Dream - A Karna SI

29. BLIGHT

Karn - 30 years

Yudhisthir - 27 years

Bhima & Duryodhan - 26 years

Arjun - 25 years

Nakul & Sahadev - 23 years

Abhimanyu - 3 years

(After Rajsuya Yagnya, At Hastinapur)

Karn's POV

Sometimes, fate seems like an inevitable current, pulling us toward its depths no matter how hard we struggle against it. I stood among the crowd, watching as the people of Hastinapur rejoiced, unaware of the storm brewing beneath the surface. The streets were adorned with flowers, and the air was thick with the sound of celebration, as if the very city itself was welcoming the Pandavas with open arms. Yet, amidst the festivities, a deep unease gnawed at my heart.

Despite the countless warnings-subtle and overt-from Mahamuni Vyaas, Lord Krishn, and even myself, Yudhisthir had still chosen to accept the invitation to the accursed dyut (gamble) from Duryodhan. My heart clenched as I watched him, seated atop his chariot, his expression calm and resolute, oblivious to the shadows gathering around him.

What have you done, Yudhisthir? How could you not see the signs? The ominous whispers of fate, the forewarnings that should have turned you away from this path-how could you ignore them all?

My thoughts were turbulent, a storm of frustration and sorrow. I knew what awaited the Pandavas in the hall of dice. I knew the treachery that would unfold, the dishonor that would stain the Kuru dynasty. And yet, here they were, marching willingly into the jaws of doom.

I clenched my fists, my resolve hardening. I would not stand by and watch this disaster unfold without doing everything in my power to prevent it. Yudhisthir might have chosen this path, but he had not yet crossed the point of no return. There was still time-still a chance to turn back.

I resolved to meet Yudhisthir, to speak with him plainly and urgently. No more hints, no more riddles. This time, I would state the truth in the starkest of terms. The stakes were too high, the consequences too dire. If there was any hope of averting the catastrophe that loomed, it lay in convincing Yudhisthir to abandon this reckless course.

I would appeal to his sense of dharma, to his love for his family, to the future of the kingdom. I would remind him of his responsibilities-not just as a brother and a son, but as a ruler destined to protect his people. If my words could pierce through the veil of fate, if they could plant even a seed of doubt in his mind, then perhaps, just perhaps, this country might be spared the darkness that threatened to engulf it.

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Yudhisthir looked up at me, his expression unreadable. "Karn, I understand your concern, but the invitation has already been accepted. It is a matter of dharma now. How can I refuse a challenge that has been presented to me in the royal court?"

"Dharma, Rajan?" I asked, my tone questioning. "Is it truly dharma to walk into a trap that you know has been laid for you? Is it dharma to risk not only your honor but the honor of your family, your brothers, and the entire kingdom? Dharma is not just about following the rules; it is about protecting those who depend on you."

Yudhisthir sighed, a trace of weariness in his voice. "I understand your point, Karn, but dharma also dictates that I cannot turn away from a challenge. To do so would be to show weakness, to invite dishonor upon myself and my lineage."

"Even you, Bhima, remain silent? Why don't you speak up and counsel your elder brother?" My voice carried a note of desperation as I turned to Bhima, seeking his support. My words were getting nowhere with Yudhisthir, who was stubbornly clinging to the hollow rhetoric of Kshatriya dharma and his duty to obey King Dhritarashtra. How can he not see that he is the emperor? For the gods' sake, no one, not even Dhritarashtra, has the right to order him!