Terms:

*Lord Surya Narayana - another name for Lord Surya (known as the Sun God)

*Kavasa Kundala – the golden protective armour and earrings Karna inherited at birth from his celestial father (Lord Surya Narayana)

"Baba?" Mitra whispered as she slowly approached the tall and well-built figure standing some feet away from her in the dark room, with his back facing her.

Even without seeing his face, Mitra could acknowledge his identity from the radiating heat and shine that reached out to her as an effulgence, and curved her lips upwards in a smile. It was as if she were standing directly under Lord Surya Narayana himself.

"My dearest Mitra," the man chuckled in a voice filled with pure love and adoration. "How I longed to be able to talk to you once again, Putri."

Mitra drew in a deep breath as she watched the individual before her turn around to face her. There he was with a bright smile on his face. In all his glory with the shining 'kavasa kundala'. Daanveer Aga Raj Karna. Her father.

Father. The word itself brought about an emotional turmoil in her heart and mind, which showed clearly on her face. The very word which itself was supposed to provide a sense of security, caused the young princess to shake with insecurity as she regarded her biological father with a tear-blurred vision. As Karna raised his arms, calling out to her, the last string of strength Mitra held on to with her dear life broke, as she found herself sprinting into the safety of her father's arms.

Karna wore a small smile, filled with pain on his face, as he held his dear one sobbing uncontrollably in his arms. Each and every tear and soul-wrenching sob that wet and berated against his chest tugged at his heartstrings.

"Why did you lie to me, Baba?" came out Mitra's muffled voice, choked with tears. "You told me no matter what, I will always have a father."

Karna gently lifted her chin to look into her deep brown orbs.

"Are you trying to say your father is a liar, Mitra?" he asked with a playful glint in his eyes.

Mitra huffed in annoyance as she turned her face away from his hold.

"You know that's not what I was trying to say. Now you're trying to turn my words on me!" she muttered, as Karna threw his head back and laughed heartily.

"Your mother had warned me repeatedly that my cute and innocent angel will be challenging to handle in her teenage years, due to how much I've pampered her. Oh, dear God. I truly feel bad for my Arjuna now for having to deal with your teenage tantrums!"

With the mention of Arjuna's name, Mitra felt her heart dropping into her stomach. She lowered her gaze as she murmured, "He wouldn't have had to deal with me if you and Brother Abhimanyu were here, Baba."

"Hmmm, and what makes you say that, my dear one?" Karna questioned his daughter with a knowing look in his eyes.

Mitra kept her gaze fixed on his golden hued footwear, as she let her thoughts take her away to the events over the past hours. Her mind voice kept repeating itself in her head, while her heart had succumbed to its loss, and maintained a chilling silence filled with pain. 'You took Abhimanyu's place in Arjuna's life. Arjuna will always be Abhimanyu's father. You were never meant to be Vijaya Nandhini.' Mitra covered her ears, unable to listen to the heart-shattering words of her mind.

"This was not meant to be, Baba," she murmured as she uncovered her ears again and absentmindedly fisted his angasvastra. "None of this would have happened if the war had failed to take place. You would still be here. Brother Abhimanyu would still be here. Arjun Baba would be living peacefully with his children. Daanveer Putri would have remained, and a Vijaya Nandhini would not have been born."

Karna used his finger to lift up the chin of his one and only daughter, making her meet his gaze. Mitra felt confused as she saw a different look in her father's eyes. One that she had never seen before. Karna gave her a small smile as he spoke.

"Is that so? In that case...would you be up for an offer, my dear?"

Mitra narrowed her eyes, utterly confused by the words of Daanveer.

"What offer, Baba?"

"What if I say I can rewind the time to four years back and completely change the outcomes that resulted. No war. No death. I would be here. Abhimanyu would be here."

Mitra felt an unexplainable happiness surge through each and every nerve of her body as she heard her father's words. He could be back. Abhimanyu could be alive. What more could she want?

"But... you would never have seen Arjuna either. There would be no relationship between you both. Would you agree to take up that offer?" questioned Karna in a careless tone.

The hand fisting Karna's angavastra froze, as a deep chill emanated through each and every bone of the princess's petite body. Karna watched closely as he observed her teary brown orbs, to her trembling pink lips as she struggled to hold herself together.

"You haven't answered me, Mitra," coaxed Karna, while he silently continued to observe the heart-breaking reactions playing on her beautiful features.

"Could I request one correction in this, Baba?"

The glint in Anga Raj's eyes extinguished as he was clearly taken aback by her question. This was not what he was expecting her to say.

"What correction, Putri?"

Mitra inhaled a calming breath as she attempted to regain some control over her words.

"We can go back in time, Baba. No war. No deaths. You will be here. Brother Abhimanyu will be here. Arjun Baba will live peacefully with his children. But we wouldn't have to worry about me meeting him or forming any sort of bond with him. Because, there will be no Mitravinda. I request to not exist ever again in our time, Baba."

Mitra looked up to meet Anga raj's eyes which reflected pure shock. He cupped her face between his palms as he spoke to her.

"Why such a correction, my dear?"

The sweetness of the gesture shattered her control over her calmness, as she broke down sobbing again.

"I can't Baba. I know Arjun Baba is hurting every moment he reminisces the death of Abhimanyu in the battle. I want to relieve him of that pain, Baba. I want to bring Brother Abhimanyu back into his life. But, at the same time, I can't ever imagine going back to a time where I would not know him or be with him. As much as I love you Baba, I can't deny the fact that I love my Arjun Baba too. He's become my world. He picked up the broken pieces of Mitra and fixed me back together with his love. If I am who I am today, after the devastating outcomes of the war, that's solely due to Arjun Baba," she sobbed.

Karna hugged his dear child close to his heart as tears of happiness and paternal pride rolled down his cheeks.

"And that my selfless child is the answer to your queries. None of us has control over fate or time, my dear. All is the will of the Lord and what he has destined for us. I was destined to be born as a Kshatriya to Maatha Kunti, yet live the life as the Suta son of Radha Maa. Abhimanyu was destined to meet his father after 13 years of his life, and then be snatched away from all his loved ones – his father, mother, uncles, wife, and unborn son by the hands of death during the battle. And you my dear – were destined to be born as Daanveer Putri, yet be raised under the loving care of the Pandavas as Vijaya Nandhini. That is your blessed fate and your reality. No matter what, you will always be Daanveer Putri, but you can never not be a Vijaya Nandhini either – as you and Arjuna were meant to share this beautiful bond. The life you are living is truly yours, what was destined for you by the almighty. You have not replaced anyone, my child. You were willing to sacrifice your existence to see Arjuna's happiness. Your words today have proved how selfless you really are," he smiled as he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "You have made me proud as a father."

"I've hurt Arjun Baba so much haven't I?" whispered Mitra in a tear choked voice.

"That you have, my little one!" admonished Karna, yet still adorning a playful smile on his face. Then as quick as it had appeared, the playful glint in his eyes vanished to be replaced by a solemn grief as he spoke, "Please do not let him be the recipient of further pain, Mitra. Arjuna has faced a lot of pain in his life, and he has lost almost all he held dear to himself."

He lifted Mitra's head off his chest to look her in the eyes as he spoke to her. "Promise me Mitra. Promise me you will never doubt Arjuna's love for you ever again. You would never be able to imagine how much love and affection he holds for you. You are his world, Mitra. This was why he refused to train you in the chakravyuha formation. His fear of losing you, just like he lost Abhimanyu, caused him to utter those words in your presence, my dear."

Mitra wiped her tear-stained cheeks as she noddingly replied, "I promise you Baba. I won't cause Arjun Baba any more pain. I can't bear seeing him depressed. Reading that diary really confused me and made me feel this way," she admitted sheepishly.

Karna masked his emotions with a smirk on his face, as he playfully held her ear, gently twisting it in the process.

"Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to ask you about next! Is this how I have raised you, huh? To go snooping around in someone else's diary?" he laughed as Mitra flashed her popular 'puppy dog eye' look, pleading with her father to release her poor ear.

"Ugghhh, sorry Baba. You know me! I'm just a snoopy little creature, and I couldn't help it when I found something special while exploring!" she admitted making Karna throw his head back and laugh heartily. "But, I guess I shouldn't have done that. It's not mine to explore."

Karna looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"On that note, maybe I should give you the special message sent for you by a very special someone. Someone who just might happen to be the owner of the diary you were snooping around in."

Mitra's eyes snapped up to meet her father with shock evident on each and every one of her enchanting features.

"Brother Abhimanyu?" she questioned as an unexplainable surge of a very familiar emotion ran down her spine. The same one she felt four years ago near the riverside beside the Kaurava campsite.

"Maybe..." chuckled Karna with a knowing look in his eyes.

"Baba, you are impossible. You know that?" huffed Mitra, with a smile tugging on her lips. Then with a hint of curiosity mixed with a tinge of insecurity gripping her thoughts, she cautiously asked, "Is he upset with me?"

"Upset with you about what exactly, my dear?" Karna countered back with a playful smirk on his face.

Mitra shifted uneasily while continuing to unconsciously play with Karna's angavastra – which clearly indicated her anxiousness.

"You know...I did snoop around in his diary. Is he upset with me about that?"

Karna regarded his daughter, completely guilt-ridden, as a beautiful smile bloomed on his face in response to her innocence.

"Would you like to know the message he sent you?"

Mitra first shook her head in the negative indicating that she did not want to know. She was scared that the Prince, who had somehow become dear to her in the deepest depths of her heart – despite only meeting twice, would harbour any ill feelings towards her. But as her curious nature got the better of her, she found herself absentmindedly nodding a yes to discover what exactly he had wanted her to know.

Karna chuckled as he cupped her dear face in between his hands again and looked into those beautiful kohl-lined doe-shaped eyes – which held a sharpness that made him feel as if he were staring at his own reflection.

"He requested me to pass on two very important messages to you. One – he wants you to dismiss any feelings of guilt you've harboured for exploring his diary, as he believes what is his is rightfully yours as well. And two – he'd like you to read it completely before coming to any more hasty conclusions. Apparently, the diary holds some important thoughts which he was never able to convey to you in person."

Mitra stared at her father, as a mixture of emotions clouded her thoughts. Shock, confusion, curiosity and what was that – a hint of shyness mixed with fear as she remembered her encounter with the Pandava Prince on the Kurukshetra fields four years ago. He believed that she had the right to go through his personal belongings? Why would he think that? Did he develop some sort of a soft corner for her? And – what was that? He had something he wanted to share with her in the diary? But that was written before she had become Vijaya Nandhini! Did he feel something for her before all this chaos? Curiosity got the best of the Kuru Princess, who twirled her fingers around the golden thread, which had loosened from the embroidered pattern on Anga Raj's angavastra, due to her constant fiddling.

"Baba, what thoughts exactly-"

"That my dear is for you to find out," Karna smiled cutting her off partway. He lovingly cupped her face once more between his warrior palms as he smiled at her with tears in his eyes. "You were and never will be alone, my child. You will always have me in your heart and Arjuna by your side. Never do I want to see you shed tears thinking that you have no one again, okay? Trust me...nothing brings me more pain. I would rather lose my life a thousand times over again in the Kurukshetra battle than witness a tear of pain escape your lovely eyes."

Mitra grasped her father's hands, holding her cheeks, as she struggled to control the tears threatening to escape her beautiful eyes. How could she have thought as such? With her hasty conclusions she had not only hurt herself, but both her fathers as well. Mentally taking an oath to never again repeat such a mistake, she replied, "I promise you, Baba. I won't."

Karna heaved a sigh of relief as his mind once again settled in a state of peace. All will be well again. He smiled down at his loved one as lone tear escaped his eye.

"It is time for me to leave, my child. You still owe someone an explanation and an apology," he chuckled softly.

"Don't leave me, Baba," Mitra chocked as she sunk back into reality. The reality that Daanveer Anga Raj Karna was no more. She lifted one of his hands from her cheek and placed a loving kiss on its palm.

Karna smiled at her innocence as he replied, "I have never left you, my love...nor will I ever. Always remember this. Whenever you call out 'Baba,' you will have two fathers there to hold you." He lowered his head and placed a soft, yet loving kiss on top of hers. "I love you, Putri."

"Baba..."

Mitra gasped as her eyelids fluttered open bringing her mind back to the present. Her body stiffened as she registered a strong arm wound around her waist and her tiny back pressed against a muscular frame. Yet just as soon as it had stiffened in shock, her body relaxed in a heart-warming peace, as she sensed the ever-familiar stubbled cheek resting on the side of her soft loose hair. Tears welled her eyes as she felt the soft and rhythmic breathing of the one whose heart, she had shattered that evening, fall softly near her ears. Her eyes quickly scanned the surroundings without shifting too much, and she mentally relaxed when she found that she was in her room. Yet a slight movement on her end was enough to wake up the mighty archer, who had been having a light and restless sleep that night.

"Putri, did you wake up?" murmured Arjuna as he brushed the back of his hand over his sleepy eyes.

As tears blurred her groggy vision, Mitra turned and buried her face in her father's chest sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, Baba!"

Arjuna felt the shattered pieces of his heart crumbling further with each tear drop that wet his chest. He hugged his dear princess close to his chest as he repeatedly whispered, "Don't cry, my love," over and over again. He lifted her head to see her face, and felt shaken by the redness of her eyes and the tear stained cheeks. There was a lot that they needed to talk about. He needed to clarify things to her, and judging by the sobs that berated against his chest – he knew his daughter had some thoughts to share as well. But the dark circles under her eyes warned him against taking up any conversations tonight. Right now, all she needed was a warm embrace and some restful sleep.

"Baba-"

"Shhh," Arjuna hushed her placing a finger on her lips. "You look beyond exhausted right now. Sleep now and we will talk about everything tomorrow, okay?"

Mitra nodded as she let the tips of her fingers trail over the dark circles under her father's eyes, which pinched her heartstrings. He had not slept properly that night because of her actions. 

"Will you stay with me, Baba?" she asked with hopeful eyes.

Arjuna smiled warmly, despite the weariness that began pushing him into an unconscious state of sleep again.

"Where else will I go?" he questioned back while pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, as Mitra smilingly snuggled into her father's embrace. Her home.

To Be Continued...

And that's part IV of Abhimanyu's Diary - I hope you all enjoyed the small surprise of meeting Karna and Abhimanyu- through the message!!  Please do comment your thoughts and let me know what you thought of the part and what you think is going to happen next! And do vote if you feel it's worthy. Thank you so much for all your patience and support - it means so much to me.

Also a special thanks to shasha0224, sisimaanu, simranwillnotpalat, jimmyprotested29 for nominating DaanveerPutri for the 2020 Sunshine Awards! I know I will get bashing from them for saying thanks as friends don't say thanks, but I couldn't help it guys - the love and support behind these gestures mean so much to the amateur writer in me :) 

To all my readers - please do check out these authors' stories as well, along with many others. I kindly ask that you please do nominate their stories if you like them - as they are more than deserving! 

Loads of love,

Geitha