Week 9 Story: The Best Archer
A trail of
crimson ran down Ekalavya’s hand and onto the dirt. The boy used his free hand
to apply pressure to the new wound, his thumb now missing. Drona looked down at
Ekalavya, stone-faced, as emotionless as he could be. He was mildly surprised
that the young archer had completed such a serious request with no refusal.
When asked to cut off his right thumb, listened to the
words of his teacher, someone he had not even trained with in person, and did
what was asked of him.
“What a shame,” Ekalavya said to
himself, quietly.
Drona raised an eyebrow. “What do
you mean?”
Ekalavya looked up at the taller
man, his deep brown eyes brimming with tears. Drona assumed the tears were in
relation to the pain of losing a thumb in a brutal fashion. “I could’ve been
great. You know that, right?” Ekalavya paused, wincing in pain as he shifted
his hand slightly. “I had been practicing so hard too.”
“I can tell. That’s why this had to
happen. You’re too skilled for your own good.”
“What do you mean? Why did this have
to happen?” he asked.
Drona stopped and thought for a
moment, not wanting to give him the wrong answer. “Suppose you grew up to be an
enemy. Your skills would pose a threat to Hastinapur.”
The boy wiped at his tears with the
sleeve of his shirt. “I guess that makes sense, but don’t you have confidence
in your students? What about Arjuna?”
“You have surpassed Arjuna,” Drona
admitted. “He’s angered by you.”
“I don’t see how that’s my problem,”
Ekalavya said, standing up. The air was still, and the night was quiet,
ominously so. “I have one more thing to ask and then I’ll leave you alone,
teacher.”
“Of course,” Drona replied, feeling
tension in Ekalavya’s voice. The whole situation was horrible, but if he didn’t
think about it too much, it was fine.
“You have ruined my dreams,” the boy
began. “Do you feel no shame?” Drona felt a chill go down his spine. He opened
his mouth to say something, but what could he say? Nothing could be done to
bring back the hopes and dreams of one so talented and young. He should have
just taken him in and trained him properly. Ekalavya’s devotion to Drona had
only brought about ruin.
“I would not insult your honor with
an apology, but remember this: even if for one moment, you were the most
talented archer the world has ever seen. Don’t let this ruin your heart.”
Ekalavya hung his head and left
without words. Drona knew that someday he would pay for all of his sins. What a
shame, indeed.
Author’s
Note: I didn’t like the original, so I didn’t change the ending at all??? Ekalavya was a better archer than Arjuna, so
Drona made him cut off his right thumb, so he couldn’t be a good shot anymore. I
really just wanted the kid to stand up for himself, so that’s the main change
that I added. I didn’t like how he just followed Drona, who was really selfish
about this whole thing. I wanted him to at least reflect that his actions were
not the best. Also, does anyone else think that Arjuna is… really dramatic or
is that just me? I think they probably could’ve, I don’t know, coexisted
peacefully. I don't know if I'm feeling this story, but that's okay!
Ekalavya (Source)
Hey Ryeli! I really enjoyed reading your story about Drona and Ekalavya's encounter. I was also a bit shocked when I read this story and Drona had Ekalavya cut off his finger. I thought that Drona may take pride in coaching up a great archer, and did not think that he would do so much to protect Arjuna's pride. I like that you added the confrontation from Ekalavya; that was at least something that Ekalavya could have.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI have to say this story was very sad. I remember reading the original it too made me uneasy. I think your version of it was well done and would be how Ekalavya would react. I am not so sure if he would say that all to Drona since he has respect for him. I too think Arjuna is dramatic. I am not the biggest fan of him to be honest.
Hi, Ryeli! I really enjoyed reading your story. I loved your opening line about the “trail of crimson”. It gives an incredibly visual for the reader without describing all of the gore implied by this line. I also thought your use of dialogue throughout the story was wonderful! The combination of descriptions of the characters and dialogue made me feel like I was watching the movie version of this story! Great job!
ReplyDeleteRyeli, I love that you chose this dramatic scene to retell in this story! I agreed that Drona's actions against the young archer were completely uncalled for. I was happy to see that you had Ekalavya stand up for himself. You have such a way with description, I really felt the hurt and heartbreak when Ekalavya's loyalty got the best of him. Drona didn't deserve a disciple like him anyways. Also, in response to your Author's Note: I agree that Arjuna seems that way!
ReplyDeleteHi Ryeli!
ReplyDeleteI loved the story of Ekalavya in the Mahabharata, so I’m really excited to see that you used that source for your story. Drona’s answer to Ekalavya’s question of why this had to happen is actually a really valid one that I hadn’t thought of. It’s so sad that Ekalavya’s talents were dismissed by Drona just because of his social class, so I’m glad your story asked Drona to confront the shame in what he did.