Was & Will

Love for Blood

When Karna came out of the study he was immersed in deep thoughts. His legs were involuntarily moving. He thought he was walking to his room but instead they took him to a huge gallery.

Many paintings of royal glory proudly hung on the walls. Each one was beautiful in its own way. He looked at them but his brain was preoccupied to admire any of them. He stopped in front of a small painting. It wasn't a royal ceremony, nor any war scene, just a mother holding her child.

He was looking at it. His eyes were moist. Suddenly the surroundings started fading for him. Slowly he drifted into his own past.

Little Karna was practising archery with his tiny wooden bow in the backyard of his small hut. Though the bow was of ordinary wood his skills were exceptional. Without any formal tutoring he naturally had good aiming skills. He aimed and hit the target and his little brother Shon praised him. Surely he was a fan of his elder brother.

Shon wished to learn archery. He demanded. Karna, who loved his brother the most, would never say no to him. He handed the bow and instructed him about the position. Shon held it in his shaky tiny hands. He pulled the string and released the arrow. Sadly it did not hit the target. Not even close. Insted it hit the door of their hut.

Karna smiled and ran to bring the arrow back. It was stuck to the wooden door. He carefully began removing it. He could not afford to damage the door.

While he was busy taking out the arrow he heard his parents talking.

His father complained to his mother, "Radha, don't allow Karna to use the bow. Our community is not allowed to do it. They would never accept it."

"But have you seen him? He is so good at archery without any formal education." His mother argued.

"And that's my concern Radha. World looks at him as our son. He belongs to our community. If he continues possessing archery these people will make his life a living hell."

"Adhirath, I don't care about the world. For me my son and his happiness is more important. And who are we to stop him? We aren't even his birth parents. We don't know whose blood continues to inspire him. We have no right to control him."

"I know he is strong. He was strong even as an infant, when we rescued him. I still remember the way he was put in a basket and was left in the river flow. It was impossible for an infant to survive but he did. He must be special, but the world around would never agree to it."

"I love him. I care for him. He is my son but Adhirath, I did not give him birth. My love can never be compared to a birth mother. He is already deprived of love. Now please don't deprive him from archery. Let him discover his destiny."

Karna was shattered. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Little Karna stood there shocked, absorbing the information he hadn't imagined to hear. He had already removed the arrow from the door. And now the arrow was free to hit another target. Now the arrow was free to discover it's destiny. He slowly moved back from the hut unnoticed and continued his practice.

Now here Karna stood in the huge royal gallery, in an unknown era, admiring the painting. Numerous thoughts occupied his mind. I don't know how a birth mother would love her kids. For I have never experienced it. But the Queen is Prince William's birth mother. I can feel the warmth with which she holds me close. Is this the love I always wished for? Maybe yes. This is beautiful. If this is the love that I desired all these years, I shall never disappoint the Queen. I will listen to her.

He started moving back to his room. A new resolve on his face. When he entered the room, Nisha bombarded him with the new information. "Karna I found it, we are somewhere in the middle. I don't know exactly which time period but you are already history and I am far away in the future. All I know is I don't have a good feeling about this and we need to find a way out of here as soon as possible.”

Out of here. Away from the love I have just discovered. Is this what I want? He tried to calm Nisha. He asked, "How do we get out of here?"

"That's the issue. I dont know. I don't know yet, but I will find out. Tomorrow I will try to locate the Royal Library. Books have all the answers."

So she doesn't know yet. It might take some time. That's good. "Good plan."

She smiled looking at him. She was determined to find the solution. She then asked him, "Why did the Mother Queen call you?"

"Oh! Nothing significant, just the usual politics."

She didn't ask further...