Vaishali sprinkled some salt on a roasted sweet corn and handed it to Aniruddha, “Tell me how it tastes?”
Aniruddha took a mouthful of corns in his mouth and was surprised at how soft they were. With his mouth still full of corn, he said, “Wow, never thought food can be prepared and enjoyed in this way.” Some bits popped out of his mouth as he spoke.
Vaishali enjoyed the scene and said, “Your mother never taught you not to speak while eating.” As soon as she finished her sentence, she realised what she had said. She looked at Aniruddha's face who was looking sad. Vaishali quickly tried to change the topic. She peeled a roasted sweet potato and stuffed into Aniruddha's mouth and said, “Eat this; this is supposed to be sweet. Just like your smile.”
Aniruddha tried to quickly swallow and manage the big potato stuffed in his mouth suddenly. He said, “You should also try this, it's really good.” Again, a bit came out of his mouth. Aniruddha smirked and said, “See my mother never had any time to teach me.”
They both burst into laughter together. They sat there and ate their food and talked casually about everything. After a while, Vaishali got up and walked up to the lake and asked Aniruddha, “Have you ever flicked a stone over water?”
“How can you flick it over water? It will immediately sink.”
“I will show you. Give me that pebble.”
Aniruddha picked a small pebble lying by his side and handed it over to Vaishali. Vaishali pulled her arms back, swayed down to one side lowering her head, and let go the pebble aiming at just above the surface of the water. The pebble touched the surface but only briefly and wobbled up in the air. “One...two...three...four...five...six...seven... eight...see, you saw that it bounced up eight times.” said Vaishali jumping up and down with joy. Aniruddha stood surprised looking at the pebble and Vaishali's antics.
“Now it's your turn.” said Vaishali handing another pebble to Aniruddha.
Aniruddha tried to mimic what Vaishali did. As he threw the pebble towards the lake, it flew over the surface, took a couple of bounces and sunk in.
“Aah don't worry, it's only your first attempt, try again, here you go.” said Vaishali.
Aniruddha tried again but the same result. He looked at Vaishali. She was trying to conceal a smile but said, “Keep trying young man until you get to eight bounces while I eat another sweet corn.”
Vaishali settled down on the ground by the fire. Aniruddha kept throwing rounded pebbles over the lake.
“Only four, that's all I could manage so far. I can't do better I think.” said Aniruddha.
“Only four? Okay don't worry too much. It's enough for the first day. Let's go, we have to go far.” said Vaishali. She noticed that Aniruddha's forehead was covered with sweat drops. She wiped that with her scarf and gave a smile looking into his eyes.
Suddenly, they noticed some noise coming from bushes not far away.
“What is this noise? Can you hear it?” Aniruddha asked Vaishali.
“Don't worry... stay put.” said Vaishali and pulled a dagger tucked in her waist belt and handed it to Aniruddha.
“What is this? I don't know how to use this.”
“You will know what to do with it when you'll have no other option to save your life.”
Vaishali quickly rushed to the cart and pulled another dagger and motioned Aniruddha to hide back behind bushes and keep a vigil on what's happening on the other side.
They sat quietly in a hidden spot behind the bushes. Five armed horsemen stood around a loaded horse cart. The occupants of the cart looked flushed with fear.
“Who are they?” asked Aniruddha.
“They are bandits who rob the highway travellers. They are looting that carriage.”
“What should we do? Can we do anything at all?”
“We must help the travellers.”
“But why should we put our lives in danger for strangers?”
“What if this carriage belongs to your father? If these people are your relatives. What will you do then?”
“When my father doesn't care about me….”
“Then sit here with the anger towards your father and burn in that all your life,” said Vaishali.
Suddenly, two young men jumped out of the carriage. They were carrying shining swords.
One of the bandits ordered, “Give up all your possessions and run for your life.”
“We get paid to guard the possessions, you expect us to just give it away to you like that,” replied one of the two armed guards.
“Then get ready to die.” The five bandits jumped off from their horses and pounced upon the two young guards.
Vaishali pulled Aniruddha by tugging at his collar and said, “Come, this is the time to help them.”
“I don't know, I am scared,” said Aniruddha. He stood motionless behind the bushes.
“When you are ashamed of yourself enough then see if you can muster courage to join me,” said Vaishali and drew her scarf from round her neck and tied around her waist tightly. She ran towards the combat zone to help the guards.
Vaishali ran into one of the bandits and stabbed him in his back. At the same time, she jumped in the air and kicked another one in his knees. Both fumbled down on the ground. One of them got hold of himself and quickly got on his feet and lunged forward to hit Vaishali with his sword. She swayed to the left and aimed his waist with her dagger. He jumped to one side to save himself and came rushing back again but Vaishali jumped and kicked him with full force. He fell. She leapt without wasting a moment on his back and slashed his throat before he could react. He stayed there squirming in a pool of blood.
As she realised what he had just done, another bandit was running towards her with pointed sword. Vaishali tackled him with her right leg and he fell on the ground. But he quickly got up again. As she got up to tackle him another one came from behind and surprised her with a wild slash. She jumped away but the sword hit her right wrist and her dagger tumbled away from her hand. Now she was standing in between two bandits with nothing to defend herself. She quickly turned around to combat the one behind her by jumping in air and kicked him in his groins. He was hit well and he crouched down in acute agony. Vaishali also fell on her back. The other bandit seized the opportunity and with full force tried to shove his sword in Vaishali's body. Vaishali gave up and was preparing for a certain death. She had closed her eyes when a loud moan and a thud of a body falling woke her up. There stood Aniruddha whose dagger was stuck in that bandit's back.
“Aniruddha ...watch out...” shouted Vaishali as one bandit was sneaking up from behind Aniruddha. It was too late. Even though Aniruddha tried to sway away, his arm was sliced slightly by the sword of the bandit. Aniruddha fell to one side clutching his injured arm. Vaishali crawled while still on the ground and tangled the bandit and he fell on his face. His sword fell away and Vaishali picked up a nearby dagger and stabbed his back.
Vaishali looked at Aniruddha and said, “So, you finally got ashamed?”
Aniruddha was visibly embarrassed and blushing. He noticed Vaishali's bare thighs because of her sari falling away. He pointed and said, “You better take care of your clothes else you'll be ashamed now.”
“Shameless boy.” said Vaishali and quickly adjusted her sari.
The rest of the bandits were taken care of by the guards. Vaishali's wrist was bleeding. Aniruddha noticed that and said, “You are severely injured.” He tore up his bodice cloth and tied it around her wrist to stop the blood flow.
Vaishali also tore up her scarf and tied it around Aniruddha's arm.
Aniruddha looked at her and said, “Promised to live and die together, didn't I?”
“Don't even talk about dying. Seen it from so close just now,” Vaishali put her hand on Aniruddha's mouth.
“Arey? Kumar ji, is it you? How come you are here?” asked one of the guards.
Aniruddha recognised him now. He was indeed one of his father's staff and so Vaishali's statement came true. The cart belonged to his father
after all.
“Yes, don't worry about me just find somebody to treat her as soon as you can,” said Aniruddha.
“Yes, there is an ashram of a Swami ji who is also a great vaidya. He will certainly be able to help. Let's go there,” said the guard.
Chapter 28
Ambarish was sitting in his house resting his head on a large round satin pillow. He was now a middle-aged man with greying hair and sunken cheeks. He was now far slighter than his younger days. His round face now looked bony and angular due to decreasing body mass. This evening his forehead bore clear signs of worry. Aniruddha was his only child. He had been searching him for more than twenty-four hours. All his men had been looking around for his son but to no avail.
Ambarish was getting agitated inside. He was trying to figure out what could have let the young man to leave house like that. Where could he go? Maybe it was his fault. Aniruddha's upbringing in the absence of his mother wasn't sufficient. He could hardly spend enough time with his son.
While he was strolling in the lobby pondering over such distressing thoughts, a servant came running in and said, “Seth ji we have some information about Kumar. He is in a Swami ji's ashram on the Southern way. One of our goods carriages was attacked by bandits there. Kumar Aniruddha fought with the bandits and got injured. He has been taken to the ashram for treatment.”
The news brought both happiness and a new anxiety. He got worried to know about the bandit attack and injury to Aniruddha. But he was consoled by the fact that now he knew where his son was. He quickly ordered his men to prepare at once to arrange for him to go to the ashram.
Swami ji's demeanour was compelling. Tall and wide, long beard, dense hair, long face and fair complexion. Vaishali, Aniruddha, and the guards reached his ashram and approached him.
“Swami ji, please see these two people, they have been injured in a fight with the bandits. Can you treat them here?” asked one of the guards.
“Come here my child,” Swami ji called Vaishali to come forward. He patted Aniruddha's shoulder as well and asked him to come to him.
The word child touched Vaishali's heart. After a long time, she had heard that word. Swami ji took them both in his hut. He applied some herbal medicinal paste from an earthen bowl. He then dressed the wounds with a cotton bandage.
“You will be fine soon. It's almost night so you must have some rest here tonight and leave tomorrow morning. Feel at home dear,” said Swami ji.
Swami ji bathed before dawn and he was busy collecting fodder for the cattle. Suddenly, he saw a horse carriage stop in front of the ashram. A middle-aged man came out of the carriage and he looked in a visible urgency. As soon as they both looked at each other, they were pleasantly surprised. A familiar wave of excitement flashed on their faces.
Swami ji spoke first, “Ambarish! You here?”
“Damodar! Damodar you are here. God knows I searched for you everywhere,” screamed Ambarish and hugged his long-lost friend.
“You bloody liar! You yourself stopped seeing me in those days, don't you remember,” said Swami Damodar.
“I am ashamed at that my friend. As soon as I realized my mistake, I started searching you like a madman. Looked for you in every nook and corner but couldn't find you anywhere.”
“Let bygone be bygone now my friend. Tell me, how are you? Did you eventually get married or still embroiled in merry ways?”
“I got married, yes. But couldn't be loyal to my wife. She was a kind and simple soul. She didn't leave me, as did Shatvari, but couldn't endure my negligence and left the world out of grief. I am still regretting that phase of my life.”
Shatvari's name brought many memories in Damodar's conscience. His face sulked.
“I hope Shatvari is happy and well at her father's house.” asked Damodar.
Ambarish was surprised to hear this from Damodar. That clearly meant that Damodar didn't know anything about the chain of events that led Shatvari's excommunication from the society.
Ambarish told Damodar everything. Damodar held back tears but eventually gave way and sobbed like a child. He felt as if the sky had suddenly fallen over his head. He thought he was doing penance for his sin by going away from Shatvari, but he had committed another sin by doing so. He shuddered to imagine what Shatvari must have gone through. He wanted to go and meet her right away but wasn't sure what would she say. He decided that he would go anyway regardless.
“Trust me friend. I tried to help her in every possible way. I couldn't gather enough courage to go and talk to her but sent my servants to request her for a meeting. But she didn't want to see my face.” said Ambarish.
“You don't feel guilty Ambarish. I know who is to blame. Tell me how and why you happened to come here?” asked Damodar.
“My son, Aniruddha, is here in this ashram for treatment.”
“Oh...so he is your son. What a simple boy! Don't worry a bit. He is fine. Sleeping inside.”
Ambarish felt relieved. He knew that Aniruddha usually slept till late in the morning just like most of rich family children spoilt by lack of discipline.
Aniruddha woke up when sun was at its full zenith. He walked out of the hut rubbing his eyes and yawning. As soon as he was out, he saw his father waiting for him there.
“Father, you here!”
“How are you my dear? By God's grace you are not hurt much. You don't know how perturbed and worried I was.” Ambarish hugged his son in a tight embrace.
Aniruddha was surprised to see such behaviour from his father. He had never seen this aspect of his father's personality. He always thought that his father never cared about him.
“Yes, you can thank God for saving him this time, but you never know about the future.” a voice came from behind.
Ambarish looked back at the source of the voice. It was Vaishali. He felt a rush of blood in his eyes. He was furious at Vaishali. On one hand, she had eloped with Aniruddha and now she was preaching him.
“What do you want to say?” asked Ambarish.
“Only this that you cannot leave everything on God. You yourself have to take some responsibilities too.”
“What kind of responsibilities?”
“Towards the society. Towards the suppressed, downtrodden, and lower caste sections. Such oppression forces them to become bandits and anti-social.”
“But we are God fearing and religious Vaniks. How have we exploited?” asked Ambarish.
“Don't be a simpleton, Seth ji. You buy the crop produced by farmers and workers who toil all year round for a pittance. You pay pennies and sell it for a manifold higher price. Is it not their exploitation? Are you upper caste society elitists not responsible for the inhumane conditions of untouchable Chandalas living in the slums of their own society? Slaves and prisoners of wars are treated like animals, why will they not grow into furious revenge seeking monsters? When the oppression goes beyond tolerance, it forces them to pick up weapons in revolt and go against the society. This is what is happening now,” Vaishali was visibly animated.
The word untouchable stirred many emotions within Ambarish and Damodar. Shatvari was forced by such atrocities of the society to go to live among the Chandalas. Damodar's own son was now living the life of a Chandala.
Damodar who had been listening to the conversation quietly also joined in. He said, “Vaishali is right in a way. While we are focusing on making our homes prosperous and comfortable, we lose sight of overall social issues. We don't realise that their problems also concern us. We ignore gross injustice done with them. We ignore all the ailments that gradually become part of a society and it can certainly affect us one day. Nobody can remain unaffected from the consequences, be it a Brahmin or a Vanik.”
Ambarish and Damodar both were thinking about Shatvari when Damodar spoke those words.
“Now, I understand this my friend. But what do you suggest we should do?” asked Ambarish.
“You can do lot Seth ji,” said Vaishali, “Economy has the largest impact on the overall welfare of
the society. Those who have the reins of economy can control the whole society.”
“But how, exactly.”
“Without financial prowess, a state can't be ruled and managed. Even a ruling king is like a beggar if you block all the revenue sources. You must find a way to pressurize the king to let go of his expansive imperialistic ambitions. He must focus on bringing the outcast sections of the community back to the mainstream of society. There should be an austere and non-violent empathic way of living. This is what your Vanik philosophy is supposed to stand for.” Vaishali concluded.
The reference to Vanik way of life hit another weak spot on Ambarish's life. The guilt behind losing his wife due to his behaviour had resulted in forcing him to leave the life of luxury and indulgence. He had taken a disciplined and simple life, vowed to follow a life of hard work and dedication. Now was the chance to reach out to others and influence them to adopt the same philosophy.
“You are right, Vaishali. I am ready for this, but you will have to help me with one thing,” Ambarish was an expert negotiator and was going to put down his side of the bargain.
“What is that, Seth ji?”
“You have to convince my son to help me in this endeavour. He doesn't listen to me. Maybe you can convince him.”
Vaishali smiled and looked at Aniruddha, “Oh, just that, leave it to me.”
Chapter 29
King Rudrasen was contemplating upon a scheme to attack Mekal. His chief minister and the chief commander of armed forces were also present.
“Mekal has thrown an open challenge to us by attacking us the way they did at the festival venue. There is only one befitting reply to this aggression,” Rudrasen was breathing heavily and thumping his fists on his thighs.
“Your Highness, it's not so easy to attack Mekal now. The tough terrains and valleys that we have to pass through make it an uphill task for our armies. We were taken aback in our last attempt and as it happened, we lost our most accomplished Commander in the battle,” said the chief commander.
Revenge of the Chandalas Page 19