Rajiv Menon -- ThunderGod

by Rajiv G rtf txt Menon

  Indra and Soma weaved, rolled and twisted out of the path of the charging beasts. Around them the Deva chariots were being taken apart. They heard the screams of men being gored or crushed under those giant legs.

  The Mahavat chief--realising that the enemy had scattered-- now called off the charge. He did not want to exhaust his mounts in a futile chase. Indra and Soma found themselves surrounded by elephants. Mace and sword in hand, they prepared for the inevitable.

  Suddenly a piercing whistle rent the air. Indra turned in the direction of the sound. It was the Ashvanis on horseback. They had somehow found a way through the forbidding grey wall. They reached the two warriors who hoisted themselves onto the backs of their steeds, and with some sublime horsemanship rode literally between the enormous feet of the infuriated beasts back to their own lines.

  Indra was soon back at the helm of his army in a new chariot. He issued orders to Aryaman and his cavalry archers to take down the riders of the elephants. Aryaman and his men rode up and concentrated their arrows on the Mahavats. Under their accurate assault, many of the elephants were soon left without riders. The Mahavat leader crouched low on his mount and continued to direct the charge. The Ashvanis pointed him out to Indra and informed him that the only way to stop the assault would be to kill that man and beast.

  Indra directed Soma to drive the chariot towards the lead bull. As he neared the gargantuan beast, Indra leapt off the chariot. In his hand he carried Kadaag, the black sword. The Mahavat leader saw Indra come and turned the great beast towards him. Indra roared out a challenge and sprinted towards the charging animal. The elephant hesitated, unused to such behaviour. One brief second was all Indra needed: he leapt towards the beast and, stepping on its tusk, launched himself upwards. The rider let out a startled yell as Indra suddenly appeared in front of him. He raised the elephant goad to strike Indra, but he was too late, Kadaag took his head clean off his shoulders.

  Indra stood on the elephant's head and kicked the lifeless torso off its back. The elephant roared and tried to turn its head to dislodge the intruder. Indra drove his sword into the thick neck of the beast right where it met the skull. The elephant screamed in agony, turned tail and ran. Indra twisted the sword viciously and severed its spinal cord. The great beast stopped, swayed for a moment, and then dropped down dead on the battlefield. Indra leapt off its back and ran back to his lines. The other elephants had followed the lead bull and turned their backs on the enemy.

  Aryaman and his archers now attacked their unprotected rear with a volley of arrows and sent them on their way. The leaderless elephants needed no further encouragement as they charged back towards their own lines.

  ***

  Bheda, chief of the Vrisni clan, looked out at the dust cloud in the distance. He could hear the bellowing of the giant beasts. He hoped they had left him some of the enemy to deal with. He had six thousand spears thirsting for blood. His men were packed together in a tight line as they waited for the signal from Ugra.

  The Vrisni were the greatest warriors in the land. For generations they had been hired as mercenaries to protect the borders of Harappa from invasion. They were supremely confident and scoffed at the thought of wearing any armour. With their speed and skill they did not feel the need for any extra protection.

  Clad only in loincloths of tiger skin, their beautifully sculpted dark bodies were marked with white clay. It gave them a fearful appearance. They now sang and shuffled their feet in a rhythmic dance as they waited to rain death and destruction on the enemy.

  Suddenly, through the cloud of dust, he saw that the elephants were out of control and running straight for the Vrisni line. Bheda realised what had happened and screamed for his men to break ranks and scatter. His timely action saved a lot of his men from being trampled underfoot by the giant beasts. But even before he could close ranks again, Indra's chariots and cavalry had hit the broken line. Bheda watched in horror as the Devas scythed through his army and emerged behind them. Before he could order his men to turn and face the threat of another cavalry charge, Yadu and his Yavanas attacked.

  The Vrisni, in all their years of fighting, had never encountered such a disciplined and cohesive unit as Indra's army. Now they were caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Indra, Soma, Varuna, Vayu and Agni consumed huge quantities of soma and waded into the throng of Vrisni.

  Sandwiched between Yadu and Indra's army, what followed was a massacre unlike any the Harappans had ever seen before. Although outnumbered, Indra and his army unleashed a furious attack against which the hapless Bheda and his men had no answer. Before sunset, all of the mighty Vrisni had fallen on the blood-soaked earth.

  Ugra and his handful of Harappan soldiers bowed their head in subjugation to the Deva king and escaped with their lives.

  14

  As the victorious army marched into the city of Harappa, Indra remembered Valli and her eloquent descriptions of her city. He realised now as he marvelled at Harappa's order and beauty that her words had not been exaggerations prompted by the love of her native land. Even Susa, with all its beauty, paled in comparison to this magnificent city.

  As they marched through its broad central avenue, the citizens gathered by the sides to catch a glimpse of their new rulers. They were all dressed in white flowing robes, and both men and women adorned themselves with heavy gold jewellery. Their faces betrayed no emotion sans a mild curiosity as they watched the parade. They did not behave or appear like a conquered people.

  Indra was surprised to discover the complete lack of fear in their eyes. They seemed almost haughty as they met his gaze. He looked around at his own men who appeared strangely subdued, as if awestruck by the beauty of the city.

  Brihaspati realised that there was more to this scene than met the eye. There was something about this city. He felt a strange power here. A dark, sinister, all-encompassing power. He turned to Ugra who marched next to him and spoke to him in a whisper.

  'Tell me the truth for I will know if you do not. There is something wrong. My men are strangely subdued while your people show no fear for their future. What is this strange power I sense here?'

  Ugra did not turn to him but spoke in a soft whisper so the others would not hear.

  'What you sense is true, Master. Raksha, the patron goddess of Harappa, protects this city. It is she who controls the minds of your people. We will speak more about this later.'

  Indra tried to shake off the ominous feeling that had crept into his mind as he stared at the local populace. He curled his nose in disgust and whispered to Soma.

  'Look at them! With all that jewellery, it's impossible to tell the men from the women. Pompous little peacocks. I wonder if they'd maintain those stoic faces with my sword up their arse.'

  Soma looked distinctly uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

  'I do not trust these dark ones. They are like snakes waiting for a chance to turn on us.'

  The road took them past a huge reservoir. Ugra informed them that this was the only water source left in the city. The river Sindhu that had once been the lifeline of this great city was now a muddy swamp. This tank fed by underground springs was the only thing that kept the city alive. Indra laughed unsympathetically.

  'Do not worry. When your water runs out you can melt down all that gold you'll wear on your bodies and drink it.'

  They were led to one of the oligarchs' palaces that had been hurriedly vacated to accommodate Indra and his commanders. Indra called for soma and after downing a few cups felt distinctly better. After the long trek through the desert, he settled down to enjoy the luxuries the palace had to offer.

  Later his commanders arrived along with Brihaspati. Indra asked Soma to bring out more of his brew. Soma was reluctant; they were not going into battle and Indra had already drunk more of it than he could handle. Besides, they were in the company of Yadu, Aryaman and Brihaspati. He looked towards the other Falcons who shook their heads. Soma decided to ignore Indra.

  The Deva king wou
ld have none of it; he went to his friend and grabbed him violently by the throat.

  'When I give an order, I like to see it obeyed, old friend!'

  Soma looked deep into the eyes of his king. He did not recognise the person he saw lurking there. A shudder went through his body as he nodded his acquiescence. Indra let go of his throat and Soma rushed off to do his bidding. When he returned Indra snatched the chalice from him and, to Soma's horror, offered it to Brihaspati, Aryaman and Yadu.

  'Drink, my brave friends. Today you will know what it feels like to be gods.'

  Yadu and Aryaman stepped forward, but Brihaspati declined the offer. He took Ugra and left the room. Indra was not finished, he asked Soma to make sure that every man in the army got one measure of soma along with his dinner rations that evening. Agni, Varuna and Vayu joined Soma in trying to make Indra see reason, but to no avail.

  Soon the dancing girls arrived and the entertainment for the evening began. Yadu and Aryaman were pleased to discover that the drink greatly enhanced their performance with the ladies. Indra and the others drank more and more soma and convinced the dancing girls of Harappa that they were now lying with the gods.

  Brihaspati, who had stayed away from the celebrations, stood on a balcony and looked out into the city. It was deathly quiet-- most of the citizens were indoors. He could not sleep. Something was bothering him, a premonition of some terrible event. The moon was full and from somewhere in the distance he could hear wolves howl. Then he heard a commotion in the dark deserted streets and long shadows began to appear.

  As he watched silently from his vantage point, he saw that it was their own soldiers who were on the move. The soma seemed to have broken the spell Raksha had woven on them. They now moved through the streets like predators out on a hunt.

  Had Indra been in his senses, he would have realised why Mitra had warned him about giving soma to ordinary men. But he was being transported into the higher realms of pleasure in the expert arms of the dancing girls.

  That night, high on soma, the Devas, Yavanas and Adityas ran amok in the streets of Harappa, unleashing a holocaust of murder, rape and plunder. Like rutting animals, they barged into houses and dragged the women out into the streets. Children, rudely awakened from sleep, watched their fathers being murdered and their mothers brutalised. Their cries pierced the ears of Brihaspati like barbs. He prayed to the heavens and asked the sky gods to show mercy. They had flouted one of their fundamental rules of war, to honour the terms of surrender. He knew for certain that the consequences would be severe.

  As the sun came up, the soldiers awakened as if from a trance. Some of them awoke covered in blood, others in the middle of some heinous act. They backed away from the ravaged city and sheepishly made their way back to camp. The looks of bewilderment on their faces said it all--they had no idea what had occurred the previous night.

  The next morning an irate Ugra informed Indra of the violations of the surrender treaty and of the cruel excesses committed by his soldiers on the streets. Indra's drug-addled brain struggled to come up with a reply. When it did, it stunned the dark warrior.

  'It is all right, my friend. War makes monsters even of gods, and these are mortal men after all.'

  Then he laughed as he thought of something.

  'Perhaps they will put some brave sons in these cowardly bellies. Who will grow up and be able to defend this land properly.'

  Ugra looked up at the man whose courage during the battle he had begun to admire. This was not the hero who had proudly stood tall against everything the Harappans threw at him. This man who stood in front of him was like a petulant child who did not want to admit to his mistakes. Ugra bowed mockingly.

  'Unfortunately the people were deprived of even that privilege, my lord. Your men thought it would be fun to disembowel these women with their swords after they raped them.'

  Indra did not know what to say. In his current state of mind, he was above petty things like morality. He asked his guards to take the man away and screamed out to the others to fetch him more soma. More of the brew was consumed. Soon the women began to bore Indra and he shouted out to one of the Harappan attendants.

  'Get rid of these cows and bring me some real women. Where is the high priestess Anga? She seems to keep the best girls, bring them to us.'

  The man bowed and left to do his bidding. Brihaspati tried to reason with Indra, explaining to him that he should treat the Harappans with respect. These were a great people and there was much the Devas could learn from them. But his words fell on deaf ears. Soon the man returned with a message from Anga. He informed Indra that the high priestess had expressed her inability to fulfil Indra's wishes. In turn she asked for Indra to come to the temple and beg the goddess for forgiveness for the actions of his men.

  The hall went quiet as everyone looked towards Indra for his reaction. He laughed out loud and called to his companions to accompany him to the temple. Brihaspati went along in the hope that he could prevent things from getting ugly.

  ***

  The temple of Raksha, patron goddess of Harappa, stood on a little rise of land in the middle of the city. As they climbed to the top of the hill, Indra and his companions were surprised to see there was no structure. There was only a huge tree unlike any they had seen before. Its trunk was massive in girth and bone-white in colour. Its branches spread wide, and its broad leaves were of a green so dark, it almost looked black. In its dense foliage lived a variety of birds and small animals that, like the tree, looked alien to the land. A square mud-brick platform had been constructed around its base, on which the priestesses performed their rituals.

  In front of the tree stood Anga, the high priestess, along with her retinue of beautiful young women. Indra looked around arrogantly and asked her where her temple was. She explained to him that Raksha was a spirit of the forest and that she chose to live in that tree. So the tree was both the temple and the deity. It was the bringer of prosperity to their great city.

  Indra was amused that the luxury-loving people of Harappa worshipped a tree. He and his companions had a hearty laugh. Anga looked at these men and realised there would be no repentance for their actions. She and the other priestesses bowed their heads and joined their hands in prayer.

  Indra rudely interrupted and asked her to summon the goddess in her true form. He expressed his inability to bow to a tree. More laughter followed his statement. Anga was remarkably calm through all this provocation. She ignored him and continued with her prayers. It angered Indra that he was unable to get a rise out of her. He walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulder.

  'Tell your goddess that Indra, king of the Devas, has done her the honour of coming to her door to meet her. Ask her to reveal herself to me.'

  Anga laughed in his face, her beautiful dark eyes filled with contempt. Even the animals and birds that lived in the tree began to screech and call out in alarm.

  'Be careful what you ask for, barbarian. Leave now and perhaps you may still save yourself.'

  She shrugged off his grip, turned her back to him and went on with her prayers. Livid, Indra shoved her rudely towards his men. His voice was low and menacing now.

  'Amuse yourself, my boys. Perhaps the mother goddess will come to beg for her beloved daughter's honour.'

  Brihaspati watched in horror as Indra's commanders tore the clothes off the high priestess and spread-eagled her on the platform under the tree. The other women shut their eyes and began to chant in a low voice that seemed to emanate from deep within their throats. As the men took turns on her, Anga did not struggle, scream or even protest. She lay there, her face turned towards Indra, staring defiantly at him through her ordeal. Brihaspati averted his eyes in shame, distressed that there was nothing he could do. Anga had wounded the king's pride and Indra would not be stopped till she was humiliated.

  But if the Aditya priest thought that Indra was finished with his vengeance, he could not have been more wrong. He called to Agni who picked up a torch and, like a fi
re-eater in a carnival, blew the flames towards the tree. A wail of anguish went up among the women as the giant tree caught fire. Soma and the others dragged them away to safety. The Devas were amazed to see that the residents of the tree did not flee, and the dying screams of the birds and animals rung in the ears of the gathering long after the temple of Raksha had burned down to the ground.

  Indra and his men left with their pick of the women. Anga sat there long after they were gone. All that was left of the majestic living temple was a gnarled, burnt stump. As the smoke melted away, Anga heard a voice. It was young and sweet and in a language that was from Anga's long forgotten childhood.

  'I am cold, big sister.'

  Anga looked up and saw a beautiful young girl squatting on the floor in front of the burnt stump. Her arms were wrapped around her knees and she looked up at Anga with wide, dark eyes. The high priestess was suddenly conscious of her own nudity. She asked the remaining acolytes to fetch some robes. The girl stood up and pushed her long, dark hair away from her face. On the inside of her left wrist, Anga saw a mark that caused her to step back in alarm. It was the tattoo of a coiled serpent.

  Anga cautioned one of the priestesses as she handed the girl a robe.

  'Do not touch her. She bears the mark of the serpent.'

  The girl accepted the robe with a smile and used it to cover her perfectly-shaped body.

  ***

  Indra lay in the darkness, unable to sleep. His mind raced under the influence of the drug. Although his body craved sleep, his mind showed no signs of calming down. He thought about the events of the night and felt no guilt for the needless slaughter. He was above such petty morals. He was a god, a warrior god with an unquenchable thirst for blood and sex. He had lost count of the women that had come to his bed. He had felt no desire for them, only a sense of triumph as he made them commit the most depraved of sexual acts.

  His thoughts then went to Valli and he smiled. How different it had been with her: she had not been in awe of him like these women were. For her, it had been desire, raw and primal, that had slowly transformed to love over the short time they had spent together. She had challenged him to please her, and how he had responded. His eyes welled up; he shut them and let the tears flow down the sides of his face.