To Fix What Is Broken

Karn; the hero returns

"Stop!" Jyesth Karn's voice echoed throughout the arena.

Silence...no one spoke a word as he made his way to the centre of the arena, standing across from me.

My happiness was indescribable! Seeing him there, bow in hand, alive!! I wanted to go hug him! Tell him everything, tell him I'm sorry! Tell him the truth!...but I can't...

"Who are you?" Guru drona questioned

"Pranipat Guru drona. Mahamahim Bhishm, Maharaj Dhritarastra! I am Radhey! Radhey Karn!" Jyesth Karn says greeting everyone.

"Well Radhey why did you interrupt the kala pradarshan?" Gurudev asked him glaring.

"I have a question for you guru drona! What right do you have to claim that the worlds best archer is Rajkumar Arjun?" Jyesth Karn asked.

"Arjun is the best archer in the world! I have trained him to be! What can you do to prove otherwise?" Guru Drona says with confidence.

He's going to ask to fight me...no! No I can't do that! I have to find a way to make sure he's on the right side this time hopefully without having to raise weapons! 

"No one can claim to be the best archer guru drona! No one! The best archer of all is mahadev himself! But you show so much confidence...what proof do you have that your student is the best??" Jyesth asks

"I don't need to prove myself to you! Who even are you?! Arjun is the best after lord shiv himself!" Gurudev says

"I can prove otherwise! I Radhey Karn the student of lord Parshuram challenge Rajkumar Arjun!"

"Radhey! Whose son are you?" Asks Pitamah... my heart drops.

I freeze... everything I thought I would do if I could relive this moment seemed to vanish as I felt the air leave my lungs. What am I going to do?! I can't fight jyesth! But I can't let him get humiliated! 

"I'm the son of your saarthi Adhirath." He says with confidence. 

"Sut Putra! A sut putra wants to fight the Rajkumar of Hastinapur?!" Exclaims Bhrata Bheem...

Tears form in my eyes...why can't I do anything?! Everything feels fuzzy... the air in the arena suddenly seeming too thick to breathe. I feel almost dizzy. A series of laughs echo around the arena...my breath gets heavier and I suddenly have difficulty focusing...

'Parth...' I hear a voice in my...head?

'Remember this is your only chance...follow your dharma Parth!' The voice says... Madhav? 

"STOP!!" I yell. Everything re-focuses and I look at jyesth standing there expressionless. My anger peaks!

"SINCE WHEN DID WE START DISCRIMINATING BASED ON CASTE IN HASTINAPUR?" I yell "A person is called a yodha based on his KARMA not his caste!"

Silence... everyone stares at me as I glare.

"I'd like to apologize on behalf of everyone present here today... Radhey Karn." I say, hesitating barely stopping myself from referring to him as Jyesth. But it was too soon for him to know. 

"Thank you Rajkumar. My challenge is still valid," he says smiling slightly. It's things like this that make me realize how oblivious I was last time... his smile is exactly like jyesth's and matas, and so are probably many other things...

"And I accept! I would be my honour to fight the student of lord Parshuram," I say with a small smile. Telling him the truth now won't work...Fighting jyesth might be the only way I can save him...

"Bhrata shree what're you doing??" Asks Nakul glaring at Jyesth Karn. "You don't need to fight him"

"Nakul! That is enough!" Says Jyesth Yudhisthir.

Nakul stops but he's clearly upset.

"Very well...if you accept let then let the duel begin!" Gurudev says, but the bitterness is clear.

We both make our way to the centre. Everyone is quiet again as they watch us raise our bows.

I feel that dread again...the dread I had hoped would disappear forever. The dread of raising my weapon against my own brother, my family. This is just a competition! You're trying to save him! I keep trying to reason with myself. But it's no use, the guilt and the little lump in my throat won't go away.

He shoots the first arrow, for a second I freeze but the muscle memory kicks in as I shoot an arrow to counter.

I shoot again and this time he doesn't block...his chest and torso light up as the famous kavach presents itself... another thing he had to lose because of me...But he won't! Not this time! That's why you're here...

Our fight continues until sunset at which point the competition is called off and everyone heads to the palace.

"Why did you fight him?" Asks Nakul the minute I come in.

We're waiting to meet mata and everyone else in one of the royal chambers.

"Because he challenged me Nakul," I say calmly. It's for the best I don't tell them the truth until I've talked to both mata and Jyesth Karn. Though I'm not sure when I should.

"But why did you accept? He's just a Sut Putra why should he fight the Rajkumar?" Bhrata Bheem mocks.

"Bhrata shree! Caste doesn't matter! Ones karma do! What matters is if they follow dharma!" I say or well... yell.

I know Bhrata Shree is only saying this because he loves me but that doesn't mean it should be ok! I know the regret and grief he felt after the war, every word he uttered now haunted him later. Something a small argument would save him from.

"You did the right thing anuj!" Says Jyesth.

I smile. Soon everyone will know the truth! Then Bhrata Bheem won't say anything like that, I'll never have to fight jyesth again and we'll finally be a family.

My thoughts are interrupted as Mata, tatshree, badi ma, pitamah and kakashree vidur enter the room.

"Putra!" Mata says smiling at us.

"Mata," we all hug her...

"GROUP HUG" Deva yells laughing... "it's been a while"

I smile. Longer than he knows... it's been a while since I've seen deva be so childish and happy. Yeah, he still jokes around but it's just not the same...after war nothing really is.

Everyone laughs.

"My children are all grown up!" Mata says looking at us.

We spend the rest of the evening talking and laughing. Having dinner made by mata and Badi ma.

And now as I lay in my bed all I can think is Finally! Now everything will be alright! 

..................................

Heyy Guys! We have a new cover!! 🥳🥳🥳

Edited: (May 15)

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