Journey to the Old Era (Drisana's Mahabharat #1)

Chapter 49

I was thinking of mingling names and I made up something. And coincidentally the meaning of the mingling was perfect. Hope you like it.

Subhadra + Karna = SubArna (Golden)

Drisana +Nakul = DriNa (Defender of mankind)

"Rajkumari, this is the riser, this is the part of the bow that you hold when you shoot. And this here, connecting the top and bottom limb is the bow string. Once pulled, it creates the tension that moves the arrow forward." Karna was explaining to Subhadra about the bow. But Subhadra's all concentration was on the one holding the bow rather than the bow itself.

"Now look at me closely. To do this, stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, and ensure that your feet are parallel to the shooting line. It's important to make sure your torso is facing straight forward, and stand up as straight as you can, without leaning too much towards or away from your target. Now, that you are right-handed, keep your torso forward and turn your head to the left so that your target is in view." Karna kept on explaining how to shoot the arrow. Subhadra was indeed looking at him closely. After shooting an arrow Karna asked if she understood everything, but Subhadra only kept on looking at him. Karna called her in a louder voice.

"Rajkumari!"

"What? Why are you shouting?" Subhadra asked coming out of her dreamland.

"Because you're not concentrating on learning." Karna said.

"My whole concentration is on you only Vrisha. And why you insist on calling me Rajkumari? How many times I'll have to tell you to call me by my name only?" Subhadra said pouting.

"Because you're a Rajkumari and I'm a commoner, a Soota. There's a line between us that can never be crossed." Karna said sternly. "The earlier you understand this, the better."

"But friendship and love is never done looking at these things, is it?" Subhadra asked softly. Karna stared at her eyes that showed some unknown emotion.

"It is necessary to look. You can forget who I am, but I can't. I have learned my limits the hard way." Karna said diverting his eyes elsewhere. Subhadra came closer to him.

"Then you've learned wrong. Emotions and knowledge can't be bound by anything. Because that's spiritual, material limits can't stand in their way. And you? Whose name identifies him as the cutter of orthodoxy is talking about limits? Don't you think that's a failure to your name? You can't expect to bring changes without hardships, but that doesn't teach you to leave your beliefs. You should only change if you're wrong and there's nothing wrong in love and friendship." Subhadra's eyes not once left his as she said these. Karna was surprised and contemplating her words as she moved away to pick up the bow. She could have never realised how hard her words hit him.

She was right. If he wanted to stay in limits without any hardships than he should have stayed where he was. Bringing change was never going to be easy. He did the unacceptable by learning archery and demanding recognition. But he made it acceptable. That was why he was called a Maharathi now. Yuvraj Duryodhan did accept him as such even though it was for his own gain.

As for his being a Soota, wasn't it his mission on the first place? To bring changes in society's outlook for the soota caste. For so long, he was questioning why was it so hard to accept him and respect equally as a kshatriya. Why Yuvraj Duryodhan used him in the guise of friendship? But Rajkumari Subhadra answered so easily. It was Yuvraj Duryodhan who was wrong than why should he change his outlook that a Soota also deserves equal opportunities. If Yuvraj Duryodhan thought him unworthy of even spitting at that didn't make him so. He shouldn't hesitate to be here, he shouldn't be afraid of getting humiliation or befriending royals. Otherwise he would never be able to prove soota's as deserving. These royals were the ones who affected the society most. They were the ones who could improve the life of soota caste. That was why he went to that competition of Princes in Hastinapur in the first place.