"Vrishali", he whispered.

She came closer and tried to get hidden in the crowd so that Karna looses her sight and she goes pass the door.

"Stop right there, Vrishali", he said.

She didn't stop and increased her pace to just get away. Karna felt his heart clench at her avoidance. Was their fall out that terrible?

"Close the doors", Karna ordered.

"Please stop this all. You can't just leave your motherland and go somewhere else. You have lived here for years", Karna said. He knew that if he left them, Duryodhana may harm them in anger. His jealousy could get the best out of him, every time.

But, it was justified. How would you feel if your people suddenly decide to leave and go somewhere else?

Vrishali looked back at him and Karna felt terrible seeing her tears.

Vrishali was also a Suta girl and she was the friend of Karna as well. Before Vrushali, he had a big crush on her but then he started liking Vrushali as well. He fell in love with Vrushali later as Vrishali went away to her maternal place for two years and they lost contact.

When she came back, he was leaving for his education. While Vrushali encouraged him, Vrishali was upset at his decision to leave his family all of a sudden. At that time, he was pained by his little brother's death and got angry thinking that Vrishali didn't support him and he increased the distance between him and her but now he realised, she wanted his good only.

He felt sad when his parents refused to reside in Anga with him, so how they would have left, when their one son was killed and other left for his education?

Vrishali was advising him the same thing. To give them some time and move on from the pain of loosing Shon but he didn't listen to her.

However, when he came back, he was surprised to see her happy as well for him. She encouraged him to participate in the Rangbhoomi but was upset again at him being the king. She was happy he was an archer now, but him indulging in royal politics was not supported by her. She told that he would loose himself from his real goals towards the service to Duryodhan and all duties as king.

Which was true, unknown to him.

They didn't talk again and this was the fallout between them. It was painful, for sure.

Karna stared at Vrishali as she looked at him back.

"Maharaj", she said in a pleading tone as she folded her hands. "I have already abandoned Hastinapur and I even went to Indraprastha. I met Queen Draupadi and talked with her. But, I forgot my precious anklets and came back. Unlike these people, I am alone, with my family in that kingdom. Please show mercy on me and let me go. I can't stay alone here", she said.

Karna didn't know what to say.

"You can't go", they heard and saw Dussahan approaching them. "Pitashree has ordered that everyone move to their homes and whoever tries to leave, will be punished severely. So, move", he shouted.

Everyone feared Dussahan and moved back. Vrishali kept standing there with tears in her eyes.

"Please understand my plight", Vrishali requested. "I am alone and all other family members of mine are waiting for me, in Indraprastha. I am a lone girl and I really need to go. I have already abandoned Hastinapur and rightfully, I am the citizen of Indraprastha, under Pandavas rule. Kumar Arjun said it himself, that I am under his sovereign, as I went with them", she begged.

Arjun's name was enough to increase anger in Karna, especially hearing from the girl, he liked once.

"No one can leave the kingdom", Karna emphasised on each word. "It's your motherland you are deciding to abandon for some petty ruler like Yudhister. You can be much more safe here", he said.

"That's for me to decide, where I will be safe and where not", Vrishali argued.

"Let. Me. Go", she said, in a demanding tone.

Dussahan was enraged and indicated the soldiers to arrest her. She panicked and ran towards the door, deciding to push the soldiers away, open that huge door a bit and run.

Karna widened his eyes and quickly separated the chariot from his horse as his wives, Digvija and Vasudha stared at everything in horror.

He blocked the way of the soldiers. "I will take care of her", he said hurriedly to Dussahan who nodded. The soldiers moved back.

Vrishali had just opened the door when Karna held her hand and pulled her above the horse.

She gasped and he caged her in his arms, holding the ropes of the horse and moving forward.

"Leave me", she cried.

"Stop it, Vrishali. Dussahan will kill you", Karna snarled. Vrishali looked as Dussahan looked at her with hawk like eyes.

She broke down into tears.

"I will find a way out", he whispered. "I will find a way out", he repeated in order to console her.

"How will you find a way out?" Vrushali whispered shrieked. "You will do what your friend says to you", she taunted. Karna was still amused at her rebellious nature.

"I am not that dumb", Karna rolled his eyes. "I need to think on that", Vrishali muttered. 

"I will be allowed to leave right?" Vrishali asked.

Karna gave no answer. Earlier, when people left with Pandavas, they were just a few. He didn't know that the others were just waiting for Khandavprastha to be made Indraprastha and then leave.

Earlier, nobody thought of that as a big problem as people were very few, but now when almost all the people of Hastinapura were leaving, it became a big issue.

"Angraj, tell me", she pleaded.

"Stop calling me that", Karna scowled. "I am your friend, Vrishali", he added. His hold tightening around her as he saw the protests.

"You are not my friend, you are a king", she said. "You can't be friends with charioteers", she added.

Karna moved in the palace gates and got down with her. He held her arm in a harsh grip. He was really angry.

"What's wrong with you?!" He shrieked angrily. "Why are you being so unlike yourself? What's even the problem in me being the king? Can't I be capable of being one? Or you also started believing in this stupid caste system?" He asked her.

"You are asking me what's wrong?" Vrishali said with same anger in her voice. "Everything is wrong, Angraj. Don't you realise that it's you who is being unlike himself? Haven't you participated in enough bad things or should I enlighten you about it?" Vrishali said.

"You have abducted a princess. You have been a part in Varnavrat Conspiracy. You have supported everything that you wouldn't support if you were the same boy, you were once in childhood. You told me that you need a change from caste system but apart from competing with Arjun, have you ever thought about talking regarding this with your friend? Have you cared to stop injustice from happening? No, you haven't. That's why people are leaving as all that is happening is injustice. The one standing in front of me is not my friend whom I admire for his passion. The one standing in front of me is just a king who is busy in war and politics rather than solutions for the greater good", Vrishali said.

Karna stared at her silently. They were looking intently in each other's eyes as his wives, Digvija and Vasudha just stared at them with jaws drop and widened eyes.