Chapter 27 : I became the charioteer
Just then, the gate of the stadium through which I had entered opened.
Through it came the soldier sent by Arjun, along with a boy.
The two of them came up to Arjuna, and the soldier bowed respectfully and saluted Prince Arjuna.
Arjuna looked at the boy and, smiling, said, "Ah, Nakul, you are exactly the one I needed. Would you like to become the charioteer of my chariot?"
The boy was none other than Arjuna's younger brother, Nakul. Nakul looked at his brother and replied, "Brother, you are my elder. Please command me do not request me in this manner."
"Just as I expected from my brother, he obeys everything I say. I am truly blessed to have a brother like you," Arjuna said in a voice filled with pride.
"Don't praise me so much, Brother," Nakul said shyly.
Then he went and sat in the charioteer's seat of his elder brother Arjuna's chariot.
He gently stroked all four white horses of the chariot.
Usually, a horse does not allow an unfamiliar person to touch its body for the first time, but this was not the case with Nakul.
The four horses had no problem with Nakul's touch, and it was as if Nakul and the horses had been together for years the horses behaved accordingly.
Just as one would expect from a son of the Ashwini Kumar gods, the animals showed no resistance at all toward Nakul.
I praised Nakul and thought to myself that now only two princesses remained.If both of them chose their charioteers, the competition would begin soon.
Now less than thirty seconds remained. Both of them would have to choose their charioteers quickly, or they would be disqualified from the competition.
Princesses Poonuruvi and Urvi quickly turned their gaze toward the spectators and began searching for their charioteers.
If Arjuna had not been participating in the competition, he would have wished to become Urvi's charioteer himself.
But he could not do that, so he sighed while looking at Urvi.
"What happened, Brother Arjuna? Why are you sighing?" Nakul asked.
"It's nothing. You have no work here. I wasn't doing anything you must have seen it wrongly,"
Arjuna replied at once, returning his face to normal.
Nakul noticed his brother's strange behavior, "Is my brother unwell? I should inform my mother about my brother's condition."
Nakul made up his mind to do this. Arjuna had no idea that Nakul had seen it as some kind of illness.
Ten seconds had already passed, and now only ten seconds remained.
All the spectators were waiting anxiously to see whom the two princesses would choose as their charioteers.
I too was waiting for it, wondering who the unfortunate person chosen as a charioteer would be.
Poonuruvi and Urvi began looking around one by one.
Five seconds remained.
Three seconds remained.
And with one second left, both of them pointed at a boy at the same time.
By coincidence, the direction they were pointing to was the same.
Both of their fingers were pointing straight at me. I thought it was a misunderstanding and that they were actually pointing at the two boys sitting beside me.
"Hey, you two the two princesses are pointing at you. Why are you still sitting? Stand up," I muttered to them.
"Really?"
Both of them stood up and were about to step down and walk toward Princesses Poonuruvi and Urvi when
Poonuruvi and Urvi spoke together,
"Not you two the boy sitting between you."
Poonuruvi and Urvi looked at each other in surprise, because what they had said was the same, and the boy chosen as the charioteer was also the same.
"Princess Urvi, I chose that boy first. You should choose someone else," Poonuruvi said with a smile, placing her hand on her waist.
"No, Princess Poonuruvi, you are mistaken. I chose that boy first, so you should choose someone else."
Urvi told Poonuruvi that she was wrong and insisted that her own claim was correct.
Both princesses started arguing over me, and neither of them was willing to back down.
Seeing this, Arjuna's eyes filled with jealousy. No one ever did something like this for him how could such good fortune come to me?
Two very beautiful princesses were fighting over a single charioteer.
Meanwhile, the carefully crafted dreams of the two boys were completely shattered. They had imagined becoming a princess's charioteer, receiving rewards, and perhaps even trapping the princess in their web of love to earn more wealth.
But after clearly hearing the princesses reject them, their dreams were completely crushed.
The two of them did not want to stay there out of embarrassment, as all the spectators were looking at them strangely.
So they began to leave, and as they went, both of them shot angry looks at me. Their stares were so fierce that it felt as if they could kill me a hundred times over.
"What was my fault? Why did you leave? "If I tell you to jump into the water well yourselves, will you both jump in?" I did not blame myself in any way for this.
How did I get trapped in this? Is it written in my fate that I alone must become a charioteer even if only for a few days? I did not want to become a charioteer at all.
Having no other choice but to go down, I began walking toward the ground and toward the two princesses.
When I reached them, I bowed respectfully and offered my greetings. "Hello, Princess Poonuruvi and Princess Urvi. Please accept my salutations.
Normally, I do not bow before anyone, but for these two beautiful princesses, it will do."
The two of them were arguing with each other, but when they heard my voice, they paused their argument for a moment and looked toward me.
When Princess Poonuruvi looked at me, she felt something different. Her heartbeat was racing a little faster than usual.
For the first time upon meeting someone, she felt this way,
"What is happening to me? she wondered. I have met many prince before, but I have never felt like this."
Princess Urvi was in the same condition her heart was also beating rapidly.
Both of them were unaware that the other was in the same state. However, they had both made up their minds that, no matter what, they would make me their charioteer.
When I received no response from either of them for a while, I repeated myself. Only then did the two princesses come back to their senses.
"Hmm, I accept your greetings. Anyway, you are going to be my charioteer," Princess Poonruivi said calmly, making a composed expression.
"When did I ever say yes? How can you take my charioteer like this? By the way, what is your name?"
Princess Urvi first objected to Poonruivi's decision, and then turned toward me and asked for my introduction.
"Thank you for asking, Princess Urvi. My name is Karna," I introduced myself.
"Karna… it's a good name. Karna and Urvi—both names go so well together. What am I even thinking?"
Princess Urvi began to blush. She couldn't understand what was happening to her or why such strange thoughts were suddenly coming to her mind.
Seeing the conversation between Princess Urvi and me, Princess Poonruivi didn't like it at all and felt a twinge of jealousy.
"Karna, didn't I tell you already? You are my charioteer. You don't need to talk to anyone else," Princess Poonruivi said in a firm tone.
I was stuck between the two of them and couldn't understand whose words I should listen to.
If I talked to one, the other would get upset, and if I talked to the other, the first would get angry.
"What should I do? O God, what kind of situation have You trapped me in?"
I remembered God and prayed.
Then I spoke to both the princesses and gave them a piece of advice,
"Princess Urvi and Princess Poonruivi, why don't you ask the drummer about this? He will have the answer."
They both agreed with me and looked toward the drummer. I let out a sigh of relief at being spared from the situation.
When the drummer saw the burning gazes of the two princesses, he immediately said,
"Princesses, this is the first time that both of you have chosen the same person as your charioteer, and it's even difficult to say who chose him first.
"Do you have an answer for this or not? Quickly, tell me," Princess Poonuruvi said, speaking quickly to respond.
"There is a solution, but it's a bit difficult," the drummer began, then paused mid-sentence.
"What?" both princesses asked.
"If you both can ride together in the same chariot patiently, then it can be done," the drummer replied.
"No," both of them replied at the same time.
"Then what else can I do? I will have to disqualify you," the drummer said in a helpless voice.
"Is there no other way?" both princesses asked.
"No," the drummer replied, shaking his head.
Neither of the two princesses was ready to share a single charioteer, because it had become a matter of their ego.
For some time, silence filled the place.
Then, breaking the silence, I spoke, "Princess Poonruivi and Princess Urvi, if you are unable to make a decision, then I will leave. It does not suit you to fight over an insignificant boy like me."
Pretending to be sad, I looked at both princesses and quickly began thinking of how to get out of there.
I had come to watch the competition, not to take part in it.
"You don't need to leave. We are both ready to sit together in the same chariot."
As soon as they heard me talk about leaving, both of them felt a sense of loss in their hearts.
They couldn't understand why they were feeling this way, but one thing became clear to them, this boy was going to be an important part of both of their lives.
"What! If you've agreed, then that's a matter of great joy. Becoming the charioteer of both princesses is no small honor."
I pretended to be happy, but inside I was cursing myself for ever coming here.
Still, I realized one thing clearly, I couldn't escape from this place, and I would have to become the charioteer of both the princesses.
"Hmm," both princesses nodded.
Then the two princesses instructed a soldier to call the craftsmen.
When the craftsmen arrived, the princesses said, "Break our chariots and combine them into one."
The craftsmen were completely taken aback by this order, but they did not dare to ask any questions of the two princesses.
They immediately got to work—dismantling the chariots, separating the wheels, and making various adjustments.
After ten minutes, they had completely fused the two chariots into one.
One side of the chariot was pink and the other side blue. It became a strangely unique chariot, which actually looked even better than the two original chariots.
After the chariot was completed, the craftsmen harnessed Princess Poonruivi's two red horses and Princess Urvi's two white horses together to the new chariot.
Now the chariot was fully ready.
Then the craftsmen accepted their payment from both princesses and, with happy smiles, took their leave.
The two princesses and I moved toward the chariot. When we reached it, I sat on the charioteer's seat, and the two princesses took their seats on the chariot.
Poonruivi sat on the pink side, and Urvi sat on the blue seat.
I fastened my seat belt. The seat belt was made of animal hide. Poonruivi and Urvi also fastened their seat belts.
All the chariots had now taken their positions in their respective lines, so the drummer began beating the drum continuously.
Doom! Doom!
The sound echoed throughout the stadium, signaling that the competition had officially begun.
To be continued...