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"This is given to us by our Guru," Veerendra replied, feeling a little proud seeing Guruwar's reaction to the gift he received from his Guru.
"You have a Guru? Who is that Acharya? Do I know them?" Guru Dronacharya looked surprised upon hearing Veerendra's words.
"Hmmn... I am not sure if Guruwar knows our Guru, but you might know Acharya Vyasa," Veerendra replied with a slight bow in a respectful tone, a little hesitant, unsure how to address his Guru's Guru.
"Hmmn... I know Acharya Vyasa. So, you mean to say your Guru is one of Acharya Vyasa's shishyas?" Guru Dronacharya was truly surprised, trying to understand young Veerendra's words.
He looked at the sharpness and soul-stirring energies coming from the semi-divine astras in both young Veerendra's and Sadhana's hands and got lost in thought, deliberating on how to break this news to the Maharaj of Hastinapur and have them recruit these young talents under their wing.
Otherwise, he feared what might happen if they were poached by people with evil intentions, which could bring harm to the kingdom of Hastinapur.
He also began to grow curious about their mysterious Guru who crafted such fine semi-divine astras. 'I should really meet this talented shishya of Acharya Vyasa.'
Thinking this to himself, Guru Dronacharya smiled at them before addressing them, seeing their nervous expressions.
"Ahh! Don't be nervous, I mean no harm. It's a good fortune that someone has taken a liking to you two young bloods. Make sure not to disappoint your Guru."
Guru Dronacharya's words made Kankan pat his chest in relief, thinking he had avoided a disaster, and he smiled proudly, hearing the praise in Guru Dronacharya's words, which were directed at his grandchildren.
"Hmmn... We will," Veerendra and Sadhana smiled and nodded back, heartened by the praise and advice from Guru Dronacharya.
After talking a little more with Kankan, he departed from his residence with large strides. Kankan, after sending Guru Dronacharya off, dismissed everyone and went back to his grandchildren's abode, finding them talking with each other in enthusiasm.
"Hmmn... Why, you troublemakers, you scared the hell out of us today." Kankan arrived with twitching temples, seeing their expressions, and twisted their ears with both hands.
"Ahhh... Grandfather, stop... stop...!" Both Veerendra and Sadhana cried out in response before Kankan let them go after giving them an earful.
"We are sorry, Grandfather. It's not like we did that intentionally. We had no idea that binding with our Astra would cause so much commotion." Veerendra and Sadhana both looked apologetic as they explained how it happened.
"Sigh... Now I just hope trouble won't come knocking on our doors!" Kankan sighed heavily, getting stressed thinking about how many people had noticed the commotion and what the Kaurav Royal Family would do to his grandchildren.
Kankan decided to educate his grandchildren about how being high profile can cause trouble for them and their family, and what the consequences would be if they got noticed by some powerful evil person.
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Inside the Royal Mansion,
In the particular room where Maharaj Dhritarashtra was sitting with his eldest son Duryodhan, they were having a rare moment of father-and-son conversation.
"Father, are you really not going to acknowledge the Pandavas when they are already at the age where they can inherit the kingdom of Hastinapur as the rightful heirs?" Duryodhan suddenly brought up the matter that had been gnawing at him for quite some time now. He asked in hesitation, not sure how his father was going to react.
"Duryodhan, my son! Who said anything about not acknowledging the Pandavas? They are my nephews, and I have nothing against them. But when it comes to being rightful heirs, it's another matter," Dhritarashtra said in a slightly raised tone, clenching his fists, keeping his anger in control when his son brought up the Pandavas being the rightful heirs.
"I will never give what should have been mine from the beginning. And now that I am King of Hastinapur, I will never let someone rob my kingdom from me." Dhritarashtra's angry voice echoed, making Duryodhan look at his father in shock and nervousness.
He had never seen him this angry, and he couldn't understand why his father would be angry at what he said. From what he knew, the previous King of Hastinapur was the Pandavas' father, and later his father became King—so by that logic, it should be inherited by the eldest Pandava.
It's not like he didn't want to become King of Hastinapur after his father, but he also felt it might be unfair and unjust to the Pandavas.
"Sigh... I am not being stubborn for myself, son. It's for you. As the eldest son, you would be taking the throne eventually. Do you think what I'm saying is wrong, or am I being cruel to the Pandavas?" Dhritarashtra sighed as he looked at his son with his white blind eyes and asked in a cold, chilly tone.
"No... no, Father, you are not wrong. I am being naive, and I am grateful for Father's lesson," Duryodhan shook his head, not daring to argue with his father after hearing the chill in his tone.
"Remember, my son, you can never think that someone will respect you or offer you anything unless you show them your dominance and the prestige of who you are." Dhritarashtra nodded with a pleased expression, hearing his son understand his words, as he gave him strict advice.
"Yes, Father. I understand." Duryodhan nodded again and replied in acknowledgment before standing to leave, bowing to his father in respect.
"I will take my leave, Father. Please rest for a while," Duryodhan said before he left his father's room, closing the door behind him.
"Don't let anyone disturb Father. If anyone has anything to report, send them to me." Duryodhan turned to the two guards standing in the hall as he ordered them before leaving for his abode.
"Yes, Yuvaraj," the guards replied as they bowed in acknowledgment.
Not long after he left, the guards received the message Guru Dronacharya had sent to inform their Maharaj. But remembering their Yuvaraj's orders, they sent a fellow guard to inform the Yuvaraj instead.
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