The Epic of Kautilya : Born To Be King

by Deepak Thomas

  Kautilya gasped. Why would Dhanush ask Jay to participate in the swayamvar?

  Kautilya twisted Jay’s arm and he let out a scream.

  “Was it all planned?” Kautilya asked. “My father’s assassination... It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, was it? It wasn’t so that Dhanush could prevent civil war. It was so that he could take the throne.”

  “Your father didn’t know what it means to rule. He was giving away land to the apes, cowering before the demigods, the asura and the rakshasas and stopping all conquests. He was a pathetic coward.”

  Kautilya twisted Jay’s arm even more.

  “He fought for our nation when it was required,” Kautilya said. “He brought about an era of peace in Bharat.”

  Jay chuckled. “Peace? We worship the War God, Kautilya. Peace is for yakshi. The human race thrives on bloodshed. Dhanush was right. You only care about your father and not about the nation.”

  “I cared about you,” Kautilya said. “This fight was as much about saving you as anything else. I leapt into the arena to save you from the lion. My father gave his life for you. Lord Indira gave her life to save yours. And you rewarded us with betrayal?”

  Jay shook his head. “Nothing is too high a price for the glory of Bharat.”

  With a deft movement, he managed to wring himself from under Kautilya and land a kick.

  Kautilya let go of Jay’s arm and fell. He charged at her again but this time she wasn’t going to be gentle. She landed a kick right in his solar plexus. Jay groaned as the breath was knocked out of him.

  Kautilya leapt up and grabbed his hand. She kneed the dagger out of his grip.

  “All these sacrifices,” Kautilya said. “All of this started with you.”

  Jay looked up.

  “How could you, Jay?” Kautilya said. “How could you do this?”

  “My father died for Bharat,” Jay said. “It broke my heart but he died for our country. I see in Dhanush the harbinger of greatness for my land. He will be the king foretold to make our nation the greatest in the three worlds. Even the Purogata chose him to lead Bharat. There is no greater service for me than to serve him.”

  “There is something greater than the nation,” Kautilya said. “Righteousness.”

  “Your father did not think of righteousness,” Jay said, “when he destroyed Sutala with the Brahmastra.”

  Anger coursed through Kautilya. She lifted up the dagger and began to plunge it down towards him. He was the one who had cost her everything, betrayed her, and now he acted as if her father was to blame.

  She stopped herself.

  He stood there, accepting his fate with stoic pride. He had been ready to sacrifice his life multiple times for Dhanush. He did not fear death.

  She dropped her arm and shook her head.

  “Is this about your father?” Kautilya asked.

  Jay looked up.

  “Is this your way of avenging your father?” Kautilya asked again.

  Jay said, “Look how brilliant you have become now. You have all the wisdom in the world.”

  Kautilya sighed.

  Jay took hold of Kautilya’s hand. “Your hands have become so big. I remember the first time I met you. The Shvetas were all so beautiful and full of energy and I was lucky to have you as friends. But there was something particularly special about you. You were the quiet one. Even when you cried for milk it seemed like you did it politely so as to not annoy anyone. You slept easily, never bit or scratched any of your brothers. When you all grew up and then left for the gurukul. I was so sad. With all of you gone, there was no one for me at the palace but I always looked forward to you returning.” Tears began running down Jay’s cheeks. “When Dhanush told me you’d gone over to the apes, I couldn’t believe my ears. How could you, Kautilya? These savages murdered my father.”

  Kautilya’s heart broke. His motive was the same as hers: vengeance for his father.

  “If the apes find out what you’ve tried to do they’ll tear you from limb to limb,” she said. “Go away, go back to Dhanush.”

  Jay looked up. “I’d die happy if they did. I will join my father in heaven as a martyr who has fulfilled his duty to the nation.”

  Kautilya shook her head. “Go home, Jay. Go back to Dhanush. I cannot watch you die no matter how much suffering you’ve caused me. I still love you…”

  “I will go back only after the apes are dead,” Jay said.

  He leapt at her. Kautilya stepped aside.

  She put her blade to Jay’s throat.

  “Do it,” Jay said. “Take your revenge. I know how it burns you inside. I am the only one responsible for your father’s death you will be able to kill. You will never be able to beat Dhanush.”

  Should I? Kautilya wondered. Would it be the catharsis she wanted?

  “Do it, Kautilya,” Jay urged. “Either you kill me or I kill you. There are no two ways about this.”

  “Kill him,” an ape said.

  Kautilya turned to see a squad of enraged apes.

  She turned to Jay. If she didn’t do it, the apes would finish him. She had always wanted revenge, hadn’t she? Then why did it pain her so much? Why wasn’t it fulfilling?

  It didn’t change anything. Her father’s death, the betrayals, they would still sting.

  She pushed Jay in the direction of the apes.

  “Capture him,” Kautilya said, “He’s a spy and an assassin.”

  Then she began to turn the pulley to shut the gates. A few apes joined her, and she looked into the distance. They still had time before the cavalry reached them. Slowly, the gates began to close.

  Finally, Kautilya thought, we will get some time.

  “Kautilya,” an ape said, “is that real or am I seeing things?”

  Kautilya looked up. Bali had picked up one of the large beams from the fallen siege towers.

  “Faster!” Kautilya screamed. “Faster!”

  Bali flung the beam. It came flying into the middle of the closing gates.

  The gates jammed on the beam and came to a stop.

  Kautilya pushed at the lever but it was no use.

  “No,” Kautilya shook her head. “We need to dislodge the beam.”

  “Squad,” an ape said, “let’s go. We need to remove that log.” He leapt off the gate control tower and onto the beam. The other apes leapt after him.

  Kautilya screamed in frustration. She hammered at the lever. They had come so close, only to be undone by a betrayal and then by the strength of the Raptors. She kicked at the lever and suddenly it moved.

  The apes below began to cheer. Kautilya looked over the wall to see what was happening.

  Ādi.

  Ādi was pushing the beam away. With a scream of effort, he dislodged it

  Kautilya cheered. She felt like leaping off the wall and kissing him. Now they would be able to close the gate in time.

  She turned back to the lever but halted, aghast. The apes that were helping her lay dead on both sides of the gate opening mechanism.

  Sitting on the lever wearing his Falcon helmet was Sameer.

  “Hello, Sister,” he said. “You took so long to turn around.”

  She heard a rustle to her side. But by the time she turned, it was too late. Jay ran at her and stabbed her. “I am sorry, Kautilya. This needs to be done.”

  Then he pushed her off the ramparts and onto the battlefield below.

  CHAPTER 56

  Sweet Payback

  Ādi saw Kautilya fall off the rampart. Without thinking he leapt into the air and caught her mid-fall.

  They landed in a roll, leaving him on top. He saw the wounds on Kautilya’s torso.

  “Princess,” Ādi asked, “are you all right?”

  He heard a creak and turned to see that the gates had begun to open up again.

 
Kautilya gasped. “Sameer, the Falcon, is in the tower. Bali put the beam in just to give him enough time to get through the gates.”

  Ādi pulled Kautilya to her feet. He looked up to see the cavalry had already reached the gates. Bali was leading the charge but Dhanush and Varun were right behind the first wave.

  He picked her up and ran through the gates.

  “You need to go to safety now, princess,” Ādi said. “I will hold them back. You run.”

  “No,” Kautilya said.

  “What do you mean, no?” Ādi asked. “We cannot afford to lose you.”

  “We need to split them,” Kautilya said. “As long as Dhanush is able to control we have no chance. If we manage to split the Raptors then we can take them on one by one.”

  “Why is that?” Ādi asked.

  “Because I know Dhanush,” Kautilya said. “He never reveals his plans to anyone. So everyone else is useless without him.”

  The cavalry thundered in through the gates. Dhanush was at their head and Bali was close behind.

  Ādi sighed. “Leave Dhanush to me, then.”

  “No,” Kautilya said. “You keep Bali at bay.”

  “What about the others?” Ādi asked.

  Suddenly a volley of javelins fell into the midst of the charging cavalry.

  “Take that, you idiots,” Nina’s voice rang from above.

  “Nina will protect the ramparts,” Kautilya said.

  The humans were slowed a bit by the unexpected volley of spears but they managed to recover quickly and kept charging.

  “Minds without fear!” a battle cry raged.

  Ādi turned in time to see the apes charge with Vani at their head. He smiled. They were just in time.

  He formed his fingers into the rampage mudra.

  “So,” he asked, “what are we going to do about Dhanush?”

  “I will take him on,” Kautilya said. She ripped off a piece of her garment and wrapped up the wound.

  “You’d better stay safe, princess,” Ādi said.

  Then he and the apes charged off and finally clashed with the humans.

  This is it, Ādi thought. Today we find out if these apes have got what it takes.

  He ripped through one human after another. His injuries from the day before were still fresh but he clenched his teeth and powered on. After all, these were all small fry compared to the crocodile he had to tackle soon.

  An ape was thrown at Ādi. He dodged in time.

  “Hello, demon boy,” Ādi heard a menacing voice. He recognised it and turned to meet his nemesis.

  Bali scanned Ādi from top to bottom. “You’re still alive? You must be really tough.”

  “Got a very hard skull,” Ādi said, knocking on his forehead.

  “Your face looks dented at certain parts,” Bali said.

  “But it’s still not as ugly as yours,” Ādi said. He spat on the ground.

  Bali growled. “You want to go again?” he bellowed. “This time I’m going to crush your face into pulp.”

  “Bring it on,” Ādi said.

  An arrow flew towards him. He swiftly dodged it.

  “Nobody from my army interferes,” Bali said. “It’s between me and the rakshasa.”

  “So much attention,” Ādi said, “you make me blush.”

  Bali screamed and leapt onto Ādi. Ādi grappled Bali. The two of them were in a deadlock with each trying to outwrestle the other. For a short time, Ādi managed to hold out but very soon Bali was pushing his head into the ground.

  Ādi exerted himself to no avail as the giant Bali kept him down. Bali was stronger than him.

  “I can hear your broken ribs grind,” Bali said.

  “I am doing that intentionally,” Ādi said through clenched teeth, “I thought some music would spice things up.” But Bali was right, his whole body was buckling under the relentless pressure.

  “You’re even worse than yesterday,” Bali said. “This is no fun. I’ll finish you off quickly.”

  Bali grabbed Ādi by the neck and began to choke him. He struggled to get out of the giant arm’s grasp.

  “Stop thrashing about like a fish,” Bali said. He began to elbow Ādi on the head.

  The pain pierced through Ādi’s skull. His vision began to fade. Slowly, his hands grew limp.

  Visions of his past began to flash before his eyes. All the training with Druma and Yama. The good times he had spent with Saira and Nina growing up. Saira … his first love. His first kiss … with Kautilya.

  This was the end and all he could think of was Kautilya …Her eyes, her scent. Why her? Maybe they had been together in the previous birth … maybe they would be together in the next.

  Suddenly a group of apes leapt at Bali, forcing him to let Ādi go. But Ādi knew it was a temporary reprieve. He closed his eyes. What would Kautilya do? She always figured out a way like she did when they fought the ghost…

  And it dawned on him. He couldn’t overpower Bali but he could outmatch him on speed.

  Ādi leapt to his feet, just in time to dodge Bali’s stomp. Ādi circled around him maintaining his distance.

  Without warning, Bali flung himself at Ādi – who was prepared this time. He dodged.

  “What happened? Something in your eye?” Ādi said.

  Ādi kicked him across the jaw when Bali spun around. The Raptor was not expecting it and fell. Ādi seized the opportunity and jumped on top of Bali and pinned him down.

  Bali butted his head into Ādi’s nose. Ādi screamed and let go of Bali’s hands, and the Raptor leapt back onto his feet. “I thought you had a hard skull,” he said, “Felt very soft to me.”

  “That’s because of all the empty space in your head.” Ādi wiped the blood off his nose. It had been a bad move. He had to stick to his strategy. But first… “You are kind of adorable, you know. Since you still have all your baby fat.”

  Bali got back on his feet and pounced at Ādi again. This time Ādi dodged him and plunged a mudra into the Raptor’s right arm. With a crack, the bone broke.

  Bali screamed in agony. He tried to use his other arm to claw at Ādi but couldn’t reach.

  “Even elephants can be brought down by hitting them in the right spots,” Ādi said. He ran behind Bali and ripped through his calf with a rampage mudra.

  Bali screamed loudly and fell to his knees.

  Ādi immediately grabbed his left arm.

  “Do you yield?” Ādi asked.

  Bali tried to pull free but Ādi was in charge now. He twisted the arm into a lock.

  “Do you yield?” Ādi asked louder.

  Bali began to scream.

  Suddenly daggers flew at Ādi. He just managed to dodge them and looked up to see another of the Raptor brothers. The fast one: Sameer.

  “So you’re fast too, eh?” Sameer said. He looked at Bali who was on his knees. Then he studied Ādi, his eyes resting on the bandages and Ādi’s bleeding nose.

  “Well,” Sameer said, “thankfully it seems my cantankerous brother has taken away your strength advantage. And you are definitely not in any shape to take me on when it comes to speed.” He pulled out two menacing curved swords.

  “I’ll make this quick,” he said. “I always do things quick.”

  “Finishing things quick is not always a good thing, you know.” Ādi said.

  “Not quick,” Bali said “Make this slow and painful for him. I still have one arm and all my teeth.”

  Sameer pulled down his helmet and in an instant, he was on Ādi. But before he could drive his sword home, an ape leapt at him.

  Sameer let go of Ādi, dodged the ape and in the blink of an eye cut off its head.

  Ādi screamed in frustration. He had to go on the defensive.

  Sameer kept up his attacks, driving the swords at Ādi. He needed to think. Bu
t he had to put all of his focus into dodging the attacks.

  “Speed, strength and a great sense of smell.” Sameer said, “Too bad you don’t have eyes in the back of your head.”

  Ādi smelled the enemy behind him. He ducked in time to avoid a thunderous swing from Bali who was waiting for him. But it gave Sameer enough time to slash at him.

  Ādi was knocked down. When he got back onto his feet his left arm was bleeding. The slash had hit him hard.

  “So close,” Sameer said.

  Yes, it was, Ādi realised. How could he fight both Raptors at once? He did need eyes in the back of his...

  Of course.

  Sameer dived at Ādi again with swords in both hands. Ādi leapt away but not fast enough to escape a cut on his shoulder.

  He did not wheel around and attack Sameer. Instead, he swooped down and threw up sand from the ground into Sameer’s face.

  Sameer dodged and stuck his tongue out at him. “Nice try, blondie. But I always keep my armour clean.”

  Ādi scratched his chin. “What about when there is dirt in the air?” Then he swept up a lot of sand into the air making a cloud impossible to see in. Everyone was blinded now but Ādi could still hear better than anyone else.

  “What now, Falcon?” Ādi asked him. “Wish you had extra eyes?”

  The blinded Sameer charged at him with both swords. Ādi dodged and pounced. He plucked the swords out of Sameer’s hands and flung them away.

  Sameer screamed and tried to tackle Ādi. He crashed into a group of hapless soldiers. Ādi grabbed him.

  Ādi lifted him up and slammed him onto the ground before pinning him there. Then he grabbed Sameer’s head and rammed it into the ground.

  In some time the dust settled. “How about that?” Ādi said, sitting atop the prone Sameer. “How do you plan to get out now?”

  Sameer was unconscious now.

  “Now you can relax and so can I,” Ādi said, standing up.

  Ādi then turned to Bali, who was watching aghast. Ādi cracked his knuckles.

  “So you were saying something about still having all your teeth...”

  CHAPTER 57

  Face To Face

  Dhanush was on a horse giving instructions to Varun. From his vantage point, he could survey the battlefield. However, he had not yet seen Kautilya.