Bhima stared. He could not believe his ears. Yudhistira's words echoed in his mind, replaying and reverberating there.
"I allow you, by the rules of dharma, to choose your warrior."
The moment the words had passed from Yudhistira's lips, Bhima knew that he would have to fight one more battle that day. Any other time, in any other place, Bhima would have given anything to fight Duryodhana. But now Bhima felt the weight of Yudhistira's words on his heart like a death sentence. And that was what they were. Yudhistira would have known, had he taken but one moment to think of the ramifications of his so called "nobility."
"Yudhistira, you know I cannot win this fight. Not by the rules you have set forth. Duryodhana's skill will the mace far surpasses my own, and I am wearied after this long day of battle."
"Bhima my brother- you are the the best warrior I know. I trust Krishna will guide your hand in this battle." Yudhistira replied.
"Yudhistira- open your eyes! By your own rules of dharma, Krishna may not intervene. I will not win this battle. This fight would mean my death."
"And yet you must fight. Dharma holds you to it. Duryodhana has chosen you to face him on the field, and at sundown, you will meet him there."
Yudhistira turned, letting the rays of the evening sun wash over his face. Bhima stared. He didn't understand how Yudhistira could be so blind. Even now, after everything that they had been through. Bhima had thought that Yudhistira might have learned- learned that his actions had ripples that spread far beyond himself. His own brother had sentenced him to die. He took a deep breath, his heart breaking.
Bhima was not going to die for a king in whom he no longer believed. His life would not be forfeit to a false king.
Bibliography: Public Domain Mahabharata. Story: Duryodhana Falls
Hey Maya! This is an awesome look at Bhima’s thoughts and emotions going into his battle with Duryodhana. You do a great job of showing how weary and hopeless Bhima is, and Bhima’s tension with his brother comes through well. The first two paragraphs are really dramatic and tense; I love it! Thanks for the author’s note, because I definitely needed to be reminded of some of the context of this particular story. Good work!
ReplyDeleteHey, Maya! First of all, I love the title for your story. It definitely draws me in immediately and piques my interest. I like the visualizations you put into your story telling. Your dialogue was also very good and enjoyable. I also shared some of the concerns you expressed in your author's note. I really appreciated your story and will be checking out some of your other stories!
ReplyDeleteHi Maya! The title of the story really grabbed my attention! The False King! I never would have approached to a conclusion like this, and it was nice to see your perspective on the story! Yudhishthira was never able to grasp the skills of playing the game, and that Bhima was thought by now he would have learned. I really enjoyed reading the story! Well done!
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