Summary:

"Prince Suyodhana... you are not hated because you are born during a durmuhurtham. Parameshwar... no. They timed your birth during durmuhurtham so that you'll be the villain in the story of the Pandava Princes. You might think that the elders of Hasthinapur hated you because you were an ill-omen and arrogant child. Let me clarify this, they hated you even before you were born."

- A Charioteer to the Crown Prince of Hasthinapur.

Notes:

I started to have a bit of a soft spot for villains after I completed my graduation. And you'd be a bit shocked when you learn who in my eyes is one of the best villains in Mahabharat. I bet you'll never be able to guess him. Don't comment here just PM me or comment in poll here. Whoever guessed my character right I'll write a chapter based on their wish. I loved that character immensely for his dedication to his family and his hard choices. In entirety of Mahabharat he was the one who took the hardest choices and suffered in silence. I want you guys to guess who it is.

The character will be revealed in chapter 10.

Link to the poll :

https://strawpoll.com/kogjkAq92Z6

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Chapter Text

Suyodhana started to wonder whether the premonition of life he lived was actually his or not. The first glaring difference, when he came to the past, was the death of his uncle Gandhar Naresh Shakuni.

He never know a time in his previous life when his uncle was not by his side. There is not a single person in his life who supported him, regardless of whatever adharma he committed, except for his uncle. When the sneers of the palace hurt his childish heart, it was his uncle who consoled him in that process. Yes... he does agree that his uncle was one of the reasons why he was such an asshole, but a child who does not know what is right and wrong does not care about that. They only crave love from someone. Hell, his entire perspective of right and wrong have been molded by his uncle.

So when he heard that he died four years ago, even though Gandharraj might be one of the reasons for the downfall of Kuru Vansh... he mourned him in private. He still did not understand why his uncle molded him to be an asshole. Gandharraj was an extremely intelligent person and he knew the effect his actions have on Suyodhana so it's not an fortuitous choice. It was a deliberate one. Suyodhana is missing some, maybe several pieces in this puzzle. And the only person who could answer those questions is dead.

They said that no one knew how he was killed. He was killed with Brahmastra, they said. There are not many warriors who could wield that astra and yet the killer was not found. Really odd.

'When two people meet...their destinies also meet with them.' It was said. Sahadev told him that he swore to kill his uncle Shakuni because Gandharraj's evil deeds impacted with his (Suyodhan's) destiny and was the cause of Kurukshetra war. For that reason, Suyodhan thought that it might be Vasudev who might have killed his uncle, before dismissing it entirely. Since when has the great Lord Keshav ever cared about his or his brothers' well-being. Because if he did there would be no war to begin with. Or so many of his brothers would not have died.

The second glaring difference is seen in himself. Both physically and mentally.



Suyodhana, even in his previous life, cannot be called weak in terms of physical strength. He might not have that rakshasha Bhimasen's physique or strength, but he was a strong man and was considered to be one of the best wrestlers of his generation. But at the age of one and ten years in his previous life, he was not this built and graceful as he is now. He was this strong only after two years of training under Guru Drona in his previous life. It seems like he had taken up wrestling even earlier than his previous life and he was shocked to learn who his teacher was.

Mitr Karna... the strongest archer of their generation in his previous life (No he does not care about the fools who might say that Arjuna is the best archer)... reduced himself to cleaning chariots in this life. His armor and earrings which marked him as invincible (till they were defrauded from him) were nowhere to be seen. Suyodhan heard about the brutal death of Karna's little brother for the false ethics these people shroud themselves with and it chilled his heart.

He heard how Karna mutilated himself to remove the armor because in his words what use are those if he cannot save his little brother. Suyodhana, not for the first time in his life cried at the injustice of this all. And these bloody fools have gall to call it dharma.

What use was this dharma when it was so biased to a few and tramples upon the unfortunate. Now no one in this life will never know what a great warrior his friend is. Karna was a brilliant soldier in this life but he will never realize his full potential in this life just because of the society's bloody ethics.

Even their friendship started out differently. And when the memories of how they started to become friends came in... Suyodhan was torn between crying and hysterical laughter. Looks like that both his physical and psychological differences were bought by his previous life's best friend.

During the first three days he was in the past, Suyodhana wondered why none of his brothers are not surprised by his character shift. Because anyone who knew him in his previous life can say he is a Kshatriya to his core and never ceded anything to anyone without a fight. So it should be a shock to his brothers that he is willingly abandoning his title as Crown Prince. But none of them looked remotely shocked by his decision. The surprise that none of his brothers pointed this out triggered the memories of his training with Karna.

In his previous life Karna was just an iconoclast. But in this life, he is a bloody asshole most of the time.





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One Year Four months ago



He asked around the palace about Vasusena the day after the guard mutilated a woman in his name. It actually surprised Suyodhana that there was a person even more hated than him by Pitamah Bhishma. It's understandable though. Pitamah revered his teacher and knowing that someone insulted him would incur the wrath of Protector of Hasthinapur.



At that time, he thought that Vasusena was sucking up to him so that he would alleviate the burden on his family. And it angered him a lot.



So the next seven days he unleashed the brat in him trying to piss off the sutaputra. He irritated him as much as he could but Vasusena didn't even have the decency to look irritated at his antics. He never bothered to place a request for transfer out of his position, unlike the previous soldiers. Vasusena's tenacity in the face of his tantrums should be appreciated. So on the seventh day, just before the guard rotation change was implemented, he arrogantly told Radheya he could ask for anything he wanted.



"For what are you giving this favor to me, my Prince?" Radheya tilted his head not unlike a cat.



"When people are given a favor by the Prince, no one in their right mind would ask why they are given the favor." He replied arrogantly.



"Prince Suyodhana... there's no such thing as free lunch in this world." Vasusena replied evenly as if trying to keep his temper in check. "So what are you expecting from me for this favor?"



Suyodhana remembered being confused at those words. "For cutting off the tongue of that woman maybe?" He sneered.



Vasusena stood silent for a few minutes. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, biting his lip. "Five minutes."



"What?"



"For the next five minutes whatever I say should never be held against me, Prince Suyodhana. That is the favor I need from you."



"This is all you want from me?" Vasusena nodded. "Ok go ahead."



It turned out to be a big mistake. Vasusena took the sand glass and turned it down. The words that came from Vasusena's mouth... Suyodhana learnt more cuss words in those five minutes than his entire life. He never knew that in Hindi there are so many expletives. His ears are ringing at the end of it and true to his word, Vasusena stopped just at the five minute mark.



"Whatever I did... I did it because it's my duty, Prince Suyodhana." He said sternly. "I do not know what kind of soldiers you had before but I am true to my duty. I'm not a sycophant or a lickspittle. I am getting a salary from the army of Hasthinapur for performing my duty. Rewarding me just for doing my duty... I consider that an insult more than anything else." He then left.



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The next day, Vasusena came back and apologized for his words. This was the first time in his life that someone apologized to Suyodhana for insulting him. Suyodhana remembered crying and smiling at the same time for the first time in this life.

"By Gods something must be wrong with past me." Gandhari Nandhan thought even though there was a small smile playing on his lips. "If anyone insulted me, I should be holding a grudge against him. I should not be making that person my teacher."

But that was what exactly what his past self did. His past self reasoning is that Karna was considered to be the most skilled soldier after Pitamah Bhishma. And as the Crown Prince he has to learn from the best. So Suyodhana asked him to be his Guru. The answer Karna gave was well...



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"Do I look like a Brahmin to you, Prince?" Vasusena questioned, quirking his eyebrows. "Because as far as I know only Brahmins can be called Gurus and only they can teach a Prince."



"But I want you to be my teacher." His past self said stubbornly. "You are considered to be the most skilled soldier in our army. So I want to learn from you."



"Just because I am skilled does not mean that I'll be a good teacher, Prince Suyodhana." Radheya stated bluntly. "It's not like you lack people who want to teach you. So learn from them."



He turned around and walked away. And Suyodhana as a last-resort uttered those words. "I order you to be my guru." He shouted.



Vasusena turned back slowly and then asked in a flat tone. "What?"



"I order you to be my guru." Suyodhana repeated confidently. "You have a track record of never disobeying an order if it is in your power to do so. And if a duty is given to you... you always fulfill it with all your body, mind and soul. So I, Suyodhana of Kuru Vansh, order you, Vasusena son of Adhiratha and Radha, to be my guru."



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Karna accepted to train him reluctantly. But the training he was given was never half-hearted or superficial. From the food he ate to his sleep schedule, everything was prepared with extreme care. It was brutal, but extremely satisfying. Hell even the land they are training in, from the dimensions of the practice yard to the composition of sand in it, is prepared according to the specifications stated by the boy. Karna himself massaged him with oils before and after the training was done.

This was not the work of an amateur. Pitamah Bhishma and others might not have noticed but... he was an expert wrestler and a mace fighter in his previous life. Karna stated that he didn't learn under Guru Parashuram but the meticulous preparations done shows that Radheya did have a guru who taught him. Because every preparation that was done is similar to what Guru Balaram has done for him and Bhima when they learnt wrestling under his guidance.

Karna stated that he did not learn under Guru Parashuram but he never said that he did not have a guru. That was an axiomatic loophole everyone over looked.

The vazhi (fighting style) taught to him by Karna was something he never encountered in his previous life. Suyodhana knew almost every style trained in Aryavarta but Karna's style is unique from everything he has seen. Even the way he was taught is odd. Usually hand-to-hand is taught first and then weapons are incorporated into the fighting techniques. That is the traditional way. But Vasusena...he started teaching him weapon based techniques for the first two months and then started in hand-to-hand combat. Most of his training is focused on evasion, elegance, jumps, flexibility and exploitation of openings in the guard of the enemy.



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The training might be hell but it bore results. In less than seven months he was able to beat three best wrestlers in the army after Pitamah Bhishma and Karna back-to-back in hand-to-hand combat. He remembered on that day with hope in his heart, he went to Pitamah Bhishma and Vidur Kaka to tell them about his achievement.



"You think wrestling these soldiers means anything." Pitamah Bhishma stated dismissively. "Don't disturb our time with your nonsense again Suyodhana."



Why on earth did he expect something else. Tears appeared in his eyes and he raced back to the training grounds swearing to prove himself so that today his elders would show him respect for his skills.



"VASUSENAAA!!!" He roared as he entered the training grounds searching for the most skilled soldier to defeat. Radheya who was eating his lunch calmly raised his eyes to see the Prince racing towards him.



"I thought today's training is complete Prince Suyodhana." He stated calmly. "So why are you here, again?"



"I challenge you to a duel, Vasusena." The Crown Prince of Hasthinapur brayed in arrogance."I am going to defeat you today."



Vasusena pinched his nose in an irritated manner. "All of you..." He ordered the other soldiers and servants around him. "Leave."



In less than a minute the entire place was empty save for Gandhari Nandan and sutaputra. "We are going outside today for hunting a tiger that's terrorizing the nearby village, Prince Suyodhana. Prepare your weapons and I'll prepare your chariot."



"I asked you to..." The glare Radheya sent him clamped his throat. It was much more effective and terrifying than Pitamah Bhishma. "Meet me at palace gate in an hour, Prince Suyodhana. Don't be late."



An hour later, the Prince and the Charioteer left the palace to the nearby village. After inquiring about the tiger both entered the forest.

They found the tiger they came to hunt after a half an hour of searching for it. Suyodhana at then time froze in fear looking at the great beast. But Radheya tore in half with his bare hands in less than a minute. Suyodhana's heart jumped to his throat. Foolishly, he dared to challenge this warrior in this morning. Vasusena didn't even break a sweat or receive a scratch. Throwing the corpse of the tiger on the chariot they bought with them, Radheya looked around for a secluded place.



After making sure that there are no people around him, Vasusena sat down at the trunk of a banyan tree and gestured Suyodhana to do the same. Gandhari Nandhan wearily sat down beside the charioteer.



"I'm asking this question as your teacher, Suyodhana. Where did that arrogance come from today?" Radheya stared at him pointedly. "You know very well you cannot defeat me. I was the person who taught you all you know about Mala Yudh. The way you are now, you cannot beat me. So why did you behave that way?"



Radheya never used his authority given to a position of a teacher before. "I apologize for my conduct." He murmured. "I do not know what came over me."



"I'm not asking for your apologies Suyodhana. You never behaved this way before. So what happened to you, for you to behave this way. As your teacher it is my duty to help you in whatever way I can." Vasusena spoke softly. "I cannot help you if I have no idea on what's troubling you



"It is not something you can solve, Vasusena." Suyodhana started to cry softly. "Hell, no one in Hasthinapur or Aryavartha for that matter can help me."



"Alright then." Vasusena then removed his armor which marked his as the Head Charioteer of Hasthinapur. He removed all the prayer beads, accessories and tails man on his body. "Now Prince Suyodhana, Assume that I'm not a subject to Hasthinapur. I'm a traveler and a foreigner to this land but have basic knowledge about its customs. Call me Aditya."



"What the hell are you doing, Vasusena?" Suyodhana asked flabbergasted at the actions.



"You are the one who said no one in Aryavartha could help you right. So consider me to be an outsider. When I have a problem, I'm not the kind who searches for the solution to the problem first. I search the reason behind the problem. This is me searching for the root of your problem. So for now, my name is not Vasusena little one. I'm Aditya. Now why is a child like you crying today? So what is your problem child?"



Suyodhana couldn't help but to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Still he decided to humor his teacher. "I am crying because my very birth is cursed, Aditya." He said through his watery eyes.



"How so?"



"If you are a traveler, you must have heard the story of a Prince who brayed like a donkey, right?" When Vasusena nodded, Suyodhana continued. "I am the prince in that story."



"Really?" He then pinched his cheeks. "You look adorable. I'm unable to believe that this cute child would cause the destruction of the greatest kingdom in all of Aryavartha."



This is a very different reaction from what Suyodhana usually get. Batting away the hands that are pulling his cheeks, he glared at his master with a blush on his face. "Take this seriously." He growled. "Any other person would hate me and avoid me after knowing this."



Vasusena then put his armor and other accessories back on. "So this is your problem then. You think that everyone hates you."



"Yes... I know that I cannot make anyone love me. I tried and tried all over to gain their love Vasusena. But all is for naught." Gandhari Nandhan wailed. "Because I cannot change the fact that I was a dirt-born child and an ill omen. I thought if I could beat you today, I could be acknowledged by Pitamah Bhishma and Vidhur Kaka. But deep in my heart I know even if I managed to beat you, they will never acknowledge me. My problem does not have a solution, Vasusena."



"Can I ask you how your birth came to be, Suyodhana?" Vasusena turned away from him looking at the sun.



"What?" Suyodhana asked bewildered. "I asked you how your birth came to be?" Radheya repeated



"There are many stories told about my birth, Vasusena." Suyodhana spoke in a reproachful tone. "Surely you must have heard atleast some of them."

"I'm not asking what happened when you were born, Suyodhana." Radheya clarified. "The gap between all your 101 siblings is at most three to four months at most. So how did Queen Gandhari give birth to so many children in a span of three months at most?" When Suyodhana's face grew thunderous in anger, he added. "I'm not trying to poke at old wounds or bad memories Suyodhana. Because no one called you a dirt-born child. You called yourself that. If I'm not wrong, the answer to why you called yourself a demeaning name is present in that story."



Gandhari Nandhan bowed his head in shame. "You heard the stories, right? My mother, Queen Gandhari, has a prolonged period of pregnancy. She was declared pregnant even before Yudhishthira was even conceived. But even after two years, despite appearing fully pregnant, childbirth was out of reach to her. When Yudhishthira was born, my grandmother Ambika was very disappointed with my mother and spoke harsh words to her. In her grief my mother hit her womb in frustration. This caused a hardened mass of grey-colored flesh to issue from her womb."



"The stories usually say that you came from her womb that way." Radheya stated. "So that part is actually false then."



"Yes. Our birth is even more inauspicious." Suyodhana stated bitterly. "Our mother implored Sage Vyasa, who blessed her saying that she would have hundred sons, to redeem his blessing. Ved Vyasa took the flesh ball and divided it into one hundred and one equal balls. He put each ball in a pot filled with ghee, buried them inside earth. After two years, my pot was opened first and you heard of all the ill-omens that happened during my birth. That's all that happened."



"That explains a lot about your issues Suyodhana. And you must be compared to your cousins who were said to be of divine birth." Radheya stated.



"Do you know many great sages, Pitamah Bhishma and Vidur Kaka advised my parents to abandon the calamity which is about to strike Hasthinapur." He said with teary eyes. "Is it my fault that I was born during a durmuhurtham. All my life... all my life me and my brothers strived to prove that we are not a blight to Hasthinapur. Sometimes I wonder if the death of myself is what it takes for them to love me. Tell me Radheya... tell me what it takes. Tell me what should I do for them to look past the circumstances of my birth?"



Vasusena stood silently for several moments. "Even you do not have the answer to this, do you?" The Crown Prince of Hasthinapur murmured forlornly. "Because unless you can change the circumstances surrounding my birth... my problem does not have a solution and my condition within this kingdom will remain unchanged."

Radheya smiled wryly. "There is no solution to your question because even if you are born during an auspicious time, the elders of Hasthinapur will hate you."



"W-what!!!" Suyodhana shouted in a flabbergasted manner.



Radheya simply nodded. "Prince Suyodhana... you are not hated because you are born during a durmuhurtham. Parameshwar... no. They timed your birth during durmuhurtham so that you'll be the villain in the story of the Pandava Princes. You might think that the elders of Hasthinapur hated you because you were an ill-omen and arrogant child. Let me clarify this, they hated you even before you were born."



"Have you gone mad, Vasusena." Suyodhana screamed in anger. "How dare you insinuate that? I'll give you a chance to take those words back out of respect I have for you. Take those words back or I'll have your tongue removed for treason."



"I accept those charges gladly, my Prince." Vasusena smiled languidly. "But will you give this accused a chance to defend himself?"



"Radheya please... please don't do this." Suyodhana begged him. Looking into the resolute eyes of his friend Suyodhana continued. "I don't need any solution for my problems. Not if it means it harms you."



"For you my Prince... I will gladly accept death. If it means you will be happy, I'll happily accept anything including hell." And for Suyodhana it sounded like an oath. He never knew there's a person other than his parents, who loved him this deeply. "And have I ever lost in an argument, Prince Suyodhana? Why are you so worried about me?"



Despite knowing how intelligent his friend is, Suyodhana felt chills in his heart. Because if the argument is not satisfactory, Radheya himself will cut off his own tongue. He is that dedicated to his duty. With a heavy heart he declared. "Alright then... defend yourself."



"Is Hasthinapur not the richest kingdom in entirety of Aryavartha, Prince Suyodhana?"



What kind of an insane question is this? "Of course, Hasthinapur is the richest kingdom in Aryavartha."



"This is a blessed kingdom, Prince Suyodhana. You have scholars and priests who are knowledgeable. A King who, despite being blind, was an able ruler. Mahaamahim Bhishma and Prime Minister Vidhur who are erudite in everything. Both the queens are said to be kind and dedicated. And both got a boon from sages themselves due to their virtuous nature." He said without losing the serene smile.



"They even had an unexpected blessing which we will discuss in a few moments. But the issue here is that the children of one queen are cursed and the children of other queen are blessed. One queen's children are born during an auspicious time, the other queen's children during an inauspicious time. One queen's children even though present in the court are hated. And even without seeing them, the children of the other queen are loved. Are any of these statements wrong"



"Radheya yes, all these statements are legit. But get to the bloody point." Suyodhana spoke irritably. "You accused the elders of Hasthinapur by stating that they hated me and my brothers even before we were born. How are all of these statements relevant? "



Vasusena laughed in a rueful manner. "Every question I have asked and every word I have stated are pertinent to the accusation, my Prince. I said that both Kulavadhus of Hasthinapur has an unexpected boon, right?" When Suyodhana nodded he continued. "The unexpected boon for both the queens of Hasthinapur is every parent's dream. The choice to choose the time when their children will be born into this world."



Gandhari Nandhan's eyes widened in shock. "The opening of your pot signifies your birth time, Prince Suyodhana. All your other brothers survived for three more months in those pots. So logically speaking you could have stayed in that pot for at least three more months." The little prince's hands started to shiver in fright.



"My first question is if Hasthinpur is financially rich or not?" Radheya continued with tears filling his eyes. "Is Hasthinapur so poor that it cannot pay a priest to predict an auspicious time? Certainly not.



I also stated that Hasthinapur has wise priests. Mahaamahim Bhishma and Prime Minister Vidhur also have knowledge about muhurthams. So they did know that the time when your pot is being opened is a durmuhurtham. Don't try to defend them. Because the time of birth of every Prince is recorded. And yet your pot was opened on their orders in one of the worst durmuhurthams since the birth of Ravanasura."



Suyodhana fell bonelessly to the ground, tears falling down his face. "It's not like you are Shani Deva to convert an auspicious time to a durmuhurtham just by existing, Prince Suyodhana. No... Gods no" Radheya shook his head." The elders of Hasthinapur made you and your brothers into a curse, so that you will be the villains in the story of Pandava Princes. Now pass your judgment my Prince. Am I wrong?"



"N-no." Suyodhana choked out. "You are acquitted of all these charges."



The little Prince continued to cry. "Even in exile, Kunti Maa and Madri Maa checked for an auspicious time to give birth to the Pandavas. Why?" He wailed. "My mother received a boon to have us. And these..." he clenched his fists."... so called dharmis twisted that blessing into a curse. What sin have I committed for them to hate me, Radheya. What did I ever do in my previous life to deserve this?"



"Mahaamaahim Bhishma was obsessed with Hasthinapur throne, Prince Suyodhana." Radheya answered softly. "Because of his pledge, he devoted his life to the kingdom. So before his death, he wanted a worthy King on the throne. In his eyes what's a Prince compared to a demigod, Prince Suyodhana? I apologize for saying this but even before you are born you already lost. So for his obsession to find a perfect king, you and all of your brothers are the sacrifices he felt were acceptable to make."

'Of course it is.' Duryodhana thought, laughing to himself. 'Pitamah Bhishma, who swore he would never kill a Pandava, never swore he would protect his brothers. Even the arrows he forged are a way to placate him. The forthcoming day, Arjuna took them away. Arjuna, who had no way of knowing about those forged arrows, came exactly the next morning to collect his debt. Phalguna could have used his debt to stop the war by asking back their kingdom to settle the debt, but decided that killing him and his brothers was the only way to get back their kingdom.

Pitamah Bhishma stalled the war till the Kaurava side was weakened and only then, in a dereliction of duty, told the Pandavas the secret to defeat him. It was against every rule of war but the victors will write this off as dharma of an old helpless man who let himself be killed for dharma's sake. Bloody fools. The less that was said about Vidur Kaka the better. He never bothered to fight.'

"Vasusena show mercy." Suyodhana begged his friend. "You are saying that we are raised to be villains for our cousins and I can't even disagree with you. Don't degrade my downtrodden self-worth even more."



"I'm not trying to trample on your self-worth, Suyodhana." Radheya replied. "All your life you fought for scraps of love from your elders. Love does not work that way Prince. Love is unconditional. You might think that I'm trying to hurt you with my bitter words. This is a medicine little Prince. And sometimes medicine is bitter to taste."



The child hugged him and cried his heart out. Radheya ran his hand through his hair consolingly. "So is it my fate to be a villain?"



Radheya just laughed at him that asshole. "My Prince, you are already a villain in the eyes of Hasthinapur. The servants hate you, the soldiers hate you, the diplomats hate you and your elders hate you. Mahaamahim Bhishma's attitude is one reason and your attitude is an other reason."



"You are not good at comforting people are you?" Suyodhana glared at him. through his tears . Radheya continued to smile. He always showed his caustic and bitter side in the palace. But here his features are softened. Suyodhana was struck on how handsome he looked at that moment and his irritation at his friend melted at that serene smile. "I'm not here to comfort you, my Prince. I am here to help you."



"You are digging an empty mine searching for love, Prince Suyodhana." Adhiratha's son said to the Prince. "Their love is reserved for Pandava Princes. The more you fight for that love... the more disappointed you will become. The more disappointed you are... you will start to feel jealous. A heart at peace gives a healthy body, but jealously rots the bones. In jealously... you'll forget your senses and start being cruel."



"You said that all soldiers hate me, Vasusena. And yet here you are willing to risk your life for my well-being." Suyodhana stated softly. "May I know why?"



"The answer, my Prince, is simple. You are a child." Radheya looked at him in his eyes. "A child is like a blank parchment, ready to be imbued with the colors of life's experiences. An adult is akin to a completed painting, embodying the hues of experiences gathered in childhood. No child is born evil and no adult chooses to be a villain. I saw you as a child and a child only. Children, Prince Suyodhana, are said to be Parameshwar's likeness. How can I ever hate that?"



"Thank you." For the first time in his life the Crown Prince of Hasthinapur thanked someone from the bottom of his heart. "I don't want to be a villain, Vasusena. So what should I do next?"



"You have people who love you, Prince." Vasusena stated. "Your father, your mother, your siblings and some people you might never know. Strive only for their love. As for your attitude...The root cause of your attitude is well... you are always punished for your deeds but no one told you why those deeds harm you. That s something I can never teach you. I'm pretty sure my attitude is much worse than yours. Queen Gandhari is considered to be one of the kindest and virtuous women in Aryavartha. Learn at her feet and emulate her. Heed her instruction and do not cross the line she issues. That's all I can say."



"My mother is the Queen of Hasthinapur, Radheya. She does not have time to spare to..." "Queen Gandhari loves you, Prince Suyodhana. People who love you will make time for you."



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In his previous life, Suyodhana never listened to his mother. He surrounded himself with sycophants and never understood the damage it was causing him. Karna tried to stop him several times but ultimately gave in to his whims. In this life, after the conversation with his friend in the forest, Suyodhana went straight to his mother and promised her that he will always listen to her and will never go against her word. And he kept that promise. And in less than six months... the servants stopped sneering at them. They suddenly did not start to love him and his brothers but they did not outwardly hate them.

"Parameshwara... If I have another life. Let me and Karna be brothers in it." He prayed that night. "I do not know what I have done to deserve a friend like him in both of my lives. But all I ask now is that our friendship to be unbreakable in every life we are in."

The next morning when he raced towards Mala Yudh bhoomi, Karna received him with a kind smile on his face. This is the first time he saw his friend after coming back. The last time, he was lifeless on the ground surrounded by his enemies. Seeing him hale and healthy again bought smile on his face.

On seeing Mahaamaahim Bhishma and Prime Minister Vidhur, Suyodhana thought he would feel hatred towards them. Oddly, he felt nothing. And that is the most freeing thing he ever experienced in both the lives he lived.