Kairavi

Chapter 31

She was prepared to face such reactions, for she had told herself several times, that what she did was for the good. 'Mass welfare' as her father had said.

But Karn's words stung a lot harder. They way he glared at her with disappointment and anger, reminded her of Parshuram. He had the same look on his face when he cursed her.

"You will listen to me bhrata. I'm not at fault here." She resolved to herself while picking up the lotus that he had crushed.

'How can my Kairavi be so senseless? What did she see in those self-obsessed Madreys? What has she become?!

Now people will say, Bhagwan Parshuram has tutored a sinner. He gave us whatever he had and what did she do? Put a blotch on his reputation?'

Karn's grip tightened on the railing he was leaning on. He wasn't able to chalk out why her sister would do such a thing. It was beyond his comprehension.

A loud exhale left his nose.

Radhey felt a soft hand on his upper arm. "Do you remember this, bhrata Karn?" Chandraja said while tying an armlet she had made with kamal petals.

Sweet old memories flooded his brain. He reminisced about the moment when he saved the little moon princess from splitting her head on a boulder.

"Yes, I miss Kairavi. I miss the 8-year-old innocent lass who used to chase her dolls down a cliff." A deep voice broke out of his throat.

"She is right here." She looked up at him, orbs filled with anticipation. "No, Chandrakumari. That Kairavi is dead. The Kairavi who is standing in front of me chases men now."

"Bhrata, I did not marry two men at my own will! I was persuaded. Yuvraj, Rajmata and my father told me it was necessary for mass welfare." She put her case forward.

"Oh yeah? You were persuaded? Poor you, Kairavi." His satire physically punched her core.

Arni had been holding back her waterworks till now, but the tone of his voice let it loose. He wasn't ready to buy her explanation. "Bhra-" "So you don't love your husbands? You're not happy in this marriage?" He cut her off.

Now, that was a question where she didn't know what to tell him.

She couldn't lie and say that she was trapped in this unrighteous relationship; because she loved both twins without a fault.

"SPEAK!" She remained silent. "You're not the same person. I don't know you." He stated flatly. "And I don't want to be seen with people like you either, so kindly leave." For the first time in her life, Karn had made her feel so worthless.
"Out of all the people in the world, I didn't expect you to doubt my character, bhratashree."

"Angraj." He corrected, and that made Arni mad. Her tearful eyes quickly turned red with anger.

"Ask yourself Vijaydhari, have you not changed?" She wasn't going to stay even a moment more, cleaning up the mess that her marriage had made. So saying that, she spinned on her heel with so much force, that the loose end of her angvastra flew on Radhey's face.

The infuriated princess stormed off towards the terrace door and bumped into, what felt like a metal pane. She stumbled and almost blacked out from the impact but someone caught her arm to prevent the fall.

It was Dusshasan's chest. He eyed Arni up and down while tending his moustache, that sat above his sickening grin.

"You see, mere baccho. Adharm can make anyone's steps wobble." Shakuni and Duryodhan smirked at each other.

"Yatharth mamashree." She returned a sardonic smile. "And possibly, this might be the reason why you limp." He was visibly offended. "Feisty, are we?" The younger kaurav tried to pull her closer, but she was planted firmly on the ground. Shooting him a threatening glare, she snatched her arm away.

"Woah. Look at her, jyeshth." He chortled. "I've already seen my secret admirer, anuj." Duryodhan replied walking past her, towards Karn who was spectating the incident silently. "Oh, so that affability was a facade. Not a shocker." Her statement made him stop in his tracks.

"Kairavi! Don't cross your limits." Karn warned. "Bhratashree! You're defending those people who tried to burn your mot-" Subconscious slapped her face before the forbidden truth could escape her mouth.

Karn grew suspicious. "My what?" He inquired. "Ma-Maharaj Pandu's sons and Rajmata." Luckily, her brain came up with a substitution instantly.

"Devi." Gandhar Raj grinned, showing his stained teeth. "You are putting a false allegation against us. There's no evidence to prove that we burnt the Lakshagrah." "It's an open secret, mamashree. You would've been rotting back in Gandhar if Samrat Dhritrashtra wasn't your puppet."

"ENOUGH!" Karn broke their verbal spat. "Leave. Right now." He knew it was wrong to defend a bunch of murderers, but his loyalty lied with them. Kairavi was chagrined on hearing the coldness in his voice.

"That is no way to talk about the next Samrat's father, Chandraputri." Duryodhan said, mouth twitching in anger.

"When the sun sets, people light torches as a compensation.

They settle for earthen lamps only till the last hour of night. Because neither the torch, nor the lamp has any subsistence once the sun rises." Her inference set Duryodhan's ego on fire.

He came closer to her with slow, warning steps. "I am the eldest of this generation, for my mother conceived me first."

"Bhrata Yudhishthir was born first." She countered.

He laughed out loud. "I am the son of the current emperor, foolish girl. Yuvraj Duryodhan has everything that a good king needs and he will be the next ruler of Hastinapur as well; whether you like it, or not." He towered over Arni.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Shakuni fondling his bad leg. Her brother was supporting these evil masterminds. And for what? A singhasan?
"Bhrata Karn, sometimes you end up in the wrong place, with the wrong people. Due to someone else's deeds.
If your heart ever tells you the same, listen to it; because that's how the almighty communicates with mortals."

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My dearest sakha says,

"Ek nihsatva phal, apne paas lage sabhi phalon ko dushit kar deta hai.

Kuch aisi hi hoti hai manushya ki sangati. Ek bhrasht manav ke prabhav se samagra vansh ka naash ho jaata hai.

Aur aise vyaktiyon se apni santano ka rakshan karne ka kartavya, uske mata-pita ka hota hai. Koi bhi balak asuri avritti lekar janm nahi leta, apitu uske sanskaar hi uske charitra ka praman hote hain.

Yadi har mata-pita, apni santan ka jeevan sukh-suvidhaon se bharne ke sthan par;

unke charitra ko sanskaaro se bhar de;

unhe jeevan me sangharsh karna ka shikshan de,

aur un sangharsho se yuddh karne ka manobal de;

Toh kya wahi santan apne karmo se sukh nahi prapt kar legi, sakhi?"

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