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 4

Hastinapur, Dwapar Yuga

Jayant/ Duryodhana POV

Seven days had been passed.

In those past seven days, my only work was to watch, learn and adapt. I was gathering as much intelligence as I needed. I also took care of my hundred brothers and one sister. Dussala was literally a cute doll, just like my own sister Seema in my previous life.

I was trained to adapt in any situation. So I did every single thing to achieve it. But, there was one problem in this Yuga, which is the lack of things for time pass. There was no TV, no internet...well no electricity too. But, the weather here was pleasant. The environment was clear. No green house effect and no global warming, thus the air was clean.

The management of one hundred brothers was not an easy task. But I commanded an army company of 120 men, so that was not a big problem for me. My one hundred brothers included my only step brother Yuyutsu, the son of Dhritarashtra and Sugada. But there was one thing favoured me, that my every single brother obeyed my command without any question.

Today, I had a plan to organise a soccer match. I already looked out for a suitable ground just outside the city. Two goalposts were made up by using bamboo and thin clothes. The balls were made up by using leather and clothes. They were not like the modern times, but still, they would be handy. The boundary lines and centre circles were made up by using white paints.

It was probably 8 am in the morning, when I reached the ground, along with my hundred brothers and my personal servant, Guha.

Yes, Mata Gandhari had assigned me with a personal servant, probably under Sugada's suggestions. Guha was a boy of probably one year elder than me. He could not speak, but he could hear. Though I refused to have a personal servant, my mother firmly ordered me to have him. Then, from the last seven days, I had him alongside me. But I made sure that he must not have any heavy work. Now, his only duties were to properly arrange my clothes and ornaments.

The one hundred and two of us reached the field. Some other servants were already there with food and water. I looked at my brothers' exited face. Yesterday, when I was explaining the game and the rules, they were very happy to be a part of this new game.

"Okay, brothers, make ten lines with ten of you each, quick!!" I shouted.

My brothers hurriedly obeyed my command. In a few moments, there were ten lines on the ground.

"Everybody remember the rules?"

"Yes, bhratashri!" one hundred voices shouted in unison.

"Good!" I took out two clothes, one yellow and one red," you know what they mean?"

"Yes, bhratashri!" one hundred voices shouted again.

"Great! Now, your lines would be your team. First match would be played between Vikarna's team and Yuyutsu's team. Today we will play five matches. I will be the judge. Vikarna, Yuyutsu, get your teams on the ground. The other teams sit outside the boundary line. Quick!"

I had decided the time for one match would be thirty minutes. I would measure the time by using two water pots which were in Guha's hands. One pot had a small hole under it, which could empty the pot in approximate thirty minutes.

The first match was interesting to watch. Vikarna and Yuyutsu, both of them scored a goal. Subahu, the goal keeper of of Yuyutsu's team, saved some good shots. Upananda was the goalkeeper of Vikarna's team. He played well for the maximum time, but at the last moment, he missed a shot in the goal, kicked by Mahabahu. Yuyutsu's team won the match by 2-1 result.

The next match was between team Dussasana and team Anuvindha. From the start, both of the two teams were playing aggressively. I have to show Dussasana the yellow cloth once. After that, they were playing in a restrained manner. Jayat and Jayatsena were the two goalkeepers of the opposite teams. Both of them played excellently. This match was a draw with 0-0 result.

The third match was played between team Suvarchaas and team Dhanurdhara. But before I gave the order for starting, I saw Guha. He was waving his right hand towards me, probably seeking for my attention.

"What is it?" I asked.

Guha smiled and pointed towards a side of the field. I looked at there and saw my mother and father, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari were standing at that side, along with Pitamah Bhishma and Kulguru Kripacharya. Sanjaya and Sugada were with them too. Sanjaya was standing beside my father and Sugada was standing beside my mother. My other brothers also saw them now. All of us bowed to them in unison.

The elders had smiles on their faces. They walked in front of me.

"It is an interesting game you all are playing, son." Kripacharya said to me.

"This game will be a good physical exercise, gurudev." I said. The servants presented in the ground quickly made sitting arrangements for them. They sat on the big cloth on the ground.

"I am sorry, pitashri. I would make proper arrangements if I...." Dhritarashtra stopped me in mid sentence.

"It's all right son. I was very busy handling the state's affair for the past a few weeks. I have no time to meet my sons. But today, I am free. So, I decided to meet all of you."

That was true. I met Bhishma, Kripacharya, Mata Gandhari, Vidura and Shakuni on the first day of my arrival. But, after that, they became busy in handling their royal affairs. I only met Mata Gandhari frequently for the last few days. I only caught just one or two glimpses of Dhritarashtra. Today is the day when I properly met him.

He was a tall man, probably 6'1", with broad shoulders and a muscled body. His biceps and triceps were well built. Those were the hands which got the power to crush iron, I thought to myself.

"Start the game son." Mata Gandhari ordered me. Her radiant smile filled my mind with joy.

I shouted the order for the game. Sanjaya was giving commentary to both my mother and father. Both the teams of Suvarchas and Dhanurdhara played a neat and clean game. Vindha from Suvarchas's team scored two goals. Dhanurdhara's team also played well. Sama and Saha scored one goal each. In the last moment, Vivinshati from Suvarchas's team scored a goal, thus won the match in 3-2 score.

The last two matches played between team Durmarsha and Durdharsha, Ravi and Shrutavan were resulted in 0-0 drawn.

"All right brothers, make ten lines, quick!!" I shouted my orders.

In a few moments, the lines were on the ground.

"Have you enjoyed the game?" I shouted.

"Yes, bhratashri!!!" a hundred voices shouted in unison.

"Anyone have any injuries?"

"No, bhratashri!!!" a hundred voices shouted again.

"Good! Now, we would walk to the holy Ganga River and then take a dip. Mata Ganga would wash your every drop of tiredness brothers."

Then I looked at the elders.

"Do I have the permission, pitashri?"

Dhritarashtra smiled.

"Only one condition. Tatshri will go with you."

I did not have any objection to it. The one hundred and three of us started walking and approximately after fifteen minutes, we reached the riverbank.

We bowed down to the river. But before I could take the first step towards it, a flash of light came to my eyes. The light came to my eyes after reflecting from something. I looked at the source.

It was a man, who just stepped out from the river. His back was turned towards us, so I could not see his face. But, there was something glowing in his both ears. I probably knew his identity, but I must confirm it right now.

"Hey you!!" I shouted, "Stop right there!"

The man turned towards us. He was not a man; he was a young boy, probably nineteen or twenty years of age. He was tall and lanky. His eyes had a godly radiance in them. In his both ears, there were two golden earrings. The sunlight reflected from the earring and came into my eyes.

The young man came in front of us and bowed his head

"Pranipaat, Rajkumar." Then he saw mahamahim Bhishma with us.

"Pranipaat mahamahim."

"What is your name?" I asked him.

He flashed a radiant smile, "My name is Radheya. I am the son of the charioteer Adhiratha."

Karna!

The son of the Sun god, the greatest giver ever in the earth, was now in front of me. Then, suddenly, I heard Dussasan's voice.

"Jyesth, look at there. Kakashri Vidura was there on the chariot."

I turned my head to the other side. There were two chariots coming towards us. The first chariot had two people on board. One was uncle Vidura, and with him, there was a lady wearing white dress.

Maharani Kunti!

The second chariot had five boys. The first boy had a calm look in his face, another one was bulkily built. The two small boys beside him had some similar facial features. The boy next of them, he had a lanky build with dark complexion. His eyes were like a sniper's scope.

The Pandava's were coming.

Then suddenly, I heard a voice

"Rajkumar, can I go now? My mother is waiting for me in home." Karna, who was standing in front of me, now asked me.

I silently nodded. Karna bowed to me and started walking. At the same time, Mata Kunti, Pandava's and Uncle Vidura were also coming towards us. The scene in front of me was just like a movie. Karna was going out, Kunti and Pandavas were coming in. Both of them passed each other. They didn't acknowledge each other. But I didn't miss the facial expression of Maharani Kunti changed when Karna passed her.

I heaved a sigh. So, Mahabharata was now officially started.

But in this time, Shakuni could not manipulate me. Not in any chance.

So, Pandava's came to Hastinapur now.

What would Jayant do now?

Read and stay with me to find out.

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