Chapter 39 39. Princess Of Kashi, Amba
"It's a small matter between children, So let's not bother the royal court."
Horses running in Bhishma's heart, If they take this matter to the royal court, The way Karna words it will really seem like it was an intentional attempt to harm the alliance between the kingdoms.
"Huh!? Children's matters? Open your eyes O' great Mahamahim Bhishma. I am a king and that guy is just the son of the late king. Don't you see who is superior here?"
"Even King Dhritarashtra has to show respect, What he did was a crime..no no it is a sin. I demand a royal court hearing on this matter or I will personally go and ask for justice from the king himself."
Karna spoke in an aggravated voice but on his slender lip was a treacherous smile.
"Th-That why can't we handle it among ourselves? You too harmed him. So why not let things go by the wayside? If you do what you said you both will be harmed."
Bhishma is sweating buckets here. What Karna said was true, According to royal ethics, even King Dhritarashtra has to show respect to him as an ally.
So Bhima doing that is really a big crime and an insult to Karna's status. This is also an indirect insult to the King.
After all, even if their own ally is not safe in his place then why would anyone bother to be allied with him? This act was like a slap in the face of the king and royal decree.
"Great Mahamahim, You are getting old. I retaliated in self-defense, Which is not a crime. Even if I just killed him now, I didn't do anything wrong."
"Also O'Great Mahamahim, I suggest you change your thinking, or if you someday attacked the kingdom to steal their daughters, You might not be prepared for their counter-attack, Then you might fall there. Not all people are weak like Gandhar and Kashi."
Karna said these words very diligently, Not even once he forgot to speak his repeated title but deep in his eye was a joke.
You know, He finds out that this is a guy who has taken the oath of celibacy for the happiness of his father. Which was a good and noble thing, right? And for that, he even received the name Bhishma.
But the ironic thing is that A man who has taken an oath of celibacy, Is the man who flowed most blood for the women.
Gandhari was just one of his victims. Even before her, he ruined 3 women's lives, Just because the king of that kingdom didn't invite his step brother to the swayamvar, In which princesses can choose their husbands.
Bhishma, seeing that it is an insult to his kingdom and his stepbrother, Marched into the Kingdom of Kashi and abducted all those three princesses.
Then forced 2 of them to marry his stepbrother but the last princess named Amba already loved someone else. So she denied getting married to his stepbrother.
Hearing that Amba loved someone else, Stepbrother also became furious and rejected her marriage and asked Bhishma to take her back.
She was overjoyed hearing the news. She thought that after this she would be able to marry what she loved but her fate was doomed the moment she was abducted from the assembly.
The man she loved refused to marry her saying that now she belonged to someone else, As she was with another man for days.
She argued, She was innocent. She was abducted against her will, She only spent 1 day in Hastinapur kingdom, Others spent traveling.
But that man didn't listen to her plea at all. He said that Bhishma abducted her in front of all the kings. If he accepted her now it would be an insult to him and his kingdom. He might make a warrior like Bhishma his enemy. So he can't take a risk.
After that, he goes away from there, Leaving lifeless Amba alone. Dejected, she goes to her home, Her kingdom, Kashi. Feeling this is the only solace she has remaining in the whole world.
She just wanted to go to her father and expressed her sorrow, crying her heart out to him but as she entered the hall, A stern voice stopped her in her tracks.
It was her father's voice but there was no love in the voice like before, He is currently looking at her like a stranger. He ruthlessly denied her entry into the palace and broke all the connections between her.
Amba felt like her whole world had fallen, The Love of her life denied her, The father who used to dote her , broke all relations with her Just because she was abducted by Bhishma.
She didn't blame them though, Bhishma terror is there. Whole Aryavart is afraid of his might. So they, as kings for the protection of their subjects, Didn't want to be his enemy.
She knows that only Bhishma was responsible for her current state, So she goes back to Hastinapur to ask for justice. If everyone denied her because of that man then he is the one who has to take responsibility.
So in the royal court of Hastinapur, She asked for justice. Justice is that because no one wanted to marry her because of Bhishma then he should marry her.
She knows his oath of celibacy, Which is the reason she asked him to marry her. Just like he ruined her, She too wanted to ruin him but her request was outright denied by Bhishma.
He although feels sorry for her and his hands are tied because of the oath, He offered her again to marry his brother but she didn't want that.
So she leaves from there and asks everyone in the Aryavart for justice but no one wants to be an enemy of Bhishma.
Feeling frustrated, She goes to the Bhagwaan Parshuram. A warrior saint who 22 times cleaned this earth from the tyranny of evil kings single-handedly. One man and one Parshu (Battle-Axe) wiped out 22 generations of evil kings. He is also the teacher of Bhishma.
Amba was very confident that he would help her get justice. So she went to him and said everything that happened to her.
Listening to her story Bhagwaan Parshuram felt angry and disappointed in Bhishma but he also knows that he was doing this to keep his oath and Amba doing this not for justice but for revenge.
But he still loved his battle-axe, Which didn't know how many heads were cut by it and moved towards Hastinapur.
There he asked Bhisma to marry Amba to which he obviously denied. So a battle is inevitable between them.
To fight vigorously but both didn't do their best, One was fighting his teacher, While the other one fighting his student but as the battle stretched into the day they started to be more and more aggressive.
Finally, gods had to interfere or they might destroy the world, Parshuram also sighed in relief because if they, If wanted he had long since killed Bhishma, If not for his boon of ichhamritSelf-will of death) and his love for his student.
After all his Battle Axe was given to him by Lord Shiva himself, That Ax never fails and comes back without testing the blood of opponents.
Amba was again disappointed, But she also didn't want Bhishma to die, No it was too cheap for him to die just like that and receive a place in heaven after destroying her life, She wanted him to live, Live with the fact that what he did, She wanted to be his wife and became the constant reminder of his sins. She wanted to make his life living hell as he made hers.
But now it was not possible, So after that, she went away somewhere to seek someone else, Who could give her justice but she never appeared again.
What happened to her after that incident? Karna didn't know but it didn't stop him from having a little disgust for his act, Although Amba wanted revenge not justice but that too because she lost everything because of him, So it's a justified act of hers.
This is a reason even Bhishma now being his supposed brother Karna didn't intentionally go to seek him. After all, if wanted to even if Bhisham is mostly in the kingdom, In the past 7 years he was able to meet him.
"You"
Bhishma arrived. This is his painful nerve. He regretted the abduction of that princess every day. Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret.
Those two remaining princesses also didn't have any good life, Just after 7 years of marriage his stepbrother Vichitravirya died making both Kashi princesses Ambika and Ambalika widows without any children.
Because of that, they had to do Niyog, A ritual where the sage who had already given up on the world desired a mate with a woman with the intention of impregnating her.
So that's how Dhritarashtra and Pandu were born. He didn't want this thing to happen that's why he abducted Gandhari but that too became his regret.
"What do you want? What I can give to you so you let Bhima go."
Bhishma felt old now, The weight of his sins once again realized by him. He thought the world had forgotten about it, He thought he had forgotten it but no, neither he nor the world had forgotten any of his sins.
He felt guilty and that's why he decided to bend. He can't let the son of the late king Pandu and his grandson die like this, After all, that's the punishment for this crime but even if seeing is status as a prince court does not give him the death penalty but other punishments will not be worse than death.
"O' Great Mahamahim, Seeing chipping in for this prince, I had to show you respect. So how about this, You promise me you can do 3 unconditional things for be, No matter what."
"See i did this because of I respect you and have a big heart, If not I dragged Bhima into the court and demanded the death penalty for his crime. Didn't this act also be considered treason, So I guess the previous queen Kunti and his brother were too affected by it, Right?"
Karna said very innocently as any 7-year-old should but his every word put immense pressure on Bhishma.
'Threat, This is a Threat. If I don't agree, He might really do that.'
Bhishma for the first time looked at Karna in horror. In his eyes, there was no 7-year-old standing in front of him but a cunning demon. There is only one man who gave him this feeling, and now someone else was added to that list.
"I promise. Mahabhaim Bhishma takes an oath that I will do 3 things for you unconditionally."
Bhishma gritted his teeth and took an oath. He has no choice here. If he did not then the whole bloodline of Pandu might be wiped out by this guy.
Although most of the court is against Dhritarashtra but there are still few who were in support of him and with that cunning man being there it is 100 percent chance that he will play the game to cut the grass and remove the roots.
He will not let go of this opportunity. So he had to do this and with a look at Karna's eyes. He has a hunch Karna also might know this.
"O' Great Mahamahim thank you for your generosity, Please take Prince Bhima to the medic, See how brutally he was beaten. We can't take a risk of leaving any hidden injuries behind, right?"
Karna changed face like a chameleon, He who was threatening take Bhima to the royal court and wanting to demand for death penalty now acting as he really worried about him.
Not to mention showing care for him and worry about his brutal beating as if he had completely forgotten that he was responsible for Bhima's injuries.
"*Scoff* I will take care of Angrej (King Of Anga)."
Bhishma scoffed off but he made a note in his heart to stay away from him. He lifted the still unconscious Bhima on his shoulder and woke towards the medic.
"Yeah, Go slowly and take care."
Karna happily waved at his leaving back. He made a fortune with these 3 promises he had pretty much the most powerful thug to do his bidding, and one more life-saving card.
"Why did you guys stop staring at me? Go to the royal doctor to be treated, Right now."
After his triumph, He was happy but just as he turned around to leave, He find out that four pairs of eyes were glued on his figure. staring.
(A/N : How are you guys? Don't you think I give this information just for word count right?
There is a big plot ahead of it. Also don't forget that there is still a hidden kingdom that goddess Ganga gave to Adiratha to Prevent insults from Karna. Why was Chitragupta so shocked? Also who are those 4 girls?
Like always thank you for reading and have a good day 😁.)
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