Silence.
“Answer me.”
He stood there and said, “I believe it was authorized by the Council.”
“Council? What Council? This is no Asura panchayat and I am no petty sarpanch. I’m the King and I give orders. I take responsibility for any fiasco. Now you have gone and wiped out a couple of districts with your sword, and it is I who feel the anger of my subjects. Now answer me, who ordered this genocide?”
“If you want me to resign, Your Highness, I shall.” A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.
That threw me off. I didn’t want him to resign. He was doing a fine job. But his ruthlessness was worrying me. I just wanted him to go a bit easy and curb the rebellion in a civilized fashion. I could have ordered his immediate arrest and risked a rebellion among the soldiers. I closed my eyes in an effort to calm down. “See here Rudraka, it hurts me to think I’m responsible for the murder of innocent people. It’s not that I’m afraid of battle. But this is just monstrous. Do we need to go on like this?”
He wore an amused look on his face. I was losing this battle too. I tried to put on a brave face, but I was sure he saw through it.
“Your Highness, I was made to believe that you had given written orders to Prime Minister Prahastha, to do everything to curb the rebellion. Do you think I enjoy killing babies?”
I looked out the window and saw Varuna’s fleet blobbing up and down in the sea. The sails were drawn and the sea breeze occasionally carried odd notes of merriment to the palace. I closed my eyes. I was too tired to think about anything. I was beginning to think this confrontation with Rudraka was quite unnecessary. Had I exposed myself? My doubts, my indecisiveness, my weakness? What was I afraid of? That my men thought me a coward who stole a kingo stiodom from my half-brother and then used my soldiers to perpetuate mass murder on my subjects? Perhaps everything would change tomorrow. I dismissed Rudraka with a wave of my hand. The same arrogant flick of the hand that my brother Kubera used when he sat on the same throne. ‘Ravana, you are a fast learner.’ I knew I was getting arrogant but it was an enjoyable sensation.
Bhadra updated me on the happenings in the city every four hours. I took a stroll in the palace gardens and saw Mandodari under a large Banyan tree. I was rather embarrassed and she stared at me for a few seconds. I stammered and coughed and cursed myself for taking this path. I was thankful when she did not start a conversation with me and I quickly walked past. I saw my sister smiling at me but ignored the jibe in the smile and continued walking.
I was relieved that the situation in the city had eased somewhat by the evening and sat down to dinner with my mother and sister. Bhadra, who had been trying to make himself indispensable, ran to and from the royal kitchen, shouting orders.
My mother spoke first. “You may leave us alone. What is this evil looking fellow’s name, Ravana?”
“Bhadra, wait outside.” I said, ignoring the sharpness in my mother’s voice. Bhadra left reluctantly but I was sure he would have his ear to the keyhole.
“I hear you blamed Prahastha for all the excesses.” I was rather shocked when she said this without lifting her head from her plate.
“No, it’s just. . .”
“Ravana, you are still young. These people are experienced in governing.
You abide by their advice. Let it not go to your head that just because you have become king of a puny island, that you are the lone saviour of the Asuras. You have a lot to learn and be thankful that you have able advisors around you.”
“Mother, you are treating me like a child! I don’t want any advice from idiots who have managed to lose their own kingdoms, honour, wealth and everything they inherited, to the Devas. Whatever experience they had by ruling handkerchief-sized kingdoms and living in perpetual fear of Deva raids, has neither served the Asuras nor these bunch of pompous know-it-all buffoons, well. You know that better than me.”
“Why are you speaking to me like this?”
“Now, don’t start narrating your tale of suffering. I know it by heart. Mother, I love you and respect you, but it does not mean that I will always remain your toddler. Leave the ruling to me.”
My sister was shocked by this outburst. She stopped eating and sat looking at me, her eyes filled with tears. My mother stood up. “Enough! There is no point in talking. Power has gone to his head.”
Anger got the better of me. I pulled the tablecloth off the table in one quick movement. Vessels, plates and everything on the table tumbled to the floor. Servants rushed in from all sides to clean up the food splattered around. Mother stormed out of the room, dragging my reluctant sister with her. And I walked listlessly to my room, anger slowly oozing out of me. I wiped my hands on the silk curtains, ignoring the stains I was making and then threw off my footwear and lay sprawled on the huge bed. What wrong had I done to these people? I had just begun to live my dream and it had already gone sour. Why did everyone find me overbearing, arrogant and tyrannical? A servant came with a lamp but I waved him away. I found the darkness cozy and comfortable. Perhaps Prahastha might have had a theory to explain my new-found fondness for darkness – perhaps the reflection of a dark soul?
I had to put an end to this nonsense this had a today. I cannot live like this forever–with my ministers talking behind my back; my subjects cowering in fear; the nagging of my mother and the irritating self-righteousness of Prahastha. What I needed was action. Ravana was no coward and I jumped from my bed and shouted for Bhadra. He appeared surprisingly quickly. Had he been waiting outside? He made me an elaborate bow and I felt he was mocking me, but I chose to ignore it. Maybe he was just showing his sycophancy. We Asuras – always ready to bow low. But then, how I would have felt had he not bowed? Would I not have taken it as a mark of disrespect?
“Bhadra. . . How many warriors you can arrange? I mean, within the hour?”
“You want good swimmers, Your Majesty?”
“How do you know I want swimmers?”
“You want soldiers who are expert in martial arts, who can swim in a rough sea, and storm a fleet of ships. I think I know the people and can arrange about twenty of them, Your Majesty.”
I was silent for a moment. It was eerie the way he read my mind. What sort of a creature was he? A wizard? Even I was not sure that was what I wanted. The plan was sheer madness. Taking on a fleet of ships with a handful of soldiers was the height of foolishness. And I was no soldier of fortune now. A king could not afford to be so reckless. I imagined Prahastha’s face when he learnt that the King had departed at dead of the night with a motley crew of half trained soldiers, to take on the most fearsome pirate in the world. I almost smiled at the thought. Just to spite Prahastha, the suicidal mission was worth it.
Bhadra made another elaborate bow and left the room silently. I looked out at the pirate fleet. The merriment had died down and the lights in the ships were turned off. I hoped that the pirates were drunk and fast asleep. I was not sure which ship housed the pirate-King, Varuna. The biggest factor would be surprise. My kingship depended on it. I knew it was a huge risk and if I was captured by the pirates, the doors of Lanka would be left wide open to their marauding hordes. I was also afraid. It was a numbing, paralyzing fear. The stories of torture meted out by the pirate king to hapless souls who fell into his hands, were legend. His cold heartedness raised him to the league of the Deva Gods. I tried to rationalize the fear I felt as concern for my countrymen and relatives.
Then it came, that ugly inner voice, ‘You could even fool yourself, Ravana. So noble, so brave! The great Emperor of a tiny village, so concerned about the fate of his subjects. How many kings are as noble hearted as you?’ When would I ever silence that voice? I know…I am more afraid about my own safety. My vivid imagination painted pictures of the torture I might endure. I am afraid of Varuna. Would I be able to withstand the pain? More than that, would I be able take the shame of being dragged naked through the muddy lanes of Lanka? Why couldn’t I be satisfied with a simple peasant’s life?
In the stealth of the night, we would launch the canoes and paddle slowly towards the ships. The decks were at least twenty feet off the water. How would we climb up to them without any sound? Which ship should we attack first? The key would be to capture or kill Varuna. There were six ships at anchor. The pirate-king’s ship – a floating palace – was visible from a distance. But Varuna, the small-time fisherman, did not become Varuna, the pirate-king, by being predictable. There was every possibility that he would be in one of the smaller ships, anticipating such a move from the Asura army. Without intelligence about the enemy position, it was a fool’s war we were going to wage. Prahastha would have a heart attack when he heard we had gone on such a reckless mission without sufficienhoua wout information and military back-up. Should I abandon the mission? My legs trembled and I was horrified to see my hands shaking.
I was startled to hear a cough behind me and turned to see the repulsive face of Bhadra. This guy could assassinate me without my being aware of it. Had he got the paws of a cat?
“Your Highness, your people are at your service.” Translation, twenty people, including this creature, were willing to die at my orders. But why did I not feel like I did when I led an army into battle? My first war was electrifying. I could compare it to what I felt when I took my first girl into the bushes when I was fourteen. But I could sense the excitement building in the men. In the hot, humid air, the smell of their sweat mingled with the smell of Jasmine flowers from the garden. The moon had hidden behind the clouds. I could smell blood on my hands, and fear. I prayed to some unknown god in whom I did not even believe, that these men, who also appeared so brave, should not smell my fear.
Silently I walked out of the room trying to hold my head high and my shoulders straight. I tried to walk confidently and appear like the warriors of old. Had they been as afraid as I? Perhaps, if I came out of this alive, after thousands of years, there would be stories told about me too. The voice inside me started its tirade. ‘Ah, Ravana, you are just a tiny speck in the universe and it does not matter a bit if you die or win today. Your death is less valuable than a worm’s death. A worm becomes food for a bird or manure for the soil. If you die, your body will be burned, adding only empty fumes to the atmosphere. As far as nature is concerned, your struggles and trials, your triumphs, your very birth and death, are all irrelevant incidents. They are small stones crushed under the wheels of time. If you live, you will just be one day closer to the inevitable end. If you die, then the universe will still remain the same. Ravana, what a fool are you. . .’
The waves crashing onto the rocks woke me up from the numbing lullaby of the depressing inner voice. Bhadra and another man of slight build, pushed three canoes into the sea. One by one, the men waded through waist-deep water and got into the canoes. I stood transfixed, staring at the heaving ocean and the sure death which awaited us. Varuna’s ships were anchored close to the shore, yet now they seemed to touch the edge of the horizon. I stepped into the waves and was immediately submerged. The waves rolled me back to the shore. Sputtering and swearing, I stood up and waded towards the canoes again. I chose to ignore the grin on my soldiers black faces and jumped into the first canoe. Immediately the crew started rowing the canoe towards the ships, with the other two canoes following. Thunder sounded in the distance. A sword of lightning silhouetted the pirate-King’s ship against the dark horizon. The sea became rough. The other two canoes fell behind, but rowed furiously. Slowly, fighting the rolling swells, we reached within a few yards of the ships. Another streak of lightning illuminated the sky and the rolling waters.
Removing all my clothes except for my loin cloth, and clutching my sword between my teeth, I jumped into the freezing water and started paddling towards the ships. I could hear the soft paddling from the soldiers who followed me. The ships heaved in the rolling waters and I found it quite impossible to stay near them. I swam towards the ship I thought Varuna would be in. As if on cue, two soldiers climbed the ship’s vertical side towards the deck. It was amazing to watch them as they used special claws to dig into the wooden boards to get a grip. They climbed up fast, almost like lizards. But it seemed an eternity before two ropes came snaking down. I jumped and grabbed one of the ropes and started climbing.
st, ize="-1">Bhadra followed on the other rope. Quickly, the others followed. I reached the deck first and the sight I saw chilled my heart. The two brave men who had climbed up first, lay there slain – their bodies sprawled on the deck.
“Get out! It’s a trap!” I shouted. Then it started raining, a sudden storm raged and the ship swayed precariously. Some of my soldiers fell into the sea, but others joined me on deck. There was silence, other than the deafening noise of the howling wind. We stood there with our swords drawn. It was ridiculous, standing there almost naked and completely drenched, waiting to be killed. The rain washed away the puddles of blood. And it washed away the false courage I had built up. ‘Oh God! What had I done?’
Then the darkness resonated with devilish laughter. In a flash of lightning, I saw we were surrounded by heavily armed pirates. We were seriously outnumbered and there was no chance of escape. With a mighty effort of will power, I jumped and thrust my sword into the guts of a fearsome pirate. This electrified my troops and a battle ensued on the swaying decks. I was reckless and astonishingly my fear deserted me. I fought from my heart and lost count of how many I butchered. The wooden deck was slippery with blood and the dangling ropes of the sails added to the danger. I was wounded thrice and bleeding profusely, but that was the least of my worries. I slowly realized that we could take over the ship. To our dismay, we found that the other ships had closed in. Pirates were jumping into the raging sea and swimming like mad men towards our ship. If they reached us, total annihilation would be inevitable.
Where was that bastard Varuna? If only I could lay my hands on him! The first pirates from the other ships started climbing onto our deck. I kicked one in the face and saw him fall into the raging sea. Perhaps Varuna was in the lower chamber. I kicked open the door leading to the stairs and jumped down to the lower chamber. The ornate door were closed and a faint light came through the cracks. Ghastly shadows played on the curved walls of the ship. The sounds of the battle on the decks reached me faintly. Was Varuna inside?
I kicked open the door and swung my sword in a sweep. The room was empty. I drove my sword into the flying silk curtains. Like a sniffer dog, I fell to the floor to see whether the coward was hiding under the bed. Then a cold, steel blade touched the nape of my neck.
“Well, the Emperor of the Asuras is paying a royal visit to this poor fisherman’s chamber. I am grateful, Your Majesty.”
I tried looking up to see the face of the hated pirate-king, but with his wooden shoes, he kicked my face. Blood oozed from my nose and formed a pool on the floor. My fear returned. Trapped! This was the end.
“You surprise me, Your Majesty. You visit your guest’s chamber in your loin cloth? Is it an Asura custom from the mainland or are you making a new fashion statement for your subjects to emulate?”
With an agility which surprised Varuna and me, I kicked at his ankles and in that second of surprise, I rolled onto my feet. I was burning with anger. If only I could kill him or better yet, capture him, I would not only retain a kingdom but also my shattered pride. I tried to hit him a heavy blow with my sword, but he easily blocked it. Fuelled by my frustration and pent-up anger, I started fighting. But Varuna, who was almost forty years old, parlayed my strokes and thrusts with an ease bordering on boredom. His swordsmanship was beyond compare and he resembled Mahabali at his best. My twenty-something youth and energy was no match for noes the quiet confidence and poise of the veteran.
“Oh good, good. . .but you need more practice. . .no, not that way, try swinging from the left – there there, that was better – but you need to exert more power. . .” His monotone was irritating and made me feel like a child being trained in the martial arts. He had drawn blood many times and I had not been ab
le to touch him even once. My wounds started bleeding again and I felt dizzy. All was lost. I was desperate.
“Varuna, you pirate, hold on or lose your blasted head!”
I turned and saw to my surprise, two archers framed in the doorway. It took me a few seconds to recognize my uncle Maricha, and my brother Kumbakarna. They pointed their arrows at Varuna and for the first time I saw him lose his calm. Before I could react, he tried to jump into the sea through the open window. I grabbed his legs and he fell with his face flat on the floor. Before Varuna could shake me off, Kumbha was on him and together we pinned him down and tied his hands behind his back with the silk curtains Maricha had torn down and handed to us.
“How the hell did you people arrive in the nick of time?” I could not stop wondering at this fairy tale arrival of the redeeming heroes.
Maricha was out of breath but that did not stop his tale. “When you discussed the plans with us this morning, I kept thinking about it. The more I thought, the more reckless and foolish it appeared to me. I came to your chambers to warn you not to undertake this idiotic mission. But you were missing. One did not need to be a genius like Prahastha to guess where you had gone. Certainly not for a late night stroll. I woke this oaf, then ran like a mad dog and blew the war bugle. I could assemble only a few hundred soldiers. Half of them were dead drunk. These Asuras… Then we paddled like crazy to watch the entertaining circus you had set up on the high seas.”
“Did we lose any men?”
“Do you think we were warmly welcomed with betel leaves and sweets into Varuna’s ship? We lost a few dozens and half of them died not because of battle wounds but drowning in these turbulent waters. I heard you also lost some men.”
“The count was six when I started my interesting chat with the great pirate- King.”
“I’m sorry, but I think your pet Bhadra drowned. Vaystha, the head soldier saw him fall over and no one has seen him since. In these rough seas I think he would have reached China by now.”
Asura- Tale of the Vanquished Page 16