String of Pearls

Dead

"Well, Your friend is somewhat right Bhanu", Duryodhana's usually silver voice murmured, filled with unmissable disappointment, anger, and concern, when I told him about Supriya's blabbers. Foolish girl, she said Karna died twice.

"Not twice, but thrice!" he continued, and "That's what he claims", he finished staring at the glittering floor that was draped in the sunshine. I laughed asking whether they both are ganging up to make a fool out of me. He smirked and pretended to think deeply, rubbing his stubble. "We should definitely try something to pull your legs Bhanu. That will be fun!", he said smiling and tugged my hair behind my ear, smoothing it. Before I happily get drowned in his sparkling small but deep eyes, I warned him to not divert the topic (and make me forget the world with the mere touch of his fingertips) and tell me what's the thing with Karna. 

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Karna was not only born with an impenetrable golden armor - Kavach and shining earrings - Kundals which spectators claimed that it shone like a sun, momentarily blinding his foes and lose focus, but with a natural talent for archery. He was this rough brilliant gem covered with dust and debris, now unearthed. All he wanted was a good teacher who shall cut his mistakes and sculpt them into challenges, carve his figure and chisel it for vigor, heighten the stakes, sharpen his edges and make him shine a true diamond that he is destined to be. But his unmatchable warrior potential got tainted by his own birth. 

He went with his humble father and requested Drona to be his teacher. But Drona dismissed him without even looking at his face, saying- teaching a low born like him will degrade his revered position as an acharya and his exemplary knowledge simply should not be shared with a chariot driver's son. 

"One should know one's position before desiring. This is what our scriptures states." Drona said calmly. "Street dog dreaming to become a tiger!" he threw Karna one filthy glance and scoffed off. Pandavas laughed but Arjuna let out a sigh knowing there will be no expert like him in archery as his teacher promised. After all, Dronacharya discarded every thorn in his way -  by making one potential boy lose his thumb while making another simply dumb! Arjuna sniggered and this Karna noticed - only to never forget it. 

Hurt, insulted, disturbed, Karna left home and wandered in the forest. But he was a wanderer with motive. Drona might have damaged his excitement but never his spirit. He felt in his gut that he was destined for great things, and those will not happen if he sits and laments over Drona's dismissal. 

His tenacious search ended in exhaustion but not in vain, for he reached the residence of legendary Parashuram - the man whose reputation echoed worlds for chopping the heads of corrupted kings like tree barks, with his bloody ax, turning the Brahmaputra red, making it to beam with blood - bards used to sing.

Karna was desperate and desperate men are known for doing dumb things - even it's highly unlikely of them. Karna was not an exception, unfortunately. 

The kings' slayer took an oath that he will not impart his knowledge to people of any section, other than brahmana - a class of priests and saints. Karna, as desperate as a man dangling on the cliff's edge for his life, introduced himself as a brahmin - the topmost sect in the social strata that man designed, citing the scriptures - which is often bent to serve his selfish needs. 

Truth is like the sun. You can shut the doors and hide in the dark, pretending it didn't exist. But it has been there and always will be there - for you to face it.