Hello everyone,
First off—a heartfelt apology. I promised you two things:
That the next update would arrive between May 20th–25th.
That this chapter would be the long-awaited Karna revelation for Bhishma and Gandhari.
Unfortunately, I've fallen short on both counts, and I'm truly sorry.
Much like last time, another voice took over—this time, Dhritarashtra. His presence filled my mind and steered the story in an unexpected but necessary direction. That said, I haven't forgotten my promise. I'm doing my best to deliver the intended chapter by the end of the month.
Thank you for your patience, your support, and for sticking with this journey. I hope the detour still speaks to you—and that you enjoy what's ahead.
King Dhṛitarāṣṭra's POV
He did not think of his blindness as absence. Not at first. Not as a boy.
His world was filled with voices—warm, familiar, grounding. His mother, Ambikā, whose fingers combed his hair in silence. Her sister, Ambālikā, who hummed lullabies she had sung for all three of them. And his brothers—Pāṇḍu, younger, swift like wind across leaves, and Vidura, elder both in wisdom and blood. In their laughter, he had shape. In their love, he had sight.
He grew. As all princes must. And was entrusted to the ancient, unyielding hands of Kakāshree Kripa and Kakāshree Bhīṣma. The blind boy learned to rule the world he would never see. Arthashāstra and dharmaśāstra, battlefield formations and courtroom silences. He learned to speak with clarity, to listen past deceit, to sense the mood of a hall by the temperature of its breath. He learned to rule with his ears, his skin, his memory.
And then came the matter of marriage.
Kakāshree Bhīṣma chose for him a woman from the land of Gandhār. Gāndhārī. She had not seen him, and he had not asked for a bride. But even Princes must marry.
He had expected a certain coldness. Pity, perhaps. Even revulsion. It was a reasonable fear—he had heard the whispers since childhood. The blind heir. The broken prince.
But instead—
She blindfolded herself.
Before even laying eyes upon him, she veiled the world from her own. Not out of defiance, not as a punishment, but as a vow.
"If he cannot see the world, I will not see it either. Let us be equal."
YOU ARE READING
A Change of Fate
Historical FictionIn a twist of fate, the destinies of Karna, Arjuna, and Suyodhan intertwine on the 17th day after the death of Karna, as their memories are transported to their minds when they are at the pivotal stages of their lives. Karna, the anti-hero with an u...
