Anuj's claim to affection (A Karna-Arjun what-if story)

Sworn enemy

Karna's pov

The first month after the fateful incident at the arena was something out of another person's world to Karna. After having lived in a humble hut with his poor but loving parents, the palace at Anga with its glorious marble and glittering gemstones, its unending array of rooms, its abundance of servants and elaborate feasts every other day blinded his eyes as often as overwhelmed him.

Deep inside, Karna was not fond of the glitter. He knew neither were his parents, who, though had refused to take up permanent residence in Anga, had already visited a dozen times. Possibly they had not shifted out of Hastinapur because they had known Karna would spend half his time at Hastinapur, too.

For to Karna, the most special thing since becoming the King of Anga was neither the glamour--which he disliked--nor the expansive opportunity for charity a king got for his poor subjects--which he loved to do--but his friend.

Duryodhan had not been lying when he had said he was not the Crown Prince to Karna, but a friend.

Though of wildly opposite natures, for Duryodhan was boisterous, assertive and impulsive, and Karna of a much calmer and even timid disposition in matters apart from archery, it was like the stars had always meant for them to be friends.

They went hunting, they took endless walks, they took kingdom decisions together. Duryodhan paid surprise visits to Radha and Adhirath, who had swiftly got fond of him, and insisted Karna visiting Dhritarashtra and Gandhari at every opportunity. This, of course, Karna felt awkward about, since they were not charioteers like his parents but the King and Queen. However, they had also got fond of Karna, and never seemed to mind his intrusions.

The person Karna admired the most in the palace was Queen Mother Kunti. She was dignified enough to command automatic respect and yet so kind to everyone, even the servants, that she commanded love, too. Everyone in the palace heeded her word, and as for her five sons, they worshipped the ground she walked upon.

Queen Mother Kunti was the only person apart from Radha Maa who made him feel like a child with a single glance.

She was the only person in the palace who would presume to ask a king if he had eaten, and if he was taking enough rest. She did it every time Karna visited.

"It must be trying, getting used to ruling a kingdom for the first time in your life," she told him one day. "How are you dealing with it, in general?"

"Oh--it is not that hard--Duryodhan is always there to help..."

"But do keep in mind the decisions you take are your responsibility, won't you, Karna? At the end of the day it does not matter who advised you; it was you who took the decision."

Karna was much struck that day, because he had honestly never thought of it that way.

Another time, Kunti asked, "Are you keeping up with archery practice? Is running the kingdom getting into its way?"

She was the only person who had realized this. How could she guess?

"A little," said Karna glumly.

Kunti smiled and patted his cheek. "Give yourself a bit of time to get the hang of things. But many people are not made for running a kingdom, but rather to be their king's armour."

"Like Arjun," said Karna, bitterly, before he could help it.

"Like Arjun," agreed Kunti. "You know, Karna, you need not dislike Arjun and the others so much. They are not bad people...and I am not saying just because they are my sons. I am sure you could be good friends with them, too--they are like your younger brothers..."

"I am sorry, Maharani, I can never be good friends with your sons," said Karna stiffly.

"Why not?"

"Someday, I have to defeat Arjun squarely," mumbled Karna. "Arjun is both my greatest rival and my greatest opportunity. I have dreamt of defeating him for years; I cannot let go that desire, Queen Mother."

"Simply defeat him," whispered Kunti cautiously, "right?"

"Often defeat ends in death."

"Oh, Karna," said Kunti. "Do not consciously breed hatred in your heart, especially for those who have never hurt you. Poison breeds poison, and you two may end up making a lifetime enemy of the other and looking back, neither of you will find the cause."

Karna stayed silent.

He hated the Pandavas with even greater intensity because their mother made him wish he was not their enemy.

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

It was all fine for Kunti to say he could be good friends with the Pandavas. The looks they gave him when they crossed paths in the palace of Hastinapur--

Well, they suggested everything otherwise.

Bheem seemed never to have forgiven Duryodhan or Karna for challenging Arjun in the arena because he hissed ominous comments about how a crown did not purge a sutaputra's blood. Nakul and Sahadev sniggered. Yudhishthir gave them stern glances.

Arjun kept his nose in the air. He appeared determined neither to acknowledge Karna by taunting him about his birth, nor by challenging him to another fight.

He appeared determined to ignore Karna's existence altogether.

To Karna's relief, Duryodhan disliked the Pandavas with every fibre of his being, and so did most of his brothers. Some, like Vikarna and Yuyutsu maintained friendship with them, but as a rule, the Kauravas and Pandavas detested each other.

It was a wonder that they survived in the same palace without strangling each other.

It made Karna glad, because if Duryodhan had been fond of his younger cousin Arjun, Karna could not have gone on being friends with him. He would have forsaken the kingdom gifted to him by Arjun's cousin, reaccepted the tag of the son of a charioteer and resumed looking for opportunities to engage Arjun to duel with him and prove himself the superior.

Instead, Duryodhan was thrilled to bits with Karna's skill in archery and the fact that he posed a serious threat to Arjun.

"You will never believe his arrogance," he said in disgust. "Once he had sweet-talked Guru Drona into favouring him, he felt himself set above everyone else. Do you know what he did with a boy who posed a threat to his skill and ego, who was not even Dronacharya's pupil, and simply practiced in front of an idol of him?"

"What?"

"He asked Dronacharya to demand gurudakshina in the form of his thumb," whispered Duryodhan dramatically.

"What a cowardly thing to do," said Karna, outraged.

Duryodhan shrugged. "Eliminating threats is his and Gurudev's way of establishing him the best archer in the world. Cut one's thumb off, forsake the other owing to his birth."

"He's exaggerating," said Aswatthama with a tolerant grin. He seemed the only person who was friends with both the Kauravas and the Pandavas--and he was Karna's friend from gurukul, too, into the bargain. "My father asked for Ekalavya's thumb himself. He belonged to Magadha and may someday have fought against Hastinapur."

"Choose to be deluded if you so wish, Aswa," said Dussashan.

"Arjun had nothing to do with it, at any rate," said Aswatthama. "But indeed, we may choose to believe what we want, Dussashan."

Duryodhan looked at Karna.

"We will not let Arjun eliminate you unfairly, my friend. We will soon find an opportunity to force him into another duel, and we all know who the victor would be."