Neev:
 Welcome back to Mythical Masala. I’m Neev.

The armies are ready.
 The battle lines are drawn.
 And Kurukshetra is waiting.

Co-host:
 So… this is it?

Neev:
 Almost.

 Before the first conch is blown, there are last minute meetings - last minute attempts to avert the war.
 And last chances to change what’s about to happen.

Co-host:
 The kind where everyone already knows the answer…
 but still has to ask.

Neev:
 Exactly.

Kings send messengers.
 Elders speak one final time.
 And Indra makes a powerful request 

Co-host:
 You’re talking about Karna.

Neev:
 Yes.
 Let’s go to the final days before the war…
 when words mattered as much as weapons.

Neev:
 The battlefield was ready.

But one last message still had to be delivered.

Co-host:
 Because once words fail… weapons take over.

Neev:
 Earlier, a messenger had been sent to Hastinapura — asking for peace.

It didn’t work.

Even Bhishma, the great elder of the Kuru family, spoke up.
 He said the Pandavas should be given back Indraprastha, their rightful kingdom.

Co-host:
 Which sounds… reasonable.

Neev:
 But reason had very little power in Hastinapura now.

So Dhritarashtra sent someone else.

Neev:
 He sent Sanjaya — his trusted charioteer and messenger — to the Pandava camp.

Co-host:
 The one person who could speak honestly… without choosing a side.

Neev:
 Sanjaya arrived with a message from the blind king.

Sanjaya:
 “My lord wishes no war.
 But he is led by his sons.”

Co-host:
 That’s not really a promise.

Neev:
 No.
 It was a confession.

Neev:
 Yudhishthira listened carefully.

He didn’t speak of anger.
 He didn’t demand revenge.

He spoke of justice.

Yudhishthira:
 “We were cheated of our kingdom.
 Our wife was insulted in a public court.
 We endured exile. We kept our word.”

Co-host:
 That’s… a lot to forgive.

Neev:
 Yudhishthira said he would be guided by Krishna.
 And then he made an offer.

Not a kingdom.
 Not a palace.

Just peace.

Yudhishthira:
 “Give us even five villages.
 One for each brother.
 And there will be no war.”

Co-host:
 Five villages… that’s it ? after everything?

Neev:
 That was how far Yudhishthira was willing to bend.

Sanjaya took the message back to Hastinapura.

Neev:
 When Sanjaya repeated the offer in the royal court, the elders spoke at once.

Bhishma said the Pandavas deserved their land.
 He warned that challenging them — and Krishna — was dangerous.

Co-host:
 Especially since Arjuna had already defeated them once… all by himself.

Neev:
 Yes. In Matsya, Arjuna had shown what even one Pandava could do.

Dhritarashtra listened.

Fear crept in.

Co-host:
Looks like peace might actually happen

Neev:
 Well For a moment — yes.

Dhritarashtra agreed.
 Not because he believed it was right…
 but because he was afraid of what war would bring.

Co-host: That’s good news, right?

Neev:
 Wishful thinking. And then Duryodhana stood up.

Duryodhana:
 “I will not give them land —
 not even as much as the point of a needle.”

Co-host:
Boooo! 

Neev:
 That single sentence ended every path to peace.

Not five villages.
 Not one village.
 Not even a needle-point of land.

Neev:
 The words were spoken.

And once they were…
 there was no turning back.

Neev:
 When Sanjaya left the Pandava camp, the air felt heavier.

The message had been delivered.
 The answer had been heard.

Co-host:
 And somehow… it still didn’t feel honest.

Neev:
 That was exactly what Yudhishthira was thinking.

For years, he had listened to Dhritarashtra’s words — kind on the surface, careful in tone —
 but always hiding something beneath.

Co-host:
 Like a compliment that sounds nice… until you think about it later.

Neev:
 Yes.
 Sanjaya had said the blind king wanted peace.

But Yudhishthira finally understood what that really meant.

Yudhishthira (Neev, calm but firm):
 “He wants peace only if we give up what is rightfully ours.”

Neev:
 Peace — on the condition that the Pandavas disappear.

That was not peace.
 That was surrender.

Co-host (soft):
 So this was the moment.

Neev:
 Yes.
 The moment when pretending was no longer possible.

War was no longer a threat.
 It was a certainty.

Neev:
 Yudhishthira turned to the one person who had guided them through every impossible moment.

Krishna.

Co-host:
 Not as a warrior… but as a counselor.

Neev:
 Yudhishthira asked Krishna to advise them now —
 in matters of dharma,
 and statecraft,
 and what it meant to do the right thing when every option led to loss.

Krishna:
 “You have spoken truth.
 War cannot be avoided.”

Co-host:
 That’s not easy to hear.

Neev:
 Krishna agreed that the Kauravas would not change their course.

But still — he proposed one final step.

Neev:
 Krishna said he would go to Hastinapura himself.

As their ambassador.

Co-host
 One last attempt?

Neev:
 Yes.
 Not because it would succeed —
 but because everyone must know that the Pandavas had done everything to avoid war.

Krishna:
 “When the war comes, let it be clear —
 you did not choose it lightly.”

Neev:
 Yudhishthira hesitated.

Co-host:
 Because sending Krishna into enemy territory is… risky.

Neev:
 He worried for Krishna’s safety.

After all, Hastinapura was filled with anger, pride, and desperate men.

Yudhishthira:
 “What if they harm you?”

Neev:
 Krishna smiled.

Krishna:
 “They will not dare.”

Co-host:
 Because…?

Neev:
 Because they knew who he truly was.

Krishna:
 “They fear that if they raise a hand against me,
 I will turn them to ashes.”

Neev:
 And so it was decided.

Krishna would go to Hastinapura.

Not to beg.
 Not to threaten.

But to speak the truth — one last time.

Co-host:
 And if even that failed…

Neev (steady):
 Then the world would know.

The Pandavas had chosen righteousness.
 And the war was no longer on their conscience.

Neev:
 Before Krishna left for Hastinapura, someone stopped him.

Co-host:
 Let me guess.
 It wasn’t casual.

Neev:
 It was Draupadi.

She had waited long enough.

Draupadi:
 “Do not forget what was done to me.
 Do not forget the court where I was humiliated…
 and everyone stayed silent.”

Co-host:
 That silence mattered.

Neev:
 Krishna listened.
 He didn’t interrupt.
 And when she finished, he gave her his word.

Krishna (Neev, calm):
 “What happened will be answered.”

Co-host:
 That’s… not a threat.
 That’s a promise.

Neev:
 When Krishna arrived in Hastinapura, the welcome was… complicated.

Co-host:
 I’m guessing gold, garlands, and very fake smiles?

Neev:
 Exactly.

Dhritarashtra sent gifts.
 Krishna refused them.

Duryodhana offered hospitality.
 Krishna declined.

Co-host:
 Awkward.

Neev:
 Instead, Krishna chose to stay with Vidura.

Co-host:
 The one person in that palace who still had a conscience.

Neev:
 Vidura told Krishna what the court already knew — but never said out loud.

Vidura:
 “Bhishma and Drona remain loyal to the throne…
 even when the throne is wrong.”

Neev:
 The next day, Krishna walked into the court of Hastinapura.

And he didn’t waste time.

Krishna:
 “You twist right and wrong to protect your sons.
 And you have failed to restrain them.”

Co-host:
 That’s… not easing into the conversation.

Neev:
 Dhritarashtra shifted uncomfortably.

He asked Krishna to advise his sons.

Co-host:
 Bold request, considering everything.

Neev:
 Krishna turned to Duryodhana.

Krishna:
 “Return the kingdom you won by cheating.
 Remember the day Draupadi was insulted in this very hall.”

Neev:
 For once… Krishna was not alone.

Bhishma spoke in agreement.
 Drona followed.

Co-host:
 The teachers backing the truth.

Neev:
 Even Gandhari, mother of the Kauravas, supported Krishna.

Gandhari:
 “Do not lead our family to destruction.”

Neev:
 And then — Duryodhana stood up.

Co-host:
 Uh oh.

Neev:
 Without answering.
 Without bowing.
 Without offering even a word.

He walked out of the court.

Co-host:
 So… that’s a no.

Neev:
 A very loud no.

Neev:
 Some say Duryodhana even tried to attack Krishna.

Co-host:
 Tried?

Neev:
 That’s when Krishna revealed who he truly was.

Neev:
 The court saw a glimpse of Krishna’s divine power.

Not as a warning.
 But as a fact.

Co-host
 Reminder received.

Neev:
 No one moved.

No one dared.

And when the vision faded, Krishna turned and left the court.

Neev:
 The truth had been spoken.
 It had been supported.
 It had been rejected.

Co-host (quiet):
 Which means…

Neev:
 Which means Krishna returned to Upaplavya with the answer everyone feared.

The war was no longer avoidable.

Neev (somber, reflective):
 While kings argued in courts and messengers rode between camps,
 one mother lay awake at night.

Co-host (soft):
 Kunti.

Neev:
 She had watched her sons grow into warriors.
 And now she saw what stood against them.

Bhishma — undefeated, bound by his vow.
 Drona — their teacher, master of warfare.
 And Karna.

Co-host:
 The one who would not hold back.

Neev:
 Kunti knew that even if Bhishma and Drona hesitated —
 Karna would not.

He would fight fiercely.
 Relentlessly.

Neev:
 And so Kunti made a decision that tore her apart.

She would speak to Karna.

Neev:
 One morning, as Karna finished his prayers, he sensed someone behind him.

He turned.

And there stood Kunti.

Co-host:
 That’s… not a meeting you expect.

Neev:
 She didn’t waste time.

Kunti:
 “You are the son of Surya, the Sun-god.
 And you are my son.”

Neev:
 Karna froze.

Co-host:
 That changes everything.

Neev:
 Kunti told him the truth she had carried for years.

He was not just a warrior of the Kaurava side.
 He was the eldest brother of the Pandavas.

Neev:
 She pleaded with him.

Kunti:
 “Do not hate your brothers.
 Stand with them.
 Stand with your own blood.”

Neev:
 For a long moment, Karna said nothing.

Then he spoke.

Karna:
 “Duryodhana gave me honor when the world gave me none.
 He trusted me.
 I cannot betray him now.”

Co-host:
 Loyalty… even when it hurts.

Neev:
 Karna bowed his head — not in anger, but in respect.

Karna:
 “I will not join the Pandavas.”

Neev:
 But he was not cruel.

Karna:
 “You will always have five sons.”

Co-host:
 How?

Neev:
 Karna looked straight at her.

Karna:
 “Either **Arjuna will live… or I will.”

Neev:
 It was not comfort.

It was a truth spoken gently.

Co-host:
 And somehow… that makes it worse.

Neev:
 Kunti turned away, knowing she had failed —
 and knowing she had finally told the truth.

Karna watched her leave.

He did not follow.

Neev:
 This was not a choice between right and wrong.

It was a choice between loyalty and blood.

And once Karna made it…
 the war claimed one more heart.

Neev:
 High above the earth, the heavens were restless.

The gods had fought wars before —
 against demons, giants, forces of chaos.

But this was different.

Co-host:
 Because this war was human.

Neev:
 Yes.
 The Pandavas and the Kauravas were preparing for battle on Bharatavarsha.
 And the gods watched… with unease.

Neev:
 When Indra, king of the gods, heard the news, his heart sank.

Co-host:
 Because his son was down there.

Neev:
 Arjuna.

Indra knew what the world already knew —
 Arjuna was a master archer.

But Indra also knew something else.

Karna was nearly unstoppable.

Neev:
 Karna wore the Kavach and Kundal —
 divine armor and earrings gifted by Surya, the sun-god himself.

They were not just protection.

They made Karna almost immortal.

Co-host:
 Which means… even gods start worrying.

Neev:
 Indra wondered how to protect his son —
 without breaking the laws that bound even the heavens.

And slowly… an idea took shape.

Neev:
 Disguised as a brahmana, Indra went to Karna.

Co-host:
 Because brahmanas could ask for anything.

Neev:
 And because Karna had taken a vow.

He would never refuse charity to a brahmana —
 not until Arjuna was dead.

Co-host:
 That’s… a dangerous promise.

Neev:
 When the brahmana spoke, his request was simple.

Indra
 “I ask for your Kavach… and your Kundal.”

Neev:
 Karna had been expecting this.

The night before, Surya had appeared to him in a dream.

Surya :
 “Indra will come for your armor.
 If you must give it, ask for a weapon in return.
 Without it, you invite your death.”

Co-host:
 So Karna knew the cost.

Neev:
 And still… he hesitated.

Karna (Neev, controlled):
 “Take gold. Take land.
 But these are part of my body.
 How can I give them away?”

Neev:
 The brahmana did not move.

Did not argue.

Did not leave.

Co-host:
 Worst houseguest ever.

Neev:
 Finally, Karna understood there was no escape.

He straightened.

Karna:
 “O Indra, I know who you are.
 My father warned me.”

Neev:
 Then Karna did something remarkable.

He did not beg.
 He did not curse fate.

He negotiated.

Karna:
 “If I give you my Kavach and Kundal,
 what will you give me in return?”

Co-host:
 Fair is fair.

Neev:
 Indra agreed.

He offered Karna a Shakti —
 a divine weapon of immense power.

But with a condition.

Indra:
 “You may use it only once.
 And only when your life is in danger.
 Use it otherwise… and it will destroy you.”

Neev:
 Karna accepted.

Neev:
 Indra blessed him so he would feel no pain
 as the armor and earrings were removed.

The exchange was made.

Indra left with the Kavach and Kundal.

Karna stood — unarmored, mortal…
 but now holding a weapon that could change a war.

Co-host:
 Both sides think they won.

Neev:
 Yes.
 And both were wrong.

Neev:
 But fate wasn’t finished with Karna yet.

But more on that when the time is right.

Co-host:
Oh no…keeping the suspense are we?

Neev:
 Yes.

Neev:
 The gods had played their parts.

The humans had made their choices.

And now…
 nothing stood between the world and war.

Neev:
 That’s where we’ll pause today.

Every path to peace has been tried.
 Every warning has been spoken.
 And every choice has been made.

Co-host:
 Even the gods have stepped in… and stepped back.

Neev:
 In the next episode, the armies move to Kurukshetra.

Co-host:
 And there’s no stopping it now.

Neev:
 Thanks for listening to Mythical Masala.

If this episode made you think about loyalty, generosity, or the cost of promises —
 you’re exactly where this story wants you to be.

Co-host:
Don’t forget to gather your friends, family, neighbors for the next episode.

Neev:  We’ll see you next time …when the waiting ends.