Karna and his Brothers in an Alternate Universe

Blindsided from dreamland

DAY 10 OF THE BATTLE OF KURUKSHETRA

Hysterics of despair greeted Karna as the warriors returned after the sun had set.

He knew without asking: Bhisma had been killed.

Duryodhan was crying as he fell into Karna's arms. Shakuni's lip was curled; he did not care for Bhisma and only worried about the loss of their army, strengthwise, Karna knew, and was scornful of Duryodhan for crying not just for the warrior, but for his grandfather.

"Those Pandavas," screamed Duryodhan, trembling violently, eyes and face red. "HOW CAN THEY CLAIM RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THIS WAR? HOW CAN THEY? THEY KILLED OUR GRANDFATHER."

Karna rubbed his back soothingly.

"HE KILLED OUR GRANDFATHER. HIS FAVOURITE GRANDSON."

Everyone knew who Bhisma's favourite grandson had been; Karna felt a stab of sympathy for Arjun.

Last night, he had been half insensible with holding back tears at the idea of killing his grandfather, the closest Karna had ever seen him to losing control. But he had not lost control. Karna suspected Krishna's hand in it; Arjun would not dare to lose control for fear of disappointing his friend.

"He is beyond all redemption now." Duryodhan's voice had gone from screaming to guttural. "Pitamah is lying on a bed of arrows. And Arjun--he shot his head afterwards."

At Karna's shocked expression, Aswatthama spoke. 

"He asked for it. He told Arjun to give his head a support to match the rest of his bed."

Karna winced.

"He did it with great pleasure," said Duryodhan with contempt.

"No, friend," said Aswatthama. "Do not go that far."

"Are you on Arjun's side too, now?" demanded Duryodhan hysterically and turned to Karna. "The only one not blinded by our wicked cousin is you, my friend. Your time has finally come. You will step into the battlefield tomorrow."

Karna found it exceedingly difficult to execute a nod.

"Victory will be ours now," said Duryodhan. "Pitamah never wanted to hurt the Pandavas. Guru Drona can never hurt them. But you can."

"Of--of course, Duryodhan," said Karna. "I am yours to command."

There was no escape now: tomorrow, he and Arjun would meet on the battlefield.

*************

That night, Karna was almost ninety-nine percent sure that none of his brothers would visit the tree. Karna's vow of joining the fight after Bhisma left the field was unknown to no one in either camp.

But for that one percent whose name was hope, he visited the tree anyway.

Arjun was already there, alone.

From his posture, Arjun was broken.

*************

They did not speak much that day. 

Arjun's voice had lost its strength and Karna did not know what to say.

He was, of course, not sad over Bhisma's death. He had never liked Bhisma anyway, respect being a separate question altogether. The old man had always only insulted him in public, demeaned him, just like the society that believed the son of a charioteer did not deserve to be a warrior. Bhisma had hated Karna's very existence owing to his birth.

But he did wish someone else on the Pandava side had executed the death. Their commander, Dristadyumna, perhaps. King Drupad, King Virat. But not any of his five brothers. Not Arjun.