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Even from this distance, Arjuna can see Vrushali is unsteady; the walk to the palace from the gardens is slow; and she has a deathgrip on her son, who is slight, barely as tall as her. Arjuna remembers his heartfelt gratefulness when they had learned that their oldest brother had even one son who had been too young to participate in the war - thankful because they had this one remnant of Karna left in this world... and selfishly, because they were spared at least one of their nephews' blood staining their hands.
Arjuna has been quietly watching the two of them from the shadow of the door. At some point, he has been joined by his two youngest brothers, and Maa Kunti. Lately, his mother has kept herself somewhat separate from them. Arjuna has not been able to bring himself to bridge the gap. Neither has any of his brothers.
As the duo come closer, he can see his sister-in-law's eyes swimming in tears. As has been the case whenever Arjuna is in the presence of his oldest brother's wife and son, he feels so many clashing emotions in his heart that he almost feels frozen, hard pressed to settle on any one action, to say any one thing.
As Vrushali walks towards the palace steps, she stumbles, and without thinking Arjuna steps forward to assist. He freezes in place when Vrishaketu moves forward to block him from his mother, and his bloodshot gaze meets Arjuna's own. In that furious gaze, he can see anger, helplessness, heartbreak, and... denial. He knows, because those were the same malestorm of emotions that he had gone through when his own mother had finally divulged her long-kept secret to them. He does not know when Vrishaketu has been told of the truth about his father's parentage, but it cannot be more than a few days, if that.
Vrushali has been in touch with Bhanumati, and from Bhanumati, he knows that Karna had not kept any secrets from his wife. His son is another matter altogether.
Vrishaketu is.... very like Karna, he realizes; for a moment, memories of Karna blurring over the figure of his son. Anger makes his nephew almost glow in the sunlight, like it had his father. Arjuna is momentarily struck by the thought that he will forgive his nephew anything, any insult, allow him any rage against himself. He wants to be good to his nephew, to protect him against the darker emotions that can arise from his own anger, the way he wishes someone had done for his Kuru cousins, and even Karna himself. Just as long as Vrishaketu allows Arjuna in his life. He will try his utmost best to get that privilege, he vows to himself. He only hopes he is allowed to. If Vrishaketu allows him to. But his nephew's eyes are reddened and swollen, though his gaze is as piercing as his father's ever were.
"You will not touch my mother with the hands that slew my father," he says, his first words to Arjuna. His voice is soft, but shaky with suppressed emotions even as it cuts through the quiet of the evening, directly into Arjuna's heart, which feels like it has stopped beating. As much as he had prepared himself for this confrontation, he does not think he is strong enough to survive this.
Vrushali's hands tighten on her son, and she closes her eyes. "Vrishaketu," she rebukes in a whisper.
Vrishaketu gathers himself bit by bit, taking a deep breath. "I will not apologize for truths," he replies, and there is no give in his voice, which is steadier than it was before, though no louder.
"I would not require you to," Arjuna says at last, when he feels the block in his throat has eased. "We have our own apologies to make, unsatisfying as it may be. For our actions, and for our own untruths, even unknowing."
Vrushali looks at them for the first time, and Arjun is struck by the sheer exhaustion in her dark eyes. "Then, brother of my husband," she starts, and Arjuna's breath leaves him for a depthless moment when he hears the formal acknowledgement for the first time. He has not known how much he craved those words until he hears them.
"We will wait for your apologies," Vrushali says, and bows her head. "Perhaps you may be ready to give them even now. But, forgive us - we may need time before we will be ready to accept them."
Searing honesty - they have that much in common with Karna, Arjuna thinks dazedly. But after all the lies and hidden agendas and failed diplomacies that has resulted in such a conflagaration - perhaps this honesty is exactly what is needed. And time... time is the least Arjuna can give them.
Vrishaketu and Vrushali is almost at the exit when Nakula steps forward. He shakes off Sahadeva's grip on his hand, and Arjuna has a sudden premonition.
"Please, sister," Nakula says, and his voice breaks partway. Nakula has been inconsolable, ever since their mother has admitted Karna's origins, not least because it had been Nakula who was responsible for the death of three of Karna's sons, and he holds himself responsible for asking Arjuna to kill a fourth. But Arjuna, knows that this is not the time for reconciliation, not just yet.
Nakula, however, seems to have let his grief overwhelm himself. "Please, we... we do not know anything about our brother-"
Vrishaketu turns, and it is clear that he is holding on to his composure by the skin of his teeth. Nakula halts himself at the look on Vrishaketu's face. It is not so much anger, as it is disappointment. "Those that were willfully blind - by chance, or by choice," he interrupts, his gaze burning sharp as a dagger when he flicks his eyes towards Kunti, "Did not deserve to know him." He turns away, back to his mother without another word, leaving a stricken silence behind.
Arjuna closes his eyes. There may be apologies and recrimminations, and hopefully, reconciliations in the future, and it is his nephew who has shown them the way. Because, once again, despite all the accusations and indictments he could have levelled against them, many of which they may have deserved, he has, in the end, settled for not speaking a single untruth.
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