Maya In Mahabharat :A New End To The Old Tale

The Confession -III

Later that evening, as the moonlight bathed their home, Maya found Karna sitting in the courtyard. He was sharpening his arrows, his usual calm demeanor masking the weight of the day. She stood silently for a moment, watching him. The man she had fallen in love with—her Arya—deserved the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

"Arya," she called softly, her voice trembling.

Karna looked up, his sharp gaze softening when he saw her. "Maya," he said, setting the arrow aside. "What troubles you, my love?"

She stepped closer, her hands twisting nervously. "There is something I must tell you," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "Something I’ve hidden from you for far too long."

Karna’s brows furrowed as he rose to his feet. "What is it, Maya? Speak plainly."

Her heart pounded in her chest. "Arya, I am not from this time," she confessed, the words tumbling out before she could second-guess herself. "I come from a future—a time far beyond anything you know."

Karna froze, his expression hardening as her words sank in. "What are you saying?" he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.

"I was brought here by forces I do not fully understand," she explained quickly, desperate to make him see. "When I first arrived, I wanted nothing more than to return to my world. But then I met you, and everything changed. I stayed because I love you, Arya."

His jaw tightened, and he took a step back, creating a distance between them. "You love me?" he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "And yet you kept this from me? You let me believe that we shared a bond of trust, while you carried this lie in your heart?"

Maya’s eyes filled with tears. "I was afraid, Arya. Afraid that if I told you, you would look at me the way you are looking at me now."

Karna’s lips curled into a bitter smile. "And how am I looking at you, Maya? Like a fool who gave his heart to someone who was never truly his?"

She flinched at his words, her tears spilling over. "No, Arya. Please don’t say that. I am yours, in every way that matters."

"But you are not of this world," he shot back, his voice rising. "You have deceived me—made me believe in a love built on lies. How can I trust you now, Maya? How can I trust that there isn’t more you’ve kept from me?"

Maya’s knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, sobbing. "I’ve told you everything, Arya. I swear it. My love for you is real. It’s the only thing I’m certain of."

Karna turned away, his shoulders tense. "Love built on deception is no love at all," he said coldly. "You should have trusted me enough to tell me the truth from the beginning."

Maya reached for him, but he stepped out of her grasp, his movements stiff and deliberate. "I need time," he said finally, his voice devoid of emotion. "Time to understand what this means—what we mean."

He walked away, leaving Maya alone in the courtyard. The weight of his words pressed down on her, and for the first time, she feared that her love might not be enough to bridge the chasm her secret had created between them.