In the eye of the Arrow : Episode 5 Page 4 Updated - Page 3

Originally posted by: Carmilla

: Episode one - Meet Karn and Uruvi :

"All that is gold does not glitter

Not all those who wander are lost;"

- LOTR , Return of the King

How wonderful that you are a fellow LOTR aficionada! 🤗Let me complete that quartet:

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

Tolkien wrote that for Aragorn, but you could apply these lovely, deep lines just as well for Karna.

: The birth - One is utmost coveted since birth, her very arrival being harbinger of celebrations across the kingdom, her parents proud and fawning upon her.

Another discarded as soon as he comes to Earth , his entire journey of life, his fate writ with hardship . An infant left to float away in a river . Uncertainty being his first welcome gift . One got blessing , another got doom.

The strange prophecy : Leads ka janam ho , aur prophecy na ho aisa kabhi ho sakta hai 😉 😆 ! So yes , there is one here too , one that is very interesting.Our destiny is not some thing set in stone , it is actually a mix of probabilities and choice and at the end of the day our choices make or break our lives.

Uruvi had two options offered by life, one that leads to a lifetime of certainty , luxury , security and all the jazz that royals used to enjoy, one that is literally carpeted with flowers , but as fate would have it , she'll opt out of the easy one and choose the man who's got blood dripping from his palm lines and walk the path of fire alongside him.

Very beautiful lines. Loved them.

His parents , like all normal parents , anxious to ensure the happiness and prosperity of their daughter , promised to get her addicted to life's beautiful choice so that it makes her innately programmed to brush aside any hard choice, steer clear away from the doomed choice that life will one day unfailingly present in front of her.

But her parents were wrong in one major aspect. Happiness and prosperity are two different things . Heart can not be contained or tamed . It's like a compass will always point towards the perilous path and Karn , the ever enigmatic one , will embody that challenge that she seeks from life , the unique , the enigma, the human firefly that she will chase in the garden of life.

I loved the "human firefly" simile, but I don't get the part in bold. You are here talking about the generality of womankind, not Uruvi alone. So why should their hearts always point towards the perilous path?

Even Uruvi's does not point towards danger and difficulty. It points towards Karna, and it is his life that makes her path a thorny one to tread.

Disappointed that they didn't show even a glimpse of Karn's foster parents and siblings. But I'm glad that they took the sidhi baat no bakwas route and have him landed at the doorstep of Parshuram , where from he emerged as the strapping stallion, standing tall and brave , like a mountain against the odd , for the odds will be plenty in his life. He's like the rock between a rock and a hard place.

Karn's childhood efforts to learn Dhanurvidya and the rejection he faced was very painful to watch. Inspite of being a conservative Bramhin girl , it made me literally mad at the caste system's injustice.

Yes, it was very crude and it rubbed one raw. They want to make Karna's rejection , and his consequent festering bitterness, as deep and as poisonous as they can.

But there is another angle too, which they could just as well have taken. Dronacharya is engaged to teach the 105 Kuru princes, and no one else. He gets permission from Bhishma to add his own son, Ashwattama, but no more. This being so, he could not have taken on Karna in any case.

As a result when Karn grew up, he's stoic , almost frozen . It's like he's hardened with hardship and struggles to an extent that he's built blocks around him , or brick walls to safe guard his gentler feelings , his softer emotions . His face betray nothing. To show emotions is to hand over ammo to the enemy who can then use it against him and humiliate or hurt him further. He speaks rarely , wears the mask of frigid don't-give-a-damn attitude all the time , without letting it slip, but his eyes betray his emotions. They're fraught with distress and guilt whenever his Guru calls him a Bramhin .

There was also this faint smirk and satisfaction to achieve his target when he struck the target and passed the tests. One step closer to achieving what he wants.

But mostly he's rigid like the shaft of an arrow and his eyes are like flints , hard with determination and concentration. Forged in the fire of societal discrimination and a growing ambition as strong as the growing realization that his life will not be easy.

It was painful how dejected and helpless he looked when his Guru Parshuram , who was so affectionate towards him, lashed out that famous curse . He simply looked tired , so tired of a life where he'll always have to face one hurdle after another.

Aashim was superlative when he was standing at the mountain top in the next scene , in isolation with an uninviting , foreboding sky flashing thunder from above , and his eyes filled with so much pain that it's completely heart breaking as he looked above to beseech divine justice .

Compare it with the scene where he was welcoming the rising Sun with open arms , did he look truly young , his masks slipped, warmly relaxed, enjoying himself, with a calm content smile adorning his noble face and suffusing his cells.

(His mountain climbing reminding me strongly of Mahendra Bahubali doing it as Shiva in Baahubali 1😉. )

I agree with all of this, though I do not share your overwhelming admiration for this Karna. As for Mahendra Bahubali, I grant you the parallel, but if I am not wrong, he climbs that CGI rock in the midst of cascading water. These chaps have skipped that element!

As for the curse, in typical TV serial style, Karna is not able to complete his sentence and tell his guru that he is a sootputra. That might have calmed Parasurama's anger to some extent, for now he takes him to be a Kshatriya, a race he detests.

Uruvi : She's quite a contemporary thinker , ahead of her time in her fair non judgemental nature. She's got an argumentive streak that is not irritating but endearing becoz of her gentle and calm way of putting her opinion across. Fond of the warm sunrays. Interesting.

So she is not afraid of getting tanned. 😉

She's grown up in utmost luxury and pampering and is the apple of the eyes to her family and friend's circle. A girl born and brought up in adoration and admiration for her beauty, skills and spunk. She's used to it. Confident that her eyes are capable of bewitching others.

It'll be interesting to see her strive for Karn's affection for the first time in her life. Be unsure for once of the reciprocation of her feelings. To earn it by effort , rather than having it served in a platter.

Yes, and that is the leit motif that the CVs will milk for all they are worth! The Great Seduction Game.

It is also obvious that as a friend Arjun is very important in her life , and the inevitable change of equations and dynamics after her marriage with Karn will pain them both , may be for different reasons , but both surely.

I hope their friendship survives . It is a beautiful one . But the tender affection in Arjun's eyes when her hair was flying behind her as she's rapt in attention in the thick of the race and the gentle hope blooming there both when she chose him for her chariot rider and held his arms voluntary , after refusing to take it previously, makes me think otherwise. Uruvi can give up her life for Arjun but she can not share it with him .

Beautiful summing up! I don't think their mitrata will survive the shock fo Uruvi falling for Karna. See, she is far too open and demonstrative when it comes to Arjun, and so in a way she unintentionally leads him on. The hurt of a blunt rejection will be very hard for Arjun to take, and his love for her will turn sour.At least I think so, and then this will at least spare you the detested triangle!😆

I found her frustration at Arjun building a bridge for her uncalled for. I understand her hurt. But it was a natural friendly protective gesture , little to do with doubting her charioting skills. Not every thing has to be a game of one up manship.

Agree in toto.

Nice touch that Uruvi missed that it was Karn's arrow that broke the bridge . The way Arjun's face became cloudy with confusion and disbelief , it was so subtle that you won't notice it unless you're staring unblinkingly at his face.

Only when they were across the chasm, did he fully realize that another equally swift archer is nearby and we can see traces of anger.

Very well observed.

The chariot race was random but very enjoyable as it the interwoven narrative between Karn's tests and Uruvi's competition gave a trailer of sort how they will compliment each other and how they'll balance out together finding a middle ground . The parallels were effective yet not too forced. It was pretty smooth.

There are quite a few very nice dialogs in the 1st episode itself . Whoever is handling the dialog dpt. deserves a pat in the back for the good job .

I found Duryadhan a pretty normal guy with just a bit of extra jerkiness towards Uruvi , but then none looked too fond of each other so it's just making ground for future angst with the whole Uruvi-Karn vs. Karn_Duryadhan angle.

I like this Duryodhana very much. But I saw from the sole review of Karnsangini that I came across that the critic was regretting the absence of a Puneet Issar/Arpit Ranka type snarling bully. One never knows what people will like!

Uruvi and Bhishma back and forth exchange was cute and funny . 😆 Makes me wonder at how many relationships will be fractured after she will choose and claim her mate.

Kunti nurtured a hopeful wish to make Uruvi her daughter in law , little did she knew when she was voicing out that wish fate was smiling a twisted smile and said , ok granted !

Right then her eldest son entered the 'stage' where in the next episode an event will unfold that will play crucial role in twisting the fate of each and every one , Karn, Arjun, Uruvi , Duryadhan and Kunti.

The first episode itself covered a lot of ground . I'm not complaining . It makes for an intense watching .

Your two bits ???

Well, that was much more than two bits, right?

Originally posted by: Carmilla

: Episode 2 :

Don't you dare, for one minute, believe that my kindness makes me anything but insurmountable. I did not unzip my chest to every kind of hurt, and stagger back, wounded and alive, just to hear you call me weak for trying. | Ashe Vernon

The best of luck wish : Episode starts with Arjun getting ready for the competition that will decide the fate of Hashtinapur's throne and in glided Uruvi with her usual friendly leg pulling . There isn't much to take away from the scene, except that Arjun is clearly hoping to finally win Uruvi's heart and make a place in her life as some thing more than her best friend. He's not even hiding it any more behind friend tag .

I'm glad that he reminded Uruvi he's confident not vain ; just like Uruvi . And he's right to be confident , he knows he's matchless among his brothers and cousins.

It was interesting how Uruvi is not exactly reluctant or uncomfortable , though she's carefully avoiding reciprocation , when faced with Arjun's interest in her, she was indeed praying for his win and I can not blame a young lady if so, since Arjun is not just the prince of a powerful kingdom , he's also regarded as highly eligible because of his archery skills and gentlemanly nature. Plus , he's interested in her , which always stacks the odds in favor of a person , such is the case with human beings.

What I liked best is Uruvi's - "Subh ho, mangal ho.. " She didn't said may you win or any thing such. She need not.

Let us be frank about it, and skip all these fine distinctions between love and affection for a moment. The fact of the matter is that if any girl behaves with a man the way Uruvi does with Arjun, the man would be naturally encouraged to look for more, ie an open acknowledgement of love.

I cannot imagine any girl of her age, in those times, carrying on the way she does with Arjun, calling it mitrata, and having it accepted as such, and not objected to, by all those around her, and her family in the first place. They might all assume that the pair would end up getting married, but even so, her parents at least would be more cautious about her reputation, especially if the marriage did not materialise for whatever reason.

Women might have had a more free existence then, protected by the male maryada, but even that would have its limits. If this marriage did not materialise, other royal families would hardly have looked indulgently of their prospective bahu gallivanting all over the countryside with her mitra.

This scene made me thoughtful as to what'd have happened if Karna hadn't entered her and Arjun's life at this juncture , when the relationships were still brewing in the tender state of tremulous courtship and no official tag attached to it of yet. Uruvi would've probably got married to Arjun indeed . " Ab to mitrata se bad ke rishte ban ne hai.. " As of now, none of the parties were making the match official probably because Yudishthir , Duryadhan and Bhim were still unmarried , and Arjun's turn could only come later. The kind of allowance her parents and Arjun's family both were giving to the "friends" U-A , were enough hint that there was no whiff of doubt in anyone's mind including that of Uruvi's that she would end up with Arjun only and that was probably fine by her too, since not every one gets married to the love of their lives. Some times people go for their best friends , which though does not offer the thrill and passion of love turned into wedlock still makes the journey through life very smooth and easy as friends understand each other. Had Arjun got a chance to ask for her hands in marriage , she'd have said yes to her friend , had she not already fallen for the Angaraaj. Some times we don't really know what we want from life till we're actually presented with it. There's a difference between what we want and what we cannot do without.

Very nice, my pet, and this kind of crisp obiter dictum is something I have grown to expect from you.

This apart, it is not just that not everyone gets married to the love of their lives. It is rather that most folks don't have a love of their life, and are perfectly content to settle down in staid, comfortable domesticity. There were, after all,much worse things that could happen to a girl.

If Uruvi had not met Karna, she would never have learnt what love and passion are like, and she would have been happy with Arjun. Of course the bulk of her life would have been anything but smooth as Arjun's wife either, seeing all that happened to the Pandavas. She would probably have been parked, like Subhadra, in her maayka.

The Rangabhumi drama :

Poor Duryadhan's face fell away almost comically when the stadium erupted to cheer Arjun .

Why did Uruvi walked in with Arjun inside the arena , being a princess ?? It looked decidedly odd.

Not odd so much as hinting at a closeness in their relationship that was really not there on her side. This is what I mean by her unconsciously leading him on.

But the conversation they'd during the armlet gifting , is quite telling of the future , as many have already pointed out the jemstone is a symbol which stands for Uruvi's heart . She was asking Arjun, if he could take care of it and Arjun had reassured her no body coould even touch it . Fate watched on and smirked . When she was looking at Arjun ,light reflected from Karn's divya kavach and fell on her eyes and she was instantly distracted . An indication that Karn's shine his entry in her life will take her away from Arjun. Also , as her eyes were again searching the crowd for the source of the dazzle , she couldn't find him . May be another indication that she'll have much difficulty in finding Karn's heart , or rather thaw his frozen heart and capture it .

(Fan girl moment : How gorgeous did our Hero looked , brooding in the crowd. Aashim's eyes are some thing else ☢️ ! )

Here we go again!😆

As the competition started and fiercely progressed , Arjun established excellence easily and unchallenged . Must say, once again, very very impressed by Kingshuk. From his body language to the resident little smile twinkling in his eyes as he shot arrow after arrow at Duryadhan, to the utter composed voice and eyes while asking Duryadhan to brace his defeat , he was simply a pleasure to watch. His friend also looked mightly excited at this point.

Karn looked on unperturbed . He , till then , had no role to play in the political drama of Hastinapur royals therefore emotional attachment to the same . He's here to take part by hook or crook and show the world his mettle and his face looked unperturbed as that of a bystander or neutral audience , with a little scowl when Arjun's name was being cheered on after his arrows shot the target with mathematical accuracy. He only looked curious when Duryadhan openly challenged Drona's hasty declaration of Arjun as "sarvashreth" .

As the one-on-one between Arjun-Duryadhan started , Karn was finally hooked to the match. It was as if he noticed Duryadhan properly for the 1st time since the start of the match. His smirk , when Arjuna shot the 1st arrow near Dury's feet , gave away that he already knew what Arjun is up to , just like one great archer already knows the tricks of another.

I must say , Duryadhan is of the kind who'd rather break than brace his defeat . Call it his virtue or vice , it makes him who he was, his defining trait. Even when reduced to the state of porcupine he was struggling to free himself with black fury on his face , yet not ready to accept abject defeat , when Karn freed him with one swift shot.

Arjun immediately recognized the archer as the same one from the previous encounter. Like I said , one great archer recognizes the tricks of others . As he turned to see Karn , he met his life time nemesis for the 1st time , same as Uruvi's eyes fell on her human firefly . She looked on intrigued as he somersaulted inside the arena , revealing his chiseled face and lean bow like body in a breath taking shot .

By now the air was thick with rising tension and hostility between Karn-Arjun . As Arjun walked ahead to meet Karn half way followed by the rest , Shakuni exchanged a meaningful glance with Dury . A good trickster never misses a golden opportunity to turn the tides in his favour.

As Karn faced intense and hostile interrogation from a visibly angry Drona , he fought the volley of bullets charged at him with words and questions that had always made elitists ill at ease and always will , till the end of time . His words were no less piercing than the deadliest of arrows , since they were laced with the key element that rings - truth ! Aashim was excellent in this scene. It was good to see how unfazed Karn was all through out this question session with the required amount of courage and strength of character . He knew what he's going to face and he was mentally ready . What is the point of being agitated and angry when the same can be used against you immediately when you show them you're affected by this kind of attacks ??

The lines they had given him for this segment were excellent.

By now Uruvi's intrigue has thickened into frank interest , Her inherent sense of justice makes her support his points and she's impressed at the guts of this stranger who dared to enter a competition specifically held for the royals.

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