"mending bonds", the changed epic, book 1✔️

4. trapped.

In the royal dining hall.

"Where are our two guests?" Mamanshri Shakuni asked.

"Oh, Arjun has gone to call them, mamanshri," Duryodhana said with a smile.

Shakuni was beyond surprised. Since when did his nephew smile when he talked about the Pandavas?

"Are you fine, my priye Duryodhana?" Shakuni asked.

"Yes, mamanshri, why do you ask?"

"Nothing, nothing, putr Duryodhana. Just—"

"Pranipat, maharaj, maharani, rajamata, mahamahim Bhishma, mahamantri Vidura, and gandharraj Shakuni." Balram's deep voice rang out in the dining room.

A smiling Krishna was beside him, bowing respectfully to each and every one of them, smiling sweetly at mamanshri Shakuni, who returned it with no hesitation.

The Pandavas entered. Yudhishthir went to touch the elders' feet, followed by his younger brothers.

Soon after, Karna entered, and in the next moment, he was in the arms of Duryodhana, who embraced him so tightly that Karna lost his breath.

"Mitr, you're late. Why?" Duryodhana's question made a smile appear on Karna's face.

After he had the conversation with the fair-skinned prince, he had gone to his humble abode to meet his Radha ma and Adhirad baba. He had told them everything that had transpired in the rangbhoomi and about the two unknown princes who appeared out of nowhere.

When asked from which kingdoms they belonged, they were hesitant to reveal it. Also, he said how he had been offered the angadesha so that he could fight the prince Arjun. He had said about his friendship with the eldest Gandharinandan, and his Radha ma had immediately objected.

"Putr, be careful when you're being friends with the prince. He is not that—"

Karna cut off his mata's sentence. "Radha ma, he is not at fault in whatever he did. Someone else is there behind all his wrongdoings. I do not know mitr Duryodhana so very much. But from what I know now, he is an innocent soul. So innocent that his mind could be poisoned easily ..."

His mother had smiled at him as he hugged her. "Mata, there's a royal dinner arranged in the palace... Mitr has asked me to go there. Can I, if you don't mind?" Karna asked.

Radha was reluctant to agree. Still, she nodded her head, Adhirat asking him to be careful in whatever he did. Both of them had wished to meet the two unknown princes someday, to thank them for saving their putr's honor in front of everyone. They had to thank the Gandharinandhan for his big heart. Though, both of them were least interested in letting their son delve into politics. But being the loving parents that they were, they wanted their son to be recognized. If that would give their son happiness, then they would go with the flow happily.

"Oh that, mitr. I went to meet my ma and pitashri." Karna said with a smile.

"What's your mata's name?" Duryodhana asked.

"Radha," Karna replied.

"Sweet." Duryodhana said as they proceeded to the table.

Karna was astonished. Never in his entire lifetime had he seen so many delicious dishes on the table. For him, whatever his Radha ma made was equal to amrit.

He tasted some of the dishes and smiled. It tasted nice, but not as nice as his Radha ma's food. After all, it is made with pure love, pure love for her son.

Kunti was not there at the feast; she had ordered her food into her chambers. She didn't have the mood to get out of her rooms today...

"Where is rajakumar Govind and rajakumar Sankarshan?"