"Wow! What an amazing place you've got to rule Jyesth." Arjun said drily.

The Pandavs were at Kandavaprastha with some architects and workers. They only brought people who were required to make the city with them. A handful of soldiers accompanied them. As the heat of the sun was bearing harshly on them, tents were made and arrangements for bhoomi pujan (prayer for new construction) got completed.

"How'll we build the city and how'll people survive here Jyesth? This place is surrounded by forest that can be useful, but we can't go there. In this barren land nothing grows. And this heat is burning us. Why Indra dev cursed this land?" Nakul said with dejection. He was the most affected by the heat among the brothers. His face had turned red like a tomato from inspecting the area for hours.

"He didn't curse the lands. He gave a boon to the nagas (snakes) that this place will be theirs and no human will be able to live on this land. The Kandava forest only contains Pisacha, Rakshasa and daitya-danavs with the naga tribe." Yudhisthir said. Earlier or later they were going to have a confrontation with those. People were afraid to come here. He had already ordered for the Wells to be dug fast. But making this weather livable was going to be a struggle.

"Where's bhrata Bheem?" Sahdev asked. Bheem entered the tent just then with a basket of ladoos. He looked at Nakul's red face.

"Nakul, take this ladoo. You'll feel better." Bheem offered him one. Arjun's eyebrows reached his hairline.

"Give me cool water, bhrata Bheem. Ladoos are not going to give me relief." Nakul said.

"Woh toh nehi hai. Aur ladoo se mujhe to rahat mil raha hai. Toh mai hi kha leta hu. (That's not available. And ladoos are giving me relief. So I'll eat them only.)" Bheem said and ate the one he offered to Nakul.

In Dravida:

Drisana was sitting beside a fountain at the garden with a heavy heart. Was she wrong? Should she have informed Pandavs about Vrikasthala? Well, she didn't care. Hastinapur needed to be divided. Not only for her and Nakul, but also for the betterment of Pandavs and common people. Yudhisthir had to come out of their clutches to make changes for the well-being of Aryavart.

She was feeling bad for taking advantage of Dridhaksh's situation though. He was already suffering. She could understand his pain. At least she had hope of getting her love. But he didn't even had that. Drisana was afraid for her brother. She had promised that she would complete his love story both to him and herself. But from what she knew that wasn't going to happen. And it was going to end terribly. Well, she just needed to make sure it didn't. Easy enough, right? 'Yeah, right.'

"Why are you sitting here alone?" Subhadra asked from behind.

"Just contemplating some things." Drisana said.

"What things?" Subhadra asked sitting beside her.

"Love and it's consequences. How easy it is to fall in love, but how difficult to get it. Not everyone is lucky enough to get their love." Drisana said as a sigh escaped her lips.

"Bhrata Krishna says if you love someone with a pure heart, not even Gods are able to take that from you. The hurdles that comes in its path can only test it's strength." Subhadra said. Drisana looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"What? If you love someone truly, the place, time, people nothing matters, you'll continue to love even though the person isn't with you. But if it's breakable and weak, it'll fade. So, it's not love we try to get because that always remains with us, it's the presence of the person that we try to achieve. Bhrata Krishna says so." Subhadra completed. Drisana chuckled. Krishna and his sayings.

"Do you love someone?" Drisana asked her.

"No. Not yet. But I'm going to soon." Subhadra said.

"How do you know that?" Drisana asked surprised.

"Because bhrata Krishna said so. He also said this journey to Dravida will give my life a new direction." Subhadra said enthusiastically.

"You seem excited about it." Drisana said as she contemplated her words.

"Yes. I'm excited to know who is going to capture my heart. I'm ready to walk in a new direction." Subhadra said smiling with shyness.

"What if the path is filed with thorns?" Drisana asked.

"When is there ever one without them? I'll walk with raised head holding the hand of my lover." Subhadra said it with so much ease as if it was no big deal. Her smile never left, only got bigger. Drisana hoped her smile never left her lips.

In Hastinapur:

Kunti was feeling depressed.

First she had to pay the price of her insolence by separating from her son, Karna. Now, all of her sons were away from her. Though Karna was here, she wasn't able to hear the word 'Mata' from him, nor she deserved to be his mother.

"Mata, you haven't eaten anything since last night. Please eat something." Devika said sitting on her knees in front of Kunti while Draupadi held the plate of food.

"I'm not able to shallow food, Putri. My sons, don't know in what condition they're in." Kunti said as her eyes turned teary.

"They won't be good Mata. Even though they're away from you, they will sense your sadness. How can they be okay when their Mata is depressed?" Devika said.

"Yes Mata. Please eat something for your putri's. If Drisana was here she would have told you not to worry for your sons, rather worry for those evils that resides there." Draupadi said with a smile.

"That she would have. I miss her." Kunti said smiling a little.

"Don't worry Mata. She'll be with us soon. Now look at your these Putri's too. Won't you eat for us?" Draupadi said holding a morsel of food in front of her. Kunti nodded taking it. Devika and Draupadi then fed her by their hands.

In Kandavaprastha:

Here, Takshak was away at Kurukshetra and his wife and son, Aswasena were worried along with Mayasura. They sent their spawns to attack the humans that infiltrated their land. But Pandavs defended themselves everytime, but they lost some of their peoples and the progress of building the city was slower than expected.

Later Krishna arrived at Kandavaprastha and Agni dev requested them to burn the forest. But Arjun didn't have divine weapons to fight with Indra dev and the celestials.

Agni dev requested Varun dev, the possessor of Gandiva,
to give the bow for the purpose of Arjun. On being requested by him, Varun dev gave Gandiva along with two inexhaustible quivers full of divine weapons. Agni dev also provided Arjuna with an indestructible chariot.

As per his behest, Arjun then proceeded to burn the forest. Hearing the pleas of naga tribe, Indra dev was furious at Arjun and attacked him. But Arjun remained undefeated. Indra dev was pleased with his son's prowess and blessed the land with rain and called Vishwakarma to build a city there. Pandavs named the city Indraprasht as it was built with Indra's blessings.

Kandava forest burned down. It's residents either dead or fled. Some pleaded Arjun to spare them as they had come to fight with him. One of them was Mayasura, he built Maya Mahal, a beautiful Palace for Pandavs out of gratitude.

With everything settled down, it was safe to bring the women and their people to live in Indraprasht.

In Hastinapur:

"You called me, Mitra." Angraj Karna said coming inside Duryodhan's living room. Gandharraj Shakuni and Dussasan were also present.

"Heard you went to meet those Pandavs before they left?" Duryodhan asked. Though he was calm from outside, a storm was going inside him. He heard about Karna's closeness with the Pandavs. Even though Karna opposed his ways and so he kept him away from his plans, he never thought his friend would side with his enemies. He wanted to blast, but refrained from doing so only because it was Karna.

"Yes, I went." Karna said shortly.

"Why may I ask?" Duryodhan asked gritting his teeth.

"No. It shouldn't matter to you who I meet with. But still I'll answer. I went to see how they were faring after your deception and if they needed anything." Karna replied.

"What -" Duryodhan started to scream but controlled himself. "Mitra, they are my enemy. I did what was necessary to win. See, now I'm the Yuvraj and those Pandavs are removed from my path. Instead of helping me in taking revenge, you're sympathising with them? I was deprived from my rights and you're praising those who are responsible for that. I was humiliated by that girl. You know what Kashi Naresh said to me when I went there to visit? He mocked me saying Hastinapur's men should start wearing nath's (nose ring) because even fragile woman's can beat us. And you? You call yourself my friend and that bitch your sister. Instead of getting revenge for my insult, you try to protect her from her due. Where the hell is your loyalty?" Duryodhan shouted losing his composure.

"Yuvraj Duryodhan!!! Keep your tongue in check. You were insulted and slapped because you crossed your limit. You have no right to talk about a woman's character. A person who can't even respect women, has no right to call himself a man. If Kashi Naresh insulted you, that's his narrow thinking, Drisana has no fault in it.
And as for loyalty, pets are supposed to be loyal. Friends guide each other. And I tried to do that at every step. When have you ever heard anything I say? Even after promising repeatedly that you won't take the path of deception, you continued to do so.
Enemies should be faced in battlefield. Backstabbing is the act of cowards. And doing Adharma to win is not acceptable. You're talking about being the Yuvraj? Subjects look up to him for protection and you made your subjects life miserable. What revenge are you talking about? After everything you did, it should be Pandavs seeking revenge, not you." Karna said agitated.

"Now you will tell me how should I act? You son of a Soota. What do you know about ruling? I made you a King. I gave you respect that you didn't even deserved. Whatever you are that's because of me. I own you. You are here to serve me, not bark on your master." Duryodhan screamed in anger. Karna stood numb, his eyes glistening with tears. Shakuni's eyes widened. What the hell? Well, he was Dussasan's brother after all.

"You're right Jyesth. You've only gave him so much courage that he dares to speak against you. Black will take no other hue. (Nature doesn't change.) Afterall he's a Sootputra, how can we expect loyalty from him." Dussasan said angrily. Shakuni wanted to smack both the idiots heads on the nearest pillar.

"Shant mere bache. You don't know what you're saying in anger. Angraj Karna, please don't take their words to heart. You know how tense he remains nowadays. He's getting his anger out at the wrong place." Shakuni tried to handle the situation.

"No, Mamashree. Not today. He should know his place. He was nothing. I gave him honour, I made him a King. Even Mata didn't want me near him, a mere Soota. But I didn't care for that. I embraced him with open arms, made him my friend when he wasn't even worth of spitting at. So he could challenge Arjun and kill him. He was my weapon against Pandavs and look at him now. Instead of killing those Pandavs, he's conspiring against me with them. Tell me something. Was it you who went to Vrikasthala to save them? Tell me!" Duryodhan asked angrily.

"No. It wasn't me. Whoever it was, I'm greatful to him because he saved you from the sin of killing them with deception. You're right, Yuvraj. Whatever I have today is due to you. But I wasn't aware you saw me as unworthy to even spit. I thought you're my friend. I didn't know I was just a servant bought with friendship. All my life, I struggled to get recognised and honoured for my skills. When you embraced me, I thought I got that from you and I did. But I wish it wasn't so. I wish instead of thinking I'm just a weapon, you would have saw me as a worthy friend. Remember when you made me King of Anga, I asked what can I do in return of your favour. You said you only want my eternal friendship. You didn't said you wanted me to kill Pandavs. Arjun has been my rival from the start. I've always wanted to prove myself superior in skills than him. You considered them enemy, so I did too. Whenever there was a threat, have I not stand before you to protect? Have I not raised my weapons for you? You of all people should know that I'll never conspire against you or anyone else.

You've done a lot for me. But now I'm unable to handle the burden of your favours. Forgive me if you can. I'm renouncing the throne of King right now and also all the things I got from you and because of my position as the King of Anga. You won't have to bear this Soota anymore. I release you from this friendship." Karna said with glistening eyes. Duryodhan turned his back on him, not bothering to apologise or stop Karna. He had the realisation that he made a mistake in anger. But his anger and ego was still heavy on him to accept it. Gandharraj Shakuni wanted to pull his own hair while Dussasan gave a non-interested look.

Karna left after placing his crown near Duryodhan's feet.
Karna was remembering all the humiliations he faced since birth because of his station. Duryodhan was the only one who gave him respect. He thought Duryodhan didn't saw him as a Soota rather saw him as a human. Hadn't he wanted that only? But today it hurt the most to know that his Mitra, the only person who valued him, did it only because of his skills. He saw him as something to be used. He got what he wanted, recognition for his skills. But did he really want that? Did he wanted himself to be seen as only a weapon? But if not that than what? Either a Soota or a warrior. Who was he? Who he wanted to be?

Contemplating these, he reached his house, to his Mata-Pita. Adhirath had warned him that Duryodhan only wanted to use him against Pandavs. But he didn't listen to his father. Today Duryodhan himself proved his father right.

"Putra, you've arrived. I thought you'll be late." Radha then noticed the devastated look at his face. "What happened putra?"

"Who am I Mata?" Karna asked in a broken voice. Radha got scared thinking had he come to know about them being their adoptive parents.

"You're my Putra. You're radheya." Radha said.

"I am. But I am also a Soota with Kshatriya's abilities that society doesn't accept. You know Mata Yuvraj Duryodhan said I'm not even worthy of spitting at. He said I don't deserve respect. He only befriended me so I could be used against Pandavs. I'm just a weapon to him. Why Mata? Why being a Soota is so wrong? Why can't I be accepted as a human with abilities? Why?" Karna asked as tears fell from his eyes.

Radha's heart was breaking seeing her son in this condition. She knew how much Yuvraj Duryodhan meant to him. More than them he had worshipped Duryodhan. Because he thought Duryodhan was the one who didn't differ between caste. Who gave more values to abilities than caste. Now as she saw her son breaking in front of her, she didn't know how to console him. How to take away the pain he was suffering from.

Here in Indraprasht, there was a sad smile on Krishna's face. It was necessary for gold to go through fire to get refined.

Any Karna fans???

It was sooooo hard to understand his mindset, to get what he actually wanted. 😥😥😥

I wanted readers to connect with Karna.

Don't know I succeeded or not. 😧

Let's see how it turns out. 😀😀😀

P.S. I know at this point Karna probably took an oath to kill Arjun. But here he didn't. Any confusions???