The Pāṇḍavs, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and others stood around Bhīśma as he lay on a bed of arrows.
The battlefield of Kurukśetra looked as if a storm had ripped apart a grove of kiṃśuka trees, strewing their branches and flowers on the ground.
Yudhiṣṭhir, dispirited, thought of Aśōk.
The battlefield of Kurukśetra looked as if a storm had ripped apart a grove of kiṃśuka trees, strewing their branches and flowers on the ground.
Yudhiṣṭhir, dispirited, thought of Aśōk.
"What would Aśōk do?" he asked himself, the way Jesus had asked a century later.
Bhīśma looked at Yudhiṣṭhir and thought, "Today, again, his face looks like NDTV journalists' when elections don't go their way."
Aloud, he asked, "Pray, tell me, O King, what is eating you?"
Bhīśma looked at Yudhiṣṭhir and thought, "Today, again, his face looks like NDTV journalists' when elections don't go their way."
Aloud, he asked, "Pray, tell me, O King, what is eating you?"
On getting no response, Śrī Kṛṣṇa teased the new king gently. "Shall I order dosa from the new pure veg restaurant?" he asked. "I have a Swiggy coupon."
Bhīm intervened, "A dozen cheese ones for me, bro."
"I am not hungry," said a frustrated Yudhiṣṭhir. "I need answers."
Bhīm intervened, "A dozen cheese ones for me, bro."
"I am not hungry," said a frustrated Yudhiṣṭhir. "I need answers."
"Pitāmah has been answering your questions as if he is Quora," said Arjun, a trifle irritated.
"Try ChatGPT," chirped Nakul and laughed. "It's all the rage now."
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
"I need answers," repeated Yudhiṣṭhir. "Why should I not renounce everything?"
"Try ChatGPT," chirped Nakul and laughed. "It's all the rage now."
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
"I need answers," repeated Yudhiṣṭhir. "Why should I not renounce everything?"
Bhīśma composed himself trying to compose yet another story, but he decided to play it cryptic.
"Power," he said, "is life."
"Power," replied Yudhiṣṭhir, "is poison."
"What?" asked everyone in chorus.
If Bhīśma could have shaken his head he would have done so vigorously.
"Power," he said, "is life."
"Power," replied Yudhiṣṭhir, "is poison."
"What?" asked everyone in chorus.
If Bhīśma could have shaken his head he would have done so vigorously.
Yudhiṣṭhir was unfazed. "The Buddha has said that life is just one long misery after another. What is the point of power then?"
An exasperated Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, "Stop reading NCERT history textbooks, dude!"
"That Javdekar!" shouted Arjuna.
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
An exasperated Śrī Kṛṣṇa said, "Stop reading NCERT history textbooks, dude!"
"That Javdekar!" shouted Arjuna.
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
The talk of history textbooks reminded Bhīśma of Romila, who was old even when he was young.
"Even today she looks like Lady Saruman," he mused amusedly. "Just a beard is missing."
The crowd surrounding him had turned cacophonous until Bhīm yelled, "WHERE IS MY CHEESE DOSA?"
"Even today she looks like Lady Saruman," he mused amusedly. "Just a beard is missing."
The crowd surrounding him had turned cacophonous until Bhīm yelled, "WHERE IS MY CHEESE DOSA?"
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, his Sudarśan Ćakra whirring dangerously, gently advised Yudhiṣṭhir. "Listen to Pitāmah. Even Modi listened to Advani."
"What is more?" piped up Bhīśma, "Modi did not renounce power when the time had come."
"Well," said Arjun, "he did not use his power either."
"What is more?" piped up Bhīśma, "Modi did not renounce power when the time had come."
"Well," said Arjun, "he did not use his power either."
Malviya immediately reached out to Musk, suspended @unlimitedquiver and deplatformed Arjun.
The Sun had lazily ascended its peak and descended its angry rays on the hapless folks.
"I need answers," repeated Yudhiṣṭhir.
"42," said Nakul.
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
The Sun had lazily ascended its peak and descended its angry rays on the hapless folks.
"I need answers," repeated Yudhiṣṭhir.
"42," said Nakul.
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
A moment later they heard some noises and turned around. A small crowd was marching through the battlefield towards nowhere.
"Who are they?" asked Yudhiṣṭhir.
"I could see some man-child in white-and-khakhi," said Arjun.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who knew all, just smiled mysteriously.
"Who are they?" asked Yudhiṣṭhir.
"I could see some man-child in white-and-khakhi," said Arjun.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who knew all, just smiled mysteriously.
"The man-child is wearing just a thin t-shirt in this inclement weather," said Bhīm, even forgetting his pending order of a dozen cheese dosa.
"We should be ashamed wearing sweaters and jackets like wusses," said Nakul. "LET HIM BE THE KING!"
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
"We should be ashamed wearing sweaters and jackets like wusses," said Nakul. "LET HIM BE THE KING!"
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
"Do you know his story?" asked Śrī Kṛṣṇa. "His dynasty?"
Yudhiṣṭhir did not, for he had not yet fully read the tweets of Pallavi Ghosh and Sagarika Ghose.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa nodded his head. "I thought so," he said.
From inside his turquoise down jacket he took a slim book.
Yudhiṣṭhir did not, for he had not yet fully read the tweets of Pallavi Ghosh and Sagarika Ghose.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa nodded his head. "I thought so," he said.
From inside his turquoise down jacket he took a slim book.
"I keep a copy just for these situations," said he.
Yudhiṣṭhir looked at the book. "Twisted Threads: A Satire on Power, Politics and Pollution," he read aloud. "Bhavesh Kansara?"
"A mediocre author," averred Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
"TLDR?" asked Yudhiṣṭhir.
"It's a slim one, dude."
Yudhiṣṭhir looked at the book. "Twisted Threads: A Satire on Power, Politics and Pollution," he read aloud. "Bhavesh Kansara?"
"A mediocre author," averred Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
"TLDR?" asked Yudhiṣṭhir.
"It's a slim one, dude."
The next day the group was back around Bhīśma after staying the night at the tent city in Varanasi. He seemed worried.
"When I woke up this morning at night," said Yudhiṣṭhir with a straight face but could not control himself. He LLRC-ed.
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
"When I woke up this morning at night," said Yudhiṣṭhir with a straight face but could not control himself. He LLRC-ed.
"Control, Uday," chided Sahadev.
"If the right people do not wield power," said Yudhiṣṭhir, "the left people run havoc."
"Bravo!" said Bhīśma, relieved that he would not have to tell another story to make the same point again.
"What did you decide, bro?" asked Nakul. "Is Elvis in or has left the building?"
"Bravo!" said Bhīśma, relieved that he would not have to tell another story to make the same point again.
"What did you decide, bro?" asked Nakul. "Is Elvis in or has left the building?"
"I will be the right king," announced Yudhiṣṭhir, "the righteous king."
The skies showered flowers at the group, and the sounds of "Yudhiṣṭhir tum āgē badhō ham tumhārē sāth hai!" rent the air.
From a distance a bearded one nodded. Lasers leaped up everywhere and danced. //
The skies showered flowers at the group, and the sounds of "Yudhiṣṭhir tum āgē badhō ham tumhārē sāth hai!" rent the air.
From a distance a bearded one nodded. Lasers leaped up everywhere and danced. //
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