Sootputra: The Unsung Hero

Friends?

“So you knew Ashwathama?”

“Yess!”

I had just finished relaying my entire story to them, well, almost all of it. The boy in those memories was Vasusena. A boy with a good heart and pure soul. They didn’t have to know that the man they have just made friends with was not the same in those stories. His heart has been damaged. An Eternal curse looms on his head and he could die the next moment from simply tripping over the stairs. Duryodhan’s kindness is too great for that. His obligations were already enough for my entire life. What’s left of it anyway. If it turns out to be long then I should pay him back shouldn’t I? And if not!? Well in that case I had tried at least. Telling him about that will only lead to me being again thrown to the sides with no one to hold onto. The image was scary enough to hold my words and actions back.

“We …..were

Friends.

I don’t know how it would feel to meet him after all this time.” I could see the my reflection on the madira in the cup. The eyes were shoddy, scared.

“But it’ll be good to at least see him.

Is he still pursuing Archery?”

“Yeah……..!?” Duryodhan answered. Though it seemed like it was more like a question.

“He still is a good archer but…….

Arjuna has beaten him ages ago.

So he shifted his gaze towards the battlefield.

He is an Outstanding strategist now.

And a good friend of Dushashan.”

“Ashwathama!!!, A Strategist??” I chuckled.

The boy only had a pea-brain when he was with me. If I had known that he will be a tactician then I would’ve laughed. But then we were kids. We were viewing the worlds through the eyes of ambition. Hope and wonder. Gods and monsters both exist here and we wanted to meet all of them. Legends were born, sometimes created with mere words and tiny actions. 

But as an adult, we know that. Or at least I do that curses too exists. That every action is not for the good and the biggest monsters in the world are not the actual ones but those who act like one.

“Did he ever…..

Talked about me?” I said with a hope.

“Hmm….I….I didn’t hear anything from Dushashan or Ashwathama.

Sorry Friend, but today was the first day I have ever heard the name Karna.”

“It’s alright.” It didn’t take him long to squash that minute flame with those dusty words.

It was understandable . He must be furious, I left without saying a word. I better handle it with care the next time I meet him or this could get ugly really fast.

“We always thought that one day It would be Ashwathama who would surpass or at least even out Arjuna in wielding a bow. Before you it was him who was the closest to him in Archery.

After all Arjuna was his goal.” 

“His goal?” I asked. 

“He always said in sweaty breath that ‘I have someone I need to beat’.

Shame he doesn’t know that his goal has just been set even higher now.

That guy is persistent I sympathize with him.” Duryodhan ended his statement with a drink down his throat. There were only bones of the chicken left on the platter. Almost all the food and fruits were finished. This much food would’ve been enough for my Pawani’s family for two days.