ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇꜱ | Republished ✓

3. Dilemma

"I Knew the first time we met; you would be kinda hard to forget."

The young boy in front of me had an extraordinary aura. Something about him was divine. His gentle smile and calm eyes calmed my panic down. I blinked again, hoping he was not a dream. The warm hand still on top of my head was real though. He had amusement dancing in his charcoal eyes.

He said, after a moment of silence, "Are you okay, Devi? What are you doing in the forest?"

The question seemed to have lifted my stupor. I replied, "Yes, I am okay. I got lost on my way home. Will you help me, please?"

He lifted his hand from my head, and I immediately missed the warmth. He smiled before replying, "I would be glad to help. You are not far from the edge of the forest, near the temple. Come, follow me."

I sighed and followed him. I asked curiously, "What were you doing in the forest? You don't seem much older than me. Were you lost too?"

He looked back at me as he walked in front, replying, "I was not lost. I come here every day. I was practicing."

I nodded. I asked again, "What weapon were you practicing? Do you go to Gurukul? Which Gurukul do you go to? What do you learn there?"

He seemed to have stopped walking, and his posture seemed tense. I blinked at his back, hoping he wouldn't abandon me in the forest. I may have asked the wrong questions. I opened my mouth to apologize when he spoke, "I do not attend a Gurukul. I will not be allowed to go to a Gurukul because I am a Shudra."

He seemed to tense even more, making me wonder how much courage it took to admit that. "Okay. You did not say what weapon you were practicing," I pointed out. I did not like the caste system much, especially its rigidity. Honestly, to me, it's like various professions, the caste system that is prevalent in these times. They make a huge show of something that is not there. My question seemed to have shocked him.

He asked, shocked, "You do not care?" There was a glimpse of hope in his voice.

I smiled and said, "No, I do not care about your caste. You did not answer my question yet."

He smiled, a genuine and heartfelt smile, and said, "I wish to use the bow." I nodded and smiled. We seemed to have reached my house.

My mother came running when she heard my voice. She reached out, pulling me into a hug. She said tearfully, "Where were you? Do you know how worried I was, putri?" I apologized, "Kshama kijiye (Forgive me), Mata. I got lost. He helped me find my way back."

I turned towards the boy. He was still standing outside the gate. He again looked tense, probably wondering about my mother's reaction regarding his social status. Mata smiled at him and went out to greet him. I heard her saying, "Dhanyavad putra...." (Thank you, son...)

"Karna, my name is Karna, Devi," he answered the unasked question about his name. My breath hitched. What!?

'Hai Bhagwan (O my God)', was my only thought. I was stumped again.

They seemed to be speaking again, but my mind was not on hearing their conversation. I was rather focused on the name of the young boy. Karna.

How did I not see that?

He even admitted to being a Shudra and practicing the bow. In my defense, I never thought I would see him. I mean, Hastinapura may not be as busy as a metropolitan city, it was still huge. Wasn't he supposed to be in Lord Parshuram's ashram? What was his age again?

I sighed. Great! Here I was thinking about a relatively boring life, and look what Destiny gave me!

I did not even once think about meeting any important characters from a Holy book. But now? It seems I already met one, though he is still a child, much like myself.