Vanara

by Anand Neelakantan

  ‘Aruna rushed back to Surya,’ Baali continued, ‘He was already late. The world was in darkness as the Sun hadn’t risen. When he reached his master’s palace, Aruna found that Surya was in an angry mood. He was walking up and down the veranda with his hands clasped behind his back. When Aruna entered the palace gate, Surya saw him and started shouting at him for being late. Aruna apologised profusely. He had changed to his normal clothes by this time. When he finally reached, Surya found something was different about his charioteer. Surya started questioning him and Aruna was forced to share the story of his misadventure. When Surya heard the story, he started laughing. Aruna stood with a sheepish grin, scratching his head. Surya, between his laughter demanded to see Aruna in his feminine avatar. Aruna was reluctant as already he had received a curse for his effort, but he was in no position to disobey his master. He requested Surya that he should not be cursed. Surya promised that he wouldn’t curse Aruna and would rather bless him. Aruna changed to his feminine avatar and Surya was as stunned as Indra was by the ravishing beauty of Aruna. But Surya was true to his word. He didn’t curse Aruna like Indra. Instead he blessed Aruna with a baby and that baby grew up to be Sugreeva.’

  Sugreeva fell on his knees before his elder brother, showing exaggerated respect and Baali, laughing and mouthing expletives, blessed him by keeping the toddy pot on his brother’s head. The drums started booming again and the Vanaras started dancing wildly. Riksarajas stood up, unsteady of his legs, dripping saliva and reeking of toddy. He tightened his Dhoti that was slipping down. He started abusing his sons. He said, ‘Idiots, telling stupid stories about how you were born. If anyone wants to know how they were born, they should ask me.’

  ‘How was my brother born?’ Sugreeva asked the old man, laughing. The crowd howled with laughter.

  ‘He was born from my hair,’ Riksarajas said, electing howls of merriment. Baali spat the toddy he was drinking, clutched his belly and laughed.

  ‘And me?’ Sugreeva asked.

  ‘You . . . you were born from my . . .’

  The crowd waited for some profanity, ready to burst out in laughter. Riksarajas stared at Sugreeva, ‘How did you get that bull?’

  Sugreeva laughed, but Tara saw he was getting restless. ‘Tell me, how I was born?’ Sugreeva laughed, scratching his beard.

  ‘You were born from my neck,’ Riksarajas said. He frowned and asked, ‘Tell me, how did you get that bull . . . what’s it name . . . dum dum dum . . . dumbi . . .Dhundubhi . . . ah Dundubhi? You stole it, right? You stole it from Mayavi . . .’

  ‘Neck, ha ha,’ Sugreeva laughed, ‘I was born from this eunuch’s neck.’ The crowd didn’t laugh. Tara was staring at Sugreeva. In the dim light of the moon, half his face was in the shadow. From afar, Dundubhi cried.

  ‘I will tell a story,’ Sugreeva laughed, ‘I will tell how we were born of this eunuch.’ The merriment had died down. An uneasy silence descended. Tara stood all alone, feeling angry and frustrated. Somewhere in the drunken melee, Baali passed out among the other vanaras. Tara wished Baali would wake up and put an end to this farce. ‘Once Brahma, the God of Devas, shed a drop of tear. From that tear, a monkey was born. The monkey found a pot of Sura, the drink of Devas and got drunk. He started walking in the forest and saw a pond. When the monkey saw his reflection, he felt an ugly monkey was staring at him. He decided that such a monstrosity of God’s creation should not be allowed to exist on earth. He jumped into the water to kill his own ugly reflection. Alas, the monkey had turned into a beautiful female. The pool was a magical pool,’ Sugreeva sniggered.

  Tara was feeling restless. Why was Sugreeva doing this? She had no doubt who he was taunting. Riksarajas stood on his unsteady legs, blinking, scowling at Sugreeva. People were shifting their feet, uneasy while Dundubhi let out a chilling bellow from the city.

  Sugreeva took another gulp of toddy and continued, ‘The sun God Surya and the King of Gods Indra were loitering in the mountains and they chanced upon this beautiful female monkey. The sexy woman arose a desire in them,’ Sugreeva paused to look at Tara. Baali had passed out.

  Sugreeva spat, cleared his throat and pressed on, ‘Indra’s semen ejaculated and fell on the beautiful woman’s hair. From the hair, Baali was born. Surya ejaculated on the woman’s neck and from the neck, this poor Sugreeva was born.’ Sugreeva laughed, slapping his thighs. A few men joined in the laughter. The majority were silent. Riksarajas blinked many times, as if he didn’t comprehend. Sugreeva went to Riksarajas and put his hands over the old eunuch’s shoulders.

  ‘Friends, do you know who that ugly monkey, who is neither male nor female is? Here he is, I mean, here she is,’ Sugreeva pressed Riksarajas close to himself. ‘Am I not right, eunuch?’

  Riksarajas wriggled out of Sugreeva’s grip and in a flash, tripped Sugreeva to the ground. Sugreeva had not expected it. The eunuch jumped to Sugreeva’s chest. ‘You want to know how I became a eunuch. I was born as a slave in Indra’s household. My mother was a Dasi. I was castrated at the age of three. I was abused by Indra, by anyone who wanted to have fun with boys. And you make fun of me, bastard. I looked after you, treated you as my son and you mock my misfortune!’ He punctuated each sentence with slaps across Sugreeva’s face. Sugreeva lay scoffing, not bothering to wipe the blood flowing from his lips that were cut.

  Riksarajas got up, unsteady, panting and puffing. Tara rushed to him, but he waved her away.

  ‘Enough, stay away.’ His wrinkled cheeks had a stream of tears flowing over them. ‘I have no one. I am an ugly monkey, neither male, nor female.’

  ‘Father . . .’ Tara called, unable to bear the pain of Riksarajas.

  He didn’t bother to look at her. He walked away into the darkness, muttering, ‘Thankless creatures. I’ve wasted my life.’

  One by one, the crowd dispersed. Sugreeva was lying on his back. He started laughing. Tara turned towards him, ‘Aren’t you ashamed?’

  ‘I am drunk, Yata,’ he said, slamming his palm on the ground repeatedly and howling with laughter. ‘Ah! The freedom of being drunk. One can speak one’s mind. I had always wanted to tell that eunuch what I think of him . . . sorry . . . her . . . to hell with the correct word to address that creature. I told that monkey today the ugly truth and I’m so happy. I can sleep peacefully.’

  Tara stood trembling in anger. She had never hated anyone more in her life. Sugreeva stood up and bowed in an exaggerated manner. He looked at Baali and said with a smile, ‘The moon is beautiful, the night is sweet. Enjoy your first night.’

  He bowed again to Tara and walked away. Tara felt his laughter hung heavy in the air, long after he had gone. She looked at Baali, snoring, drooling from the corner of his mouth, reeking of toddy and unaware of the most important day of his life. From the city, Dundubhi’s haunting bellow rose. In response, the wolves howled from the hills. Tara sat near Baali, trying hard to suppress her tears.

  Chapter 22

  When the group of two dozen Vana Nara women came to invite the new groom and bride to their dwelling, Tara was still awake in the grove. They found Baali sleeping in her lap. The women giggled, exchanged lewd jokes and secret smiles. They touched Tara and woke her from her dazed state. An old woman saw dried tears on her cheeks and cusped her chin in her shrivelled palms. She said with a toothless grin, ‘It is painful the first time. Don’t worry.’

  Baali woke up gingerly. He stared at Tara’s face, confused as to why he was there. Tara felt a surge of anger. Baali heard the women laugh and sprang up. Tara sat with her head bowed, angry and sad. The women’s laughter was burning her ears. Baali offered his hand to her to get up. She took it after a moment’s hesitation and lifted herself up. Baali embraced her and whispered in her ears, ‘My queen is angry?’

  She pushed him away, but he pulled her closer. The women were laughing and passing comments. He whispered in her ears, ‘I am sorry, Tara. It won’t happen again.’ Tara’s anger melted. He lifted her chin and gently pecked her on her cheeks. Blood rushed to her face
and she wanted to be in his arms forever. She wanted the pesky women who were standing around to vanish. She wished the night was different than what it had turned out to be.

  ‘Still not ready?’

  Sugreeva stood behind them. She writhed free of Baali’s embrace. ‘Hope you had a nice sleep, Yata,’ Sugreeva winked at Baali. Tara looked away.

  ‘The cart is waiting for you,’ Sugreeva said and turned on his heels. Baali took Tara’s hand and started walking. The women walked behind them. Their hushed whispers and suppressed laughter irritated Tara. Baali and Sugreeva exchanged some jokes, each taunting the other. In the crowd, Tara felt alone, unwanted and unattended to. She froze when she saw the cart. Dundubhi was standing with its head erect and when it heard their footsteps, it snorted and swished its tail.

  ‘What a fine creature,’ Baali went to the front of the cart to admire the bull. Tara felt uneasy, standing near Sugreeva.

  ‘I tamed it, brother. No one has ever done that before,’ Sugreeva said.

  Tara looked at Sugreeva. She had a feeling that he was lying. Such a bull can’t be tamed so easily. There wasn’t even a bruise on his body. She remembered Nala’s words about how Sugreeva had earned the money for the city.

  ‘One day, I will wrestle with it,’ Baali said. The bull shook its head and the bell on its horns jingled ominously.

  ‘I bet you would. Let me warn you, it isn’t easy,’ Sugreeva said.

  ‘Ah, you think you can tame it, but I can’t? You’re forgetting, I am your elder brother,’ Baali laughed and Sugreeva joined his palms in submission.

  ‘I agree, big brother, but you should see how Asuras tame their bulls. They call it Jallikattu. They make the bull run through the narrow streets of their town and young men jump from all sides and try to tame the bull. No clubs, no swords, not even a stick is allowed, and one has to use one’s bare hands to tame this magnificent bull.’

  ‘Ah, that is the way it should be. Man against beast in its purest form. We should have this sport.’

  ‘Why else did you think I brought this here?’ Sugreeva smiled, ‘I will make arrangements, brother.’

  Baali continued to run his fingers through the contours of the bull’s rippling muscles. Tara hated the challenge Sugreeva had so smoothly thrown. Why did he steal the bull and bring it here? There were countless other gifts he could have thought of. Why this bull? The idea of Baali fighting the bull made her shudder.

  ‘Tara.’

  She grew tense. Sugreeva’s face was so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath.

  ‘Tara,’ he repeated in a hushed voice, as if relishing her name. The honorific Yata was gone and somehow, Tara sounded wrong, immoral and natural from his mouth.

  ‘Can you be mine, Tara?’ Sugreeva whispered.

  Tara was speechless. She looked around to see whether anyone had heard him. Baali was caressing the bull. The women were standing a few feet away, gossiping.

  ‘What are you saying, Sugreeva? I’m your elder brother’s wife!’ Tara said.

  ‘Can you be mine too, Tara?’

  Tara was livid.

  ‘Get lost, you . . .’ she hissed. His face was full of agony. He grabbed both her palms and pressed them to his chest.

  ‘From the moment I set my eyes on you, I have yearned for you from the bottom of my heart, Tara.’

  She pulled her hands away from his grip and turned away from him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Did Baali see them?

  ‘I’m wedded to your brother, Sugreeva. You should not speak like this to your sister-in-law.’

  ‘From childhood, my brother has shared everything he had with me, Tara.’

  ‘And you repay his kindness like this? What a beast you are!’

  ‘Be mine, Tara. Be mine. The marriage isn’t consummated. There is time still. I will beg him to share you with me. I will fall at his feet and request him to relieve you. I know my brother. He won’t disappoint me. Say the word, Tara, say that you wouldn’t say no to me.’

  ‘I married Baali because I love him. There is no man other than Baali in my heart. Go away, Sugreeva. I don’t want to see your face again, get lost.’ Tara closed her face with her palms and started sobbing. She prayed Baali wouldn’t see them like this.

  ‘Look at me, Tara. Face me and say it. Why are you not facing me?’ He grabbed her palms and prised them open. Tara turned her face away. Her body trembled. She shut her eyes tight, scared that he could stare so deep into her.

  ‘Somewhere in your heart, there is a little space for me. I can see it now. I’m so happy, Tara.’

  ‘No, No–’

  ‘I will request my brother. I will say that we love each other. My dear brother may be heartbroken. I know he loves you, but not as much as I do. No one can love you like me, Tara. I will beg my brother for you. And he will give you to me. I know him. There is no one who loves me more than him. He has given me everything I have asked for.’ Sugreeva’s tone had become frenzied.

  Tara glared at him. She straightened her shoulders and faced him square. ‘Go. Go and tell him. But by the time you’re back, I will have left this world.’

  Sugreeva slumped. ‘You’re so cruel, Tara. Women are so cruel.’ Tears streamed from his eyes. He stood before her, heartbroken and pitiful. She felt angry that Baali had left her and was admiring the bull.

  ‘Tara, Tara, don’t judge my brother harshly, Tara,’ Sugreeva said, startling her. Could he read her mind? ‘My brother is a good man. He isn’t irresponsible. I can’t stand anyone thinking ill of my brother. Not even you, Tara. But I laced his drinks with seeds of poppy. I did it for you, Tara. I had never harmed my brother until yesterday because I couldn’t imagine you sleeping with him. If that doesn’t prove the depth of my love for you, I don’t know what will. Please Tara–’

  ‘You’re so cruel. It was . . . it was our first night–’

  ‘I want you, Tara. I want you pure, unsullied. You promised me, Tara that if I came with enough money to build the city, you will be mine.’

  ‘I never did any such a thing,’ Tara sobbed.

  ‘You are beautiful even when you lie,’ Sugreeva smiled.

  Tara turned away and saw Baali standing behind her. Her heart skipped a beat. She looked down, as if she had done something wrong. Sugreeva said, ‘I committed a grave mistake, brother.’

  Tara felt she would faint. Sugreeva continued, ‘I have to ask your pardon. I behaved like a cad.’

  Tara felt giddy and she held the cart to steady herself. She didn’t want to face Baali.

  ‘I misbehaved with our father,’ Sugreeva said. ‘Yata was scolding me. I was drunk, Brother. I am sorry. I don’t even remember how I behaved last night.’

  Baali laughed and patted Sugreeva’s shoulders, ‘She did the right thing. You deserve all the scolding. Now go and ask for his forgiveness.’

  ‘Sure, Brother. I am ashamed to face him.’

  ‘Face him like a man and he will forgive you, whatever naughtiness you did, boy,’ Baali said as he jumped onto the cart. He moved to the front and took the reins. ‘What a magnificent creature. What are you waiting for? Jump in.’ Baali cracked the whip in the air.

  Tara tried to climb in, but the cart platform was too high for her. Sugreeva held her narrow waist and lifted her up. It happened so fast that she had no time to react. Blood rushed to her face. His unshaven chin had brushed against the back of her neck and it still prickled her. She sat on the rough seat, gripping the uneven edges tight, not lifting her head. The cart creaked as Sugreeva sat opposite her. She tried her best to avoid her legs brushing against Sugreeva. The cart started with a jerk and moved towards Kishkinda. The brothers cracked jokes and laughed. They sang together. The women walked behind the cart, talking loudly. Before she knew it, Sugreeva had changed his seat and he was sitting between her and Baali, who was in the driver’s seat. When the cart swayed, his thighs brushed against hers, however hard she tried to avoid it. Tara felt angry that she hadn’t asserted herself with Sugreeva. He
is stalking me and he should be feeling guilty, not me, she told herself. She should have cried out the first time. She decided she would not take such behaviour lying down. Her father had brought her up to think and act decisively. He had never taught her to behave only in a demure way, yet she had forgotten to assert herself when it mattered. She hadn’t failed just herself, but also her father. She loved Baali and she would trust him to understand her. Tara decided she would tell Baali about Sugreeva’s behaviour. She would also talk to him about getting rid of that evil beast Dundubhi, which she was sure, was a harbinger of misfortune. She had no clue at that time that Dundubhi was going to change the fate of Kishkinda forever.

  Chapter 23

  Tara started climbing the steps leading to the cave, holding Baali’s hands. She was relieved to have gotten rid of Sugreeva. She had got the cave painted with everyday scenes of the Vana Nara lives. She had got the stone cot carved with sculptors of animals, creepers and plants. In places where sunlight came through the gap in the roofs, she had planted ferns and flowering plants. She had made a small pond with lotus flowers in it and sat at its edge, watching its reflection on the roof. She was excited to show all this to Baali. Though they had reached Kishkinda almost ten days ago, they were supposed to enter the cave, which would be their home, only after their marriage.

  At the entrance of the cave, where two stone lions stood in an eternal roaring position, the new bride and groom were welcomed by two women holding a lotus leaf filled with water. They poured the water on Baali’s and Tara’s feet. Nala came running. He was panting and puffing but was excited.

  ‘Chief, I will show you–’

  ‘Nala, you may go. I shall take my husband around,’ Tara said with a smile. She saw Nala’s face fall.