Karna and his Brothers in an Alternate Universe

An outstretched hand

"What did you do to my son?"

A guttural female voice made Karna jump out of his skin and look up. Draupadi looked wild as she gazed at Karna laying Abhimanyu down, broken and bleeding, on the cot of the Pandava's medical tent.

"He is going to be all right," said Karna quickly. "His pulse is strong enough."

Draupadi rushed to the cot and flung herself down upon Abhimanyu's body. She did not appear to notice how her saree got stained dark red.

"Abhi, my child--oh, Abhi, don't you--don't you dare--" Draupadi looked up at one of the maidservants and shrieked at her to call Subhadra.

Karna had intended to leave Abhimanyu in the protection of his camp and return to his camp, for it was past sundown now, but Draupadi's distress held him back. Maybe here at last was a tiny opportunity to make amends.

"Princess," he said, trying to keep his voice steady and soothing. "Sahadev has been informed; he is coming, Abhimanyu will be healed in no time."

Draupadi looked up at him through red-tinged eyes.

"And why, may I ask, are you the one bringing him to refuge, King of Anga?"

Karna thought he had been stupid not to foresee this.

"Well, he is my nephew. I don't know if your husbands told you," he mumbled. "They are my brothers by birth."

"Indeed," said Draupadi coldly. "And are we to believe you chose today, all of a sudden, to act their brother?"

Karna chose not to reply to that; leaving immediately after he'd brought Abhimanyu here would have been a good option, after all.

Just as he was about to act on it, the flaps of the tent fluttered and an armoured warrior hugging a bow burst in.

"Abhimanyu!"

Arjun appeared unaware of everyone around as he felt his son's pulse. Then his breaths evened; his face cleared.

"He will live," he whispered to his wife, who was still hugging the prone child with a desperate protectiveness. "Karna got him out of the Chakravyuh--Bheem said he had fought off thousands, but could not have fought anymore. Sahadev is on his way, Abhi's going to be all right, Panchali--he is going to be all right." Arjun's words ended with a sobbing breath.

"That is what the King of Anga was saying," said Draupadi.

That drew both their gazes to Karna, who had backed off. From the way Draupadi's expression softened, Karna got the feeling that he had been forgiven, at least to some extent, for the fated dyut sabha.

Arjun stumbled to Karna and fell to his knees. Karna jumped back in shock when he realized what he meant to do.

"Thank you so much." Arjun was still choky, still shaking, and persisted in touching his feet. "I will never forget--"

"Arjun," said Karna awkwardly, leaning down to pull him up by his shoulders.

His younger brother's face was wet with tears and crumpled with hysteria.

"I can never raise a weapon on you again," said Arjun. "You are free to implement your death threats anyday now--"

Karna pulled away, heart sinking with disappointment. Arjun still thought there could be a war. To him, nothing had changed except one spared life, and another surrendered in return.

Suddenly his vision of the putting an end to the war with his brothers seemed juvenile and stupid to Karna.

And that brought to his mind his friend and benefactor, Duryodhan--how would he react? How would he ever forgive a direct breach of his commands?

'Kill Abhimanyu' had been the command: so clear-cut that it brooked no room for misinterpretation.

He hoped their commander, though, would not take him apart so harshly. The anguish in Dronacharya's face as he hurt Arjun's son had been laid bare for everyone to see.

Karna turned towards the exit of the tent; he had a lot of amends to make.

"I cannot raise a weapon on you either," he muttered shortly, and almost fled for the door. "See you, Arjun."

Arjun spoke just as he was about to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To my camp," said Karna drily.

Arjun's face fell. "Well, I thought you meant to stay on at our camp for a bit. At least till Abhi comes around. He should have a chance to thank his saviour."

"He would hate it," said Karna bluntly. "Think of how you would feel if someone saved your life and made you indebted to them. You would resent them."

"What are you saying?" asked Arjun, bewildered. "It is part of Bheem and my duties to save our brothers, we have done so a hundred times. They don't resent us."

"It is all right for family--" Karna stopped.

Arjun seized the opening. "Are you not Abhimanyu's family?"

Karna's eyes found the bloodied warrior, whom anyone in the universe would be proud to call family. He had never known anyone to so resemble his father.

"If you permit it," said Karna, stiffly.

"Yes, please," said Arjun. "Be his family. Be our family, big brother."