Asura- Tale of the Vanquished

by Anand Neelakantan

  Rudraka was a man of vision, and his life was not just dedicated to warfare. He was married to arms-technology and had travelled far and wide and seen the huge catapults-on-wheels used by the Greeks. His attempts to recreate the same design had failed. But the genius of the man lay in his innovations. His catapult could not carry heavy stones for a long distance, so he decided they could be used to hurl oil-filled coconut shells, loosely held together with jackfruit paste. When the shells hit an object, the oil would spill out. This, followed by flame-tipped arrows, would ensure that everything that stood in its path would be engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds. He also redesigned the Naga astra, the poison arrows used by the Nagas, by drilling a tiny hole in the tip, where a small amount of poison could be stored, making it all the more deadly. Then Rudraka made arrows like those used by Varuna. They were poles actually, thrown by a machine from a ship’s deck, which could sink another ship when it was struck. We were getting extremely confident about our engineering, but our supply was running short. Unless our envoys returned within a week, we would be stuck with a few thousand arrows, clubs and swords for about half my troops.

  Rudraka had collected all the old, rusted weapons from the soldiers and melted them to make new arms. There was a lot of wastage and this annoyed Jambumali. There were frequent wars of words and I had to intervene. But I trusted Rudraka and he once again came up with a path-breaking idea which was brilliant in its simplicity. He designed bamboo arrows with copper tips. The bamboo shaft was filled with poison which was then sealed with a paste. On impact, the film broke and the poison penetrated the victim’s blood system, killing him instantly. The idea was so simple that we were wondered why we had not used it earlier. Aborigines used bamboo arrows, but the Asuras and the Devas regarded them as toys. This saved us a lot of metal. Rudraka also used stones as hard tips for spears and arrows, which saved even more metal. By the time he had finished, we had more than enough weapons.

  Then Rudraka decided to design armour for the few elephants we had captured and tamed. He sewed needle-sized, poison-filled iron spikes into the clothing which covered the elephants’ head and sides. The elephants now resembled huge porcupines. Our elephants would prove deadly to any enemy elephant coming near them. Our army was reasonably well trained. The flabby men we saw before had almost disappeared. There were surprise attack drills every day and any lapse was dealt with severely. But what was worrisome, was the cavalry. We did not have a single good horse.

  Even if my delegates brought back horses, we did not have enough time to train them. We had to attack immediately after the monsoon and the island had to be taken before the commencement of the retreating monsoon which would break over the island in less than a month. Once the retreating monsoon set in, the sea would become very rough and I was not sure if the leased t

  rade ships would be able to withstand the fury of the waves. And only God could save us if we ran into Varuna and his fleet of ships en route. He would gobble us up in a matter of hours. So we waited for our ships and the horses. I worried about my delegation. But more than that, I worried about the traitor who had escaped. If Kubera has been forewarned, we could look forward to spending the rest of our lives grinding oil for him.

  13 Lanka’s welcome

  Bhadra

  I woke with the sun burning my eyes. My body ached and I felt nauseous. I raised my head and squinted at the slowly flowing water. It was slowly meandering about palm-fringed lands. There was a lot of activity on both sides of the river. I could see many barges and rice boats plying in both directions. There were paddy fields with farmers tilling the soil. A magical village tune floated through the air. In my previous life, I would have stopped and enjoyed the scenery. I would have jumped into the water and swum across the river. The toddy here would have been delicious. The girls more so. I could see seagulls and Brahminy kites soaring in the distant skies towards the west. I was nearing the mouth of the river. At any moment I would see the lighthouse of Muzuris; an ancient light-tower which had weathered thousands of monsoons and led travellers and ships from across the world to her wonderful city.

  The river took a slow right turn and there it was. The port city of Muzuris, the timeless city, once Mahabali’s capital, the centre of art and culture, the most cosmopolitan city in the world. Greeks, Romans, Syrians, Sumerians, Mesopotamians, Chinese, Arabs, Jews, Devas, various Asura tribes and Egyptians, had their own streets and places of worship. There were different trade guilds. Calico, peacocks, monkeys, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cotton, rice, clothes, gold, horses, precious stones, silk were exported from here. The ancient city was buzzing with activity.

  I left the canoe and jumped into the water which was delightfully warm. I climbed ashore and walked to the nearest inn. People were staring at me. I must have looked a sight. It was an old shack, small but neat, with a palm-thatched roof. There were a few people loitering about, mostly sailors. I needed to take a bath and have a doctor see to my wounds. The inn-keeper was kind and I think he believed the story of my rice boat sinking in the heavy rain. It looked as if this inn was frequented by people who had survived the fury of nature. He gave me a set of new clothes and got a doctor’s assistant to dress my wounds. I promised to repay him by working for him for a few days.

  It was hard work and I had to draw water from a deep well, hew wood for fuel and sweep the floors. I was just happy to be alive. I hadn’t forgotten why I had left the camp but I needed a rest. I thought I’d build contacts and then board a ship bound for Lanka. And it was at the inn that I found I had a talent. Quite by accident I discovered that I was a good cook. It was just something that happened one day when the cook of the inn vanished without a word. There were many guests and I volunteered to cook. In no time, I built a reputation. ‘Bhadra’s Fried Fish’ became a must for evening revelries. They said my spicy fish fry went well with toddy. Soon I started getting invitations from captains of various ships. But I knew I had to be patient. I waited until I got a suitable offer from one of Kubera’s ship bound for Lanka. It was a royal pleasure ship, a huge, sturdy vessel that was considered safe even in turbulent monsoon seas. It carried officers and their wives to the major ports of the world to shop. I was an instant hit with them and before I reached Lanka, I had employment offers from a dozen aristocratic families. But I had to choose my employer with care. I wanted to be inside the palace. I was, after all, a self-appointed spy. I wanted to collect as much data and send it back to my king. So I slyly struck up a friendship with one of the cooks of the royal kitchen. He was a lean, dark man of indeterminate age and wanted a helper to cut vegetables and dress meat and fish. He was sure that he could persuade the chief cook to employ me. I thought I would take a chance with him as this would get me into the inner circles of the palace. Wild plans had started racing in my mind.

  I landed"-1ould in Lanka after six days of travel. The ship had circumvented the peninsula and the northern tip of Lanka, before anchoring at the main port, near the capital of Trikota. I could see Kubera’s glittering palace atop the Trikota hills. I saw watch posts with armed guards. The royal highway stretched from the port to the main gate on the eastern side, with beautiful gardens and trees lining either side. The western and southern sides of the fort had many shanty towns where the city’s poor lived and worked in the trade guilds, that stretched miles to the north. Public parks and lakes adorned the beach in the north. The eastern side had inns for visiting sailors. There were houses of pleasure where pretty girls offered wine, toddy and their bodies, to men willing to pay. The royal guards patrolled the streets on fine Arabian horses. I had never seen a city like Trikota. Muzuris was bigger and busier, but it lacked the charm of Trikota. Muzuris was a city of intricate, narrow and winding roads, bustling with commerce and choking it. It was crowded and congested, like a collection of huge village markets. There were no visible exhibitions of wealth and of course, there weren’t any shanty towns on the outskirts like in Trikota. I sensed that the poor were dumped at the outskirts of T
rikota to present a clean and neat city in the commercial parts of town. Anyhow, the effect was nothing short of spectacular. Any visitor would have been impressed by Trikota and the palace atop the hill.

  I was apprehensive about my welcome at the fort. I walked a few paces behind my friend from the ship, when I was gripped by sudden fear. A palace guard, astride a tall ,dark horse, was staring at me. It was as if he was trying to recollect something. I tried hard to remember his face. It was vaguely familiar, but I could not place him. I did not want to lock eyes with him. There was something sinister about him. My friend was chattering incessantly and occasionally turning back to urge me to hurry as it was nearing sunset and the fort gates closed then.

  We reached the fort gate manned by four armed guards. They looked professional, with taut muscles and long limbs. I was taken aside and searched for any hidden weapons. I almost fainted when they found my kitchen knife in the folds of my dhothi and made me stand aside. My friend explained that I was a professional cook and it was required for my profession, but they shoved him out along with his other friends. I sat in one corner of the guard room and was left alone for a long time. I gathered that they were waiting for their superior officer to come and that I might be subjected to some sort of interrogation. As the moments passed, my fear increased. What where they going to do? I wanted it to get over with. It was almost midnight and I was nearly dead with fear, when a tall, dark man entered the room. Three guards stood behind him reverently. He was evidently their superior. He went directly to his table, and put his seal in a couple of palm leaves, and then called for the messenger boy. Once the courier was dispatched, he turned towards me.

  It was the same man who had been staring at me when I was walking behind my friends from the ship. There was the trace of a smile on his face, which made him look hideous. My heart was in my mouth. He walked towards me and in one swift moment, without any warning, kicked my face. I was thrown back and lay coiled there, expecting more blows and kicks. I wanted to scream. He picked me up by my shoulders and peered into my eyes. The stench of cheap toddy mixed with his bad breath hit me. It was worse than his kick and I felt like vomiting in his face. He gave me a backhanded slap and I tasted the warm blood in my mouth. Then he threw me down. “I have seen you somewhere, you son of a swine.”

  I recognized him then. He was with the gang that had attacked my village. This walla

  “I have seen you somewhere else.”At that moment the door opened with a blast and a corpulent man entered the room. “You are getting out of control, you bastard. Just because you are an inspector of the royal guards does not mean that you can thrash my servants around. You’re going to pay a price for it,” the man screamed.

  “Ah, my pleasure. Vikrama is grateful that Your Highness, the King of the kitchen, has placed his holy feet in my lowly office. But why isn’t your Highness copulating with a hussy under the kitchen stove? Why do you choose to be here at this hour is beyond my comprehension.”

  “Vikrama, you son of a drunken monkey, you will pay for this. You leave my servant alone. Else, tomorrow the King will hear about it and you will be breakfast for his pet tigers.”

  “Take your boyfriend and have a nice time. Just take it easy while you are at it. I do not want him to puncture your stinking arse and wake up half the city with the screaming.” The inspector picked me up like a rag and threw me at the fat man. I fell at his feet and tried to get up. The inspector and the fat guy stared at each other.

  Finally, the fat man turned and I hurriedly followed him. I could feel the inspector’s eyes boring holes into my back. He will get me, he’ll surely get me one day. I shuddered at the thought and walked faster, trying to catch up with my savior, who walked surprisingly fast for a man of his size. He did not speak a single word until we entered a huge complex. “This is the central kitchen. The entire army is fed from here. I am Suboga, the chief cook. I personally supervise the food for the royal household. For the others, there are about twenty supervisors and 300 cooks and helpers. Then there are the cleaning staff, servers etc. I was looking for someone who knows about fish and Arasu suggested I take you. When he said that you had been detained by that rascal, I came rushing out. But do not think I am your friendly uncle and will be always there to save the black skin of your backside. I came to get you because six people on the ship vouched for you. You can join Arasu’s team. I’ll try you out for a few weeks to see whether you are good enough for my kitchen. Your sleeping quarters are on the left.”

  I thanked him, relieved to have escaped alive from Vikrama. “And three coppers a week will be your pay,” he

  shouted, walking towards the corridor which led to his sleeping room. I wanted to go and find Arasu, my friend from the ship, and thank him. But it was late and I thought I’d do it in the morning, so I entered the room. There were some mattresses spread on the floor. About a dozen people were asleep in various postures. I found a small gap and crawled in-between. Tomorrow I would start work. But now I just wanted to lie down and sleep for a hundred years.

  14 Betrayed

  Ravana

  One by one, my delegates arrived. The mission to get the ships had been successful. Maricha was also successful in getting the head of the school of Mayans. He was said to possess one of the best engineering brains in the country and had come with twenty of his best technicians. He was a widower and had brought his daughter along. Did I want this unnecessary distraction in my almost all-male camp? But I did not want any friction at this stage. She was said to be a bella

  We had fixed the fifteenth of Chaitra as the day to start the expedition. Jambumali arranged to fill the lower deck with provisions to last a few days. He led a number of sorties to a deserted beach south of Muzuris, where the ships were anchored a few miles away. We carried supplies from nearby villages and even the city market, in small quantities, in order to dispel any suspicion and stored the supplies in a temporary camp in the woods near the beach. From there, they were transported to the ships by night. The altered chambers were filled with sacks of pepper and in them, weapons were concealed. About 300 men were hidden in a secret deck in-between. We were now ready to go.

  There were many problems and initially it was chaotic. But slowly things fell into place. We decided to leave behind in the forest, a few hundred soldiers including my mother, aunt, sister, the engineers as well as the Mayan and his daughter and proceed to Lanka. Jambumali was also left behind as it was too dangerous for him to go to the island. There might have been people who would have recognized the former governor of the province. There was even the chance that someone might recognize any of us three brothers. But we were nobodies in Lanka and decided to take the chance.

  As the fifteenth approached, the tension and excitement in the camp became unbearable. All that was discussed was the forthcoming battle, war strategy, the glories of Lanka, the beautiful girls…. nobody wanted to discuss defeat and decimation. No one wanted to think about the eventuality of being encountered by Varuna’s pirate fleet. No one dared to mention the possibility of Bhadra, Kubera’s spy, pre-warning the merchant king and our being ambushed. We pushed such thoughts into the deepest pits of our minds.

  Bhadra

  A month had passed since I had become Kubera’s employee. There was no trace of our ships. The monsoon had weakened two weeks earlier and the weather became balmier by the day, just as it should for the one month break before the monsoon retreated. Every Tuesday I’d go to the market to buy meat and vegetables for the kitchen. I would then sneak to the nearby spice market which overlooked the port, to look out for the ships or to spot a familiar face in the crowd.

  I felt uneasy whenever I went on these sorties. It was as if someone was following me. It was a vague feeling but it persisted. I looked around, took sharp, unexpected turns into narrow market alleys and ducked into small eateries and emerged through the back doors of shops. But I could not find anyone. I felt naked. I was afraid of my own shadow. I felt morose most of the day and wanted to give up
everything and go back to some unnamed village in my native land. I would wake screaming in the night. I kept seeing the splattered brains of my daughter, the spread, bleeding legs of my wife and heaving bare buttocks of those devils. I knew I had to stay and plot my revenge. Vikrama sneered at me in my nightmares. He sat crosslegged and licked his fingers, as if at a feast. He kept offering me some delicacy which invariably turned out to be my daughter’s splattered brain. At those moments, I forgot about going back and the quiet life. All I wanted was to see the the Devas ruined. All I wanted was revenge.

  Finally, I saw them one day, leading a few horses, laden with goods, through the streets of the spice market. They had spread into many small group but I could easily distinguish Ravana. I was horrified. He did not have the posture of a merchant. He rode like a king. Alik spicnd which king would be found in a market place? Ravana, with his mannerisms, would give away the whole plan. But I could have been wrong. Perhaps Ravana appeared to be a prosperous merchant to others who were unaware of the invasion. The soldiers, disguised as servants, were also a big give-away. They did not behave like servants at all. They did not chat among themselves. They did not linger in front of small shops selling sea shell necklaces and glass bangles or haggle over prices. Instead, they walked silently. Their cover could be blown any time. Then I noticed the two ships anchored in the distance. They looked so puny and small. I had to get near my king and warn him. But what if he did not trust me?

  “So, this is what you came for, eh?” I was startled to hear Vikrama’s voice. He was standing behind me and chewing a blade of grass, perfectly disguised as a petty merchant who merged with the surroundings. In one hand he held a small brown bag like those used by petty merchants and the other was behind his back. I was sure he had a dagger in that hand. Before he could do anything, I stepped on his toes and gave him a hard push. He staggered and fell flat on his back. He was quick to scramble up but I had taken off by then. I could see the dagger blade glistening in the sun. The crowd screamed. I weaved in and out of the crowd as fast as I could move, overturning carts of fruits, stepping over vermillion mounds, getting screamed at, abused, clawed and even hit, by the hawkers and sales boys. Ravana turned towards me. Confusion clouded his face. Then, as he recognized me, I saw pure hatred cross his handsome face. I saw men moving and circling us from all directions. Disguised guards were closing in on us. Vikrama was thorough and he had us like a lemon in his hand. And he was squeezing us hard.