Karna felt the salty taste of tears on his lips. With one fluid movement, he climbed into the chariot. I really wish you were here, My Prince. But Sudama more than made up for the lack of his closest companion. Karna glanced up at the young face: no malice. No ambition. Guileless. Sudama was on his feet, cheering from the stands as if his life depended on it.

The Panchalan crowd cheered as well when the horses took off. The cheers are not for you, Resht, a voice in his head reminded him. They are cheering everyone who passes. But as he looked at the Resht tiers, and then the Drachma ones, he saw the fervour in their eyes. They were looking at him, shouting with elation and joy. The women in a few tiers gasped as he passed, and one even parted her robe to expose a breast. Karna looked away, blushing. And there he saw the bald heads in the orange tiers, complaining bitterly amongst themselves, their disgruntled faces betraying their anger that a Resht was riding in the chariot instead of driving it. The Namins are cursing me, Karna realised in sudden amusement.

And that was all the motivation he needed. He raised his bow hand, triumphant, his muscles taut, his golden armour shining like the sun. The crowd cheered mightily. The women sighed, looking after him with dewy eyes. Karna brought his arm down, parallel to the ground, his bow aimed straight at the Namins in their tiers, to the shock of many onlookers. The other tiers erupted. There was no need for any music. The chants of his brethren and sympathizers filled the arena with one resounding voice: Karna! Karna! Karna! It felt good.

The chariot had traversed half the arena when he passed Draupadi’s platform. Their eyes locked for a moment, at once fleeting yet lasting an eternity. In her eyes he saw something more beautiful than the stars. Karna’s stomach coiled in knots when the colour rushed to her cheeks upon seeing him. Hard as he had tried, the melody of their dance had plagued his mind like a sweet endless lullaby. She had danced with him despite the mark on his neck. Duryodhan was right. The fact that she had conveyed to him the secret of the tournament meant she burned in the same fire he did. Sometimes, all the answers of the universe lay in someone else’s hand.

The charioteer’s whistle brought the steeds to a prancing halt where they had started. Karna leapt nimbly from the chariot, smiling mindlessly at the prosect of kissing Draupadi’s red lips and caressing her fiery hair, even as the world chanted his name. Duryodhan was right. Karna would show them all.

SHAKUNI guffawed as no one showed up to volunteer first. Cravens all. Not Karna, though. The lad could hardly wait to jump the barrier, shoot the fish and claim his love, but Shakuni kept him on a tight leash. No need to show off your strength unless it actually embarrasses someone.