Author's Note

Author’s Note

I grew up loving the stories of the Mahabharata. I first heard them from my paati (grandmother) and then lived them through the pages of the immortal works of Anant Pai and his publishing house - Amar Chitra Katha. To be honest, I believe it is the greatest story ever told to date.

I wanted to share this passion with my son, but he couldn’t connect with the ancient kings and palaces. So, I tried something different. I asked myself: what would these stories look like if they happened today?

This story is a modern version of one of the Mahabharata’s most powerful episodes: the story of Eklavya.

(Image taken from exoticindianart dot com)

In the original, Eklavya was a bright, determined young prince from a small tribe. He was denied formal training by the great guru Dronacharya, who taught the royal princes. Undeterred, Eklavya built a statue of Drona, treated it as his teacher, and through sheer devotion and self-study, became an archer of incredible skill. When Drona discovered this, he was astounded with his skill. While he was proud of the boy, he was afraid that his remarkable skill would surpass that of his star student - the brave and mighty Arjuna.