The Gall of Gammon

Chapter 7

The Gall of Gammon

Disclaimer: This story is my humble attempt to write a fanfiction of the epic Mahabharata. My intention is not to hurt anyone's sentiment.

Aum Namah Shivay!!

Major Jayant Roy, SM is a fictitious character. Any similarity with any living person is merely a coincidence.

Chapter 7

Hastinapur, Dwapar Yuga

Ashwatthama POV

Rajkumar Duryodhana was literally a unique personality. His thoughts, his words were all different from the others and interesting to hear. The more I talked with him, the more my belief was getting stronger.

Today became literally the worst day in my life. Some friends of mine were bragging about milk. They asked me that have I ever tasted it. Now, I really haven't. So, I ran to my house and asked my mother about it. My mother gave me a white drink, and told me that this is milk. I drank it happily and ran to my friends. But then they pointed out that the stains on my lips were not of milk, but flour. My mother gave me a mixture of flour and water.

Then they mocked me about our poverty and told me that I did not deserve to be their friend. Because friendship must happen in between equals. I was so angry, that I ran to my house and shouted at my mother. Then I left my house and sat on the bank of the pond for the whole day. After my mind calmed down, I understand that it was my mother's love that prompted her to do so.

"Ashwatthama? What are you thinking?" Suddenly I heard Duryodhana's voice. I looked at him, who was lying on the floor.

"I am thinking about the path of life. This is really strange, you know that? Today my friends left me. Now I have another friend."

Duryodhana smiled.

"But, where is my father? My voice was shaking, "He is not home yet."

"Don't worry. Kulguru told me that he is a mighty warrior. No one can cause any harm to him." He assured me.

I heaved a sigh, and then told him everything that happened in the morning. Duryodhana listened patiently. After I finished telling my story, he said,

"Those are bloody fools, Ashwatthama, who measure friendship in the scale of status and wealth. I stand with my words, that friendship is an emotion that comes from the deepest part of heart and soul. But, in those fool's logic, you are superior to all of them and us." He pointed his finger towards the gem in my forehead.

We both laughed whole-heartedly. Then he said,

"Jokes apart, Ashwatthama, you must remember the part about the heart and soul. Got it?"

I nodded affirmatively. His every single word made a deep impact in my mind. At the same moment, I saw my mother coming inside the room, with two glasses of warm milk in her hands.

"For our friendship!!" Duryodhana shouted.

"Yes...for our friendship!!" I shouted too.

My mother was smiling seeing our antics. She handed us the glasses and left. I sipped the white liquid in my glass. Yes, it was the tastiest thing that my tongue had ever touched.

After sometime, my mother served the three of us our food. But there was no sign of my father till now. My mother wanted to wait for him, but mamashri Kripacharya firmly told her to eat with us. While eating, he told us his reason for visiting us...that he was going to ask my father if he was willing to be a teacher of the rajkumars of Hastinapur. Then he told us,

"Kripi, Ashwatthama, pack your belongings. You both are coming to Hastinapur tomorrow, with us."

"But, what about arya?" my mother asked.

"Don't worry about rishiputra. I will leave a message here for him. But, you two are coming with me." Mamashri said in a determined voice.

The next day morning, we packed our mere belongings. Mamashri wrote a message for my father on the wall of our hut. We boarded on two bullock carts and left towards Hastinapur. We reached there after mid day. The city was large, with a lot of people.

"Do you like the city?" I heard Duryodhana's voice.

I just nodded affirmatively. A few moments later, we reached the palace. I was literally awestruck while looking at it.

"I know what are you feeling, mitra. But do you know what I feel in this situation?"

I turned my head and saw Duryodhana standing beside me.

"This palace was built by my predecessors, my forefathers. So, it is not totally mine. I must increase my ability, my power, my strength that I can make my own palace and my own kingdom. This is the problem of us. We have nothing that we could say is our own."

I was literally dumbfounded. I thought that he had everything. But his voice told me that he was telling truth. We both were silent for a moment, then he gave a light slap on my back.

"Sorry, my friend, I should not start giving philosophy lectures right now. You are probably tired. Go take rest. I will meet you in the evening with my brothers."

I nodded. His words made a deep impact on my mind. He smiled and left us.

Jayant/ Duryodhana POV

I left the three of them and went towards my room. I missed my brothers and sister. I missed Guha too. I loved him as much as I loved my brothers.

I entered my room and saw Guha. He was sitting on the floor. He saw me and stood up.

"Guha, give me some water.", I quickly opened my shoes before he could even react. I smirked at him and sat on the bed when suddenly something caught my mind.

"Guha! Come here now." I called him. Then I pointed towards the long, blackish bruise on his forehead.

"What is this? How did it happen?"

Guha nodded negatively, probably trying to say that it was nothing.

"Guha, I want the truth!"

Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.

"It was Bheem."

I turned and saw my five brothers standing there. Every single one of them was battered and bruised. Then I heard someone coming inside the room. I looked at the entrance and saw Dussasana and Vikarna.

Dussasana was gravely injured. There was a deep cut on his forehead. The cut was bleeding.

"Jayatsena, what happened? I told you to avoid them completely." I asked my brother Jayatsena.

"Jyesth, we did as you say. We were playing in the field when Bheem came there. We started to leave the ground, when he started taunting us, calling us coward, stupid. Then brother Dussasan got angry and attacked him. But he overpowered all of us."

I looked at Vikarna, "Is it true, Vikarna?"

Vikarna nodded affirmatively, "Bhrata Bheem started it jyesth. He taunted us first."

I heaved a sigh. I have read that Bheem was a bit of bully, but my mind never accepted it. But today, my belief got shattered.

Suddenly I felt something. It was rage, insane amount of rage. My rage was literally increasing like a bushfire. I hadn't been angry like this in my previous life...no, actually I had. I experienced this volume of rage only once. My mind was literally erupting like a volcano.

I tried to summon every single amount of will power and ordered Vikarna to fetch the royal 'Vaidya' (doctor).

Then suddenly, darkness clouded my vision, and it all went blank.

So, this is chapter 7.

Tell me, how it is.

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