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 26

Hastinapur, Dwapar Yuga

Kripacharya POV

Seven days had been passed after that fateful incident. The next day of that yagnya, Aryaka left Hastinapur. Before leaving, he met with the king, Mahamahim Bhishma, Dronacharya and me. He didn't have any malice inside him. Maharaja Dhritarashtra also apologized to him. With the blessings of Sri Vishnu, the danger on Hastinapur was averted.

Duryodhana's behaviour also changed from that day. He now spent a lot of time in the Shiva temple, worshipping and meditating. I didn't know, but it seemed to me that he was at war with himself. When I heard the chanting of mantras from the temple by him, it felt like...what I could say; he was trying to break free from something. Rishiputra also noticed that too.

I had seen a lot of change in Rishiputra too. He became too quiet after coming here. It was like he was burning in a fire inside him. I thought sometimes to talk to him, but couldn't master the courage. Sometimes, I saw him talking to the Rajkumars. He grew pretty fond to all of them. But, when he saw Arjun, I had noticed an unknown glow in his face. But, I felt that Duryodhana was a little angry with him, probably because of his refusal to teach his sutputra friend. But he respected him that I could understand. He also loved Kripi and Ashwatthama a lot. I had to admit, that I didn't see a more complex character like him. Even, Shakuni was not as complex as him.

I heaved a sigh. The more days were passing; the situation was becoming way more complex. The Kauravas and the Pandavas still had some tensions between them. But, there was still a ray of hope. I saw that young Duryodhana was extremely fond of little Sahdeva. I saw both of them talking many times in those past seven days.

The seven days, the whole palace was anxiously waiting for Bheem. If Aryaka was right, then, today was the day when he would come back. Maharaja Dhritarashtra would himself go to receive him, on the bank of River Ganga. Maharani Kunti, Gandhari, Bhishma and me would accompany them. Tomorrow, they would go to the gurukul of Rishiputra.

We all went to the riverbank, and after waiting for a moment, we saw Bheem coming out from the water. Aryaka was with him too. When Bheem saw us, his face literally glowed with joy. Before coming to us, he touched Aryaka's feet. Aryaka blessed him wholeheartedly.

"Remember, putra, your strength is not for flaunting. You are a Kshatriya. You must use your strength to fulfil your Dharma. Don't you ever forget that?"

Bheem nodded affirmatively. Then he literally ran towards his mother. Maharani Kunti also ran towards her son. Both mother and son hugged each other tightly. Devi Kunti was crying. Bheem was crying too. The reunion of both mother and son was a heart warming scene.

"Putra Bheem! Do you know how much you scared me? Those seven days, I live with constant fear." Kunti's voice was chocked with tears.

"I am here now, Matashri. Please don't cry!" Bheem said in a teary voiced too. Then he looked at her side, and asked,

"Where are my brothers, Matashri?"

"They are waiting for you in the palace. They wanted to come, but I ordered them to stay there. Now, we will go there." Maharani Kunti paused for a moment. Then, suddenly, her voice became hard.

"But, before we reached the palace, I want you to promise me something."

Bheem looked at her with big eyes.

"Promise me, putra! No fighting with your cousins! Tomorrow, you all will go to the gurukul! I don't want what happened here, would happen again. The fight between you and Duryodhana took very much ugly turn this time. Do you know..." her gaze fell on Aryaka, who was standing behind Bheem,

"Your great grandfather, Aryaka, he was an inch away from losing his life. When I got your news...promise me putra, no more fighting. Promise me now!!"

I was curiously looking at Bheem's face. The boy was hot headed, and brash minded, but I knew that he had a golden heart. I still hoped that the enmity between Bheem and Duryodhana should end, but the path was rough. The throne of Hastinapur was a barrier between the loves of the brothers. Duryodhana was a product of his father's every ambition. Shakuni's influence on him was not a good thing. But there was another thing which worried me.

Seven days ago, at the fateful day of the yagnya, I saw another image of Duryodhana. I saw that for just a moment. The image was literally demonic. That purple body, long canines...even thinking about that made me shudder. Mahamahim, Vidura, Rishiputra and Aryaka also saw that image for a second. I remembered the day of his birth. The bad omens of that day...the wild beasts came from the jungle...the vultures flying over the palace...the sky dark with clouds and cyclones...every single omen showed that this boy was not ordinary boy. In his earlier years, his behaviour was wild, rude and rash. But, I vividly remembered that day, from when, I saw a drastic change in him. Then, the fight in the village was another thing. Vidura said to us to prepare for a war of succession. The fight in the village made Duryodhana immensely popular among the people.

I was lost in my thoughts when I saw Bheem came to me, and touched my feet. I blessed him whole heartedly. Then we came back to the palace. Bheem immediately ran to their room to search for his brothers. I looked at him, and then went to find Duryodhana.

I came to the Shiva temple and saw him there. Ashwatthama was also sitting beside him. Duryodhana was chanting the 'Karpurgauram' mantra. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the roughness in his chanting was reduced. Probably, this was a good omen. It was Ashwatthama who first noticed me.

"Pranipat Mamashri!" He came and touched my feet. Now Duryodhana saw me too. He also came to me and touched my feet.

"Pranipat Kulguru!"

I blessed the two boys. Then I looked at Duryodhana.

"Bheem have come back into the palace. Now, I am requesting you..." I tried to cross my hands, but Duryodhana grabbed them before I could do that.

"What are you doing? You are an elder, and a sage. Your hands shall cross only before Mahadev, not for anyone else."

His every word literally touched my heart.

"Then, hear this request of this old sage. The last time, the fight between you and Bheem crossed all limits. Tomorrow, you all are going to the gurukul of Rishiputra. Promise me, that you will not fight with your cousins there."

Duryodhana looked into my eyes.

"I will not start any fight with them. But, if they start it, then I cannot promise you anything, Acharya."

"They will not start anything. Maharani Kunti took a promise from Bheem. Now, as much as I know Yudhisthir, he will not start any fight with you."

"I know that, Acharya, I know that very well."

We both were silent for a moment. I was thinking something, when, suddenly I heard Duryodhana's voice.

"Mitra Ashwatthama, Kulguru is referring himself as an old sage. But, as much as I can see, his beard and hair is black. Do you think he colours them?"

I looked at him, and saw the crooked grin in his lips.

Wait just for a moment, o son of Dhritarashtra!

I chanted a mantra, and in a moment, a thin cane came into my hand.

"Uh oh!" I heard Ashwatthama's voice, "Run mitra!"

"Catch me if you can, Kulguru!" Duryodhana literally ran like a deer, with me in a hot pursuit behind him. Now, I will show him!

We were both running inside the huge palace. Every single men and women there were looking at us with popped eyes. After our fiftieth round of the palace, both of us became tired, and sat on the floor. Duryodhana was panting a bit, when I held his right ear.

"Ouch! Ow! It hurts!"

"You reap what you sow Rajkumar." I turned his ear. Then both of us started laughing. I hadn't laughed this much in my life.

After a few moments of laughter, we both were calmed down a bit. Then, suddenly, I heard his voice.

"I will miss you Acharya. After Pitashri and Matashri, I will miss you the most!"

My eyes became a bit moist.

"Don't worry putra! Twelve years will pass in a blink of an eye. While you are in there, learn with all your might. I will pray to Devi Saraswati for you."

"Bless me, Acharya!" He touched my feet again.

Probably, there was still hope for him.

So, this is chapter 26.

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