A Different Path

Deluge

"Have some warm milk, Angraja."

Karna sighed. "How many times must I remind you to not call me that?"

Kaditula chuckled lightly, giving him an amused smile. "You will always be the king of Anga to me."

Karna was not surprised by Kaditula's answer, but he genuinely wished that he would have listened to him this one time. The title that he had been granted to him in his adolescence as a gesture of empathy and commitment, one which he had abnegated a year ago, was simply a reminder of a past that only brought with it pain and distress. His stint as the King of Anga was over now, and he was pretty sure he would never be allowed to set foot in that kingdom ever again.

He was lounging in Kaditala's backyard, after having consumed down all the delicacies that his cook could make in such a short span of time. The old man just wouldn't let him off until his plate was empty and spotless. Although Krishna had instructed him to come here, when Karna realised whose house it really was, he had backpedaled before Kaditula could see him.

He had wandered around the city for some time, taking note of the destruction caused by the unyielding, relentless rainfall. Today, for the first time, there was no downpour, although dark, angry clouds hovered above them, waiting to unleash their wrath any second. He had been talking to a few locals, appraising the situation when he had felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to find Kaditula staring at him in disbelief.

Ah! I knew I had seen you..........when I told Tejbrata, he said I was going senile, but I knew it was you! Come on, Angraj, come to my house! Oh, this is truly the best surprise!

Any attempts on his part to decline Kaditula's generous offer were met with even more enthusiasm and good-humor, and Karna had no choice but to follow the man back to his house.

Kaditula was his ex-army chief, his second-in-command when he had been declared the King of Anga. For years, he had been by his side, fought with him in wars, and had been his right-hand man on two of his world conquests. He was much older than him and Karna suspected that Dhritrahstra had personally requested him to join him in Anga since Karna was a young man and ill-equipped for the world of kings and nobles.

He remembered the first time they had met, Kaditula opting to stay mute and expressionless, sizing him up to see if he was genuine or a fraud. He knew Kaditula had to have been there during the Kala Pradarshan ceremony, but even if he wasn't he must have heard the rumours that surrounded his unexpected appearance. He could sense the absolute derision that Kaditula was hiding behind a neutral face and he couldn't blame him. When he had stepped into the ring during the infamous Kala Pradarshan, he hadn't just challenged Arjuna, but the House of Kurus. No servant of the crown of Hastinapura would tolerate such ignominy.

But Kaditula was chained by the command of his King and so here he was, offering unconditional support and guidance to someone he actively detested. At first, Karna wondered whether he bridled under his authority, whether he too, like the rest of Hastinapura, considered him a cheat and a degenerate due to his open disregard for his status as a charioteer's son. It must be chafing to play second fiddle to someone as young as him, but to know that the man he was serving was not even a kshatriya must have outraged him.