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

Trying to break the immovable wall

Karna's pov

The next few months passed in a strange, though not unpleasant manner of uncertainty.

Now that Kunti and Gandhari were putting in concerted efforts--jointly--to establish peace between the cousins who detested the sight of each other, the other elders inevitably joined in. Bhisma, Vidur, Dhritarashtra all tried in their own ways. Vikarna and Yuyutsu had been drawn in by the idea and gave their efforts. Duhsala was forever trying to reason with Duryodhan. Aswatthama thought the entire thing was hilarious, and spent all the time he was with the Kauravas singing the Pandavas' praises and vice versa. That put him at the receiving end of abuse from both sides, but he was cheerfully undeterred.

In many ways, Karna was relieved that the task had been taken out of his and Panchali's hands. They had too much to lose if they interfered too much.

Karna could hardly sleep at night when he had had an unresolved fight with Duryodhan in the day, and Draupadi had told him ruefully a couple of months into her marriage that she and Arjun was currently not on talking terms.

"I never thought our first marital spat would not be about us, but about Dussashan said about Nakul's skill of sword fighting."

Karna swallowed back a laugh.

"What did he say?"

"He said he looked like a woman brandishing a rolling pin."

"That's quite..." Karna hunted for a word. "...mature of him."

Draupadi nodded. "Certainly, jyesht. I did not see anything in it for Arjun and Sahadev, who were around, to take offence at it. I told Arjun he has no sense of proportion to take a joke so seriously. Arjun told me I have no sense of proportion, and he would not expect anything more from someone who had been born fully grown from fire. Then I told him--"

"Are you sure you should be repeating it to me?" asked Karna dubiously.

"But you have got to hear my reply," insisted Draupadi. "I told him I would set his bow on fire if he insulted my birth, and he took awful offence at that. Imagine! I did not even get to saying anything of setting him on fire."

"Threatening to harm an archer's bow is worse than threatening to kill him," Karna told her.

"Really?" asked Draupadi, astonished. "Why on earth did you not tell me before?"

"Well, better late than never," said Karna drily.

"Anything else I should know to keep Arjun from taking offence?"

"Keep me out of your marital spats," an alarmed Karna commanded.

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

Whenever Karna visited Hastinapur, it was difficult for him to spend much time with his brothers under Duryodhan's suspicious gaze, which was why he cherished every moment.

Since the incident regarding Arjun and Draupadi's wedding, Yudhishthir treated him with borderline reverence, which made him uncomfortable, but the way he asked for advice regarding his upcoming crowning warmed Karna's heart. Occasionally a voice inside his head, that resembled Uncle Shakuni's voice, told him he should feed Yudhishthir the wrong advice, but he could never bring himself to do that.

He had become Bheem's favourite taster, because he complained his brothers and mother did not appreciate his talents in the kitchen enough because they had far too easy access to it.

"It will serve them right if I stop cooking for them," Bheem told Karna. "Want a bit more?" He passed yet another sweet to his plate.

"No, thanks, Bheem--I am perfectly full--"