Effort not in vain

Everyone was happy to see Adhirath and his family alive. Adhirath was really shaken from the attack but he managed to compose himself and asked everyone about the incident.

The villagers informed him about Vikram's misdeeds and how Karna went to the infamous Kumbhilla forest to save them. He also met with Sage Durvaasa to whom he expressed his gratitude but now everyone was worried about Karna.

Adhirath "O Great sage, thank you for saving us but where is my son? We are alive that means he was able to free that evil spirit, then why he did not return yet?"

Sage Durvaasa,''Adhirath I already warned him about the consequences of his journey. That forest is full of evil creatures. I really don't know what happens to him.'' said shaking his head.

Hearing this Radha started crying, ''It was all my fault, Arya. Under the influence, I brought that doll from that Tantric to kill own son, Vasusen. I did the crime and now my son is in danger.''

Adhirtha (shouting) ''How could you do that Radha? I know you hate him, but I can't believe that you could stoop so low. I will never forgive you.''

" Actually she doesn't hate him but her insecurity along with regular tantric and your brother's family influence lead it to this." revealed Durvaasa.

"But that doesn't mak...."

Suddenly Adhirath was interupted by a flash of light and appearance of Vasusen's unconscious body. His arms and legs were covered with bruises that were still healing, he was pale and there was blood all over his body.

Seeing him both Radha and Adhirath started crying. All the villagers also felt sad for the poor boy. Rishi Durvaasa checked his pulse and said '' He is alive just unconscious. Take him inside the house so that I can treat him properly.''

Adhirath carried him inside. Durvaasa and Radha cleaned his wounds and applied some medicines. Durvaasa told Adhirath that Karna would be fine soon as his healing power is more than a normal human being.

Outside the villagers were trying to think what punishment they should give to Vikram and his allies. Most of the villagers did not like them for their arrogant and evil nature and now seeing their misdeeds, they were ready to murder them. Most of them suggested taking them to the town court and asked for the death penalty. In fact, some of them were also blaming Radha as well.

Then Sage Durvaasa came out and asked the villagers to calm down.

Durvaasa, ''Villagers I know what they did was wrong, but we shall wait for Karna to wake up and decide as he is the one who they wronged most.''

The villagers agreed and they waited. In the afternoon, Karna woke up. Adhirath was sitting beside his bed. Seeing him Adhirath rushed to his side, ''My son, are you all right? How are you feeling now?''

Karna ''I am alright Pitashree, but how are you? Where are Maa and Shon?''

Adhirath ''We are all fine my son, thanks to you. Forgive me, my son, I vowed to protect you but I failed. Because of my wife you have to suffer like this.''

Karna, ''What are you talking about Pitashree? Where is Maa? I want to meet her. I want to know if she is okay.'' Saying that Karna left the bed and ran outside. There he saw the villagers gathered around their house. Everyone was happy seeing him and they also told him what happened. They also asked for his suggestions about the punishments especially for Radha.

Durvaasa (in mind) 'Now I need to see if you have any feelings for revenge or you are going to forgive them?'

Karna, ''I am against the death penalty as I believe that killing someone is wrong. We cannot create life so we don't have any right to destroy it unless it is necessary. But one shall be punished in such a way that they can repent for their crimes. So, I think we shall ask my uncle and his allies to serve the village for some time so that they can understand their mistakes ."

"As for my Radha ma, do not you dare say anything against her. She is my mother, and I am not going to hear anything about her. If any one, even dared to disrespect my mother in slightest, I will soak the entire soil with blood.'' while unconsciously releasing a hair worth fraction of his conqueror haki, Karna said.

Hearing such a mature suggestion and threat from a five-year-old kid, everybody was shocked under the intense pressure and readily accepted. Then Karna went near Durvaasa.

Karna ''O great sage, you have protected my family. I do not know how to thank you. If there is any way I can express my gratitude please let me know. I will do anything for you. Please accept my gratitude and allow me to serve you while your entire stay.''

Durvaasa ''Putra it is an honor to meet such a pure soul like you. At such a tender age you have the great sense of Dharma which many sages themselves don't have or comprehend. Adhirath- Radha you are really blessed to have a son like him.''

Radha was so ashamed that she fell on the Sages' feet and begged for forgiveness. Even if she was under the tantric influence, she couldn't accept the fact ,she misbehaved and actually tried to kill her own son. The guilt was too much and it was eating her very being from inside. She tried to apologize to Karna but he said ''No Mata please don't say sorry to me. It will make me a sinner. I am your son and you have every right on me.''

Hearing this Radha realized her mistakes. She always thought of Karna as a threat to her kid under the influence of brother in law and sister in law but today she realized that Karna loved his family so much that he was ready to face death for them. Radha promised herself that in the future she would do anything to protect her elder son and she would love him unconditionally.

After three day, Rishi Durvaasa left Adhirath's residence back to the mountains to meditate. Before leaving, pleased with Vasusen's dedication asked him for a boon. In return, Karna asked him to bless his family with the boon, that no black magic or evil can ever harm or influence them. Rishi Durvaasa wholeheartedly blessed him with the boon and also gave him a Shiv Mantra to help him in his aradhana.

Six years have passed since Adhirath and Radha found Karna and little eagle chick now matured in the basket. After departure of Rishi Durvaasa, Karna took the opportunity to go to jungle and found a secluded place where he carved a shivling. Each day in front of Linga, Karna would vigorously train and meditate while chanting the mantra till he returned back to his family for next years. Thought previously after his death, he did gained darshan of Lord Shiva but after transmigration still decided to do his darshan by traditional ways. He still hasn't got his wish to see Mahadev but was adamant, if others can so can he. He spent his outside time here only.

His day start with accompanying his family and his brothers for Surya pooja at the banks of river Ganga. He know that they were his biological father's devotee and at that time after his birth mother abandoned him, they found him so they didn't miss. So, he too had no problem in greetings his celestial parents and offer water to them. His father then has to go to work while his mother busy in doing homely chores or taking care of his younger brother.

His younger brother surely is one mischievous child while his elder brother had become adventurous. As he have grown older, he showed his talent in literature. Karna in his free time have made job to translate and teach poems or recitation to his younger brother. After the family has breakfast together, Karna immediately goes to his secluded place for his daily yoga practice and meditation, till lunch he stays there and return for lunch because his family would be very worried if he didn't, after lunch he again sneaks out in pretense to play while he came here again and from then to sunset he does his training or meditation in front of shivling. Then he goes home and with his mother Radha, he goes to the river bank to dusk surya pooja then they return. While his mother busy herself in cooking, he would just sat beside her to help her in any way, take care or play indoor with his both brothers and kept mentally chanting. His efforts were not in vain. He could feel getting stronger and calmer. What's shocking is that he could feel his chakra and chakra points as well explanding rapidly. He was basically following training his body with memory of both Shanks and Madara. The template of both people have almost reach 40% which is already a quite big accomplishment. He was a child so his body was comparatively pure again perks of being demigod that too son of ruler of navagrah and he has experience of a lifetime which is both helpful and a block for him but it didn't deter him, he slowly adopted and now he even stopped addressing himself as third person even mentally. He has now accepted that he is Vasusen and Vasusen is him. Srivastav of Kaliyuga doesn't exist in Dwaparyuga but his experience and knowledge could be useful so why not use it. From then on everything was easy, his focus increased and he stopped comparing or thinking everything he knew of Mahabharata to his current situation. He have even gained a upper hand in maintaining his emotions fluctuations from Shank's jolivial party clown like attitude or Madara's cold ass like attitude. He thought of going with the flow and left everything to Niyati. If it was the same as Karna, he has no complaints as he would still walk similar path but this time applying Dharma in his actual karma. Other than these daily routine, he did obtain small quests from system and spend weeks in dungeon through only few minutes passes outside.

One day he came to his secluded place after lunch for his usual meditation and saw a Aghori. He did a polite bow and greeted with a Namaskar

"Pranipat"

"Oh! You are not repelent of me? How interesting?" said the Aghori in husky voice.

Karna,"Why would I? You are a shiv bhakt like me."

Aghori,"Oh! Shivbhakt. Bold claim for a child."

Karna," Does age matter in devotion mahoday?"

Aghori,"No it doesn't. Boy, seeing you here, I can presume this shiv ling is yours?"

Karna,"Yes I carvedit but it doesn't belong to me, how can shivling belong to an individual?"

Aghori," Then you may not have any problem praying to him, you see I am late for my usual worshipping."

"Please go ahead."

" But I need to have this shivling for myself."

" Fine by me. I will sit far away from my

meditation." replied Karna

"How could you do this? It is an insult to Mahadev. Don't you know one has to be in front of shivling for praying to him? "suddenly the Aghori accused.

"Why so?"

"Fool, don't you know you have to be in front of someone from whom you want something. Shivling is where Mahadev is." answered the Aghori.

"Mahoday, Bholenath is omnipresent. He is everywhere."

"No, you can't insult Mahadev in front of me. You would stand here only till my worshipping is done."

"But....."

"There is no if and but here, if you call yourself shiv bhakt you would do so."

" Fine, I will do as you say."

Aghori nodded and sat in front of shivling and began his prayers, he first covered shivling with ashes and then with bines from his bag he began his aarti and then for offering he gave some raw flesh of animal. Everything took an hour or so then he stood up leaving the flesh and ash on shivling.

"Here, I am done. Go if you still want to do your prayers."

"Why wouldn't I?" asked Srivastav with a raised eyebrows.

"You would still do pooja seeing the condition of shivling like this boy? Didn't ash, aarti with bones and flesh deter you?" asked the Aghori

" Why would it do so?Ash is dear to Mahadev. As for aarti with Bone and flesh offering, it's up to the individual how he wants to pray. There is no right or wrong way to worship him. like you did with them and I did while standing here."

"You seemed desperate, what do you want from him?"

"His darshan. His guidance "

"His darshan? You told me he is omnipresent so why do you want his darshan, boy?Tell me honestly what do you want?"

" Yes, he is omnipresent but I want the darshan of his swaroop in which he has hair tied with Rudraksha, river Ganga flows from his jata and moon adorned in his head. I want to see in swaroop he is a companion of Devi Parvati when he is vairagi as well as grihastha. I want to see him with his trishul which has damaru, in his tiger skin clothes, where nagaraj Vasuki and garland of skulls hung to his neck enhancing beauty with neelkanth." described Karna.

Karna was so immersed in his description that he never saw the Aghori smiled and changed with his every detail come out of his mouth. Karna came out of his stupor and saw his Aradhya. His eyes widened and mouth opened, he couldn't believe his eyes lord Shiva was present there before him and was smiling at him, his life was successful now. Just his presence here is enough. It's the same feeling as felt when he was dead. Lord Shiva smiled at his devotees whose expression held joy but eyes still had disbelief.

"Am I how you imagined to be Son."

Karna stupor broke he directly fell on his feet,

" How could my imagination be ever enough to describe you Mahadev. I am honoured, delighted, blessed and eternally grateful for your presence."

"Srivastav or Karna, your devotion has impressed me very much. Ask what you desire, son?

"What has hidden from you Mahadev, I just wanted your darshan in the traditional way with aradhana and after I got it what is left for me to desire?"

"But I am happy and pleased with your devotion, ask me something except immortality."

Karna was lost in thinking, what should he ask? He never thought of this before after obtaining System,he truly don't know what to ask for but thinking of his further life he decided to ask,

"I want to ask for all the education, Divyastra, might, strength, valor, might, skills, authority and ferocity I have heard of Vasusen till he died and I want complete knowledge of all weapons and Divyastra."

"Thatstu"

After that a light enveloped lord Shiva and everything Karna asked was bestowed upon him. Then Mahadev himself passed on knowledge of scripture, Divyastra, method and vidhi of all the weapons. Karna couldn't believe that six year old him possessing everything OG Karna had and even more. Karna fell at the feet of Mahadev.

"Mahadev, would this change the original Mahabharata? After this would I never be a student of Bhagwan Parshuram??"

"Your existence itself for change vatsya, only Lord Vishnu and I are aware of you not even his avatars are completely aware of your existence because of the limitations of being mortal but they would if they ever take their par-braham swaroop. Dharma sathapana would happen, earth would be wiped of arrogant kshatriya because every Avatar of Narayan took birth for a reason and he would achieve that reason but the least you could do is make sure only those deserving die. You have experienced yourself, the war in Kurukshetra didn't do good for a long time kalyuga but has made it worse. You could stop brothers shedding blood of brothers. You could stop atrocities and uplift the supressed."

"As for being Parshuram shishya, you have to go to him and confess everything because none other than us and Narayan himself. Remember this, not even any dev, Only one who you will tell yourself will know and I advise you not to tell anyone other than Parashuram only after my permission. Let Niyati do as it plans, because if you become a hurdle to it then your end would be much worse than anyone. It will be up to him whether he accepts you or not but I assure you he won't curse you in fact original curses of Karna you will not get but be very careful to not get different curses."

"Lastly you should move to Hastinapur as major events are about to happen soon. Your presences will be need as a catalyst for major events. Kalyan ho."

Saying that Mahadev left.

To be continued...

(A/N: Hey guy please comment below and send me vote along with your love to keep continuing this fanfic 😁😁😁)