Not yesterday but now

Chapter 11 : The Sun & Flames

The hall of Panchal erupted in claps and cheers as Draupadi placed the garland around Karn's neck, sealing her choice. The murmurs of uncertainty that had filled the Sabha melted away, replaced by thunderous applause, blessings, and exclamations of surprise.

Duryodhan's joy was boundless. He clapped with such force that the jewels on his wrists rang. "Mitr! Today, the world has witnessed your glory! You won the hand of the crown of Aryavarta's beauty herself. Ha! What more proof does a man need of his worth?" His eyes shone, for though he often thirsted for victories of his own, this triumph of Karn's felt sweeter than his own.

Ashwatthama, standing beside him, could not hide his pride either. "Karn, my friend... today you silenced every doubter. The Sabha saw your arrow fly, and with it, the truth of who you are." His voice softened, his eyes strangely gentle. "If only Guru Drona had been here, perhaps even he would have praised your skill."

Their happiness was genuine, overflowing, like brothers celebrating the triumph of one among them. For them, Karna's victory was not just personal, it was their victory against a world that had often looked at them with scorn.

Yet, in another corner of the Sabha, stood Arjun. His lips quivered, his hands trembled. The announcement of Draupadi's choice had struck him harder than any arrow he had ever faced and then now he won. Karn won her hand. His brothers noticed his silence but said nothing. They too remembered how Arjun, in a fit of pride, had once called Karn "sutputra" in front of the entire court. Perhaps this was destiny's answer. Perhaps this was the wound he himself had carved.

He stood motionless, as if his feet had been rooted to the marble floor. The cheers and blessings swirled around him like a storm, but he heard nothing. His ears rang only with the echo of Draupadi's laughter from his visions. His eyes blurred with tears as the images replayed in his mind, her walking into the arena, her eyes seeking him, her smile meant for him.

In every vision, she had been his. In every memory of another life, she had been his, his soulmate and now... she was someone else's.

His throat tightened. His chest felt hollow. He bit his lip until it bled, but still the tears escaped. It wasn't Draupadi's fault. It wasn't even Karn's fault. It wasn't his fault either. It was simply... fate. A fate that had mocked him, teased him with visions of happiness, only to snatch it away when he reached for it.

Krishna, standing by Draupadi's side, glanced once at Arjun. His deep eyes softened with compassion. "It is just the beginning, Parth," he whispered under his breath. "The wheel of time moves in ways we cannot see."

Unable to bear the sight of her smiling at Karn, Arjun turned abruptly and slipped out of the arena. He walked quickly, blindly, until his knees buckled beneath him in the palace gardens. There, beneath the shadow of flowering trees, he collapsed onto the earth.

"She was mine..." he whispered hoarsely, his tears soaking the soil. "I was meant to protect her. To love her. To hold her. How can I see her in another's arms?" His voice broke as sobs wracked his chest. "How could I be so careless? One arrow, one mistake and I lost her forever."

The visions returned again, relentless. Draupadi's soft hands in his. Her head resting on his shoulder. Her eyes closing as she whispered his name. The visions had felt so real, like fragments of a forgotten life. And now those same eyes looked at another with love.

Meanwhile, Draupadi walked down gracefully with her family and Krishna. Her steps were elegant, but her heart raced with joy. When she looked into Karn's eyes, she did not see a charioteer's son. She saw the man who had unknowingly taken root in her heart, the warrior whose strength and silence had always spoken louder than words. As she smiled at him, lifting the garland, Karn's lingering doubt melted away.