A Change of Fate

Differences (2)

"What has that boy done now?" Gangadutta growled warily

Whatever he was expecting when he enquired about Karna, it certainly isn't this. Just by saying Vasusena's name to Bhisma Pitamah, it looked like he's contemplating strangling someone with his bare hands, most likely the man in question. He looked so vexed that Arjuna wondered what Karna did in this life to earn his ire.

"He's impersonating as the Head Charioteer, Pitamah Bhisma. I warned him that impersonating a member of the Army invites a death sentence but he said that he got promoted to his father's position as his father is unable to continue his duties due to his illness."

Instead of getting angry, Pitamah Bhisma sagged in relief. "Vasusena is the Head Charioteer of a division, Arjuna," Bheesma told his favourite grandson.

"Truly Pitamah?"

"Yes, my child."

"B-but he's so y-young." He stuttered out. "And don't Shudras usually start their training at the age of six and ten?"

"Usually yes... But Vasusena was a bit of an unusual case." The Protector of Hastinapur stated softly. "Out of pity, we took him in when he was one and ten years old. Within nine months he completed his basic army training."

"Within nine months?" Arjuna repeated shocked at the number.

"Yes, he completed his training within nine months. His fellow trainees called him a rakshasa. Any weapon we put in his hands he mastered the basics in less than two months. Khadgavidya, Dhanurvidya, Bhaala Yudh, Rath Daud, Gadh Yudh and Mala Yudh all mastered in under nine months. None of the others were able to match him."

"Can I ask why he was admitted to the training at such a young age?"

"Adhiratha, Vasusena's father, begged us to take his son into the army," Bhisma replied softly. "Vasusena's brother, Shon, was brutally killed in front of his eyes. He became withdrawn and blamed himself for his death. He starved himself, didn't talk much with others and carried on with his days weeping for his brother. The final straw for Adhiratha was when Vasusena flayed himself. When his friend Padmavati found him a few hours later, he had been literally drowned in his own blood. If he had been found even an hour later, no amount of treatment could have prevented his death.."

Arjuna went numb on hearing the plight of his once-hated enemy. But there's a niggling voice at the back of his head telling him that there's something wrong with this picture.

"He told me that he served in the army for a year and a half. If he completed his basic training at eleven... What has he done in the last four and half years when he's not serving in the army?" Arjuna asked in a confused manner.

"Well as you know even though Kripa was a good teacher, he doesn't know the way to teach children how to handle astras. So after his training was completed, he made the journey to Parashurama Kshetram. Despite being a Suta he wanted to wield astras it seems."

"Aren't the astras taught only to those of Brahmin and Kshatriya caste? Did Vasusena learn astras from Guru Parshuram by lying to him about his caste?"

Arjuna can understand Pitamah Bheesma's wrath. Guru Parshuram was his teacher and knowing that the man he looked up to was cheated would arouse the anger of his kind grandfather. So Vasusena is nearly as powerful as he was in his previous life. And knowing Guru Parshuram he might have an identical curse.

"He learned nothing under Guru Parshuram, Arjuna." His thought processes were derailed by those few words.

"I don't understand Pitamah." He said in confusion.