unwilling to acknowledge Karna even by a stare. A guard came in and lit the lamps in the room. Bhishma’s eyes caught the glitter of diamond ear studs in Karna’s ears and felt irrational rage. Karna was making him look small. “Yes?” Bhishma’s eyebrows arched, a distasteful frown wrinkling his brow.
Suyodhana was taken aback by his grandsire’s icy tone. “I…I deeply regret what has happened, but why arrest Karna?”
“And you have nothing more to say than you deeply regret...?” Bhishma moved closer to the Crown Prince.
“Pitamaha, that woman insulted me. You know what happened at Indraprastha. I am a Kshatriya. You cannot expect me to take such an insult lying down. I stood naked in their court. I was ridiculed and shamed. How do you want me to take it?” Suyodhana’s anger rose. Why was everyone blaming only him? Was it his fault Yudhishtra had gambled and lost?
“You are destroying this country.” Bhishma’s nostrils flared. His eyes were cold and hard.
“Destroying this country? I didn’t see this anger when the Pandavas destroyed Khandivaprastha. I didn’t see you take action when my Aunt Kunti had six Nishadas murdered.” Enough! He was not going to take these accusations lying down anymore. They were all partial to his cousins – Pitamaha, Guru Drona, everyone. Only his friends had stood by him.
“How dare you talk to an elder in this fashion, Suyodhana?”
“Pitamaha, I am not a child. I won this country.”
“Won this country? Has this Suta given you such silly ideas? He is going to be your ruin, young man.”
“What has happened to make you so angry, Pitamaha? We only threatened to strip her, we did not...”
“You arrogant fool! How dare you try to justify your behaviour?”
“Sir, I did not touch the woman.”
“Leave this room, now !”
“If you wish. But tell me why you are arresting Karna.”
“Because the Southern Confederate wants his head. Because he cheated his Guru. They have declared war on Hastinapura. If I do not hand over this Suta, they will ransack Hastinapura.”
“Sir, what is my crime?” Karna asked, lifting his eyes to the Grandsire’s face.
Bhishma covered his hesitation in a bout of coughing. He did not have an answer. The Suta’s eyes pierced his conscience. “I will not spill my soldiers’ blood over a Suta.”
“Sir, I am a low-caste but am I not a warrior too? I have fought for Hastinapura. I have protected her whenever she has been threatened. Allow me a warrior’s death, not that of a criminal. I request this from one warrior to another,” Karna said.
“Warrior? A man who condones the stripping of a woman in public cannot call himself a warrior.”
“Yes, it was a grave mistake. Will you forever hold it against us? Is there no place for forgiveness in your eyes, Sir?” Karna asked, desperation in his voice.
“You know that woman got what she deserved.” Suyodhana glared back defiantly at his great-uncle.
Karna quickly moved to the fore, pushing back his angry friend. He bowed low before Bhishma. “Sir, please accept my apologies. I beg your pardon for our dishonourable conduct. Allow me a chance to fight my enemies.”
“Fight? You think you can fight Parashurama?”
“Jayadratha has three thousand men and complete trust in Karna’s abilities. Karna can lead the soldiers of Sindh to take on the Southern Confederate. We just need your permission,” said Suyodhana.
Jayadratha, standing in a corner of the chamber with Aswathama, was shocked to hear it. Why should he lend his soldiers to the Suta? How could his brother-in-law promise his friend what was not his? He mulled over the proposal in his mind and decided to wait till he knew what came of this interesting conversation. Maybe he could make a bargain with Suyodhana, for the favour he was doing.
Bhishma gave a snort. “Three thousand men and this Suta to lead them? To face an army numbering a lakh of men? Led by none other than Parashurama himself. Do you not
Suyodhana was taken aback by his grandsire’s icy tone. “I…I deeply regret what has happened, but why arrest Karna?”
“And you have nothing more to say than you deeply regret...?” Bhishma moved closer to the Crown Prince.
“Pitamaha, that woman insulted me. You know what happened at Indraprastha. I am a Kshatriya. You cannot expect me to take such an insult lying down. I stood naked in their court. I was ridiculed and shamed. How do you want me to take it?” Suyodhana’s anger rose. Why was everyone blaming only him? Was it his fault Yudhishtra had gambled and lost?
“You are destroying this country.” Bhishma’s nostrils flared. His eyes were cold and hard.
“Destroying this country? I didn’t see this anger when the Pandavas destroyed Khandivaprastha. I didn’t see you take action when my Aunt Kunti had six Nishadas murdered.” Enough! He was not going to take these accusations lying down anymore. They were all partial to his cousins – Pitamaha, Guru Drona, everyone. Only his friends had stood by him.
“How dare you talk to an elder in this fashion, Suyodhana?”
“Pitamaha, I am not a child. I won this country.”
“Won this country? Has this Suta given you such silly ideas? He is going to be your ruin, young man.”
“What has happened to make you so angry, Pitamaha? We only threatened to strip her, we did not...”
“You arrogant fool! How dare you try to justify your behaviour?”
“Sir, I did not touch the woman.”
“Leave this room, now !”
“If you wish. But tell me why you are arresting Karna.”
“Because the Southern Confederate wants his head. Because he cheated his Guru. They have declared war on Hastinapura. If I do not hand over this Suta, they will ransack Hastinapura.”
“Sir, what is my crime?” Karna asked, lifting his eyes to the Grandsire’s face.
Bhishma covered his hesitation in a bout of coughing. He did not have an answer. The Suta’s eyes pierced his conscience. “I will not spill my soldiers’ blood over a Suta.”
“Sir, I am a low-caste but am I not a warrior too? I have fought for Hastinapura. I have protected her whenever she has been threatened. Allow me a warrior’s death, not that of a criminal. I request this from one warrior to another,” Karna said.
“Warrior? A man who condones the stripping of a woman in public cannot call himself a warrior.”
“Yes, it was a grave mistake. Will you forever hold it against us? Is there no place for forgiveness in your eyes, Sir?” Karna asked, desperation in his voice.
“You know that woman got what she deserved.” Suyodhana glared back defiantly at his great-uncle.
Karna quickly moved to the fore, pushing back his angry friend. He bowed low before Bhishma. “Sir, please accept my apologies. I beg your pardon for our dishonourable conduct. Allow me a chance to fight my enemies.”
“Fight? You think you can fight Parashurama?”
“Jayadratha has three thousand men and complete trust in Karna’s abilities. Karna can lead the soldiers of Sindh to take on the Southern Confederate. We just need your permission,” said Suyodhana.
Jayadratha, standing in a corner of the chamber with Aswathama, was shocked to hear it. Why should he lend his soldiers to the Suta? How could his brother-in-law promise his friend what was not his? He mulled over the proposal in his mind and decided to wait till he knew what came of this interesting conversation. Maybe he could make a bargain with Suyodhana, for the favour he was doing.
Bhishma gave a snort. “Three thousand men and this Suta to lead them? To face an army numbering a lakh of men? Led by none other than Parashurama himself. Do you not
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