Changing the Tides

The Story of the third curse Continues

Like the dark clouds which rule the monsoon skies, the sky over the heads of two warriors was too covered with arrows. The volume in which they were shot and countered made it a spectacle for everyone to behold, while the sounds of their clash could fill anyone's heart with fear.

Where it felt like a warm up for the two who were launching those arrows, for anyone else the sight could give them a glimpse of their afterlife.

With their sharp and focused gaze, and the posture of their bodies, the two were shooting arrows with a speed which was incomprehensible by any lesser mortals.

Smiling internally at the fun he was having, along with feeling the adrenaline coursing through his body due to the excitement of the battle after such a long period of time, Bhagwan Parshuram decided to raise the bar by invoking celestial arrows.

Karna noticing this closed his eyes, he never even wanted to raise his weapons against his guru. But now his Guru was forcing him to invoke celestial arrows against him. He internally prayed for this to stop, but knowing that he cannot deny his guru's order of battling him, he would need to invoke and counter the arrows of his own teacher.

And with that, the arrows started raining fire, water, storms and what not. The environment which till now was witnessing the battle with a slight aww, was now terrified. Weather started to change, the sky which although was covered by the arrows shot, was now also covered with dark clouds indicating the approaching storm for the entire AryaVrat.

Back in the court of Hastinapur

FLASHBACK Continue

As the little girl thanked Karna, she accepted the Pot of Ghee and bid farewell to the man who had helped her. She with caution this time moved towards the direction of the houses, and after reaching a certain distance turned back and waved at Karna.

Karna only smiled at that, after which he looked down at the pieces of the broken pot. He bent down and started collecting all the pieces so that he can dispose of them later.

Getting up from his crouched position, he was about to turn around in the direction of his chariot, when he heard the voice of an angry woman call out, "Angraj".

Turning around towards the source of the voice, he saw a beautiful maiden, who was dressed elegantly in a Saree, and was decked with the finest of Jewelry. Her gaze which was sharp as that of an archer, was staring at him with pain and anger, while her Aura screamed of her divinity.

As Karna turned around, the woman with an expression filled with pain and anger shouted, "You... How dare you cause me so much pain and suffering? I have nurtured you for your entire life and this is how you repay me? By causing me so much pain...."

Karna hearing the woman's words was confused. He didn't recognize the woman, nor did he knew how did he cause any pain to the woman. But before he could speak, and communicate what he was thinking about, the woman continued.

"And for this, I the mother earth (BhuDevi) for the pain and suffering you have caused me by squeezing the Ghee out of the mud curse you. I curse you, that like how you held me in your fists in the form of the mud which you squeezed, I will also hold your chariot during a crucial time in your life."

Saying which she went quiet, and a few tears rolled out of her eyes.

Karna was initially disheartened hearing the words of the one whom this entire world regards as its mother. But seeing the tears falling from her eyes, his eyes too moistened. He never knew that the actions which he had done for helping someone would cause pain to someone too, which he would have tried to avoid at all cost if he had known.