On an empty, barren land that stretched for several kilometers in every direction, two massive armies stood still on the field, waiting in silence. On either side, the numbers were in the hundreds of thousands.
The sun hadn't risen yet, and the air was thick with silence. Spears pointed forward. Flags fluttered in a cold breeze. Everyone knew—when the sun came up, the war would begin with a burst of synchronized energy blasts into the sky from either side.
But far from the battlefield, at a camp where over a hundred thousand soldiers were just starting to wake, a King was already dressed in his armor.
Inside his tent, Karna tightened the straps across his chest. Gold and bronze shimmered under the torchlight. He adjusted his cloak and fastened the last clasp. His face was calm, but his eyes burned with resolve, pain, or maybe both.
He turned to leave the tent, but two women stood at the entrance. One of them seemed to be filled with worry while the other had a calm face, her hands folded in front of her, lips pressed tight.
They were his wives, the Queens of Konarak. One was the princess of Hastinapura, and the other was the Princess of Mathura.
"You can still stop this, Your Majesty," The Second Queen, with a concerned face, said as she reached out to him, "Please. You don't have to go."
Karna froze for a moment, then took a breath. "This is already decided," he said.
"Then, will you really slay my brothers?" Dushala started to cry as she said, "My eldest brother Duryodhana, he fought with even Father for our marriage. There had never been a time he showed animosity toward you or our Konarak. If anything, it is those Pandavas who always made enmity with you. Even after you did so much for them, even after they knew the truth, they still didn't even invite you to Abhimanyu's marriage. Why do you have to do this? Do those blood ties mean that much to you?"
Karna sighed, his hand wiped off her tears, and then caressed her cheek as he replied. "Dear, it's been so many years since we got married, and you still can't understand me? It's not about blood ties. It's about upholding righteousness in society. You know what kind of people your brothers are. As long as they sit on the throne, the world will continue to plunge into chaos. And with Lord Krishna not participating in this war, the Pandavas needed me. If Pandavas lose, they won't just lose. The good will lose. This isn't a family feud or a war for the throne anymore, dear. This war is between good and evil. It is between right and wrong. And my father taught me to choose good, every single time. However, I do promise you that with my own hands, I will not slay any of your brothers."
As Queen Dushala, the daughter of King Dhritharastra and the only sister of the 100 Kauravas, hung her head down while continuing to sob, the other woman, Queen Sumedha, the daughter of the late Kamsa, who is a lot calmer, crossing her arms, spoke aloud, "I agree with you, Husband. You must go to the war."
"Hmm?" As Karna looked at her, Queen Sumedha said, "You are the disciple of Lord Parashurama, one who cleansed this land of Aryavarta not once or twice but 21 times. Both of your senior disciples sided with the wrong enemy over their self-duty and promises. If you don't fight for the good, then it will be your master, Lord Parashurama, who will be defeated."
Karna looked at her for a long moment, then reached for his gauntlets. "Thank you, dear."
Dushala slowly opened her mouth, trying to convince him for one last time, while her face was pressed against his chest. "Please, think again, dear."
He moved past her gently, whispering. "I'm sorry."
She stood there, eyes closed, and a single tear slid down her cheek.
As he left the tent, she whispered, "I'm sorry, Mother. I'm sorry, Father. I tried my best, but I couldn't stop him."
Meanwhile, Queen Sumedha grabbed his hands as he was going to pass her. "I pray for your safety and success, Husband."
Karna reached out to her cheek and smiled before rushing out with heavy strides.
A while later;
Karna climbed into a golden chariot, drawn by seven powerful horses. The war horses stirred as the golden chariot rolled forward. Seven beasts, shining and restless, snorted as he had reins in his fists.
He held the reins, but didn't move right away.
He spoke to the wind, to the gods, or maybe just to himself.
"Would it have changed anything if I had been born as a legitimate son, just like the Pandavas? Would it have changed anything if my birth mother had second thoughts about abandoning me because of her fear of society?
He looked out over the hills.
"Would I have stopped the cruelties my brothers went through, if I stayed beside my in-laws as their ally and influenced Duryodhana to stop their schemes against my brothers instead of showing neutrality for many years? Would it have changed something if I hadn't stayed away from my brothers' lives and instead been with them?"
He paused, staring at the horizon, where the sky had begun to pale. The sun was about to rise.
"Maybe it would've been easier if I'd really been born to Mother Sangya, back in Suryaloka, far away from this drama. Perhaps, even if I were born as someone else to some normal couple or some royal family, even then, I wouldn't have been forced to make this choice."
He tightened his grip on the reins.
"On one side, my righteous half-brothers. Children of the same woman who threw me away. On the other side, my evil in-laws, who always tried to stay on my good side. The ones I even indirectly helped by killing their enemies and letting them expand their territory for years."
His face hardened in determination.
"But today, none of that matters. Those who sinned must fall. And those who stand by them in the name of oath and so-called Kshatriya duties… they must face the consequences, too."
He then raised his eyes to the waking sun.
"Maybe I'll regret this someday. But today, I'm not turning back."
"I'm Karna—son of Princess Sangya and the Lord Surya, biological child of Princess Kunti, the disciple of Lord Parashurama, and the ardent devotee of Lord Shiva."
He snapped the reins.
"And I'll not back down anymore."
***
Would you like to see how this situation arrived?
Then, follow the story of Karna, in an alternate universe where he was picked up by Lord Surya after Princess Kunti abandoned him after his birth, the alternative universe where Lord Vishnu has not yet taken the avatar of Lord Krishna, after Lord Rama… how would these two mere changes bring forth the changes in the entire story of Mahabharata…