Karna & Arjun - The Union of Brothers

11. Two Sides of a Coin

"I am sorry," Arjun said as he approached Eklavya, who was helping Sahdev with medicinal herbs for the wounded warriors.

"You don't have to," he responded immediately.

"I do. It was my insecurity that forced me to provoke Gurudev about you. It was my jealousy that bathed in your blood. How could you not feel disgusted with my presence?" Arjun's acceptance was followed by confusion.

"It wasn't insecurity, it was hunger. We were both hungry for knowledge and both of us made a choice. You chose to express and I chose to accept. None of us are bigger than fate. I may have lost my thumb, but I still have the hunger to make Gurudev proud," Eklavya responded with a smile.

"You didn't think of giving up?" Arjun asked hesitantly.

"I did. But I realized that it could have tarnished Gurudev's honor. Besides, I am the youngest warrior to have paid his Gurudakshina. That shows my Gurudev's belief in me. That Gurudakshina taught me my biggest lesson," Eklavya responded.

"What is that?" Arjun asked.

"Give me your thumb," Eklavya's sentence was followed by a naughty smile. "It taught me that we are not limited by our bodies. A warrior is defined by his soul. It taught me to be inspired by the text book archery but not to be it's slave. Now everything around me is my teacher. I can learn from Devas, other warriors, statues, birds, animals, and even the forces of nature. Everything that I see is an archery lesson for me."

"That's really inspiring Eklavya. I feel blessed that I got an opportunity to know you. But I still feel guilty about my immature act. Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you?," Arjun said.

"I too feel fortunate to interact with my Gurudev's favorite student. You and Ashwathama are the closest to his heart. For me, both of you are the medium to connect with Gurudev spiritually. I can't explain you the quantum of happiness that I will get via that connection. So you really don't have to do anything for me. If Gurudev believes that you are his best student then there's nothing you need to worry about. You are destined to achieve eternal glory. Promise me that nobody will have to ever sacrifice anything for you. You are too good a warrior to be doubted by these factors," Eklavya explained his point of view.

"I promise, I will never..," Arjun's train of thought was interrupted by the bright golden armor that was glowing like a miniature Sun before the sunrise.