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 43

Hastinapur, Dwapar Yuga

Karna POV

"Mitra, I want to ask you something." I said the words to my friend, Rajkumar Duryodhana. He turned towards me.

"What is it?" He asked me with a small smile.

I heaved a sigh. How can I say those words to him? He was the only one beside my parents and brother who loved me, respected me as a warrior. He introduced me with another friend, Mitra Ashwatthama. Now I, Radheya Karna was going to ask something from him which could cause harm to him. I saw him fighting in that war and I knew that he was a powerful warrior. But my Gurudev, Bhargava Parashurama was an incarnation, an avatar of Narayana himself. I didn't know if my friend had any chance in front of him. Bhargava killed all the Kshatriyas in the world twenty one times. Mahamahim Bhishma was the only Kshatriya, who defeated my teacher. Now, that fearsome warrior, the immortal Brahmin wanted a duel with my friend as his Guru-dakshina.

Suddenly, I felt my friend's hand on my shoulder.

"What is it, Karna?" Duryodhana's voice was dripping with concern.

I hung my head.

"Mitra, I want to ask something from you."

Duryodhana was silent. But I could feel his gaze on my.

"You know that I learned archery and warfare from Sage Parashurama. I hadn't given him my dakshina yet."

"Why?"

I was silent for a moment, trying to master all my courage to speak these words.

"He wanted a duel with you as his dakshina."

"What?!" My friend's shocked voice entered into my ears. I was so much ashamed, that I couldn't look at him. I hadn't felt like that when my Gurudev cursed me.

Both of us stood silent for a moment. Then suddenly I heard my friend's voice again.

"Ok then, get ready for a journey, Radheya."

I looked at his face. I couldn't mask the shocking expression in my face.

"Radheya, if my friend needed my help, and I refuse to help him, then what type of a friend am I? Don't you worry; you will surely give your Guru-Dakshina."

Tears started flowing from my eyes. What have I ever done to deserve a friend like him? First, he gave me his friendship, made me a king so that I could challenge Arjun in a duel, now he was ready to fight a duel with Bhargava. He made me indebted to him. Each and everywhere I turned my eyes, I saw a favour on me done by him.

"Radheya! Are you crying?" Duryodhana said to me in an amused voice. Then he engulfed me with a massive hug. I hugged him too. My tears were now broke all barriers. We were at this position for a few moments, and then we broke our embrace. Duryodhana tried to slap my back, when I saw my golden armour came out on my torso, astonishing us both. Duryodhana lightly slapped my back on my armour. I heard a clanking sound of metal hitting metal. His body was hard like iron, or harder than it.

Then I noticed for the first time, that the tall shadow of Mahamahim Bhishma fell on us. I turned my head and saw him standing. His face was hard like stone.

He walked towards us. Duryodhana bowed his head to him. I did the same. But Gangaputra ignored me and stood in front of Duryodhana.

"Putra, do you know the meaning of your words? Do you know the meaning of fighting a duel with Bhargava?"

Duryodhana nodded affirmatively.

"I know Pitamah. I know that facing Bhargava means facing death. But I can't back out from a challenge. I am a Kshatriya and a Kuru Rajkumar. I am the son of Maharaja Dhritarashtra and Mata Gandhari. I am the grandson of Gangaputra Bhishma. I am the student of Kripacharya and Dronacharya. I am not a coward who backs out from a challenge."

Mahamahim Bhishma heaved a sigh. Then he gave me a look and walked inside the palace. I stood there, feeling like a criminal. My best friend was ready to risk his life for me, and I could do nothing about it.

When Maharaja Dhritarashtra and Maharani Gandhari found out about our voyage, they were literally shocked. Maharaja Dhritarashtra was silent, and Maharani Gandhari was crying. I saw Mitra Duryodhana coaxing his parents. Maharani Gandhari was tightly hugging his son, and crying. Her blindfold became wet with tears. I left him with his grieving parents and came to my home with a heavy heart.

I was lying on the floor with my eyes closed. Suddenly I felt two soft hands hold my head, and placed them on an equally soft lap. Then ten soft, flower petal like fingers started massaging my head. Those magical fingers literally washed away all my fatigue and sadness. I opened my eyes, and saw the smiling face of Vrushali, my childhood friend and the love of my life.

"Pranipat Angraaj.", she gave me a radiant smile. Her smile was like the cool breeze after a hot summer day. I smiled at her too. We grew up together from our childhood. We played together; together we tormented our parents and got punished. The little sapling of our friendship now became a huge tree of love with time. I made my mind that she would become my other half.

"Why are you so sad today?" She asked me. I told her everything about my guru-dakshina and my friend. Vrushali heard all of it with patience and concentration. After I finished telling her, she said,

"Do not worry. Nothing will happen to you and your friend. I will pray to Narayana for the safety of both you and Rajkumar Duryodhana."

I smiled at her. My Vrushali had a kind soul and loving heart. I also made a small prayer to Surya Narayana in my mind. Her caring words calmed my mind a lot. Then I enjoyed the tasty meal cooked by both her and my mother, and went to sleep.

Next day morning, I met Mitra Duryodhana in the riverbank. He told me that he will go today, actually just after the bath and prayer. I quickly finished my worship too, and quickly went to my home. There I took the blessings from my parents, and came to the palace. In the main gate of the palace, I saw a small crowd gathering. Maharaja Dhritarashtra, Maharani Gandhari, Shakuni, Mahamantri Vidura, Kripacharya and the Kuru Rajkumars were standing there. Duryodhana touched his parent's feet. Maharani Gandhari applied a tilak on his forehead.

"Vijayi Bhava Putra!" She said in a soft voice. Duryodhana took her right hand in his hand, and touched it on his head. Then he touched the feet of all the other elders, and all of them gave him blessings.

I was lost in my own thoughts, when I heard Mahamahim Bhishma's voice.

"Angraaj, the path to Mahendra Hills is long, and dangerous. You have to cross a lot of kingdoms, and forests and hills full with rakshashas. "

I nodded at him. My grip tightened around my bow.

"Mahamahim, I promise you, if any danger tries to reach Rajkumar Duryodhana, it will have to cross me at first. I will protect him with the last breath and the last drop of blood in my veins. I don't know what will happen when he will face Bhargava. But today, I, Radheya Karna, make a promise to all of you. The two of us are leaving Hastinapur, and the two of us will return, else..."

I spoke mid sentence, but I could surely understand by looking at all their faces, that they all understood my unspoken words. If something happened to my friend, then I would end my life. I looked at my friend, who took out the trident necklace from his neck, and in a moment, that necklace glowed and changed into that black mechanical ride. All the elders looked at it with shock. The Rajkumars laughed after seeing that again.

"What is this, putra?" Mahamahim Bhishma asked him, his voice was laced with shock.

"This is a magical ride Pitamah. It has no need of horses. We will both ride on it.", Duryodhana said to him. Then he looked at me.

"Karna, you have to carry some things."

I saw Rajkumar Dussasan, who handed me a medium sized sack. That sack contained fruits and some rice and a cooking pot. Duryodhana only carried a long knife in his waist. Then he rode on the ride, and shouted.

"Radheya, quick, sit on it."

I somehow balanced the sack, with my bow, arrows and sword, and sat on that mechanical ride. This was the first time I noticed that ride properly. What astonished me the most was a transparent square between the two metallic handle. That transparent part was actually glowing, and some unknown signs magically came on it. Duryodhana pressed something with his thumb, and the ride started trembling under us, and making loud sounds. In a moment, it started moving.

"Radheya, sit tight, do not move much." He said to me. Then the ride increased its speed, and we were on our way. In a few moments, we reached at the market area of Hastinapur. People were looking at us with shocked face. I couldn't blame them, because I was also shocked. But still, it was a way new experience for me. We left the city quickly, and then Duryodhana increased the speed again.

We crossed the border of Kuru kingdom, and entered northern Panchal. This ride was faster than any horses I ever rode. The Mahendra Hills was situated beside the Kalinga Kingdom. We didn't want to enter Magadha, and face Jarasandha, so we took a long route. We have to cross northern and southern Panchal, then Chedi Kingdom and Vidarbha Kingdom. Then we would reach the hills.

Time was flowing like a stream. We reached Ahichatra after sometimes. Ashwatthama welcomed us with open arms. He was able to gain the respect of his subjects. We went inside the medium sized palace of him. There we met his parents. I had met Dronacharya, but it was the first time I met Devi Kripi. Her face had the same loving expression of my mother Radha and, and, Maharani Kunti.

When Dronacharya and Ashwatthama heard about the cause of our journey, they were equally astonished. But the Acharya gave us his blessings. I felt that the Acharya had changed a lot. But I didn't understand the cause. He, who refused to teach me in my childhood, now behaved with me like a loving elder. I was still angry to him, but I decided not to show it at any cost. I didn't want to hurt Ashwatthama and Devi Kripi by my rude behaviour. We spent the night there, and the next day morning, we took their blessings and bid farewell to our friend there. Then we started our journey again. We quickly crossed the southern Panchal without stopping. Maharaja Drupad was the ruler of the southern Panchal. We didn't want to face any type of problems in our journey, because after losing half of his kingdom, Maharaja Drupad was surely burning in the fire of humiliation and anger. Now, I knew that both of us could take on the whole army of him, but Duryodhana told me to avoid unnecessary clashes.

It took us four days to cross the Chedi and Vidarbha Kingdom. We stopped multiple times in those two kingdoms. Kuru Kingdom had no direct enmity with Maharaja Shishupal and Maharaja Bhishmaka. So we did not have any danger there. While passing through the capital of Vidarbha Kingdom, the famous Kundinpuri, we heard about Rajkumari Rukmini of Vidharbha and Shishupal's arranged marriage. But when Duryodhana heard the news, I saw a cryptic smile in his lips.

We left Vidarbha and turned towards Kalinga. We didn't have to enter the kingdom, because the hills are at the border. For the first time, we slept in the jungle, and cooked our own meal. The next day morning, we rode again. After sometimes, I saw the Mahendra hills.

"We have reached our destination, Mitra.", I said in a low voice.

We stopped under the hills. The ride again changed into the trident necklace, and went automatically to my friend's neck. I looked at him. His cheerful demeanour vanished, and the same hardness of a battle hardened warrior took his place again.

Suddenly, we heard a loud voice, similar to the roar of a lion. I recognised my Gurudev's voice in a moment.

"Radheya, tell your Mitra to climb up alone. You will stay there."

Duryodhana looked at me. I didn't know what came to me; I went to him and hugged him tightly. He hugged me too.

"I will pray for you. The two of us left Hastinapur, and the two of us will return there, else no one would return."

"We will return." Mitra Duryodhana said in a low, but iron hard voice. Then he climbed up the hills, leaving me alone downhill. I was looking at him until he climbed at the top. He had only his knife in his waist and nothing else with him.

Then I sat on the ground, and closed my eyes. I started praying to Mahadev for my Mitra.

This is chapter 43.

King Bhishmaka was the father of Rukmi and Devi Rukmini.

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