The Gall of Gammon

Disclaimer: This story is my humble attempt to write a fanfiction of the epic Mahabharata. My intention is not to hurt anyone's sentiment.

Aum Namah Shivay!!

Major Jayant Roy, SM is a fictitious character. Any similarity with any living person is merely a coincidence.

Chapter 18

Hastinapur, Dwapar Yuga

Jayant/ Duryodhana POV

The six of us had entered the empty throne room. Maharaja Dhritarashtra was in front of us, with kakashri Vidura helping him. Pitamah Bhishma and kulguru Kripacharya were walking in the next line. In the last line, I was walking with mamashri Shakuni. Maharaja Dhritarashtra ascended on the throne. Then he said

"Now, putra, tell us the information."

"Maharaja, a bandit gave me some information before his death. He told us that Panchalraj Drupad hired them in exchange of gold coins to burn the grains."

Everyone present in the room was shocked beyond limit.

It was Vidura who spoke first.

"I can't believe that a brave warrior like Drupad will apply such cowardly methods. Yes, he is an arrogant king, but this is cowardice." Pitamah Bhishma was silent, but his face was hard. He looked at me.

"Putra, do you have any more information?"

"Yes, pitamah. The injured man told me that Drupad ordered the raid because a Brahmin insulted him. He got the news that the Brahmin took shelter in Sona village."

"A Brahmin?" Kulguru Kripacharya's voice was dry. His face became a bit pale.

"Yes kulguru. The Brahmin was none other than..."

I was stopped in mid-sentence because I heard the excited voice of a boy.

"Pitamah! Pitamah!" it was Arjun. He literally barged into the room. His face was glowing with excitement and joy. But then, my eyes fall on the thing in his hand.

It was a football made by me, well; I ordered them to be made. But the ball was now pierced with a long line of tree branches.

I knew what that meant. I knew that who could have done it.

"Arjun! You must ask for permission before entering a room." Kakashri Vidura mildly scolded him. He apologized and started telling us about a Brahmin who helped them pulling out the ball from the well with tree branches.

The four of them, excluding myself and mamashri, were astonishingly hearing the words. Arjun was very happily telling the story.

"Then he told us to take the ball to pitamah. He said that pitamah will recognise him. So, I took the ball here." He held the pierced ball in front of him.

"Please tell me, pitamah, who is he?"

There was a little bit of silence at first. Then pitamah spoke up.

"He is Dronacharya, the son of sage Bharadwaja and disciple of sage Parashurama."

"He is the same Brahmin who took shelter in Sona village." I said.

"What?" Kulguru was shocked.

"Yes, kulguru. The man told us his name before his death."

"Hey Ishwar!! What happened between rishiputra and Drupad?"

I knew exactly what happened between them. But I decided to keep my mouth shut. Pitamah stood up from his seat.

"I am going to welcome him."

"I am coming too, pitamah." Arjun and I said in unison.

The three of us walked to the field. There was a large banyan tree on the eastern side of the field. I saw a man sitting under it. His eyes were closed.

Pitamah crossed his hands and bowed his head.

"O son of Bharadwaja, please accept the regards from the emissary of Maharaja Dhritarashtra."

Dronacharya opened his eyes. This was the first time when I properly looked at him. He was a tall man, with broad shoulders. His eyes had a calm look in it. But, his hands told me different things. What could be happen when those hands got a Kalashnikov or a Tavor into them?

He said in a deep voice, "Are you not happy seeing me, o son of Ganga?"

Bhishma pitamah smiled a little bit, "Acharya, you are well versed in shashtras. You know that the duty of an emissary does not permit me to greet you myself before greeting you on behalf of the king."

Dronacharya looked at him. Then his gaze fell over us.

"If your king doesn't permit me to stay in Hastinapur, will you still have greeted me with his enthusiasm, Gangaputra?"

Pitamah smiled a bit, "You know the answer, Acharya."

Now Dronacharya's face also had a small smile, "Pranipaat, Gangaputra. Tell me, how is Kripacharya?"

Bhishma pitamah was now astonished.

"You don't know? Kripacharya went to your village. He took Devi Kripi and Ashwatthama here, along with him. Duryodhana went with him too. Then..." Suddenly he stopped mid-speaking. Then he looked at us.

"Arjun, Duryodhana, come forward. Touch his feet and seek blessings from him. Acharya, he is Arjun, the third son of late Maharaja Pandu. The one standing beside him is Duryodhana, eldest son of Maharaja Dhritarashtra."

We both touched his feet. Dronacharya blessed us wholeheartedly.

"But why Kripacharya came to my home?" Dronacharya said.

"He went there to request you to accept the Kuru princes as your student and disciple. Now, I am requesting you the same."

Dronacharya looked at Arjun's eyes. Probably, he was thinking about his revenge on Drupad.

"I accept."

I was looking at the two disciples of sage Parashurama standing in front of me. When, suddenly, I felt a tingling warm sensation in my body. Then suddenly everything went black. These things happened probably in a millisecond.

Suddenly, I found myself standing in an open field, amidst the darkness. The soil was wet.

"Where am I?" I thought to myself. The darkness was now increasing more and more.

"Ok Jayant, calm down, calm down." I took a few deep breathe. Then I took a few steps in front of me. But, then, a horrific sight greeted me.

A body was lying in front of me. The body was pierced with arrows. Hundreds of arrows pierced every single inch of the body. The body was lying on a bed of arrows.

I knew who he was.

Bhishma!!

Suddenly, I heard a voice, "Tell me, is my son really dead? Is my Ashwatthama really dead?"

Then a voice came, "Ashwatthama hatayati, naroba kunjroba."

Then I heard the slashing of a sword, and then, the all familiar sound of a heavy thing falling on the ground.

I turned my head towards that side. A decapitated body was lying on the ground. The severed head was lying a few feet distance from the body.

Dronacharya!!

I could not endure the sights. I was a commando. I was trained to kill. I killed a lot of enemies. But, I hadn't felt like this ever. Probably, I loved and respected them, and their deceitful killings made me sad.

I turned my head to the opposite side. But, another horrific sight was there.

I saw a chariot in front of me. Its one wheel was stuck in the ground. A body was lying there, beside the wheel stuck in the ground. The head was severed from the body.

Karna!!

"Mitra! Radheya! Karna!! Pitamah! Acharya!" Tears were flowing from my eyes. Then I realised, that the mud under my legs was created by the blood flowing from the three bodies.

Suddenly, I heard an inhuman voice.

"Look at them. Look at the work of those half-devtas. Young Arjun was always under the loving shadow of Bhishma. But, his hand doesn't tremble piercing the same man with his arrows so cruelly!!"

"SHUT UP!!"

"Dronacharya loved Arjun the most. He committed adharmas for making him the best. That Yudhisthir, he pretends to be the most righteous man in the earth. But that son of Dharma told a half truth to kill his teacher, a Brahmin. He was the same teacher, who always loved them more."

"SHUT UP!!"

"Look at there. Your friend is lying over there. He was killed by deceit. The five half- devtas always pretend that they were on the path of righteousness. But, what they did in the name of righteousness. They used the most numbers of trickeries."

My head was getting heavier. My mind was like drowning in those words. Those words are right. The Pandavas killed Bhishma, Dronacharya, and Karna with deceit. They only pretend to be righteous.

I heard the inhuman voice again.

"Kill them! Kill them, by any means! They will take away what is yours. They will kick you out of your own kingdom. The elders would not help you. They were too busy with those five killers. Poison them, burn them, use any means to get rid of them."

The one word 'Kill' was echoing in my mind.

Suddenly, something flashed in my mind like a lightning. My mind became clearer with each second of it. I somehow came back into my senses. Then, just like magic, the dead bodies, the mud and the blood all vanished.

I thanked Mahadev in my mind.

Then I said to that unknown entity.

"I told you, that I am not a puppet. Get away from me, and my family, otherwise, your end would be in my hand."

There was silence for a moment. Then, I heard a demonic laughter. It was like pure evil. I crossed my hands and started praying to Mahadev.

The laughter ended abruptly ended.

Then, I heard that voice again.

"Well done, Jayant Roy, well done. But, you can't defeat me. No one can defeat me. I will have what I want, and nothing could stop me from having it."

So this is chapter 18.

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