"I will bring him back", I consoled his crying mother.
I heard the Kauravas scoff. I glared at them and went ahead to see where the hell that boy was.
I walked in the direction calling out his name but it seemed he vanished in thin air.
Concern bubbled up inside me.
"Yuyutsu!" I exclaimed when I caught his tiny figure from the huge distance.
"Hey stop", I widened my eyes as he increased his speed.
Why was he running away?
"Yuyutsu. I will catch you. Stop right now", I scolded but that idiot didn't listen.
I gritted my teeth and increased my speed.
He didn't just challenge me?! Did he?!
I have won all races in the school marathons.
As expected, I caught him and he struggled to get out of my grip in vain. I smirked at his failed attempts.
However, when he started sniffling, I frowned in worry.
"Come here", I said and made him sit on the stone. Like the elder brother I was (even if cousin) I made him look up holding his chin and wiped his tears.
"What's wrong? Yuyutsu. Why were you going away?" I asked him.
"How does it concern you? Whereever I go?" He asked rudely.
I narrowed my eyes at his tone and smacked his head.
"Ow! Why would you do that?" He exclaimed rubbing his head and I rolled my eyes.
"Don't take that tone with me and answer my question", I gritted my teeth.
He frowned deciding to stay silent so I glared at him making him gulp.
"I was going away forever from here", he suddenly cried out with tears rolling down his cheeks.
I widened my eyes.
"Why?" I asked suspiciously. Did he do something? Is he in trouble? Did someone say something to him?
I saw how they treat him just because he is illegitimate.
Like me...
"Because no one loves me", he said.
I was surprised by it.
"Hey! Don't cry", I said gently. "Your mother loves you", I said to him attempting to convince him.
"Were you really leaving her behind Yuyutsu? That's not done. And what about your sister? Your mother? You were leaving your twin and your mother behind as well", I said.
All the girls of the kingdom, the twins have gone out for a trip.
"Because the sisters love each other. And regarding maa, I thought to take her but when twin sister comes, she will take care of maa. It's better than enduring troubles daily with me", he said. I looked at him sadly.
"You know? I have always tried to fit in but they just don't love me. Only Dushala does but she has to meet me secretly. Dushasan did for a while but when bhrata Duryodhan caught him, he couldn't after that. And when Pandavas came, I tried to befriend them. While my brothers hated them, I did forward a friendship hand and they happily interacted with me", he told. I caressed his hair as he cried.
"But when Priyamvada kaki saw them, she stopped them saying I was not a legitimate child like them and they shouldn't meet a boy like me. I felt so hurt and cried secretly without telling my mother who would cry seeing me sad as well. Am I that bad Angraj?" He was crying hysterically by now.
My eyes darkened.
This Kaki was getting too much!
Why maa gave her rights to tell my brothers with whom to talk and with whom to not?
I am not saying this because she's a maid. I respect everyone. But telling my brothers to not talk with an innocent child just like them and saying to a baby he's illegitimate?
He was just a baby boy! A child! Who the hell does that?
It all made sense why he joined Pandavas in Mahabharat war. He was declared traitor in Kauravas side.
But on what basis?
Did they ever tried to make him a family? Then why he should support them or fight for them? Or love them?
This did upset me. Unlike Pandavas, the hundred knew Yuyutsu is their brother and still this behaviour?
On the other hand, my brothers went to the extent of hating maa and Yudhiser even ended up cursing. Not that I appreciate it but still.
"No. Yuyutsu", I said gently shifting my attention back on him from my thoughts. "You are not bad. You can never be bad. You are a very adorable boy", I said with a smile.
"Am I?" He asked innocently and hesitantly.
I smiled. "Yes", I nodded.
"Angraj. I don't mean to disrespect you. You are very good by heart. But-but why is it that despite being no one to my brothers, you are so loved especially by bhrata Duryodhan and me being their brother don't receive even a little bit of it?" He asked.
The smile on my face fell and he got pale thinking he made me angry.
"I am fine. And what you said has a point. I will talk to Duryodhan about it", I assured.
Honestly the words he said broke my heart. Not because of what he said, I am Duryodhana's friend not family. (In world eyes) But Yuyutsu is. So why doesn't he get any love he has rights on?
Just like I have rights on my mother's love which she can't snatch from me anymore now. I don't care she abandoned me or whatever.
"But dear. You need to come back now. Do you know how much your mother is crying? How can you go away? Isn't that selfish? If you are alone, isn't your mother as well? Seeing her kids daily in pain?" I asked him.
He looked down guiltily and nodded.
"Yuyutsu always think before act. It might have been possible we wouldn't have found you. I couldn't have seen you. Your mother and sister would have died waiting for you in pain they couldn't find you and always think where are you and what went wrong? My dear everyone has problems in their lives but the one who learns to face and fight them, only he survives, only he lives", I explained to him.
He nodded.
I had seen many criminal cases in my era of killing in name of attaining god, or going simply missing. I have seen those families cry and then take their last breaths still waiting for their unanswered questions.
Truly no one can understand their pain.
I was happy at least I prevented my taiji (Yuyutsu's mother is my taiji too after all he's son of my foster uncle) from getting that pain.
YOU ARE READING
Karna's reincarnation
Historical FictionWhat happens when a modern era boy gets reincarnated as Karna and changes the whole epic?