"There is nothing that is 'supposed to be',Everything is according to the one ,  who is willing to go against every wall that rise in their way to reach what they think is supposed to be theirs..."

☘

️🍂☘️🍂☘️🍂☘️🍂☘️🍂☘️🍂☘️

A fight with his friend Ashwathama was the last thing he wanted after a grumpy day. Since the eventful Swayamvar of Yagyaseni, he was being persuaded by both his friends and his sisters - Dushala and Bhanumathi , to find someone as his life partner without much delay.
He doesn't know how to escape this verbal hurricanes.

Everyone was present at Hastinapur as it is the arrival of pandavas along with Mata Kunti and Hastinapur's new Kulvadhu next day , to grace the land of Kuru's, once again.

Karna knew they were alive, even before Arjun has once again proved his Superior Archery skills at the Swayamvar of Agnisuta. He has went to Varnavrat expecting to know what he heard was just a lie. He didn't wanted them to die like that. Definitely not, when Rajmata Kunti was in there too. He respected and loved her to no extend to even think about such a horrible death upon her.
He doesn't like to admit that, the mother of his Arch rival was like a mother to him. When he reached there, the 'palace of lakh' was already on fire , but on further detailed search around the palace - something he did just incase to find a trace of their escape, to calm his shattered burning heart (even though he wouldn't admit it ) like a last lantern of hope , he found 6 people in a comparatively larger coracle crossing the river.

He was walking aimlessly out of the palace , and was brought back to present when he bumped to someone with a familiar scent and a huge stature . He looked up to meet the violet-wine coloured orbs of his eldest brother!!

Jyesht ! What are you doing in the palace premise? And why on earth are you roaming around here?!

Karna enquired in haste.

Well I came to visit you. Now, am I not allowed to visit my little brother?

Yamraj knew the reason behind such anxious query , but he acted like he didn't.
All his siblings except the youngest of Suryalok ,has harmoniously agreed on one thing ,
- to defend their youngest.
It's been so long since Shani has agreed with him on something without even an ounce of opposition, And Yama is more than glad to be a part of a sibling plan after so long.

The unannounced appearance of Yamraj in the palace premise of Hastinapur was the last thing he expected to happen , may be karna didn't even thought about such a possibility until now.
Celestials weren't allowed to interfere in mortal lives.
Karna was confused as much as he was worried.

Are you here to take someone to your Abode?! Is anyone dieing tonight?
Then why can I see you? Is it me?
Oo ... took you long enough.. let's go then !!!

Karna was going on ranting about the yamraj being either too late or just early.
Yama finds it adorable, when his little brother is just blabbering blunders with no care of the world around.
Karna met Yama at the middle of the pavement that led to the palace entrance  from the front gate.
Now the soldiers at the gate were giving them looks.

When did he came in? Did you see him going in?
Wondered one of the soldiers.

No. I thought you were the one to let him in.!
Another among them responded.

3 of them walked in to get the man out of the palace gate , who dared to enter the Hastinapur palace grounds without permission.

I should leave before they start complaining,I really don't intend to put you in trouble, brother. So if you are willing to visit Shani at the palace's gate tomorrow , I would like to take my leave.

Yama interrupted Radhey's talks, to tell him the reason of his visit .

Well, are you here to tell me that Bhratha Shani is going to VISIT me, TOMORROW?
Karna whisper-yelled at his brother.
No he cannot just VISIT me , it's not normal to find celestials roaming around on earth.. don't you all have anything better to do?!

Vaika , we are your brothers and we have all the right to visit someone we care about , these feelings doesn't know the rules of celestials and mortals.
Yama said with a sad face , mischief glinting in his wine like orbs.

Karna was staring at his brother out of confusion, contradictions of his own emotions eating his brain . He wanted to meet his other siblings very dearly , but he cannot just barge into their responsible lives and be a burden there. The last thing he wanted was to annoy the people who treasured him when he felt left out , they showed him the right direction when he was diverging.
All these train of thoughts were going in his mind while he just blankly stared at his brother.
Yama kinda knew what was going on in his brother's head.

Hey !! Who are you? And what are you doing inside the palace gates? How did you got in without our permission?!
One of the 3 soldiers interrupted them.

Me?!
Yama pointed at himself.

Ohh! Please don't be sceptical about him, he is with me ...
King of Anga - one of the vassal kings of Hastinapur, spoke this time, only to be cut in the middle by his brother Yama

...Hope you will meet Sauri next day at the gate. I will take my leave brother.

Saying so Yama vanished out of thin air, leaving shadows of smoke behind.

The 3 soldiers were loosing their mind , their eyes were wide open in surprise. They opened and closed their mouth repeatedly.

So did Ashwathama ..

He was in search of his friend , who left their secret place a while ago after an argument among them.
A garden around the corner , that was quite ignored by everyone as it is not very noticeable, became the trio's favourite place in Hastinapur. They talk and mess around there .
He wanted to apologise to Radhey and tell him that Duryodhan was indeed wrong for planning such a gruesome murder of his cousins and he will support Karna in getting their friend out of that wretched track of self-destruction.

Then, here he is gawking at the sight of a full grown man , who looked even bigger than Karna, just vanishing out of thin air.
Karna looked horrified rather than surprised.
Karna rarely expressed himself evidently. It was hard to read him, it is so hard to see behind that cold mask he wears all the time. That mask rarely melt into a sunshine bright smile among his most trusted and loved once . And thankfully Drauni was one of them. A trusted friend, one among the trio of a Kshatriya-Suta-Brahmin friendship, a bizzare combination according to many , but for Guruputr , their friendship is the only bliss in his tiring life.
Witnessing such a vulnerable state of Adhirathi, his curiosity peaked and his overprotective side was evoked.

What was that Karna?? Who was that ? And how did he just disappeared like that?!

Ashwathama composed himself and broke the long silence.

Huh... What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be at the garden?!

Karna dodged Drauni's questions with another one, something Ashwathama did often to divert from certain topics, and Karna has noticed that.

Ashwathama was well aware of this technique that he himself often used. Karna was good at noticing little details , and has often questioned him of things that was out of usuality with the Guruputr.
Ashwathama would avoid the question replacing it with another one. Something he did to cover up.
Karna wouldn't ponder upon it too much to not disturb him, much to Kripinandan's likings.

Now don't give me the taste of my own medicine. Just say it. That wasn't something so subtle to just shrug off. So you gotta explain what just happened.
Ashwathama demanded.

Karna hesitated at first , but anyway tried to give enough to not give out too much , definitely not infront of those dumbstruck soldiers.
I met him when I was a kid , in the shores of river Vamsadhara , at the bottom of Mahendragiri hills. He is like a mentor and guide ...
He is like a friend and a br..rother.. that's it , nothing else , he just came to visit .

Karna just left the place without giving a glance back. He knew he have to escape the situation as soon as possible, before it slipped completely out of hand.

After all, none of them knew that he was the son of Sun god as much as he was the son of a charioteer.
They didn't knew that the one they were insulting the whole time in the name of birth and blood was actually a Suryavanshi , a walking Demigod on earth.

☘️☘️🍂☘️☘️🍂☘️☘️🍂☘️☘️🍂☘️🍂

Will be continued....

What do you think about this?

I dedicate this short story to one of my favourite authors in Wattpad YouCreate___ ,my favourites are his/her 'Choices' and 'Chortle' ,both are books with beautiful plot and are written so well that I couldn't stop reading...
Especially Chortle is one of my all time favourites 😁 please check out his/her works if you haven't yet 🥰😃..
And I would like to sincerely Thank him/her for inspiring me to write this oneshot through 'Chortle'.

Please vote and comment ❤️