Satyayoddha Kalki- Eye of Brahma

by Kevin Missal

  There was no one now she could trust except for poor Kadru. There was no one to love, no one to care and protect. She didn’t even have a lover on her side, but then she had never fancied having one after her short marriage. The thought of love always bugged her, messed up her thoughts. She never did care, but she liked the idea of companionship, now most of all, when she wished to depend on someone, to trust someone wilfully. Vasuki, the younger brother, always used to look up to Manasa for help. His absence was now clearly felt.

  At least, they all are together.

  The thought comforted her.

  Manasa swivelled her head, facing the carpenter who was putting up the window. He had paused in between and was staring at her blankly.

  She raised her brows, eyes widening. She knew she had a way of looking at an individual that could frighten them. “What is the problem, worm?” she spoke even though she shouldn’t have. “Rather than glaring at me, worry about fixing this pur up.” She had venom in her tone, but then she realized she shouldn’t have taken her anger out on a poor man. She should calm down and think about her future prospects in this city. She had to eventually lead an army, defeat Kali, drive him to the point till he wept and begged for his life. The very idea of him resigned at her feet made Manasa grin with delight. She wanted all of that.

  And that was when her mind began to be clouded with intense plotting. She was visited by a shadow that formed into flesh. The figure appeared at the gates and entered inside the pur. He was in his loose white robes that hung over his topless frame, tall and great with a fair-skinned body, and black hair pulled at the back.

  Manasa saw Nanda and felt so many things at once. He was her ex-husband, but more so, he was a vengeful ex-husband. He was a vile man who had left her for a young girl, but then, Manasa didn’t have the greatest feelings for him in return. But seeing him after so many years brought back memories, flushing a whirlpool of emotions inside her. She had to calm them down and look at him unperturbed, as if he didn’t bring any complication to the situation she was in at present.

  “I heard you were back.” His voice was paper thin, the sleekest Manasa had ever heard unlike the rest of Nagas who had huskier accents. “I’m glad,” he said and gave her a warm smile which Manasa dismissed.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Ouch, calm down, woman.” Nanda walked over to the other side. “I apologize for what happened to Lady Sambhavi. The poor woman didn’t deserve this. But it’s good you are helping rebuild her house in her honour.”

  Manasa stood up. “What do you want, Nanda?”

  “I am here to see you.”

  Nanda was not the most influential person in the Naga society thus making people wonder how the king’s sister fell for him. Very few people were aware of his ability to pull strings in the shadows. He was a merchant, a traveller, and a charmer. He would sleep and whore and sell. He was a criminal, by some standards, but he had left all of that when he had married Manasa only to return back to it when he got bored of his daily life. And now, she had no idea what he was up to. For all she knew, he was here trying to do business with her or with someone else, and she was the bait.

  “No, you weren’t. You want something from me.”

  “You always thought of me as a detestable man. But no. I just want to make sure you are all right.”

  Manasa sighed. “Well, I’m fine. You can leave.”

  “You don’t care to know what happened to Sambhavi, right?”

  Manasa furrowed her brows, cocking her head forward with curiosity. “She was attacked by Suparns, right?”

  “Ah well.” He came close, the scent of tulips and liquor mixing well with him, as his newly-shaven face gave her a glimpse to the past she had had with him. “Have the people of Udaiyas made you so gullible that you believe what you hear?”

  “What do you mean?” She paused. “She wasn’t attacked by them?”

  “Oh, she was. Sadly, I witnessed the aftermath when they were escaping in the middle of the night. I even sent you a note.”

  “Then why didn’t I get it?”

  “Exactly, why didn’t you?” He frowned. “Don’t you think it’s awfully strange that out of all the purs the Suparns could have attacked, they went for Vasuki’s family?”

  “Kadru said they wanted to hurt Vasuki.”

  “Hurt a dead man? Um, that’s awfully redundant; the poor woman had no intention of taking revenge.”

  “What are you implying?”

  He was serious. The way he looked at her, it was as if his eyes could pierce her soul. “There’s a camp close by, a bunch of Suparns have taken refuge there. I know the camp head well; we did business together over gooseskin. I can take you there and we can see how the story unfolds.”

  “So, you don’t know yourself?”

  “I don’t know the whole story but I do know there is something wrong with the council and a sword is dangling over your cousin. If she moves or even fidgets, she will be silenced forever.” Nanda clenched his jaw. “It’s on you to decide now.”

  Manasa gave him a reluctant nod. “If this is some conspiracy to trap me and assassinate me, I’ll make sure to kill you first,” she said, and raised her hand in anticipation.

  Instead of hurting her back with words, Nanda grabbed the fingers tightly, a smirk besmirching his face. “I don’t know if you believe me or not, but as of this moment, I’m the only one you can trust in Naagpuri.”

  She was weak and exhausted. Her hand ached from the wound that she had received by an arrow. Her paralyzed hand made her feel vulnerable. What if I’m attacked and can’t defend myself? Nanda could not be trusted. He did business with the worst of the criminals.

  But here he was, claiming to be on her side.

  She didn’t want to go with him. But did she really have a choice?

  It was different.

  Without the crown, the glory, and the vanity, Vedanta felt naked. He had been thrown and tossed in the midst of his streets while watchers stalked him, with the intention of hunting him and lashing at him. He had been forced to give up the one thing he had been fighting for for so long and that had been the crown. He wanted to be the king of the strongest city of Udaiyas, but he couldn’t now. He had let his people down.

  Why?

  Kali had found his weakness—his innocent little girl of thirteen, who played with wooden figures that she made herself.

  And whenever Vedanta thought about his daughter, tears brimmed in his eyes. The very thought of her leaving this world grieved him, the kind which he couldn’t handle. His wife had died in peace but he was in disarray. And now he didn’t want Urvashi to leave him as well and for that, Vedanta was fine with leaving his throne, for now. He was ready to not let his vanity consume him and cause his daughter harm.

  He recalled the dreadful day when he had been stripped of his powers.

  “You can’t do this to me,” Vedanta said when Kali proposed the new option of giving away the crown to someone worthier. He had come to Vedanta’s fort and demanded that in his office.

  “Well, I can and I must.” Kali shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t you understand, your highness, you are a threat to me?” He had a way with his words, a loose accent that Vedanta was not fond of. “You and Kuvera . . . you both conspired against me. And I can’t have that.”

  Vedanta had no idea how Kali had found out about it, but since he had recovered from the illness that had struck him, it had made him quicker in execution, and wiser. He had his ravens to spy on people.

  “A price must be paid. I would’ve killed you but I can’t make your daughter an orphan. Also, killing you wouldn’t really please me. I don’t prefer unnecessary bloodshed.”

  Bah! It was horseshit.

  “I didn’t conspire—”

  “We can speak and meander around. You say you didn’t do anything, I heard something else. You wanted to get rid of Vasuki, kill his general, and then he retaliated, which is why I might have been attacked, perhaps; I don’t kn
ow, but then I ensured he received his proper dues. And so will his sister. He was about to do something nasty, but I protected the city from the wrath of a degenerative Tribal. Don’t you think you owe something to me now?”

  “You were the one to bring him here.”

  “La la,” he played with his hands amusingly, as if listening to flutes in his mind. “I don’t care if you conspired with him or not. You, my lord, are not needed here. And besides, I can’t take the risk.”

  “Why aren’t you punishing Kuvera?”

  “Oh, I will.” He grinned. “But in time.”

  “I wouldn’t give away my crown.” Vedanta stayed firm on his decision. “You have taken enough from me. Leave. Now.”

  Kali narrowed his eyes. And that was when a thud broke their dispute. Vedanta’s eyes followed the sound which had come from near the door where a curtain had been draped. A pair of eyes was peering at them, a familiar pair of eyes.

  No.

  “Leave Urvashi,” Vedanta ordered. She had been eavesdropping.

  “No, no, please, come, come in, child,” Kali interfered, standing instantly.

  From the curtains appeared his darling, the apple of his eye, with curly hair and a rosy face, holding a wooden figure. She had a set of dangerous eyes stuck on Kali, as if she would do something reckless.

  “My name is Kali.” Kali bent down and offered his hand. “What’s your name?”

  Urvashi looked at Vedanta for approval. He reluctantly nodded.

  “Urvashi,” she said, her voice stern.

  “Ah, like father like daughter, eh?” Kali’s gave her a perfectly senile grin. “Attitude runs in the family, perhaps.”

  “Leave, Kali.”

  Kali stood, squaring his shoulders. “You have a lovely daughter here. You should think about her, you know. My offer was made out of kindness and respect that I have for you.” He shot a glance at Urvashi. “Don’t mistake my kindness for my weakness.” And he left, storming out.

  “What was that about, Father?” she asked.

  Vedanta walked close to the potted plant he had kept in his office. “Nothing.”

  “It wasn’t nothing, Father. That was a threat.”

  Vedanta glanced at her. Impressive. She understood subtlety in her age.

  “I know.”

  “What will we do about it?” She blinked. Her eyes were watery. “We must fight.”

  “We must think.” Vedanta sighed. “And think fast.”

  Between that day and this day, things had changed. His mind didn’t revolt at the idea of someone else being on the throne anymore, if it meant securing Urvashi from the ensuing chaos. But his daughter was furious. She hated not being the princess anymore, not having the same respect. She didn’t realize there were more important things in this world than just being a king.

  Vedanta had been on his chariot with four guardsmen on their horses surrounding him. The rider of the chariot reined the stallions that neighed at each lash.

  Vedanta had a thali in his hand to worship Lord Vishnu’s idol in Indragarh. He went there every weekend, praying and kneeling, worshipping and singing to his glory. Urvashi was dragged, even though she wasn’t a believer. She found Lord Shiva much better in all aspects.

  But today, her mood was different. She was pissed at the people she saw on the street. They looked at her with ease—no fear, no respect in their eyes. They simply didn’t care.

  “You are a nobody now,” Urvashi whispered, perhaps hoping to slight her father.

  “A title doesn’t matter.”

  “You should fight back.”

  “I’m planning on it.”

  “You’ve been planning for a long time now, Father!” she growled.

  Vedanta had a contentious look in his eyes. “We can’t just attack the king of the city. He’s the head of Keekatpur, king of Indragarh. We need to have a solid plan.”

  “I suppose that you just don’t care.”

  “I do, child. I just don’t want to take a risky step and endanger your life because of it.”

  “What about your dwarf friend?”

  Does she know about my meetings with him? No, that’s not possible.

  “He’s not my friend.”

  “He must have something in mind.”

  And surprisingly, Kuvera didn’t. Vedanta had gone, first thing, to meet Kuvera to ask him to gather some resources and attack Kali’s fort, but he had been declined. Kuvera was too afraid now to do anything after what having seen what Kali was capable of. He had a quick way of getting rid of major threats and Kuvera didn’t want to create unnecessary problems for himself.

  That was when the chariot jerked.

  “What happened?”

  “My lord, there are people in front, blocking the path.”

  “Get rid of them!”

  “They are too many.”

  Vedanta got off his chariot. People had thronged around the temple. Pradm’s men were controlling the crowd, preventing them from coming near the idol.

  With his guards and his daughter, Vedanta reached to the centre, breaking away from the people who had gathered. His soldiers were strong enough to create a pathway in this beehive. And once he reached the middle, he could see the gate of the temple. Guards had lined up around the temple while Koko and Vikoko rode the horses from a distance. And right there in the middle was Kali, sitting casually on a colourful mat as he ordered his generals to move forward.

  And Vedanta realized why. Koko and Vikoko and the rest of their men had tied ropes to the idol of Lord Vishnu. The men were clutching the ends of those ropes.

  They were about to pull and rip it apart.

  “Kali! What on heavens are you doing?”

  Kali turned, as if amused by all of it, as he narrowed his eyes. “Oh, if it isn’t our previous king.”

  Most of the people who hadn’t noticed Vedanta earlier were now grimacing. Some were even snickering, but he ignored them.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Oh! I apologize for all of this; it’ll just take a while.”

  “What will take a while?”

  “Oh, that.”

  Kali clapped his hands. Vedanta swivelled his head as he saw Koko and Vikoko with the other guards. They began to scale the statue. The ropes tightened as they circled around the statue. It began to move and topple, and finally collapsed on the ground as the idol, made of marble and soapstone, crushed and cracked into a thousand pieces when it made contact with the floor.

  Vedanta was frozen at his place, seeing the one thing that he had believed in for so long being torn apart by the man claiming to be king. His eyes darted towards the imposter king who was now approaching him.

  For a moment, Vedanta wanted to send out his men and murder the heretic but he regained his composure when Urvashi tightened her grasp around his wrist.

  “You shouldn’t have done that.” Tears were streaming down his eyes.

  Kali shrugged. “The people of this city should understand to not worship false gods anymore.”

  “Then who should they worship?”

  “Their work, their passion, whatever that makes them who they are. Not some idols where they put money in and hope blindly.”

  “The priests won’t leave you unscathed.”

  “Irony?” He grinned. “I am the lord of the city now, Vedanta. It is time to accept a few changes.” And with that Kali walked to the crushed idol, grabbing the heavy head of Lord Vishnu that had been carved by Vedanta’s forefathers. “This is your god. Puny. One who doesn’t take care of his people doesn’t deserve the status of a god. Remember, these are mere stones that can be destroyed.”

  And with that, Kali began to squeeze the head until the head crushed even more under his arms. Vedanta was shocked by Kali’s strength as the head turned into dust. Kali tossed the remnants, wiping the marble dust from his palms.

  Vedanta was still unable to understand what had just happened. He had not been only robbed of a title, but his beliefs as well. He looked
at Urvashi who was returning her gaze at him. And she nodded, signalling Vedanta to do what had to be done.

  Kalki had always believed that his death would be gloriously epic. Death by being eaten alive was something he had never expected.

  Darooda Simha and his comrades were now discussing with each other. And by definition of discussion, they were thumping their chests and hooting at each other. By the faint knowledge of what they spoke to one another, Kalki could make out through the grumbling that the other hulked creature was called Purab Simha.

  Kalki had been restrained with multiple bamboo ropes and tossed away in the corner just to ensure he wouldn’t escape. Padma watched him with cold eyes, while Kripa whistled away in boredom as if being held captive was not a new thing for him. The bald woman, along with her two friends, paid no heed to Kalki. His confidence was shrinking with each passing moment.

  “So, how long until we are fresh meat?” whispered Padma.

  There, she had said it. She had voiced out what everyone was thinking, and dreading at that moment.

  “I don’t think so, lass. None of us are dying here,” mumbled Kripa. “I mean, it doesn’t make sense for them to trap us here and then eat us.”

  Kalki had a frown on his face. He tried to say something but all that came out was an unintelligent groan due to his mouth being wrapped up.

  “Yeah, mate?” Kripa swivelled his head towards Kalki. “Remember, these are your failings when you try to be a hero, you know. There’s a reason why I’m taking you to meet Bhargav Ram. You try to be a hero, but you end up looking like a blumbering idiot. You have no idea how the Simhas’ strength works and you just went for it. Without a proper strategy. You must realize lions always come in a herd.”

  Padma narrowed her eyes. “That doesn’t make sense, old man. They come alone. Wolves come in a pack. Lions always come alone.”