"Prince Karna, you were brilliant at the arena today!"

The eldest Gandharinandan's suave words made the vermillion clad man look back at him in slight surprise. 

Karna had been so taken in with the revelries of the party that Hastinapur had arranged for the return of their beloved princes that he had completely missed when the Kauravas had appeared.

Duryodhan flanked on either side by his gigantic younger brothers, Dusashan and Durmukh walked towards the startled man. 

"Greetings prince. Forgive me, I didn't see you come in. And thank you for your kind words", Karna folded his hands respectfully. 

"Oh none of that now my friend. I consider you to be my equal", the eldest Kaurava answered genially and threw an arm around Karna's shoulder like they were old friends and not strangers who have met for the first time. 

Karna looked a little discomfited but went along. He could hardly disrespect the son of the Emperor. 

"Say what, you truly crushed my idiotic cousin's ego. It was a beautiful sight!", Duryodhan said, accepting a goblet from a passing servant as Dusashan and Durmukh seemed to almost tower over him from both sides. 

Karna felt oddly like he was being trapped. 

He knew about the infamous rivalry between the Kuru princes and was well aware of the fight for the throne which had started in the shadows. The kala pradarshan was a mere method of trying to pull the subject's minds towards a contender - Yudhishtir of the Pandavas or Duryodhan of the Kauravas.

Karna had not really considered that by waylaying the tournament, he had actually disrupted the subtle manipulation happening there. 

Bheeshma and Drona's displeasure with him and their unwillingness to let him participate had slowly started to make sense now. 

They had intentionally put Arjun at the last. To capture the minds of the crowd. And he had come and thrown water all over their plans. 

Well.. him and Arjun. 

Even now, Karna had difficulty reconciling the image of the haughty privileged prince that he had built in his mind with that of the unfailingly polite and enthusiastic archer from a few hours prior. 

He had obviously not let it show but the prince had truly taken him to school. Maybe, Drona hadn't been too wrong to focus on Arjun from the start, even if it had made him smart from envy. The kid had a frightening amount of potential and a skill which had forced even him into reluctant admiration. 

And he was... surprisingly naïve in all his wagging ears honesty.

As if on cue, he saw Arjun enter the hall, completely unaware of everyone's eyes following him in. It was strange how he commanded the attention of every person, completely oblivious to his own magnetic charm. 

Karna could see the women starting to swoon in their places and had to hide a smile. 

With his curly hair and lean musculature and chiselled almost rakish beauty, the third Pandava prince would evidently become the object of every princess's fantasy soon enough. 

And that thought made Karna miss own wife fiercely. 

He had married her in an almighty hurry before leaving for Parashurama's ashram and had only come back yesterday to run back into the town so that he didn't miss the tournament. 

Vrushali was probably cursing her fate. 

He wanted to get out of this place. Duryodhana's hold was almost choking him now and the looming presence of his brothers and that slimy faced uncle of his had started to make him slightly nervous. He didn't know how to behave with royalty of their stature. 

Should he just politely excuse himself and hope that no one takes offence?

Duryodhan was saying something along the lines of him joining their after party and how lousy and useless the Pandavas were and how he would be a very good friend to him. 

Arjun, like a messiah, had turned just then and spotted Karna. His face shuttered a little on seeing his company no doubt and his enthusiasm faltered making the prince of Anga almost get desperate to make the former, aware of his current helplessness. 

Something on his face might have relayed it to the ivory clad prince and the latter pasted a jarringly plastic smile on his luminous face and strode confidently towards them.

"Bhrata Duryodhan! How are you faring this lovely evening!"

Arjun bellowed loudly enough for the entire hall to hear him and in a hilarious move wrapped his arms around a bewildered Duryodhan almost unbalancing him where he was lounged half over Karna.

Karna felt the breath whoosh into him and nearly avoided toppling onto the ground as Duryodhan's heavy arm was lifted off him. Then he saw with great amusement as the latter patted Arjun's shoulder like he was trying to swat off a creepy crawly than hug a cousin. 

"Yes yes.. I am fine. Arjun... let go!", the oldest son of Dhritarashtra huffed in his younger cousin's deadly tight embrace. 

Arjun let go of Duryodhan and straightened up with a bright smile which was so insincere that even Karna, the most cynical man on planet earth, wanted to grimace. 

"Sorry brother! I forgot you have a rather delicate countenance. I will see you later! Jyeshta wants to meet Radheya, so I have steal him for some time! Bye!"

Karna could barely stop a snigger from escaping his lips as he saw Duryodhan's face darkening. Then before he knew it, he was practically whisked out of the Kaurava hold and the third Pandava dragged him half across the hall towards the side where his brothers stood huddled and cheery eyed.

"Jyestha, may I present to you, Radheya Vasusen Karna of Anga. He likes to shoot arrows at random strangers and eat kids for breakfast", Arjuna bowed dramatically.

Karna looked alarmed at his utterly strange introduction which only made Bheem and the twins burst out laughing and Yudhishtir shake his head in mild reproach even if the amusement was stark in his intelligent eyes. 

"Hush Arjun. Spare the poor man your theatrics."

He turned towards Karna and joined his hands in greeting.

"Ignore him Angakumara. My brothers have forgotten their maturity back in the chambers. I am pleased to meet you. Your display at the arena was truly remarkable."

Yudhishtir did not sound like Duryodhan had been griping to him only moments ago. In fact the eldest Panduputra's humility made Karna feel a little ashamed of his initial judgements regarding the five brothers.  

"The pleasure is all mine, prince. I have heard great things about you and your generous praise only proves them. I thank you, for your kind words."

Before Yudhishtir could say something else, Bheem took reigns of the conversation and boomed like a thousand drums as he spoke congenially. 

"I wanted to smash your skull in when you challenged Arjun."

"Bheem!"

"Bhrata!"

Karna swallowed once seeing the mighty second Pandava flaunt his massive biceps. They were like two tree trunks which could easily smash a mountain within a gentle hold. 

Bheema with the strength of ten thousand elephants, they said. 

Nope. 

He doesn't want to make an enemy out of this one for sure. 

"But you don't seem half bad, Angakumar. Impressive display indeed. You are probably the only one who could stand against this brat for so long without retreating. Good, someone needed to keep his big head in check", Vrikodhar replied smugly.

"Between both of us, all know who has the bigger head.. brother"

Arjun replied evenly only for his gigantic older sibling to grab him by the scruff of his neck and trap him in a head lock. 

"What did you say you little shit?"

Bheem thundered laughingly and ruffled Arjun's hair as the latter struggled in his suffocating hold and scowled disgruntled. The twins just laughed harder and Yudhishtir let out a long suffering sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

Karna had to join in the boisterous laughter as the two princes roughhoused like a pair of street urchins. More like, Bheem shook a helpless Arjun like a twig as the latter tried his level best to release himself. 

"Bheem! Leave him right now! For Mahadeva's sake..."

Yudhishtir gave Karna a look bespeaking of something which only the latter could sympathise with, being the oldest brother to his band of siblings as well. 

"Gahh.."

Arjun massaged his neck and ran his fingers through his thickset hair to settle his unmanageable curls somewhat while glaring daggers at his garrulous older brother who was grinning at them, from his incredible height. 

But Karna understood the mace wielding giant's unsaid warning, plain and crystal. 

'You hurt my little brother and I will snap you into half'

Bheem's earthen eyes seem to tell him.  

Karna could respect a brother's love. He was rather overprotective himself. He inclined his head once, towards the second Pandava and saw him nodding his own in acknowledgment. 

"Come I'll introduce you to our only sister!", Arjun said and again proceeded to drag his newfound charge to the other end of the hall before the latter could even say another word to the amused Pandavas who kept chortling as if sharing an internal joke. 

Karna found himself being led over to so many people in the next hour and introduced with such gaiety and clever hyperbole that he was a little intimidated of the younger prince now. 

He had finally begged mercy and now they were strolling down the somewhat empty boulevard of the royal gardens which overlooked the hall of games where the festivities were being held. 

"Teach me that trick you did with the three arrows today"

Arjun suddenly spoke and Karna blinked. 

"Huh?"

"Teach me that.."

"Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time."

"Well.."

"You want me to teach you--"

"Yes. Why are you repeating after me?"

"Are you sure, you want to learn from the son of a Suta?", Karna asked raising a sharp eyebrow, his usual brand of scorching sarcasm lacing his words. 

Arjun only stared at him like he was an imbecile. 

"How the hell does that matter?"

Arjun asked throwing his hands in the air like it was the most frustrating thing he has heard in his entire life. It was not very surprising that Karna was pretty thrown off. 

"It is not a very societally accepted standard for a Kshatriya to learn from a Suta--", he began only for Arjuna to roll his eyes rather disrespectfully. 

"Angakumar, I will learn from even an Asura if he his willing to teach me. I care naught for society and its stringent rules."

Karna blinked for some time and kept staring at Arjun so intensely that the other was afraid he would be combust into flames or something. 

"You are a peculiar man, Panduputra", the son of Adhiratha replied slowly. 

Arjun grinned sagaciously and linked his arm along with that of the other man, startling him yet  again and then for the umpteenth time, proceeded to drag him. But now, mercifully, their destination seemed to be the food stalls. 

"Yes yes, I am very strange. Everyone says so. Now let us go eat before my Bhrata Bheem is unleashed on the hapless buffet. And then we can go to the practice arena."

"Are you even asking me or just demanding of me?"

"Take your pick. Whatever satisfies your ego."

"You are a brat."

"So said my mother. Oh look payasam. I love payasam. Do you think they have brought the raisins from Gandhar?"

Arjun peered into the pot of rice pudding gleefully and Karna looked on slightly befuddled and equally amused as the former inspected the delicacies spread in front with his laser sharp gaze, utterly oblivious to the batting eyelashes that the clearly bewitched attendant was making at him. 

Maybe he has judged the young archer a bit too quickly as well.