The Bend in the Road (A Karna-Arjun what-if story)

New beginnings

Arjun's pov

The Pandava army had returned in glory that day, the first day they had dominated their opposition in the six days. A majority of the credit went to Karna and Arjun for having destroyed the chakravyuh, of course, but while they returned, Karna was nowhere to be seen. Neither were Nakul, Sahadev, Prativindhya or Abhimanyu.

As Arjun felt a twinge of worry, Srutakarma came and told him what had happened with Vrishaketu. 

Arjun said they should go and check on the child; Yudhishthir, however, wondered if they should go and intrude upon the family (which had suddenly started including Abhi, apparently). Going with Yudhishthir, they settled down to unwind after the hectic day.

Eventually Sahadev returned and told them how Vrishaketu had luckily escaped the spear puncturing a vital organ by an inch, and that he was stable.

"Abhi's still there?" asked Arjun, who badly wanted to tell his son how proud he was of the way he had fought today.

"Yes, and he's probably not going to leave anytime soon," said Nakul.

Arjun glanced at Yudhishthir for his leave to visit the medical tent. Madhav rolled his eyes ostentatiously and muttered something about soon-to-be grandfathers who could not strap an armour without asking their jyesht's permission.

"What did you say about grandfathers?" demanded Arjun.

"Oblivion," was Madhav's cryptic reply.

Bheem roared with laughter, Nakul and Sahadev joining in. Yudhishthir was clearly trying not to laugh, too.

"Madhav!" said Arjun , exasperated. "What do you all know that I do not?"

"A letter came from Balaram dau today, Arjun," said Yudhishthir with the biggest smile. "Uttara is expecting a baby."

Everyone laughed still harder at what must have been Arjun's expression.

"Abhi--my Abhi's child?" spluttered Arjun. "How can Abhi have a child, he is hardly more than one himself!"

"Yeah, we were not the ones who decided to get him married at seventeen, Bhrata Arjun," said Nakul serenely.

"Oh, heavens." Arjun's shock morphed into explosive delight in the blink of an eye. "My baby is going to become a father!"

He did not care about the taunts and laughs that followed him as he ran all the way to the medical tent.

***

"Abhi!"

The sight of the white sheets and the injured sobered him up quickly. Arjun wished he had not shouted like that.

The small crowd around Vrishaketu looked at him apprehensively as Arjun walked over to them. The bandage on Vrishaketu's side was tinged red, but his eyes were alert enough. Vrishasena was asleep with his head on the edge of the cot.

"We can go and talk outside, Father," said Abhimanyu hastily.

But Arjun had knelt to reach Vrishaketu's level to place a hand over his forehead. It was still burning up, though the twins had said he was stable.

He was too young to be fighting a war at all, let alone stumbling across a dear friend on the battlefield. Arjun knew what he felt every time he faced Pitamah on the field; even after decades of experience, it broke him every time.

The poor child must have had it so much worse.

"Feeling better now, Vrish?" he asked warmly. "Nakul and Sahadev said you'd soon be up and about."