"Remember the last time you asked for daan?" he smiled at me.
"Yeah, I ended up living with you for years and made you my Sakha." I smiled back.
"Why did you visit me, Sakhi, at such an early sunrise?"
"I wanted to tell you something, Karna."
"Are you going to tell me that you are going support your Aarya and his brother at this war?" he chuckled.
"It's okay, Dhaksha. You don't have to worry about me."
"Karna, do you realise that you are on the wrong side?"   I asked him.

He took a deep breath and faced back to the bright Surya Bhagavan.

"Do you know why I'm here, Dhaksha?" he asked me.
"Why are you here, Sakha?"
"My mind is swaying. My heart feels heavy. Every time, I feel perplexed, I come here to look at Surya Bhagavan. All my worries go away, just like that. But now, it feels like he's neglecting my prayers, Dhaksha." he turned back at me.
"Because what you are doing isn't right, Karna."
"What do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes. "Standing beside my friend, Duryodhana,  who gave me respect and power when I was mocked by the Pandavas. Is it wrong? Going against your Aarya who has mocked me and my birth. Is that wrong? They called me Sutaputra and laughed at me, Dhaksha."

"I'll apologize to you for whatever my brothers and my Aarya did. I'll put my heads down on your feet and apologize, Karna." I bend down.

"Dhaksha, Stop it." he stopped me and pulled me back up. "Why are you doing this, Sakhi?"
"I want you on my side, Sakha." I started sobbing.

"Dhaksha, please don't cry. I hate it when you cry." he held my shoulders.
"I can't watch you being on the other side. You are supposed to stand with us, Karna."
"What do you mean? You don't care about your Sakha? All you care about is protecting your Pandavas and everyone. That's why you are trying to do this?"
"Trust me, Karna. I'm trying to protect you. I beg you, please listen to me."
"So even you doubt my skills? Even you think
I'd die on the battlefield?" he moved away.

"No, Karna. You're known to be the greatest warrior of Mahabharata in Kali Yuga." I shouted.
"What? Kali Yuga? What do you mean?" he exclaimed.

"This is my last chance to pursue Karna to our side. I have to do this."
"At your own risk, Dhaksha," Kanha replied.

"I'm not from this Yug, Sakha. I've travelled time from Kali Yug to Dvapara Yug." I walked close.

"I'm from the future, Karna. I've seen everything. I know everything that has happened. I know what happened in the Kurukshetra war."

"Are you lying to me, Dhaksha?" he asked.
"You were recognised as a most powerful warrior of all. You were said to be the indestructible warrior."

"What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, Karna. My brother Krishna who is said to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu travelled time and brought me here. I was known to be the incarnation of the Goddess Parvati born at Kali Yug. He said that I was sent here for a reason, to change the fate of Mahabharata. I'm trying to find the reason."

"Dhaksha, are you telling me the truth?" he asked.
"Yeah, Karna. The first person I met here at Dvapara Yug was you, my Sakha. You showed me what true friendship was. You gave away all your punya for my children. You did everything you could to prove your true friendship to me. Do you think I'll let you go easily?"

"Sakhi, why do you have to say all this and put me in more difficulty? I can't take in all these."

"You have to know the truth, Karna. That's why I'm here. I fell on my brother's feet and begged him to use the power of the future and save you."

"You don't have to save me, Dhaksha. I don't need anyone to save me."
"What has happened to you, Sakha? Why are you being so stubborn? Why can't you listen? Why can't you just stay by my side?" I kneeled and sobbed.

"Dhaksha, you are making this worse for us. You are making me feel bad. Please stop crying. I promise you that I'll be careful at the war. Nothing's going to happen to me." he kneeled beside me.

"Oh, lord. Why do you have to put me in this situation?"

"You know that your Sakha is powerful, right? I was known to be indestructible in your Yuga, right?" he smiled at me.

"You are powerful, Karna. But you are on the wrong side."

"Fate wanted me to be on this side. Just because you are from the future, you can't just try to change the universe's fate. That's not something you can do easily." he said.

"It was Rajamatha Kunti, who put you on that side not fate or the universe. You were meant to be on our side." I shouted and stood up.

"What do you mean, Dhaksha?" he asked.
"Why do you think you can look into the sun directly when no one can? Why do you think you feel all
your worries go away when you look at Surya Bhagavan and pray."

"Don't say anything and put me in more misery, Dhaksha," he said.

"You weren't known as Sutaputra in our Kali Yug, Karna. You were known as Suryaputra Karna.  You are a Kshatriya.  Our Radha Ma and Pitashree Adhiratha are your Foster parents, Sakha. Rajamatha Kunti was the one who gave birth to you." I said.

The weight I was carrying on my shoulders for a long time was off.

"What do you mean, Dhaksha?"
"If you didn't join hands with Duruyan. You would've lived differently Karna." I said.
"Rajamatha Kunti told my brother Krishna that she gave birth to you and you are a demi-god. Son of lord Surya Bhagavan."

"I'm not going to believe a single thing you tell me, Dhaksha. Have you become like Krishna who lies and plays mind games?" he shouted.

"Alright. Let's go to Radhai ma. We'll ask her. Then you'll know that whatever I said was true."

~~~~~~~~

He held my wrist tightly and dragged me inside his home.

"Oh, what a surprise. Just now your brother Krishna visited us. Now you've come to our home. It's been so long since you visited us, my child." she came running.

"How've you been, Dhaksha Ka." Vrushali smiled.
"Dhaksha's been good. She has even started to
play mind games like Krishna. Why did your brother visit my home? Are you both planning on doing something?" he shouted.

"You don't believe your Sakhi but you'd believe whatever that Duruyan says," I shouted back.

"What happened, my dear? Are you guys arguing again? Didn't I tell you not to argue with Dhaksha, Karna?" Radhai ma held my shoulders.

"She says that you are my foster parents, Radhai ma. She says that whatever I believed all my life was a lie. My life was a lie. She says that you aren't my mother."

"What do you mean, Aarya?" Vrushali asked.
"Is that true, Radhai ma? Tell me." he held her shoulders.

"She stood still looking at me. She knew that what I said was true."

"What are you talking about, Karna? I'm your mother. How can you tell that I'm not his mother, Dhaksha? What did I do to you? You stayed at our home for years. I was the one who took care of you like my own daughter. How can you say such things?" she started crying.

"Don't cry, Mata." Karna wiped her tears.
"I was the one who cared for you for my entire life. I was the one who carried you in my arms for my entire life. If anything happens to you, I'll be the one who'll
give away her life." she cried so hard.

"Radhai ma, he's your child. He's known to this entire universe as Radheya. But-" I started.

"So what, I didn't give birth to him. But I was the one who took care of him for my entire life. When his birth parents abandoned him." she shouted.

"What?" Vrushali exclaimed.
"It's true my son.  Dhaksha and Vasudeva Krishna are telling the truth. We are your foster parents." Pitashree Athiratha walked in.

"You are my foster parents? My whole life was a lie?" his eyes started tearing and he walked away from the room.

Vrushali followed him outside.

"Rajkumari Dhaksha, people believe that you are the incarnation of Goddess Parvati. Please stay by my son's side and protect him. Show him the right path. Protect him from the evil." Athiratha joined his hands.

"Please don't beg me. I've grown up in this home. You both looked after me well. Think of me as your daughter, Pitashree. I'd go to any extent to protect my Sakha Karna. You don't have to worry." I smiled.

"Radhai ma, I'm sorry that I had to tell him the truth."
"My dear child, don't be sorry. My son's going on the wrong path. Please be beside him and enlighten him. Please take care of him. I hope that the Pandavas win." she sobbed.

"Don't worry, Radhai ma. Take care of your health. I'll go and talk to Karna." I smiled at them. "I'll take my leave, Pitrashree Athiratha and Radhai ma."

"You'll always have our blessing." Radhai ma said.

~~~~~~~

Karna sat down near the same seashore while staring at the sun and sobbing, while Vrushali was comforting Karna.
"I'm not going to stop trying. I'm going to protect Karna as promised."

"Sakha," I called out for him.

To be continued.
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