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"Ohhh... my, what are you doing here, kid?" Ekalavya called out to the familiar child he had helped just the day before, the one selling firewood.
"Pranam, Arya, and Pranam, Acharya!" The kid immediately turned toward Ekalavya and greeted him, also bowing respectfully to Acharya Vyasa, whom he recognized.
"Kalyanam Astu!" Acharya Vyasa offered his blessing as usual, while Ekalavya nodded at the boy.
"I was actually heading toward Acharya's ashram. My sister's health suddenly deteriorated, and I had no choice but to look for Acharya, hoping he can cure my sick sister!" the boy replied, his worried expression showing how much he cared for her.
"Don't worry, kid. Guru Vyasa will be able to cure your sister in no time," Ekalavya comforted him, noticing that the boy was becoming a little emotional.
Acharya Vyasa also nodded and reassured him, "No need to worry, Balak. Let me have a look at your sister. I am sure Bhagwan will bless her with good health."
"Please do, Acharya!" The kid bowed towards Acharya Vyasa and felt happy upon hearing that Acharya Vyasa had accepted his request.
"Hmm... aren't you—" Ekalavya was really surprised, but it was a pleasant one at that, because the person standing behind the kid and carrying his sister was someone whose character he respected from the bottom of his heart in both his lives.
The one and only great warrior who could even make Kuntiputra (Son of Kunti) Arjun feel ashamed in comparison to his skills and strength.
The great warrior Karna, also known as Radheya or Danveer Karna.
"Thank you, Big Brother, for your help!" The kid expressed his gratitude and gestured for Karna to put his sister down on the grass.
"Pranam Acharya...!" Karna, after putting the girl down, turned to Acharya Vyasa and greeted him respectfully while bowing and joining his hands together.
"Kalyanam Astu!" Acharya Vyasa offered his blessing as usual before glancing at the teenage girl who was shivering and had a pale face.
"Danveer, can you help my shishya gather some herbs for her treatment? Meanwhile, I will check the cause of her illness," Guru Vyasa asked Karna, who stood beside him, while gesturing to Ekalavya to collect the useful herbs.
"Pranam, Danveer." Seeing Karna's attention on him, Ekalavya joined his hands together and bowed his head as he greeted him with utmost respect in his tone.
"Please... you don't have to bow to me...!" Karna, noticing the way Ekalavya greeted him with respect, felt a little confused but also had a good impression. Still, he stopped Ekalavya from bowing to him.
Karna did not think he deserved Ekalavya's greeting. In his mind, Ekalavya was Acharya Vyasa's shishya, and Karna didn't consider himself to have any seniority above him or to be equal to Acharya Vyasa, who truly deserved Ekalavya's respect and greeting.
"No, no, this comes from my heart, Danveer. Please accept it!" Ekalavya shook his head, seeing Karna stopping him. He smiled as he spoke in a tone that made Karna feel as though he had met him before, which only confused him further.
Seeing the confusion on Karna's face, Ekalavya realized he wouldn't easily accept the greeting, so he stopped being forceful.
"Ohhh... right, let's leave here and bring some herbs for Guru Vyasa so he can treat that poor girl," Ekalavya said, reminding them of Acharya Vyasa's task.
"Yes, we can't delay her treatment. Balika seems to be in a lot of pain!" Karna nodded at Ekalavya's reminder and looked back at the girl's pale face before gesturing for Ekalavya to move.
Ekalavya led the way, walking through the woods, smelling and feeling the air, and picking up the direction from where he could gather useful herbs.
"You look really familiar with this area. Do you come here often?" Karn asked, watching how familiar Ekalavya seemed to be in the woods.
"No... no, I have never been to these parts of Hastinapur. But I was born and raised playing in woods like these, so yeah, I am familiar with the environment," Ekalavya replied, shaking his head and explaining why he might seem so at ease in this area.
"Ohh... that's why I find your steps and behavior in these woods so familiar," Karn nodded in understanding.
"By the way, Danveer! May I ask you something, if you allow me? It could be a little personal," Ekalavya said with a little hesitation, glancing back at Karn.
"Never, why would I mind if the question is reasonable?" Karn replied with a small smile as he shook his head.
"You don't have to hesitate, Danveer. You can call me Ekalavya, Bhrata Shree (Dear Brother)!" Seeing Karn's hesitation about how to address him, Ekalavya spoke with a slightly mischievous tone.
"Are you always like that? Fine, I will call you Ekalavya from now on." Karn, caught off guard, looked at Ekalavya as if he wanted to argue with him, but decided against it. He could already tell from Ekalavya's demeanor that arguing with him would be exhausting, as he seemed like a mischievous person who enjoyed provoking reactions.
"Actually, Bhrata Shree, I just wanted to ask why you seem so eager to prove yourself in the arena against the Pandava prince, Arjun. Do you have something against him?" Ekalavya asked with a curious tone.
He had always wondered about the reason behind Karn's eagerness. It puzzled him why Karn, who clearly knew he was superior to Arjun, would feel the need to prove anything. Perhaps he had missed some crucial information regarding their relationship or disputes.
"No, no, you seem to have misunderstood something. I simply wanted to challenge him in archery to see who is superior. I just wanted a worthy opponent to fight against—nothing more than that. I don't have anything against the Pandava prince, Arjun. In fact, I consider him my rival, someone who can fight me as an equal." Karn shook his head and smiled lightly at Ekalavya's words.
Karn's explanation made Ekalavya understand the situation. He thought to himself, 'So the other speculations were wrong. The idea that he challenged the Pandava prince, Arjun, to gain recognition from the Kshatriyas of Hastinapur because he is the son of a charioteer, isn't true. It seems his true intent was simply to find a worthy opponent in archery, nothing more.'
"Ohh...right, I always wanted to meet you, Bhrata Shree. You know, I admire you for your great character. And after meeting you, I am very happy, Bhrata Shree," Ekalavya nodded as he expressed his admiration for Karn openly.
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