What if a modern human is whisked in the body of Karna. In this reimagining of Karna's journey, I delve into the depths of his experiences and emotions, illuminating the complexities of a character often defined by his tragic fate. From his initial...
Krishn had returned from Hastinapur, as expected, with Duryodhan's rejection of the peace offering. Uuluk had also arrived with Duryodhan's counteroffer-a proposal so insulting that it demanded the Pandavas swallow their pride and return to the forest in utter humiliation. The Pandavs, had sent back a reply befitting the insult. Now, the war council was assembled to plan for the imminent conflict.
"What is our objective in this war?" I asked, my patience thinning as the assembly devolved into endless boasts and bloodthirsty declarations. The discussion was spiralling in circles, each warrior eager to state their personal vendettas.
"Are you mocking us, Karn?" Shikhandi snapped, his annoyance clear.
"I'm deadly serious. What is our objective in this war? I want it clearly defined."
"Obviously, to win and kill the enemies," Shikhandi retorted, as if the answer were self-evident.
"Who exactly are our enemies?" I pressed.
"Anyone who fights under Duryodhan's banner. Isn't it obvious?" Nakul's frustration was palpable, but I persisted.
"From an outside perspective, this could be seen as a mere family feud. It's not simply about dharma and adharma. If we scrutinize the factions, we'll find that only the relatives of the Pandavas are on our side-Panchals, Matsya, Chedi, Kashi, Yadavs, and Kunti's kin. The rest of the country has allied with the Kauravas. In the years since the Dyut (gamble), Duryodhan has gained allies all over the country, while our side has only hardships to show for itself. If Duryodhan wins, they could easily claim that the Pandavas were the aggressors, attempting to usurp a rightful king."
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"But we have dharma on our side. We will win," Yudhisthir interjected, trying to instill confidence in the assembly.
"Dharma is not an impenetrable shield, Maharaj. The Kauravas have Bhishma, your revered grandfather; Dronacharya, your mentor; Kripacharya, your Kulguru; Ashwatthama, the son of your guru; and even your relative, Madraraj Shalya, on their side. The Yadavs themselves have chosen so called neutrality. Krishn has vowed not to lift a weapon, or else Balram would surely have fought for the Kauravas. The mighty Vrishni warriors-Pradyumna, Samba, Gad, and Akrur-are not fighting for us. From vrishnis we have Satayki and his forces on our side and the Shursens' under Kritverma is fighting from Kaurav side. The country is divided. People might say this is just a pretext for the Panchals to attack their ancient enemies, the Kurus, under the guise of dharma."
