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7 - Karna is Dead?!

Bhishma watched as the Pandavas (along with Krishna) and the Kauravas, mainly represented by Duryodhana, Dusshasan and Vikarna gather in the tent with the bright marking of the sun; it was set up by the woman standing beside him with a blank look on her face. He wondered how he had never met her in all these years. 

He had known Angaraja had a wife but had never seen her face, until now.

"Remember our deal, Mahamahim. I have saved your life and as a repayment of the life debt owed, I ask you to stop this war."

He sighed, well aware, of her intentions behind saving him as he replied, " Your intent behind saving my life was inherently selfish, but you need not worry for I will pay the life debt. I will stop this war."

A cold chuckled filled the silence between them, making the son of Ganga turn his head towards the woman beside him.

"You speak as if I ask this for myself," said Ira, her fiery eyes meeting his with a dark look on her face.

"Do you not?"

"Hardly!" She scoffed, "My Vrisha can take care of himself and if he needs help, I am there for him," Ira met his surprised eyes, "I will never need you or anyone's help in saving my husband. The only reason why I am even wasting my Sanjeevni on you is due to the excess and unnecessary spillage of blood for a throne that isn't worth it. You may not care of the foot soldiers, but as a Suta, I do."

Bhishma stayed silent for a few precious seconds before he replied, the embrace of  the familiar guilt visible nakedly in his glittering eyes,  "I do not want excess of blood been spilled either."

"Prove that."

"Where is he!" roared Arjuna, "Ask that coward to show his face! I will not spare him for killing my child."

Vikarna and Dusshasan lifted their weapons threateningly while Duryodhana sneered, his eyes dark with vengeance swirling amidst them, "Shouldn't we be asking where you have hidden my friend's body?"

Bhishma heard these two sentences when he entered the tent. 

"What?!" He blurted out with a startled look. 

He hadn't known that! How could Karna be dead? After all he just saw his wife adorning all the signs of married woman. 

But....Duryodhana would never lie about his most beloved friend. Did Ira not know of her husband's death? 

Bhishma suddenly pitied the woman who had gone so far to heal him and stop the war, yet her own husband seemed to have died.

"Pitamaha!!" came the surprised gasps of his assembled grandchildren who were at war with each other.

"How!?" mumbled Arjuna, as he gaped at the man, their Grand-sire whom he had defeated, looking hale and hearty in front of him. He did not even have a single injury in his body!

"It is good seeing you, Mahamahim," greeted Krishna, who though surprised, hid it well, "May we know how you look so well?"

Vāsudeva Krishna was the avatar of the Supreme Preserve Vishnu. He was the only avatar who had known of his own divinity since his birth. As a human being, he was bound by the mortal rules. He had been surprised when all of a sudden Radheya had changed the course of his own path. He had not predicted or even thought he would save his nephew. But now.....destiny seem to reshuffle itself to the action taken by the Suryaputra. 

Blood is thicker than water, after all, He thought, as his eyes twinkled. Though this was unexpected, it wasn't unwelcomed. The Gopala was curious of the results of this action, specially since he heard from Kunti that Karna was dead, which he found rather unlikely.

"I was healed by an unexpected person," said Bhishma with shifty eyes, "As a life debt, I am asked to stop this war."

"Impossible!!" murmured Nakula as he glanced at the astonished eyes of his twin brother, Sahadeva, "How!?"

"There is no medicine in my knowledge that grows in the plains that could heal you so well, Pitamaha," agreed Sahadeva, meeting his Grand-sire's eyes, "Who healed you, Pitamaha?"

Duryodhana bit the inside of his cheeks immediately. He could guess who it could be, for his bhabhishree was the only one who could make the miraculous salve made of the mythical Sanjeevani herb. She was the only one who had a stock of the herb for emergency cases. 

He knew that for she had used it on him several times. But why would his bhabhishree heal his Grand-sire whom she disliked? Surely not just to stop the war?!

"If this is how you can pay the life debt, Pitamaha," Duryodhana heard Yuddhisthira say, "We would be obliged to stop the war, if only we get back our Kingdom and wealth. We also wish to see Abhimanyu, if he is alive or get back his body, if he is not."

Duryodhana gritted his teeth as anger, confusion and sadness coursed through him. At first he was confused and angry at his longtime friend, Vasusena, who had disappeared after saving and taking Arjuna's son! 

Had he forgotten Abhimanyu killed Laxmana? Had Vasusena no feelings for his best friend's son? His own nephew?  

Yet, when he had heard those maids whispering that Vasusena had been killed, he had felt his own soul depart his body. How dare they think anyone can kill him? He cannot be dead!

He had rushed towards the tent of his friend, wanting to know the truth and gain his answers instead of coming into conclusions or even listening to various theories of his so-called well wishers, all of whom were with Pandavas from the beginning. 

 And even Ashwathama was gone! He hadn't found his other best friend in the camp either.

Bhishma sighed, already guessing their condition, which were not unjust, "Duryodhana! How long will you be stubborn!? Give them back their Kingdom and wealth and stop this senseless war."

No request, no advice - it was a straight out order! How dare he? 

Duryodhana was fuming as he met his Grand sire's eyes. 

"I think there is some confusion," stated Krishna serenely, his eyes asking Arjuna who was about to speak to calm down.

"What confusion?" asked Bhishma, glancing at the Dwarkadeesh. 

"I have heard from Bua Kunti that Angaraja is dead because Duryodhana killed him," said Krishna, as Duryodhana gaped as he yelled, "What rubbish are you talking?!" ; while the Pandavas looked startled with Arjuna muttering, "How can he be dead?"

Ignoring him Krishna continued, "And when we came here, Duryodhana said that the Pandavas have hidden his body somewhere, implying that they have killed him. May I know who had actually killed Angaraja?"

"Not me/us!!" Both the parties said in sync.

Krishna raised an eyebrow, as a thoughtful look crossed his face, while Bhishma's brows furrowed. 

"If not us, then who had killed Angaraja?" asked Yuddhisthira, a disturbed frown on his face, for he believed that other than his younger brother Arjuna, no one would be able to match the King of Anga. 

"Let us think about it later," said Krishna, as he felt that there were lot of missing pieces in this information; as he felt the various females approaching; he spoke to test an hunch of his, "Yet we must retrieve his body and do the final rites, as befitting of a King. Who shall be doing that?"

"Obviously me," said Duryodhana, as much as his heart clenched at even thinking that his friend was dead, for he refused to believe it. As long as he hasn't seen Vasusena's dead body, he won't believe it either.

"No!" came a sharp, wailing voice, "It shall be the Pandavas, who would do his last rites!"

'Checkmate!' 

➼ How many of you got heart attacks seeing the chapter name? Respond honestly!

➼ How was the chapter? Understood the plot? If not, the next chapter would clear it up.