'Karna's P.O.V,
Haa...
Today is pretty hectic...
From the morning prayer to the after lunch, Duryodhana remained glued to me for the whole time.
Initially, he only wanted to show me the palace but... Somehow, I got stuck in the middle of Duryodhana, Dushasana and Yuyutsu and had to give them a pretty long tour of the forest surrounding the castle!
And that's not even the gist of it! Mahar- Ahem* Uncle who seldom allows Duryodhana to leave the castle, miraculously allowed their lovely sons to venture in the wild with me?!
I mean really? I am just an eighteen years old child with little to no combat experience (According to them)!
How could I have guaranteed the safety of the young princes?!
I had to pinch my cheeks hard enough to realize... It wasn't a dream!
Actually, I will never dislike the company of Duryodhana, on the accounts that he i-! was my best friend but now...
We are bound by a totally different relation. He is my Anuj and the other Kauravas too. The previous bond had long since been left behind or...
My past that might have occurred in the near future had vanished, leaving behind an empty page, ready to be filled with new colours of our emotions, relations, destinies and... ends.
The only question that remains is...
Am I ready for it?
...
"Jyeshta, this place is so beautiful!"
"I agree! The view from this slope is so great!"
"Hmm~! You are right Bhrata Duryodhana!"
To the folks who may be curious about this place, let me get this straight. This is the farthest point from the Octagram, an open garden placed in the middle of the wilderness, situated at the peak of this mountain, surrounded by many mountains.
This little garden has been our secret base, where I seldom trained under the attentive observation of my brother, Aarav, far away from the reach of anyone but nature.
Initially, this place was bereft of any plant life or water but... With our hard work and a little bit of acting before Maa Ganga, we successfully transformed this barren peak into a little paradise!
Though... I have to suffer a little bit for it... Which became one of the darkest moments of my life... it should better be left alone...
Ahem*
Regardless of anything that happened to me, this place had finally served its purpose by bringing a smile on the faces of my sweet little brothers~
"Jyeshta, Watch out!" called out Yuyutsu while looking towards the naughty duo of Duryodhana and Dushasana, trying to throw the lake water at me.
Swish!
Splash!
Unfortunately for them, despite not being able to regain a fraction of my strength, my strength I'm not someone to trifle with!
To add icing to the cake, I have been blessed by Maa Ganga herself! Rendering any type of water attack i.e. Lethal or Harmless, useless against me.
"???"x3
By the courtesy of the blessing, the water fell on the ground without daring to touch even a strand of my hair or clothes which ultimately filled the little trio with utter bewilderment.
"Hahaha! Anuj, throw more water on him!"
"Hmm~!"
"Me too!"
Fortunately, it is Dvapara Yuga, and these little devils are still immature. So, instead of being curious or frightened by the previous spectacle, it ignited their fighting spirit!
Swish!
Swish!
Splash!
So, with newfound vigor, they started to attack me using the lack water while I dodged them, creating a game of dodge-water, without any prior context or whatsoever~
After all, there was no need to showcase my abilities before little devils, right~
"Watch out Anuj~"
Splash~
"Oh no! I am completely drenched!"
"Hahaha!"
Since they were attacking me, how can I not respond back?
Moreover, it's too much fun to tease these cute children before they will become the MAHARATHIS of the future!
...
For the whole afternoon, we played like never before, forgetting everything in our enjoyment!
Albeit, every good thing has to end.
Thereby, I addressed my brothers after I glanced at the setting sun and finished offering my evening prayers to my esteemed father and the deity of Sun, "Brothers, rest a bit. We have to return before sunset, alright?"
"Ha... Huff.... Y-yes brother"x3 exhaustingly responded to the three princes who appeared to be lifeless while laying on the ground to catch their breath.
And... As expected! The first one to stand up on his feet was none other than Duryodhana, by the grace of his strong body which provides him with extraordinary endurance and recovery, followed by Yuyutsu and Dushasana.
"One... two... three... Hmm~ Let's return."
After counting their numbers, I ordered our little brigade to onwards the castle of Hastinapur.
However, before we can start our journey...
"Bhrata?" hesitantly asked Yuyutsu, who unlike the Duo of Duryodhana and Dushasana, remained stationed in his place and kept staring at my right shoulder.
Feeling curious about his sudden behavior, I asked, "Yes, Yuyutsu, Any problem?"
"Umm... Bhrata, Where is the eldest brother Aarav?"
"He? He is her-!"
"Where is he?!"
"????"x3
****
(To be continued...)
Author: Heh~ Let's write another cliffhanger~
'Knock-knock!'
Author (Inwardly): Hmm? Who might it be?
Slam!
Author: Who are yo-!
Punch! Kick!
Thud!
Author: Hey! Don't kick me! Who are you!
Unknown man: I'm .....
Sorry for the delay...
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