In Hastinapur, Gandharaja Shakuni arrived two weeks before the Kuru Rajkumar's were expected to return. As he was banished by Mahamahim Bhishma after the poisoning incident involving Bhima during their youth, Shakuni's exile had finally ended. Determined to fulfill the vow he made during his sister's marriage; Shakuni began to strategize his moves.

His first step was to weaken the Pandavas' power while bolstering the strength of the Kauravas. To achieve this, he sowed the seeds of enmity when they were even as a kids in Duryodhana's mind, leveraging his important position among his brothers, who would follow him unquestioningly. Knowing that dividing the Pandavas was nearly impossible, Shakuni decided that Arjuna, known as Gudakesha ("conqueror of sleep") and Savyasachi ("ambidextrous"), had to be eliminated to ensure Duryodhana's victory over the Pandavas.

Shakuni proposed to Maharaja Dhritarashtra the idea of showcasing the princes' skills to the public, emphasizing that such a display would demonstrate the future Yuvaraja's greatness and reassure the people of their security. Highlighting the success of Guru Drona's task, where four teams achieved full marks, Shakuni convinced the Maharaja to prepare for the event.

To execute his plan, Shakuni called upon Purochan, who was responsible for decorating the Rangbhoomi where the Kala Pradarshan (skill exhibition) was to take place. He instructed Purochan to create a statue of an elephant head that would collapse with a single arrow, burying Arjuna beneath it and ensuring his demise before he could even reach the Rangbhoomi. Shakuni's only concern was finding someone to launch the fatal arrow. He already had a candidate in mind and needed to evaluate them before assigning the task.

Guru Drona and his family, along with the 106 Kuru princes, arrived in Hastinapur and were informed about the details of the upcoming Kala Pradarshan, set to take place near the Rangbhoomi in two days. After a long journey, the Pandavas and Kauravas rested, while Guru Drona and his wife were given separate rooms. Ashwatthama, their son, retired to his room only to find a letter placed near his bed. Finding no signs of anyone having been in the room, he cautiously opened and read the letter.

The letter was from Gandharaja Shakuni, the maternal uncle of his friend Duryodhana. Without hesitation and unnoticed by anyone, Ashwatthama went to the location mentioned in the letter. There, Shakuni explained his plan to highlight Duryodhana's strength and ensure that only the Pandavas would face him in the upcoming exhibition. Shakuni revealed his scheme to make the head of the elephant statue fall on Arjuna as he entered the arena.

Ashwatthama, eager to assist, agreed to the plan and assured Shakuni that he knew how to ensure the Pandavas' names were selected for the fight. With the details in place, he left to make the necessary preparations.

On the day of the Kala Pradarshan, the people of Hastinapur arrived early to see their Rajkumars showcase their prowess. The entire city was enveloped in an atmosphere of festivity, with the palace beautifully decorated. In the kitchen, various dishes were prepared under the orders of Maharani and Rajamata. Rajamata Kunti went a step further by making laddus for her sons, eagerly anticipating their arrival after many years.

Rajkumaris and Rajkumars from different kingdoms had also arrived, as invitations were sent to most kingdoms in Aryavarta as a symbol of friendship. These guests were treated with respect, and many kingdoms used this opportunity to seek alliances with the Kuru Rajkumars, leading to the presence of numerous Rajkumaris.

As the time of the event approached, people and other invitees gathered. Among them were Adhiratha's family, with Radha and Shon anxiously searching for Ira, who was conspicuously absent? Shon, worried, asked Karna what if Ira encountered any problems during her journey. Karna reassured him, stating that Ira would not travel without guards and would likely arrive the next day, as she wasn't fond of such showcases.

Despite his own initial desire to showcase his skills, Karna now found it childish. His previous jealousy towards Rajkumar Arjun had dissipated, replaced by neutral feelings. His primary concern was now Ira's well-being, even as he reassured others not to worry about her. His thoughts ran wild with worry about the possibility of her encountering poachers, causing him to miss the announcement of the royal family's arrival.

Mahamahim Bhishma announced the rules, emphasizing that the competition was friendly and that any Rajkumar who drew blood would be eliminated. The Maharaja of Hastinapur then addressed the assembly, speaking about the historical strength of their kingdom and the valor of their forebears. He emphasized that the event aimed to demonstrate the future Yuvaraj's bravery and skill.

Following this, Guru Drona was invited to speak. He highlighted the valor and skills of the Rajkumars and explained that the day's winner would be the one who remained on the Rangbhoomi until sunset, earning a place in history as a great warrior. He then introduced his son, Ashwatthama, who would explain how the Rajkumars would be selected for the day's events. With that, Guru Drona took his seat. Then Ashwatthama proceeded to show a wheel-like structure with three layers containing the names of the Rajkumars. He explained that the wheel would be rotated, and he would release an arrow to select the names. The chosen Rajkumar would then duel with another Rajkumar selected in the same manner.

When the Royal Priest announced that the time had arrived, Guru Drona stood up and took a conch (sangu), blowing it to signal the start of the competition. Ashwatthama, after taking blessings from his father and making eye contact with Gandharaja Shakuni, released the arrow. The arrow hit the name Rajkumar Duryodhana, who made a grand entry on an elephant. Leaping down from the elephant, he showcased his main weapon, the mace.

The crowd erupted in cheers, chanting "Hail Rajkumar Duryodhana!" Duryodhana walked towards Maharaja Dhritarashtra and Maharani Gandhari to take their blessings and addressed the people, speaking of his valor and strength. The people responded with another round of chants, "Hail Rajkumar Duryodhana!" He then moved towards his Mamashree Shakuni to take his blessings.

Ashwatthama, with careful precision, released the next arrow. It struck the name of Rajkumar Nakula. Announcing to the eager public, Ashwatthama declared, "The next Rajkumar who will duel with Rajkumar Duryodhana is one among the Pandavas, Rajkumar Nakula!"

The crowd erupted in chants of "Hail Rajkumar Nakula!" The entrance of Nakula was nothing short of spectacular, as an eagle seemingly carried him and dropped him gracefully above the ground. Nakula, with swords in both hands, exuded confidence and readiness.

As the duel commenced, Nakula and Duryodhana showcased their remarkable skills. Despite Nakula's valiant efforts and impressive swordsmanship, Duryodhana emerged victorious. The crowd, exhilarated, hailed "Rajkumar Duryodhana Victory!"

With the duel concluded, Rajkumar Nakula respectfully approached Rajamata Kunti, folding his hands together to receive her blessings.

The next Rajkumar to enter the arena was Rajkumar Sahadev, who ran onto the field to the cheers of the crowd chanting, "Hail Rajkumar Sahadev!" Sahadev's main weapon was the axe. Despite his valiant efforts in the duel, he was defeated by Rajkumar Duryodhana. Once again, the crowd erupted in cheers for Duryodhana's victory.

Rajkumar Sahaddev then approached Rajamata Kunti to receive her blessings before heading to where Rajkumar Nakula was seated. The two began to talk and laugh together, showing no signs of disappointment or resentment.

Observing this, Karna reflected on their positive attitude. He realized that if he were in their place, he might not handle defeat so gracefully. Seeing them take everything in stride, Karna thought to himself that he needed to learn to adopt such a mindset-taking things easily so they wouldn't weigh heavily on his heart.

The next Rajkumar to arrive was Yudhishthira. Observing that all the princes arriving so far were the late sons of Maharaja Pandu, Shon whispered to Karna, suggesting it looked more like a conspiracy than a competition. As the crowd chanted "Hail Rajkumar Yudhishthira," who wielded a spear, the duel began. Yudhishthira seemed to be clearly winning, and the people cheered his name.

Karna, with his keen archer's eyesight, noticed how Duryodhana was badmouthing Rajamata Kunti. Yudhishthira, sensing the hatred, declared that such emotions had no place in this kind of fight and refused to continue, stating it was against his Dharma to fight with hatred. This decision deeply impressed Karna, showing him the values upheld by the Pandavas.

Though Duryodhana was declared the winner again, Karna felt that Rajkumar Yudhishthira had truly won the round in spirit. Rajkumar Yudhisthira then moved to take Rajamata Kunti's blessings. Karna looked towards Duryodhana, realizing that his actions were influenced by Gandharaja Shakuni's manipulations.

As talks turned to the next contestant, Rajkumar Bhima, Karna wondered how they were so certain it would be him. At that moment, Guruputra Ashwatthama announced that the next to enter the arena would indeed be Rajkumar Bhima. Karna now understood that even Guruputra seemed to be part of the conspiracy favoring Duryodhana.

As Rajkumar Bheema entered, the crowd erupted in chants of "Hail Rajkumar Bheema!" He rotated his mace, his main weapon, and slammed it onto the ground with such force that the entire stadium shook as if struck by an earthquake. The duel began, initially showing both warriors on equal footing. The people cheered enthusiastically for Rajkumar Bheema.

However, it soon turned into a one-sided display as Rajkumar Bheema began to overpower Rajkumar Duryodhana. The intensity of Bheema's attacks drew blood from Duryodhana's body, leading to Rajkumar Bheema's elimination from the competition. The crowd's cheers shifted, echoing "Hail Rajkumar Duryodhana" in unison.

After the elimination, Bheema approached his brothers and took blessings from Rajamata Kunti and his eldest brother, Yudhishthira, demonstrating respect and unity among the Pandavas.