Sorry for the long wait. The novel will be resumed shortly.
A few points I need to inform though. Due to a hiatus, I had already forgotten the future plotline for the novel I had back then... So, with new thoughts in mind, we will be moving forward from here on. Hence, if any plots or events are left unfinished, or characters that are introduced but weren't developed much in the earlier chapters... they might or might not see a conclusion in the future chapters, and you might think, what happened to them, it doesn't make sense, etc. I would like the readers to keep that in mind.
Thank you.
With that said, I would like to ask a few questions for the future chapters (I might have asked them in the past, but I no longer remember them). I need your opinions. If you could, please state your opinions through paragraph comments for a particular question.
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1) Would you like me to keep it strictly to mortals, or would you like me to actively involve gods, too, in the future storyline?
Consequences:
*If mortals, we strictly keep it to the Mahabharata events.*
*If we involve gods, we will involve classic Asura and devas and their wars too. by the time of the Mahabharata, there are no such wars again. So, we can introduce new Asuras and such to make it happen. Not a big deal, but it becomes too much for the Mahabharata characters. So, only Karna will be involved in such a scenario.*
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2) There is one character that I believe I contemplated, even in the past. Whether it is okay to involve Subhadra or not... But now, I will go with a Yes. Now the big question is: Should we pair her up with Arjuna as OG, or should we pair her with Karna for a new change?
Consequences:
*If we put Subhadra in the story, then Balarama will also be there (of course, there will be no Lord Krishna here. It could be weird for Balarama to be born with no Lord Krishna, and it is even more weird and strange imagining the existence of Dwarka without Lord Krishna, but that's how fanfiction goes. Don't go for too much logic here.)
*If we pair Subhadra with Arjuna, since there is no Lord Krishna here, we might involve Karna in their elopement scenario, leading to either enmity/friendship between Karna and Dvarika (Dwarka). Abhimanyu will be born as their son.
*If we pair with Karna, then there is no ambiguity here. It will be a straight-up enmity with Balarama. Some might think Karna is a good guy, and often portrayed as a divya purush in this novel, and Balarama is also one. So, enmity feels off... But then again... Balarama without Krishna is like an unrestrained bull with a short temper. He wouldn't look at the big picture. It also means Karna will now have a firm rival whom he cannot defeat unless he uses Tridev's divine astras, which he won't. And this also means that if Karna supports Pandavas in the war, then there will be a high chance that Balarama might support Kauravas in the war. As for Abhimanyu, he will still exist but as Arjuna's son from his other wife, because it is often considered his innate warrior instincts, and such were inherited from Arjuna and not Subhadra's bloodline.
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3) For Duryodhana, should we make him a full villain or morally a grey character with some personality issues and desire for the throne?
Consequences:
*If he is a full villain, we will involve Rakshasas and asuras living on earth in the story. We won't explore his pain, his point of view, or anything. Karna could be an ally at first due to circumstances, and then later turned into an enemy. But in this case, Pandavas will just be righteous. You will mostly see the characters behave in exactly the same manner as you were familiar with, through the dramas... Here, the end is pretty much decided from the start. We all know how the Mahabharata will end.
*If he is a morally grey character with personality issues, then Karna's involvement in his story becomes slightly bigger. We will show from his point of view, too. But in this case, Pandavas will also be morally grey. With no Lord Krishna to show them the path to light, they will take wrong and selfish decisions too, for the sake of their rights. You might feel like wait... this isn't how Arjuna acts... how could Yudhisthira act like this, etc... And here, the end might or might not be the same as you might think. The deaths of Pandavas are possible here. Duryodhana becoming the King is also possible here. Or, Hastinapura getting completely destroyed is also a possibility here. So, it will be too much of an unfamiliar territory that I believe many find hard to explore.
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4) For Draupadi, should we leave her as it is in the original, or should we pair her up with only one of the Pandavas, or should we pair her with Karna, expanding his harem further, or should we make a twist and pair her with Duryodhana instead?
Consequences:
*If Draupadi marries the Pandavas, as it is in the Original... the event of the dice game will be intact. Karna could be a brotherly figure to her, as the eldest brother-in-law....
*If Draupadi marries one of the Pandavas, if it is Arjuna, who won her swayamvara... then her significance will not exist, and she becomes a background character. No dice game event (well atleast that involves her)
*If Draupadi ends up with Yudhisthira, if Arjuna gives her to Yudhisthira because of an order from Kunti or some other reason... then the dice event exists as usual. The result will be slightly different from the original, though.
*If Draupadi ends up with Karna, then her involvement will be more involved in Karna's married life instead. The calm and stable kingdom of his will be embroiled in internal politics because of her. Karna will be fighting a different battle here.
*If Draupadi ends up with Duryodhana (like maybe, instead of swayamvara and more through arranged marriage), then... King Drupad will side with the Kauravas; most probably, they will take away Panchala too from Ashwattama, who will then side with the Pandavas. Dronacharya might switch the sides, too. Because now the Pandavas will have great strength, Karna might become more passive in this plotline, and Bhishma will be more active.
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The answers to these four questions are important. So, I will be leaving them here until the events involving them start to unfold. You are free to share your opinions and help the author to mould the future plot line of this fanfiction.