Jyesht's strife for kinship (A Karna-Arjun what-if story)

The overheard coversation

Karna's pov

Six months had passed.

Of course, Karna had not been keeping count. But one morning, a messenger brought a letter from Duryodhan that reminded him that it had been six months and asked him to come over to celebrate.

'I cannot get away, or I would have come. Matters here are at its head. Pitamah is thinking of crowning Yudhishthir soon. Imagine, he would crown him over Dhritarashtra's eldest son. Come soon.'

The amazement at the thought of having been a king half a year was superseded by anxiousness for Duryodhan's throne.

Yudhishthir on the throne? The very thought was--

Right, whispered something inside him.

Karna was so furious with himself he left for Hastinapur without eating anything.

Yudhishthir was a fool. A fool who had no mind of his own, Duryodhan and Dussashan always said. Even Aswatthama, who was on good terms with the Pandavas, said he was too unoriginal to be king. How could he have thought the idea of Yudhishthir on the throne was right?

Maybe...

Because Yudhishthir was the only person he had known apart from himself completely set on dharma?

That must be it, but it was still treachery.

Karna decided he would not eat at all till Duryodhan was better.

******************

Nearing the palace, he found a bunch of kids practising archery. Seeing the inexpertise in their grip and stance, Karna smiled, wondering if he could alight for a moment to correct them. Then he remembered all the kids would be Ksatriyas and they would not want to be taught anything by the son of a charioteer. None of the kids would be sutaputras like him.

But they will be, he thought, once I have defeated Arjun.

Birth should not take away respect for skill--and birth should not take away the joy of doing something you love. He recalled briefly what the Queen Mother had told him around the time he had got the kingly duties and not found enough time to devote to archery.

She had promised he would find time once he had settled down a little; she had been right.

She mostly always was right.

When he reached the palace, he was informed that Duryodhan had just gone out few minutes ago and would be back soon.

"Would you like refreshments?" asked a servant.

Karna shook his head, recalling his vow. He thought of visiting the Queen Mother while he waited for Duryodhan. Talking to her was not quite like talking to anyone else.

Somehow, she always understood everything.

Indistinct voices floated out behind the door as Karna approached the Queen's quarters. 

"How are things?" Kunti was asking.

"Not good," said her handservant. "Duryodhan and Dussashan went off in a rage after a talk with His Excellency Bhisma and High Minister Vidur. They might be planning something."

Kunti sighed.

"Duryodhan also summoned the King of Anga." The handservant's voice dipped low, suggestive of something.

Karna, who had been about to knock and enter, hesitated.

Afterwards, he would wonder every moment of his life what would have happened if he had knocked at that point.