by Amish
Sati shook her head. ‘Sometimes you are too revolutionary.’
Shiva’s eyes crinkled. ‘Maybe that is itself a result of my past-life sins!’
Laughing together, they cantered out of the city gates.
Seeing the Panchavati guest colony in the distance, Shiva whispered gravely, ‘But one man will have to account to his friends for his karma in this life.’
‘Brahaspatiji?’
Shiva nodded.
‘What do you have in mind?’
‘I had asked Brahaspati if he’d like to meet Parvateshwar and Ayurvati, to explain to them as to how he is still alive.’
‘And?’
‘He readily agreed.’
‘I would have expected nothing less from him.’
‘Are you all right?’ asked Anandmayi.
Parvateshwar and Anandmayi were in their private room in the Panchavati guesthouse colony.
‘I’m thoroughly confused,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘The ruler of Meluha should represent the best there is in our way of life – truth, duty and honour. What does it say about us if our emperor is such a habitual law-breaker? He broke the law when Sati’s child was born.’
‘I know what Emperor Daksha did was patently wrong. But one could argue that he is just a father trying to protect his child, albeit in his own stupid manner.’
‘The fact that he did what was wrong is enough, Anandmayi. He broke the law. And now, he has broken one of Lord Rudra’s laws by using the daivi astras. How can Meluha, the finest land in the world, have an emperor like him? Isn’t something wrong somewhere?’
Anandmayi held her husband’s hand. ‘Your emperor was never any good. I could have told you that many years ago. But you don’t need to blame all of Meluha for his misdeeds.’
‘That’s not the way it works. A leader is not just a person who gives orders. He is also the one who symbolises the society he leads. If the leader is corrupt, then the society must be corrupt too.’
‘Who feeds this nonsense to you, my love? A leader is just a human being, like anyone else. He doesn’t symbolise anything.’
Parvateshwar shook his head. ‘There are some truths that cannot be challenged. A leader’s karma impacts his entire land. He is supposed to be his people’s icon. That is a universal truth.’
Anandmayi bent towards him with a soft twinkle in her eyes. ‘Parvateshwar, there is your truth and there is my truth. As for the universal truth? It does not exist.’
Parvateshwar smiled as he brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. ‘You Chandravanshis are very good with words.’
‘Words can only be as good or as bad as the thoughts they convey.’
Parvateshwar’s smile spread wider. ‘So what is your thought on what I should do? My emperor’s actions have put me in a situation where my god, the Neelkanth, may declare war on my country. What do I do then? How do I know which side to pick?’
‘You should stick to your god,’ said Anandmayi, without any hint of hesitation in her voice. ‘But this is a hypothetical question. So don’t worry too much about it.’
‘My Lord, you called,’ said Ayurvati.
She had been as surprised as Parvateshwar when the both of them had been summoned to Shiva’s chambers. Since their arrival in Panchavati, Shiva had spent most of his time with the Nagas. Ayurvati was convinced that the Nagas were somehow complicit in the attack on Shiva’s convoy. She also believed the Neelkanth was perhaps investigating the roots of Naga treachery in Panchavati.
‘Parvateshwar, Ayurvati, welcome,’ said Shiva, ‘I called you here because it is time now for you to know the secret of the Nagas.’
Parvateshwar looked up, surprised. ‘But why only the two of us, My Lord?’
‘Because the both of you are Meluhans. I have reason to suspect that the attack on us at the Godavari is linked to many things: the plague in Branga, the plight of the Nagas and the drying up of the Saraswati.’
Parvateshwar and Ayurvati were flummoxed.
‘But I am certain about one thing,’ said Shiva. ‘The attack is connected to the destruction of Mount Mandar.’
‘What?! How?’
‘Only one man can explain it. One whom you believe is dead.’
Ayurvati and Parvateshwar spun around as they heard the door open.
Brahaspati walked in quietly.
‘The Somras is Evil?’ asked Anandmayi incredulously. ‘Is that what the Lord Neelkanth thinks?’
Parvateshwar and Anandmayi were in their chambers at the Panchavati guest colony. Bhagirath had just joined them.
‘I’m not sure about what he thinks,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘But Brahaspati seems to think so.’
‘But Evil is supposed to be Evil for everybody,’ said Bhagirath. ‘Why should a Suryavanshi turncoat decide what Evil is? Why should we listen to him? Why should the Neelkanth listen to him?’
‘Bhagirath, do you expect me to defend Brahaspati, the man who destroyed the soul of our empire?’ asked Parvateshwar.
‘Just a minute,’ said Anandmayi, raising her hand. ‘Think this through... If the plague in Branga is linked to the Somras, if the slow depletion of the river Saraswati is linked to the Somras, if the birth of the Nagas is linked to the Somras, then isn’t it fair to think that maybe it is Evil?’
‘So what is the Neelkanth planning to do? Does he want to ban the Somras?’ asked Bhagirath.
‘I don’t know, Bhagirath!’ snapped an irritated Parvateshwar, his world having turned upside down because of Daksha and now Brahaspati. ‘You keep asking me questions, the answers to which I do not know!’
Anandmayi placed her hand on Parvateshwar’s shoulders. ‘Perhaps the Neelkanth is just as shocked as we are. He needs to think things over. He cannot afford to make hasty decisions.’
‘Well, he has made one already,’ said Parvateshwar.
Bhagirath and Anandmayi looked at Parvateshwar curiously.
‘We are to leave for Swadweep once all have recovered from their injuries. The Lord has asked us to wait for him at Kashi till he decides his next move. He believes King Athithigva has not sold out to Ayodhya in the conspiracy to assassinate us on the Godavari.’
‘But if we go to Kashi, my father will get to know that we are alive,’ said Bhagirath. ‘He will know his attack has failed.’
‘We have to keep quiet about it. We have to pretend that nothing happened, that we were not attacked at all. That we made an uneventful journey to Panchavati and back.’
‘Won’t they wonder about their ships?’
‘The Lord says that’s all right. Many things can happen during long sea and river voyages. They may believe their ships met with an accident before they could attack us.’
Bhagirath raised his eyebrows. ‘My father may be stupid enough to believe that story. But he is not the leader. Whoever put together a conspiracy of this scale will certainly investigate what went wrong.’
‘But investigations take time, allowing the Neelkanth to check whatever else it is that he needs to.’
‘The Lord is not coming with us?’ asked a surprised Anandmayi.
Parvateshwar shook his head. ‘No. And the Lord has said we should let it be known that neither his family nor he is with us at Kashi. It should be publicised that he remains in Panchavati. The Lord believes that it will keep us safe as the attack was aimed at him.’
‘That can mean only one thing,’ said Bhagirath. ‘He chooses to take Brahaspati at face value but wants to ascertain a few more things before he makes up his mind.’
Anandmayi looked at her husband with concern in her eyes. She knew that a war was approaching. Perhaps the biggest war that India had ever seen. And in all probability, Meluha and Shiva would be on opposite sides. Which side would her husband choose?
‘Whatever happens,’ said Anandmayi, holding Parvateshwar’s face, ‘we must have faith in the Neelkanth.’
Parvateshwar nodded silently.
Shiva, Parshuram and Nandi were sitting on the banks of the Godavari. Shiv
a took a deep drag from the chillum as he looked towards the river, lost in thought. He let out a sigh as he turned to his friends. ‘Are you sure, Parshuram?’
‘Yes, My Lord,’ replied Parshuram. ‘I can even take you to the uppermost point of the mighty Brahmaputra, where she is the Tsangpo. But I wouldn’t recommend it, for fatalities can be high on that treacherous route.’
Shiva’s silence provoked Parshuram to probe further, ‘What is it about that river, My Lord?’ He had been intrigued by the abnormal interest shown by the Nagas in the Brahmaputra’s course as well. ‘First the Nagas, now you; why is everyone so interested in it?’
‘It may be the carrier of Evil, Parshuram.’
Nandi looked up in surprise. ‘Doesn’t the Tsangpo begin close to your own home in Tibet, My Lord?’
‘Yes, Nandi,’ said Shiva. ‘It seems Evil has been closer than it initially appeared.’
Nandi remained quiet. He was one of the few who knew the ships that attacked Shiva’s convoy were from Meluha. He knew what he had to do. If it came to a choice between Shiva and his country, he would choose Shiva. But it still hurt him immensely. He knew he might have to be a part of an army that would attack his beloved motherland, Meluha. He hated his fate for having put him in such a situation.
‘I think I know how to find the mastermind, My Lord,’ said Bhagirath.
He had sought an appointment with Shiva as soon as he had stepped out of Parvateshwar’s chambers. He knew that his father had decided to oppose the Neelkanth. It made sense therefore for Bhagirath to immediately prove his loyalty to Shiva. He didn’t expect Shiva to lose. Regardless of the opinion of the kings, the people would be with the Neelkanth.
‘How?’ asked Shiva.
‘You’d agree that my father hardly has the wherewithal to draw up such an elaborate plan. I’d say his selfish needs have made him succumb to the evil designs of another.’
Shiva edged forward, intrigued. ‘You think he has been bribed? Your father is in no need of money.’
‘What can be a better bribe than life itself, My Lord? Had you seen my father a few years back, you would have thought he was but a small step away from the cremation pyre. A life of debauchery and drink had wreaked havoc within his body. But today, he looks younger than I have ever known.’
‘The Somras?’
‘I don’t think so. I know he had tried the Somras in the past. It hadn’t worked. Somebody is supplying him with superior medicines. Something that is otherwise unavailable to even a king.’
Shiva’s eyes widened. Who could be more powerful, more knowledgeable than a king?
‘Do you think a maharishi is helping him?’
Bhagirath shook his head. ‘No, My Lord. I think a maharishi is leading him.’
‘But who can that maharishi be?’
‘I don’t know. But when I go back to Ayodhya...’
‘Ayodhya?’
‘If we are to maintain that no ships attacked us on the Godavari, My Lord, then what reason can there be for my not going back to Ayodhya? It will arouse suspicion. More importantly, I can only uncover the true identity of the master when I’m in Ayodhya. Despite my father’s best efforts, I still have eyes and ears in the impregnable city.’
Shiva considered this for a moment. He agreed with the train of thought. Moreover, now that Dilipa had chosen to align himself against Shiva, Bhagirath would be even more eager to prove his loyalty to him.
Shiva nodded. ‘All right, go to Ayodhya.’
‘But My Lord, when the time comes, I hope Ayodhya and Swadweep will be shown some kindness.’
‘Kindness?’
‘We have not used the Somras excessively, My Lord. Only a few Chandravanshi nobles use it, and that too, sparingly. It is the Meluhans who have abused its usage. That is what has made Evil rise. Therefore it is only fair that when the Somras is banned, this ban be imposed only on Meluha. Swadweep has not benefited from the drink of the gods. I hope we will be allowed to use it.’
‘You didn’t choose to use less Somras, Bhagirath,’ said Shiva. ‘You just didn’t have the opportunity to do so. If you had, the situation would have been very different. You know that just as much as I do.’
‘But Meluha...’
‘Yes, Meluha has used more. So naturally, they will suffer more. But let me make one thing clear. If I decide the Somras is Evil, then no one will use it. No one.’
Bhagirath kept silent.
‘Is that clear?’ asked Shiva.
‘Of course, My Lord.’
Chapter 5
The Shorter Route
A caravan of five hundred people was moving up the northern path from Panchavati towards the Vasudev city of Ujjain. Shiva and his family were in the centre, surrounded by half a brigade of joint Naga and Branga soldiers in standard defensive formations. Kali did not want to reveal this route to anyone from Shiva’s original convoy, so none of them were included. Nandi and Parshuram were the only exceptions. Brahaspati had been included for Shiva might need his advice in understanding what the Vasudevs had to say about the Somras.
Whereas Shiva persisted in his quest and questions with Brahaspati, the old brotherly love that they had shared was missing.
Parvateshwar, Ayurvati, Anandmayi and Bhagirath, along with the original convoy, had stayed back at Panchavati. They were to leave for Kashi in a few weeks, their eastern route going through the Dandak forest, onward through Branga. Vishwadyumna was to accompany them as a guide up to Branga.
‘Ganesh, does Ujjain fall on the way from Panchavati to Meluha or do we take a detour?’ asked Shiva, goading his horse forward over the path built through the forest. It was fenced by two protective hedges. The inner layer comprised the harmless Nagavalli creepers, while the outer one had poisonous vines to prevent wild animals from entering.
‘Actually, baba, Ujjain is on the way to Swadweep. It’s to the north-east. Meluha lies to the north-west.’
Sati tried to get her bearings of Meluha and Maika at the dried mouth of the Saraswati. The Meluhan city of births was not too far from the mouth of the Narmada. ‘Does the Narmada serve as your waterway? One can sail west for Meluha and east for Ujjain and Swadweep.’
‘Yes, maa,’ answered Ganesh.
Shiva turned to his son. ‘Have you ever been to Maika? How do abandoned Naga children get adopted?’
‘Maika is the one place where there is no bias against the Nagas, baba. Perhaps the sight of helpless Naga babies, shrieking in pain as a cancerous growth bursts through their bodies, melts the hearts of the authorities. The Maika governor takes personal interest in attempting to save as many Naga babies as he can in the crucial first month after their birth. A Naga ship sails down the Narmada every month, docks at Maika late at night, and the babies born in that month are handed over to us by the Maika record-keeper. Some non-Naga parents choose to stay back and move to Panchavati for the sake of their children.’
‘Don’t the Maika authorities stop them?’
‘Actually, the tenets of Meluhan law require parents to accompany their Naga children to Panchavati. In doing so, they are following their law. But others refuse to do so. They abandon their children and return to their comfortable life in Meluha. In such cases, only the child is handed over. The Maika governor pretends not to notice this breach of law.’
Sati shook her head. She had lived in Meluha for more than one hundred years, a few of which were in Maika as an infant. She had never known any of this. It was almost like she was discovering her seemingly upright nation anew. Her father had not been the only one to break the law. It appeared as if many Meluhans valued the comforts of their land more than their duty towards their children or towards observing Lord Ram’s laws.
Shiva looked ahead to see a large ship anchored in a massive lagoon. The waters were blocked on the far side by a dense grove. Having seen the grove of floating Sundari trees in Branga, Shiva assumed these trees must also have free-floating roots. The route ahead seemed obvious. ‘I guess we have reached your secr
et lagoon. I assume the Narmada is beyond that grove.’
‘There is a massive river beyond that grove, baba,’ said Ganesh. ‘But it is not the Narmada. It is the Tapi. We have to cross to the other side. After that it is a few more days’ journey to the Narmada.’
Shiva smiled. ‘The Lord Almighty has blessed this land with too many rivers. India can never run short of water!’
‘Not if we abuse our rivers the way we are now abusing the Saraswati.’
Shiva nodded, silently agreeing with Ganesh.
Bhrigu tore open the letter. It was exactly what he had expected. The Vayuputras had excommunicated him.
Lord Bhrigu,
It has been brought to our attention that daivi astras were loaded onto a fleet of ships in Karachapa. Investigations have led to the regrettable conclusion that you manufactured them, using materials that were given to you strictly for research. While we understand that you would never misuse the weapons expressly banned by our God, Lord Rudra, we cannot allow the unauthorised transport of these weapons to go unpunished. You are therefore prohibited from ever entering Pariha or interacting with a Vayuputra again. We do hope you will honour the greater promise that every friend of a Vayuputra makes to Lord Rudra: that of never using the daivi astras. It is the expectation of the council that you will surrender the weapons at once to Vayuputra Security.
What surprised Bhrigu was that the note had been signed by the Mithra, leader of the council. It was rare for the Mithra to sign orders personally. Usually, it was done by one of the Amartya Shpand, the six deputies on the council. The Vayuputras were clearly taking this very seriously.
But Bhrigu believed that he had not broken the law. He had already written to the Vayuputras that they were making the institution of the Neelkanth a mockery by not acting against this self-appointed imposter. But alas, the Vayuputras had done nothing. However, he could see how they would think he had misused their research material. Ironically, he had not. Even if he had got over his qualms about using that material, Bhrigu knew there was simply not enough to make the quantity of daivi astras that were needed. He had made his own stockpile of such weapons, using materials he himself had compiled over the years. Perhaps that was the reason why they did not have the destructive potency of the Vayuputra material. They had entire laboratories, whereas Bhrigu worked alone.