword or something else?" His Prince asked him while lifting his burning eyes on his face.

Shrutakarma looked at him in shock. Why his Prince was offering him an arm??!! He did not understand that.

"What weapon you want to protect yourself from my anger?!! You have only one way to save your life. You have to kill me." Duryodhan answered him in disdain.

Shrutakarma was a wise man. He had tremendous intelligence that helped him to gain this high post in royal force as the bodyguard of the Princes. For his work efficiency every Prince he served before was happy with him, especially Yudhhisthir. But he knew that this Prince was not calm and composed as Yudhhisthir. He was a hot-tempered man who could murder any man in anger. He recently was charged of forcing upon a girl against her wish. He also disrespectful to his own sister-in-law in open public. He could perform any evil work without flinching a little. Hence the bodyguard understood that this was his last day on the earth. His Prince would most definitely kill him for going to the former Princes for help.

He sighed a small. Just today he got a good news of becoming the father for the second time. He was so excited to see his daughter's face after going back to his home. But it seemed that he was deprived of that chance. He would never go back to his family once more. "Good God!! Why today!! Why not tomorrow?!! I just want one night with his newly born daughter." He was thinking in his mind while choosing his arms for the upcoming battle.

He chose sword at first in the hope of defeating his Prince. He played defensively by not attacking him a bit. But he was attacking him frequently. In one move, Duryodhan slashed his thigh. Shrutakarma put his right hand over his wound to stop his bleeding. In the next second, in the speed of lighting, his right hand came out off from his body.

Shrutakarma opened his eyes wide in shock for the last time. When he had realized what was going on with him, in the meantime, the sharpest blade of the sword touched his neck and slashed it easily. Within a second, his beheaded head fell down on the floor admit of pool of blood. He did not get a chance to meet his daughter in this life.
....

When Karna got the news and he ran towards the playground it was too late already. Shrutakarma was already dead.

Dusashan gave him the news. He was afraid to see the destructive side of his elder sibling. He immediately bolted towards the private chamber of his brother's best friend Karna of whom he had tremendous respect. He also considered him as one of his brother and took his advice in the time of the distress. This was one of the crucial time according to him which could be handled only by Karna. Hence clever Dusashan went to seek his help.

"Come fast. Elder brother is killing his bodyguard." His curt message was enough to shook Karna to the core.

He ran with Dusashan to stop his best friend in vain. The blunder had already been done. The lighting had already striked. Shrutakarma's lifeless body was the proof that nobody could awake him again. He would never regain his consciousness once more.

"I failed you, Mitra (friend). It was my punishment, not his. You should not kill an innocent man like this." Karna closed his eyelids slowly and painfully while uttering this.

Duryodhan's anger was subsiding just now. He looked at his friend's face and by seeing the sign of tremendous pain in it he stopped dead in his track. He felt the punishment was more severe than his guilt. But now it was to late.

"Everybody was mocking me as a Bhagora (escapist). But I was not. Believe me, Mitra. I went to bring my Vijay, my bow. I felt dizzy too. Hence I went to throw cold water in my hot face. When I awake Dusashan and accompanied him with all my armors and weapons to rescue you, Arjuna and Bhima was already there to save you. Hence both I and Dusashan had to stop outside of the tent." Foe the first time he explained his side of not being present by the side of his friend that day.

Duryoshan noticed his distressed face. And he felt sad for his friend. He knew being defeated to Arjuna was like accepting death by him.

Karna slowly continued "I don't doubt in the ability of Shrutakarma. Nor he failed in his duty. He tried his level best to fight against 20 men alone. But when he became wounded he went straight to Yudhhisthir. If I was your bodyguard I also went straight to a sober person for asking help, not to two drank persons like me and our beloved Dusashan. It was not his fault. He was too brave. For his bravery and ready wit you are still with us. I admit that even my reasoning power could not convince the powerful Gandaravs like my enemy Arjuna's."

Duryodhan slowly patted his friend's tensed shoulders while saying slowly "I forgive you."

Karna looked at the limp body of Shrutakarma and added with a sigh "He deserved your forgiveness more than me, Mitra. He was more worthy than me."

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