Saga Of The Timeless (A Mahabharata Story)

50. Slap Of Reality

"Tvarita, stop! Stop!" Karna called, urgency tinged with desperation. I quickened my pace, my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest, each step a rebellion against the pain that clawed at me.

He caught up to me, gripping my arm and spinning me to face him. His eyes, usually warm and inviting, were now shadowed with something darker—a turmoil I could only begin to fathom.

"What?" I shouted, frustration bubbling over, the weight of betrayal pressing down on me like a heavy shroud. I was no longer concerned about the witnesses; the world outside faded into nothingness, leaving just the two of us locked in this stormy moment.

"Tvarita, please listen! I made a mistake," he said, his voice trembling, raw with emotion.

"A mistake?" I echoed, incredulity and fury colliding violently in my chest. "You think this is just a mistake? You believe your betrayal can be brushed aside like a fleeting thought? I thought we had something real, Karna!"

"It is real, Tvarita! I want to marry you!" he pleaded, desperation lacing his words, as if declaring it could somehow erase the past.

"Then why did you promise marriage to Vrushali?" I shot back, disbelief sharpening each word like a knife.

He faltered, eyes wide with shock. "I... I—"

"Exactly! You don't even have an excuse!" I hissed, the anger flooding my veins. "You know, I always had my doubts, but I kept telling myself, 'No! It can't be true! Don't be negative!' I fought to deny the truth that clawed at my heart. But then I saw you with her—the way you laughed together, the warmth in your gaze that had always been absent when you looked at me. Each memory felt like a dagger twisting deeper into my chest."

Karna's face fell, his usual bravado crumbling. "Tvarita, it's not what it looks like!"

"Not what it looks like?" I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief. "You don't get it, do you? Do you have any idea how that felt? Watching you two together? It was like witnessing my entire world crumble into dust! Each laugh you shared was another brick pulled from the wall of trust I had built."

"Tvarita, please—" he started, reaching for me.

I stepped back, my breath hitching as I felt the weight of his touch linger in the air. "No! You don't get to plead for forgiveness now. You had your chance, Karna, and you blew it!"

His expression twisted with pain, the flicker of regret in his eyes piercing through my anger. "I never wanted to hurt you. I was lost... confused. But I swear, Tvarita, my heart belongs to you."

"Your heart? Is that what you call it?" I laughed bitterly, tears threatening to spill. "Because it sure didn't feel like it when I watched you choose her. You made your choice, Karna."

"Tvarita..." he stepped forward, his voice soft, but I held my ground, tears spilling down my cheeks, fury igniting my eyes.

"Stop right there!" I shouted, my breath catching with the weight of my emotions. Every inch of me trembled, torn between heartache and anger.

"Tvarita, I love you with all my heart!" he insisted, desperation thickening his voice, as if saying it out loud could somehow erase the damage already done.

"Your heart?" I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "You love me?" My voice wavered, the betrayal slicing through my words. "Your heart led you straight to her! I watched you share smiles with her, warmth I never experienced with you. Do you have any idea what that felt like? It was like being set aflame and left to burn!" My voice cracked, the pain too raw to hold back. "I was a fool to think I mattered to you."

"Tvarita, I do love you, but—" His eyes widened, confusion and despair fighting for dominance.

"But your promise to her is ironclad, isn't it?" I snapped, anger surging through my veins like wildfire. "What about the promise you made to me? Where does that stand now?" My heart pounded, echoing the betrayal, the hurt, everything I had bottled up, now spilling out like a dam breaking.