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This story is set in an AU , where Karna never lied to his teacher nor he  found it necessary to participate in the Kalapradarshan of the Kuru princes.
Years later , Pandavas comes to know about their eldest brother from their mother , that too right before the Kurukshetra war. As Krishna insisted on letting them know about their brother.

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Yudhishthir never thought he would ever get a shoulder to lean on; to have a shade over his head where he could carelessly rest under. But when those words left his mother's mouth, he has been dazzled in the light of a revelation that it burns slightly. They had always had her presence and blessings with them growing up, while their eldest was deprived of it since he was a new born.He sadly realised , she never trusted them enough to tell them about her first born.

Arjun was an emotional wreck , but he knew he had to keep all of it together for later..
How was his brother ? Does he knows weaponry? Is he a king ? Prince? Or  working class? What was his childhood like ? Did he had to go through a lots of hurdles to survive in this strict society without a specific identity? If so, will their brother ever be able to forgive the family of his?
Will he accept them? What will he think when he get to know about the Pandavas who bet their wife? Will he hate them??
Arjun didn't knew the answer to any of these questions.

Bheema was worried nonetheless, if their eldest didn't knew weaponry, he will protect him from their cousins.
From every accusations and harm.
Bheem resolved firmly. But what kind of a person would their eldest be? Would he need 5 grown up men as his younger brothers at this point?
He didn't knew..

Nakula was known for his handsome features among the brothers, and also among the whole Aryavarta.
He wondered if their eldest be as good looking as him? He has heard Krishna earlier.
'He is as radiant and valiant as the Sun god. He is kind and generous.
He will understand and accept, may be not so immediately, but eventually for sure.'
Seems like Krishna has already met their eldest. They trust Vasudev, if he says his 'Vrisha' (what Krishna addressed him as) , is a good man , then there shouldn't be an argument about it. Still , will their elder brother accept them , they never met him.. all five of them lived the life of royals; and their brother, well he don't know how the son of Radha survived the currents of Jhanvi mata.

Every little pore of his intuition said there would be a matter of concern approaching them soon, Sahadev didn't knew what kind of a concern it would be. A pleasant one or a disastrous one. Well he haven't nailed it yet, May be after meeting their Jyesht, it will become clear. They have went through a lot , he didn't knew if they have to drag their eldest to this mess.. will he be willing to embrace us and bless us in such a vulnerable stage?! Will he forgive his mother , will he accept his brothers, who has only a broken heart and a raging mind , armed with revenge and shoulders burdened with sorrow and injustice. No!! Sahadev don't have any excuse to give his heart to calm it down and make it hope and wait for the day their brother would accept them. What a fate?! His dear brother Yudhishthir wouldn't have to carry such heavy burden of guilt, if our eldest were there to give him a hand , but fate, it was written in a shrink and withered palm leaf when it came to them.

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They were all traveling to west, now passing through a vast grass land. Krishna was ahead and rest of the brothers followed him closely on their respective horses.
Vasudev has said their eldest lives in a land which belongs to no kingdom.
It was an abandoned land , now called Advaya bhoomi , an untouched valley of Vindhyas , other side of the mountain was the  prosperous land of Avanti.
Avanti never tried to capture the place and neither did any other Kingdoms were brave or bothered enough , as the valley was secured from all four directions by dense forest occupied by tribes and predators. Karna, after his education has roamed around the entire aryavarta and was disheartened by the thick skulled society and it's barbarian rules.

He put his weaponry knowledge to good use after the enlightenment of Trimurti as a result of years of vigorous penance. He became a mysterious saviour for the marginalized people and communities around Aryavarta. He took people who were abused and molested by the society and royals to the valley of Vindhyas, they all together has formed a lovely village with the help and support of the tribes from all four directions. They all went to Karna whenever they faced a dilemma. The villagers found their daily wages in trade and handicrafts, like Radhey suggested. some also helped the tribes to defend the forests, as there was always a threat of some army trying to know what was beyond the thick forests. Only few were welcomed to that peaceful village ; those who didn't cared about cast or class , who saw humans as humans irrespective of their cast , class or gender. Everyone equal and respected .

Nishadas guarded the Northern forest which extended its boundaries with Magadha and a little with Hastinapur as well.
Southern forest was guarded and inhabited by Druhyu tribe.
Eastern forests were of Puru's.
And west by Krivi tribes.
All were rich with skills and intelligence, along with Karna's superior weaponry , they were untouchable.  The mysterious place in the valley of Vindhyas was famous . And so was the warrior with an invincible golden armour and earrings.

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Kunti didn't knew what to think when she came to know about a warrior with an Invincible golden armour and earrings. 'it must be her eldest , her first born ' she thought, but was worried of the rejection she will have to face from her other children. They were already busy with building their own kingdom then , and they were away from her , she didn't wanted to lose them forever saying about a sin  she  committed out of sheer fear of the society, of abandoning a new born in the vigorous waves of Ganga.

Now when she finally collected all her courage to tell them about her first born , the pure horror she saw on her children's face shattered her to the core , it could only be healed by her eldest's forgiveness. She didn't knew if that will ever happen . She has never met him after abandoning him, now he a grown man. But she knew, from the stories she heard , he was valourous and kind. She hasn't told her children yet , that the wielder of the Vijaya was their eldest. All she said was they have an elder brother , his name was Karna , son of the radiant Sun god,  a bundle of light she once abandoned in the darkness of the society. A brother of their own blood, elder than Yudhishthir.

They all collectively left Dwarka along with Krishna to meet him. To apologise, to ask him to guide them , to bless them .. she wanted to go too , so desperately, but again didn't had the courage to face him.
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The grass land eventually climbed to a thick forest full of  tall large trees. Absolutely magnificent! Arjun has spent most of his life in forests than in the luxury of a palace , and he knows when he sees a forest , it was dangerous to go in with weapons.
He expressed his concern,
Jyesht, it will be dangerous to take weapons ahead.

Everyone turned to him ,

Why so?! forests consists of predators, if we won't take weapons , then we will be a prey , weaker or stronger , that entirely depends on what we encounter with.
Bheema said .

Ha! Bhratha Arjun , it's a forest ,it's not like we can't face a threat without a weapon, but without a weapon it's gonna be messy.
Added Nakula.

Why do you think we shouldn't take weapons further Bhratha ?
Being the thoughtful one, Sahadev asked.

Don't worry Parth , I know you are concerned about alerting the Tribal warriors guarding the forest borders.
I know them , I am a frequent visitor.
They will let us pass. Worry less.
Said Madhav.

So you already knew Jyesht so thoroughly?
Asked Yudhishthir, his face calm as usual , but his tone had a hint of expectation and sorrow in it.

Well , he is a dear friend of mine. He helped me several times. He visits dwarka often, especially after Abhimanyu's birth, they cherish eachother's company. Abhi is very fond of his Tathshree Karn.
Added Keshav with a sweet smile , musing over the fondest memories the mischievous trio made in the sandy beach.

He sounds fun and peaceful.
Added Nakula with a longing in his eyes.
Only if mata had chose to tell us earlier...
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Shortly after the noon , they reached the top of the mountain. Now down the hill, steep slope lay ahead.
They reached the borders of the Advaya bhoomi , villages of Nishadas , their houses and settlements blended well with nature.

Nishadas lived collecting forest resources; enough for necessities, without harming the forest. They made fine products out of them, for their use as well as to promote trade, exporting such high quality products to other kingdoms of Aryavarta.

That was the main means of living for most of the people there, not just Nishadas. Everyone was included in some organisation. People who were good at making a  particular product, will collectively do a large scale production and earned their living exporting them.
The products from the Advaya bhoomi was known for its artistic uniqueness and high quality.
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They met Ekalavya once again , Arjun winced at the sight of his thumb, but said nothing. They were invited to rest and for refreshments, they humbly accepted the invitation, as the horses were tired after a long journey. The depth of the truth that they were still processing slowly but thoroughly, has definitely tensed their muscles a bit more than the journey should have.

Ekalavya was now the chief of their tribe. He skillfully wields swords and even though not exceptional, he is extraordinary with bow as well.
They protected the boundary of Advaya and kept the forest as untamed as possible, which was exceptionally still-so-wild after human inhabitation , Arjun agreed mentally.

The horses were resting and were being fed. Meanwhile, Arjuna and his Madhav was out for a walk.Rest of the brothers rested in a tree house , which was unique and beautiful.

Nakul loved the tree houses, they were off the ground , basically on top of a tree , it was simple yet elegant, cozy and humble. Had enough chambers and space.
It was a normal, everyday house for the Tribe. So Eklavya didn't quite understood the reason behind Nakul's excitement .Now Nakul wished if he could live here around. Rest of the brothers were having similar nice feelings as well.

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What do you think Madhav, will he accept us?
With a frown etched on his forehead, Arjun asked ,while they paced through the damp pathway of the forest. Both his hands secured on his back , he stared at his own feet.

Vrisha is a simple man , he will understand, don't worry Parth.
Krishna answered carelessly, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He looked around enjoying the nature's wildness.
How beautiful... !!
He added.

Arjun turned sidewise to look at his friend properly. He raised one eyebrow.
Seriously! Madhav ..
He whined.

Hahaha .. !! 
His melodious giggle resonated through the greenery around them , it  erased the little irritation Arjun felt earlier, his frown cleared and he smiled . His Madhav continued,
Take it easy dear Parth , does worrying changes anything? Will it make your brother go easy on you ? Will worrying help in explaining everything to him ?! He knows he is adopted , but he is not very aware of his actual lineage. It will take some time for sure , but trust me Karna will be much easier than others , he is simple than you expect him to be.
He concluded.

They together walked through the forest , little streams and harmless creatures greeted them. The whole nature cherished the presence of a divine friendship that Madhav and Parth shared.
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So you are here to meet Vasu?!
Asked Ekalavya.
Arjun nodded.
Dusk was nearing , sun was slowly walking towards the horizon.

Do you call him Vasu? Is that one of his names?
Quipped Arjun right after.

Vasusena it is. His Radhama named him so.
Eklavya said.
He doesn't hold any grudges against them , ultimately it was his own dicision to give the asked Gurudakshina , Arjun didn't had to do anything with it ,what transpired that day was between him and his teacher Dronacharya. He later perceived education from various sages and with his indomitable will and exceptional talent he is now a skilled warrior and is well respected. He is no more a vulnerable teenager to accuse others of his situations.

So are you here to ask help for the impending war?
Ekalavya added.

No! Not really, wait ! He is a warrior?!
Asked Arjuna , Excitement and joy reaching his voice.

Well , he is the valourous student of Bhargava . Doubting his grace with weapons will be stupidity.
Ekalavya added with an amused smirk.
Ekalavya admired Karna enormously, he was a great friend and mentor. He taught him several techniques in weaponry and war strategy.
They all together looked after the village .

Nishada represented by Ekalavya,
Druhyu tribe was represented by Baldeva, who was extraordinarily skilled at trade and commerce.
Sursena of the Krivi tribes , who was an elderly respected person with vast knowledge about forest resources, medicines and nature's behaviours.
Shaurya belonged to Puru tribe , a brilliant strategist and he has developed a spy network for them to be aware of the ongoings of Aryavarta, it gives job to a lot of skilled people and it helps Karna with his endeavours as well .
Pandit Rama , a Brahmin boy who joined their village as he entirely agrees with their idea of social equality, helps them in providing basic education for the children in the Advaya Pradesh along with a few others who are well versed in scriptures and it's meaning.
Rishi Sandheepani later came and build his ashram there along with his disciples as he encouraged the idea of equality in oppertunity as well.Him being there has helped with people being more senseful , as there was a revered sage to advice them and teach them good. All together they were prosperous and healthy, with Karna connecting and leading them all.

Ekalavya felt more than satisfied with the prosperity they all got with the entry of Karn in all of their life , the abandoned land changed into a peaceful settlement and the four tribes were united and cooperative in the watch of Karna , a lot of people got a safe place to spend their life without worries of a suppressing society.

So, you are saying , he is the student of Bhagwan Parshuram?!!!
Asked Arjuna , his face now lighting up like a thunder bolt in a night sky, he was far beyond happy.

Yeah! Haha...
Ekalavya slightly laughed at his child like joy.

That's so cool... Let's not tell others yet , it will be a surprise for them ,
Arjun said rubbing his palms together in excitement, mischief dancing in his eyes .
They think , Jyesht would need their protection.. haha !! This is gonna be fun ....
He muttered to himself.
Ekalavya just stared at him clueless...
Alright, then let them know when you deem it right.
Ekalavya said simply, while leading him to their house for tonight's stay.

'The dawn will come with a new hope , as always. We decide whether to embrace it or ignore it.
Tomorrow the Sun will shine brighter, sky will be dazzling like a new bride ... Let's see what time has in store for them.'
Thought Krishna.

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The place mentioned in this is an imaginary place, and so things aren't very accurate . Well that's why this is a fiction 😜.
Word count : 2700 (wow 😮😅)

Hope you liked the idea.
Wait till the next chapter for their meeting. 😌
Please let me know what you think ,
Please vote and comment ❤️

I got a lot of suggestions in the comments , I will cover them one by one after this series.

Happy reading ❤️
Har har Mahadev!!!