Yudhishthira led Bhima toward the far end of the clearing, away from Karna, Arjuna, and Draupadi. He had barely turned to face his younger brother when Bhima spoke, his voice low but edged with anger.
"Elder Brother, have you forgotten who Karna is? He is Duryodhana's brother in law. Our enemy. How can you invite him into our home and receive him as a guest when we know nothing about what he truly intends?"
Yudhishthira studied Bhima's expression before answering. "Karna is not our enemy, Bhima. I have told you this before. Do not judge him solely by his friendship with Duryodhana or by what happened between you in the past. He has acted against us when he believed we were wrong, but he has also defended our rights when others would not. We cannot call him our enemy simply because we disagree with him."
"Then perhaps you should hear what happened before deciding to trust him!" Bhima snapped, his hands tightening at his sides. "You have no idea what he did to us today."
Yudhishthira's expression grew serious. "What happened?"
Bhima briefly recounted the confrontation at the outskirts of Kampilya.
He explained how Karna had stopped them from leaving with Draupadi, how the dispute had escalated into a fight between him and Karna, and how Arjuna had eventually been forced to invoke the Brahmastra. He did not conceal the severity of the confrontation, nor did he soften the fact that Karna had answered Arjuna with a second Brahmastra.
"He could have killed Arjuna!" Bhima said, his voice rising despite his effort to keep the conversation private. "If Indradev had not appeared between them, who knows what would have happened? And now you want us to welcome Karna into our home as though nothing happened?"
Yudhishthira listened without interrupting.
His earlier curiosity gave way to a grave expression as he considered the danger his brothers had faced.
He could understand why Bhima was angry, particularly after hearing that Arjuna had been pushed to invoke a weapon as destructive as the Brahmastra.
Yet when he glanced toward the hut, his gaze settled on Karna, who was speaking with Arjuna while Draupadi stood nearby.
Karna did not appear to be threatening his brother or attempting to exploit the situation. Instead, he seemed to be discussing something with Arjuna in a composed manner, as though the confrontation had ended and they had moved on to another matter.
Yudhishthira returned his attention to Bhima. "Perhaps this happened because of a misunderstanding and a difference in their understanding of what was right. I will not dismiss the danger you faced, and I do not expect you to forget it. But look at them now. Karna is speaking with Arjuna, and he has agreed to support Draupadi's decision despite disagreeing with it. If they can put aside their hostility for the sake of what lies ahead, we should at least be willing to do the same."
Bhima stared at his elder brother in disbelief.
"This is exactly what happened with Duryodhana!" he said, barely containing his anger. "You asked us to trust him when you believed he had changed, and you kept telling us to give him a chance. Yet his actions proved otherwise. How many times must we make the same mistake before we learn? We cannot trust Karna merely because he has decided to act kindly toward us today."
Yudhishthira's expression softened, though his answer remained firm.
"Then do not trust him, Bhima."
The unexpected response made Bhima pause.
"You do not have to trust him immediately, nor do you have to forget what happened today. I am not asking you to pretend that your concerns are meaningless. But Karna is already our guest, and he has come here under circumstances that involve Draupadi and our family. Until we have reason to do otherwise, we must treat him with the courtesy we would extend to any guest. You can do that much for your elder brother, can't you?"
Bhima's jaw tightened. He clearly had more to say, but after a moment, he gave a reluctant nod.
Yudhishthira smiled faintly and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Good. We can decide what to think of him after we have heard what he has to say. For now, let us not turn a difficult situation into a worse one."
Though Bhima remained unconvinced, he did not argue further. The two brothers returned to the others, where Karna and Arjuna were engaged in a discussion that seemed entirely unrelated to the confrontation that had nearly destroyed the surrounding countryside.
Arjuna stood beside Karna, listening with an attentiveness that surprised Draupadi.
Karna had apparently begun discussing archery, explaining certain weaknesses he had noticed in Arjuna's fighting style.
Rather than speaking as a rival who wished to prove his superiority, he was offering advice with the calm precision of an experienced warrior instructing someone who possessed considerable skill but still had room to improve.
"Your accuracy is excellent," Karna was saying. "You have trained yourself to strike precisely where you intend, and that is one of your greatest strengths. However, you rely on it too heavily."
Arjuna frowned slightly. "How can accuracy be a weakness?"
"Because an opponent who understands your habits can begin to predict your movements. You take the time necessary to ensure that every arrow follows the path you have chosen, but a Maharathi will not always give you that time. If your opponent can anticipate where your arrow will land, your accuracy alone will not be enough to secure the advantage."
Karna gestured lightly with one hand, illustrating the point.
"You must learn to adjust your aim while releasing your arrows more quickly. Do not abandon your precision, but do not allow it to slow you down. Against an ordinary warrior, the difference may not matter much. Against someone who can read your movements and respond in the space between two breaths, even a slight delay can cost you the battle."
Arjuna listened carefully, his earlier tension giving way to concentration.
He had faced many opponents, but Karna was speaking from the experience of a warrior who had fought numerous powerful enemies and understood the demands of a battle between Maharathis.
Arjuna might not agree with everything Karna had done that day, but he could recognize the value of the knowledge being offered to him.
"There is another matter," Karna continued. "Your invocation of Divyastras is also slower than it should be. You know the mantras and can invoke the weapons, but you spend too much time recalling and completing the invocation. You must practise them repeatedly until the process becomes natural. In a battle, you cannot afford to lose precious moments simply because you need to concentrate on every syllable. Rakshasas and asuras who are proficient in maya (illusion magic) will not wait for you to invoke your astra. They dont have honour like Kshatriyas. They will do anything to win. The longer you take to chant them, the higher the risk for you to get interrupted."
Arjuna lowered his gaze in thought, considering the advice.
He had always valued precision and proper invocation, believing that mastery came from executing every technique correctly. Karna was not asking him to abandon that discipline. He was pointing out that mastery also required speed, adaptability, and the ability to act under pressure.
"I understand," Arjuna replied. "I will give it more attention."
Meanwhile, Draupadi watched them quietly, her heart filling with gratitude.