The sons of Pandu were all looking down with their faces in grief while the eldest Karn wore a blank expression by the time Satyavati reached them along with Vidur. She didn't understand why there were people surrounding them and why the kids whom she met for the first time were looking like that. Her eyes then landed on the cause of why the children were like that and she was shocked after seeing it.
"Pandu!" gasped Satyavati, looking at a dead Pandu lying a few feet away from her on the ground.
Vidur stilled looking at his dead half-brother, his eyes widened immediately.
"Pandu..." muttured Satyavati looking at Pandu.
She stumbled a few feet back from her grandson's dead body. Tears were cascading down her eyes and soon her eyes rolled back to the back of her head and she too collapsed on the ground, losing unconsciousness.
"Rajmatha!" exclaimed Vidur and immediately ran to help her.
*****
Karn watched in confusion as Madri walked towards Pandu's funeral pyre, her guilt getting the best of her.
"Matha?" whispered Karn looking at Madri in confusion.
His eyes widened in horror when he realized what she was about to do and was about to rush towards her, but Vidur stopped him, holding the younger boy by his shoulder. He watched with wide eyes, his heart breaking while watching Madri throw herself into the pyre. Kunti on the other hand kept sobbing looking at the pyre. The five brothers of Karn too looked at the scene in front of them in shock.
"It is her decision, Putra. You should respect her decision, no matter how much pain and grief it causes you" cried Vidur.
A few minutes after hearing Vidur's words, Karn's expressions turned blank. Satyavati shed tears, looking at the pyre and so did Vidur. He noticed that Karn's face was stoic and frowned.
"Putra Karn. Crying on your father's death is not cowardice. If you don't cry Putra, then these tears will turn into stones and grind your heart" said Vidur.
"I know. Tears will be shed in the solitude of night by me. If I cry now, my anuj will loose their courage" said Karn, not moving his eyes from the pyre.
Vidur nodded and slowly walked towards Sahadev and held the boy by his shoulder.
He slowly walked the younger boy towards Satyavati and asked "Answer me, Putra. Why are you not crying at your father's demise?"
"If I cry, then Jyesht bhratha will assume that I don't have faith in him" replied Sahadev, looking at Karn.
"From today onwards, for us five brothers, Jyesht is in place of our father. For us, he is our father" said Sahadev solemnly.
Listening to what the younger boy said, Satyavati walked towards him.
"I feel satiated on seeing your immense love, respect and faith. Don't let go of this unity ever. When a feather of a bird falls on the earth, it never gets to meet the sky again. Anyone having differences with his family loses the quality to prosper, Putra" said Satyavati.
Sahadev nodded in response, listening to her. Vidur took Sahadev with him and walked towards the rest of the brothers.
"Putron," called Vidur making all the brothers look at him "your courage is incredible. But at the time of grief, let your tears fall" his voice cracking at the end.
Vidur held his hands out and all the six of them ran towards him and hugged him, shedding their fears.
*****
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A Different Destiny - A Mahabharat/Karn Fanfic
FanfictionDestiny mourned the loss of not just great warriors, but also great people in the Kurukshetra war. One of them was Suryaputra Karn. Even the gods wept looking at the amount and pain and suffering their children had endured and in the end, Destiny ch...
