Karna and his Brothers in an Alternate Universe

Meeting midway

It was unexpected how their conversation did not peter out. Two rivals who had spent half their lives hating each other were not expected to have any topic to talk about. But two brothers who had only just got to know each other did. They had a lifetime of topics to discuss.

It was a funny sort of conversation that day, in that elusive hour when night was past but dawn had still not arrived: informalities slipping in between the formal tones they tried to maintain; laughs punctuating the automatic instinct to insult each other; but perhaps most of all, denial of the discovery of how very similar they were.

Their opinion on anything on archery, war and kingship matched to the dot. On dharma, the way of life and life beyond death. On family, friendship and loyalty.

Without explicitly mentioning Yudhishthir and Duryodhan, it appeared neither's style as king was Karna or Arjun's ideal: one was too submissive, one too assertive. But death was preferable than abandoning someone you loved, be it your older brother or best friend.

"Your friend Vasudev might have been the best sort of king," said Karna.

"So I have told him a million times," said Arjun. "But he doesn't want to be king. I get him, though--I would never want to be king."

"Of course. It is infinitely better to be your king's armour."

Whereupon they realized they were each their king's most resilient armour.

As far as the war was concerned, it took both of them time to admit, but they did in the end: they did not want the war.

"One on one combat works better than wholescale battles," said Arjun. "Lesser worries--"

"--and lesser weaknesses," said Karna.

"Precisely," said Arjun. "No one can defeat me one on one, but my side may be defeated as a whole in war."

"I can defeat you one on one," said Karna, rising to the bait promptly.

"Certainly, King of Anga, but we did not see much of that in the Matsya Kingdom war."

Karna glowered. "Wait till I step into this war, Arjun. You will not be able to disarm me even with your superior charioteer."

"Superior charioteer?" said Arjun in a mocking drawl. "That is what you are going to blame your impending defeat on?"

"It is baseless," said Karna, "to consider what would happen upon your victory."

Arjun laughed before he could stop himself. That effectively brought their spat to an end. Karna noted that his brother's laugh came a lot freer than his own did; it would no doubt be the effect of having grown up a doted, adored child cherished by everyone instead of being laughed at, mocked and demeaned by everyone growing up.

How different would things have been if Kunti Maa had not dumped him in the Ganga? He and Arjun would have practiced archery together...he might have even...

Taught Arjun to wield the bow in his earliest stages of childhood.

A cold stabbing shiver went down Karna's spine.

In that alternate universe, he would have been the proudest man on earth at Arjun's prowess with the bow and arrow. It would not have been Dronacharya whom Arjun worshipped so blindly and attributed all his successes: it would have been his older brother. 

'Everything I am is because of my big brother.'

Because of this Karna was certain: Arjun would have turned out just as good an archer irrespective of his teacher.

They could have been the best archers of the world, belonging to the same family, always fighting on the same side.

Arjun was looking at him now, an open, curious look on his face, possibly at his sudden lapse to silence. He was about as open with his expressions as Karna was closed. It was the easiest thing in the world to read what Arjun was thinking. 

Karna wondered if Arjun ever got these paralyzing flashes of what could have been.

He did not suppose so. After all, his younger brothers did not regret their entire life that they would lap up thirstily the idea of any alternative.

"Arjun?"

As one entity, Karna and Arjun jumped to their feet.

It was Bheem, followed by Nakul, emerging from their camp, their eyes heavy with sleep. Their sleepy daze vanished as they made out Arjun's companion.

"Brother Arjun, what--?" Nakul began.

"It is nothing," said Arjun quickly. "The King of Anga just came to apologize."

Just came to apologize? Karna bristled, his familiar resentment kicking in. Trust Arjun to never waste a single opportunity to demean--

"Is Panchali up? Come along, then," Arjun told Karna, when Nakul had replied in the affirmative.

"I have not just come to apologize," said Karna frigidly.

Arjun raised an eyebrow, both warning and pleading.

"I thought you did," he said significantly.

Then it dawned upon Karna that telling the others he had 'just came to apologize' was miles better for both their sakes than admitting they had 'just been talking about every normal topic without guard the day of the war.'

"I have not come to apologize just to Panchali," amended Karna hastily. "I thought it would be appropriate to apologize for what happened at the dyut sabha to all of you before the war commences. I hope someday you can forgive me." He inclined his head at Bheem, who glared, and Nakul, who gaped.

Arjun took Bheem's expression as a signal to sidle away.

"Panchali, Brother Yudhishthir and Sahadev ought to be inside." He caught Karna's arm and pulled him inside the camp.

Karna was undecided whether to pull away, but then Arjun himself realized the friendliness of the gesture on war day and dropped his brother's arm like it was burning coal. 

They took care not to look at each other while Arjun hunted down the others. Bheem and Nakul joined their trail, the former looking like he was holding his tongue with great difficulty.

Eventually, Yudhishthir was the only one who accepted the apology. From the flush in his face, though, it was clear he knew he did not deserve it. Sahadev, like Nakul and Arjun, reacted with open-mouthed shock.

Draupadi was, of course, the coldest of all, though it was only to be expected.

"Now you have come to apologize, King of Anga?" she said haughtily. "Well, it happens to be too late. We are not calling off the war."

"I am not asking you to," said Karna, nettled. "I only--"

"--came to apologize," repeated Draupadi dubiously, and turned to Arjun and Bheem. "What is Duryodhan playing at now?"

"He did not come on Duryodhan's commands." Arjun took the words out of Karna's mouth.

"We have a lot to discuss, little brother," said Bheem.

"Surely." At someone's summon from behind--a child's--Draupadi stalked away. 

Yudhishthir laid a calming hand on Bheem's shoulder and addressed Karna.

"We are sorry to hear you turned down our offer at reconciliation, King of Anga." He sounded respectful. Also regretful. "But we would not have expected you to abandon Duryodhan anyway. All the best for the war. Farewell."

Nakul and Sahadev gave nods of their heads that suggested the same. That their feeling was hatred no longer. Maybe the apology had had something to do with it.

"Farewell," said Karna.

He sensed Arjun's gaze on him, demanding a personal farewell--an ode to the hours they had spent like brothers--but judging from the way Bheem was glowering at Arjun, Karna thought it would be unwise.

He strode away without a backward glance.

Behind him, he could hear Arjun's brothers--his own brothers--beginning to behest Arjun to justify himself.

He wondered what Arjun would say. But it was not in his place to wish to know of the Pandava brothers' private conversations.

Karna refused to give in to the appeal of a backward glance, no matter how enticing it appeared.