KARNA THE EMPEROR OF HASTINAPUR CONTINUED EPISODE 14

 

Episode 14

Duryodhana’s secret bomb…..

Warriors’ are warriors. War or no war they keep anchoring. The two groups of soldiers stood on their toes. The Kurukshetra battlefield was silent but not the men in arms. They kept grooming. Each had etched their name in invisible letters. The unnamed in the greatest war on earth, proud and lucky. So were the countless horses and elephants.

Krishna’s tent was the centre of attraction. The men and women who mattered the most at the helm of affairs gathered. Dhritarashtra kept away. He had authorised his wife Gandhari to take a call. He knew fully well that his son Duryodhana is a hard nut to crack. The ordained meeting had begun.

Balarama the mediator initiated the discussions. Krishna appreciated the gracious stand taken by Duryodhana to give up amidst certain conditions. Kunti asked Kripacharya to fix an auspicious day and time for the incarnation of Yudhistira as the king of Hastinapur. Vrishali however, suggested that it would be wise to consider the other conditions of Duryodhana, before jumping to a conclusion. Gandhari too supported her.

Destiny or fate!

Balarama sensed the mood of Krishna who winked. Ashwattaama was summoned to put up the conditions of Duryodhana. Ashwattaama created ripples in the meeting hall. For a moment, there was pin-drop silence. A weapon never heard, and heralded, a silent killer was released by Ashwattaama on behalf of Duryodhana. The ever tough Duryodhana wanted his loyal friend Karna to be proclaimed as the EMPEROR OF HASTINAPUR and not Yudhistira.

A meticulous move indeed. Even his mentor Shakuni mama could not have conceptualized. This majestic stroke silenced Kunti. It pushed her into a dilemma. After all, Karna was her eldest son. But what about Yudhistira, her loyal and noble son, who had suffered all along? Will the Pandava dynasty reconcile?

A matter of perception

It mattered very little for Gandhari. With Duryodhana giving up, the Kauravas will be nowhere, unless the grandchildren resurrect.

It was but natural for Vrishali, Karna’s wife, to remain calm, yet rejoice from within.

Will Draupadi also called Panchali, with her vow at stake throw in her towel?

The other Pandavas dumb stuck jumped onto the shoulders of Krishna their crusader.

Yudhistira ever loyal to her mother Kunti wanted to hold a discussion with his brothers, especially the furious Bheemasena.

The clever Balarama adjourned the meeting for the time being.

To be continued in episode 15……