“Why couldn’t your Ambassador have come himself?” Chandragupta asked, leaning forward on his throne. “I have heard he has camped in the outskirts of my city.”
“He didn’t feel safe, My Raja.” The bearded man said. “After all, there has just been a revolution here.”
Chandragupta laughed. “There is nothing to be afraid of. And besides, how will I know of his appreciation if he does not meet me in person?”
“He has invited you to meet him, My Raja,” The bearded man said, “somewhere outside the city.”
Chandragupta looked intrigued, “Why can’t he come to the city?” He asked. “I would guarantee his safety.”
“He is much afraid, and won’t come in spite of any guarantees.” The bearded man said. “You however are a lion itself personified. It would be child’s play for you to come out of the city and meet him.”
“I will think about it.” Chandragupta said, dismissing the bearded man by the wave of his hand. I was impressed. Chandragupta had already learnt to conduct himself like a Raja. I watched as the beaded man stood at the back of the palace. For a moment, he made eye contact with me and then looked away, almost immediately. I kept looking at him. He was one of the men I had met by the banyan tree earlier that week. The man did not return my gaze.
Meanwhile, the other men continued to come forward and pay their respects.
After the coronation ceremony was over, Chandragupta bent to touch my feet.
“Word has arrived from Paurava,” I told him. “Sikander and the Greeks are leaving.”
“I’ve heard that his army did not let him cross the Beas river.” Chandragupta said.
“Something like that,” I winked.
“Sometimes I wonder,” Chandragupta said, “if it is the army that leads a Raja or is it the Raja that leads an army.”
“Sometimes,” I said, “the man who leads the army is not a Raja.” I glanced at Dileepa, who was sitting silently by the side.
“Dileepa is like my brother.” Chandragupta said. “He would never go against me.”
“That was when you weren’t a Raja.” I said. “Now there’s a crown on your head and a mere helmet on his.”
“I give you my word, Dileepa shall never go against me,” Chandragupta said.
“We place too much faith in people’s faith sometimes.” I sighed. “We never know what truly motivates them.”
Chandragupta walked up to the balcony with his arms folded and peeped outside. He was looking towards the north.
“So where is Alexander going now?” He asked.
“South.” I answered, joining Chandragupta on the balcony. “How fast things change.” I said. “Not more than a year ago, I was standing at this same place with Raja Ambhi growling at me.”
“So Alexander will pass near Taxila?” Chandragupta asked.
“I hope the word of your rebellion has not yet reached him.” I said.
“And what has happened to Raja Puru?” Chandragupta asked.
“The last I knew,” I said, “Raja Puru was asked to return to Paurava and take charge of the northwest.”
“In the name of the Greeks,” Chandragupta pointed out.
“Only in name,” I noted.
“So our rebellion is Puru’s problem now!” Chandragupta said.
“Yes it is.” I said. “Alexander’s army is too weary to fight another battle. I doubt that they’ll try. When I left, Porus told me there was almost a mutiny in the camp. But the Greeks love their leader too much to change him, and he too has finally agreed to their demands.”
“It appears that this grave invasion upon us is about to end.” Chandragupta said.
“Don’t blame the invasion too much.” I said. “It is because of that invasion that you are wearing Ambhi’s crown while Ambhi’s first born son is wearing handcuffs.”
Chandragupta said nothing. He took off the crown and held it in the air, as if to drop it from the balcony.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“You have taught us better, Guru.” Chandragupta exclaimed. “This crown is just a symbol. It is worthless.”
“Worthless maybe to you.” I said. “But immensely valuable to the people.”
“After all it is the people that rule.” Chandragupta said.
“Yes.” I said. “And their faith and love for you is the true crown you are wearing. And that is the one you should never take off.”
“So is this it?” Chandragupta finally said “To replace one Raja. Is that all?”
“Not at all, my dear boy.” I said, placing the crown back on his head. “This is merely the beginning.”
Chandragupta looked outside in the open. “What of these Nandas?” He asked. “Do you think I should go and see the Ambassador?”
“Yes, I think you should.” I said. “You should see what the Ambassador wants. The Nandas have recognized you as the new Raja of Taxila. Surely, they must want something in return.”
“I don’t feel safe going out in the open.” Chandragupta said. “Besides we all know that the Nandas are treacherous.”
“Then for your safety, you must take the best warrior in Taxila with you.” I said, pointing at Dileepa.
Chandragupta, Dileepa and I rode out onto the plains on horses. Far in the distance, we could see a lone tent put up on a hill.
“I don’t feel safe going in there, without weapons.” Chandragupta said, wheeling his horse next to mine. He looked thoughtful.
“The Ambassador’s demands were clear,” I said. “He demanded that no weapons should be brought to the meet…”
“True.” Chandragupta said. “But what guarantee is there that the Ambassador is alone in there, without bodyguards of any kind?”
“No guarantee at all, except the Ambassador’s word.” I agreed.
“Exactly!” Chandragupta said. “And the word of the Nandas doesn’t mean much, does it?”
I nodded. “Maybe you should carry a small blade which you can conceal in your clothes.”
Chandragupta looked at Dileepa. “Do you have a small blade?” Dileepa nodded and handed over a small dagger covered with clothing. Chandragupta carefully hid it in his belt.
I nodded. “Do you have one more blade for me?” I asked Dileepa.
Dileepa shrugged. “I don’t have a blade for me now.”
We had reached the base of the hill. A guard in armour stood there with a spear.
“There were to be no weapons!” Chandragupta said loudly.
“I am sorry, Raja, but your bodyguard can carry a weapon too, provided he stands outside.” The guard bowed and said.
Chandragupta nodded at Dileepa who got down from his horse. I got down from my horse too. “I think I should give the blade back to Dileepa.”
“No way.” I told him. “Let’s just move forward.”
He shrugged. “My advisor and I carry no weapons.” He declared.
“Then you may enter.” The guard said.
Dileepa stood opposite the guard. He nodded at Chandragupta. Chandragupta nodded back.
Chandragupta and I started climbing towards the tent. “I wonder what these Nandas want,” Chandragupta wondered, “sending their Ambassadors so soon after the rebellion.”
“They must have heard that Alexander is returning too,” I said, just trying to make small talk. The moment of reckoning was nigh upon us. “It is time for them to take an interest in the northwest perhaps.”
“I always thought of the Nanda Rajas as having interest in nothing but their own welfares.” Chandragupta muttered.
“I’ve been there, that is exactly how they are.” I said, praying to the Gods. Avarak’s men had better be good!
“So why this desire for a meeting?” Chandragupta asked.
“We’re about to find out, aren’t we?” I said.
We had reached the top, and the tent was just ahead of us. Its entrance was small, and it looked dark inside. Chandragupta looked back once. Dileepa and the guard were still standing there, but they loo
ked smaller. A cool breeze blew.
“I guess we should walk inside then,” Chandragupta said, and we walked inside together. There was no one. The tent was empty.
“What in the name of Shiva?” Chandragupta swore.
Suddenly a man put a sword to his throat from behind. “The Nandas send their regards.” He whispered.
Chandragupta was quick. He held the sword at his throat with his one hand and pushed it away. His hand became all bloodied, but the attacker was disarmed.
With his other hand, Chandragupta ushered out the hidden blade in his belt. But the attacker punched him in the face. I went for the sword which had fallen on the ground.
The attacker grappled with Chandragupta as I picked the sword up. I hit the attacker from behind. I cut the attacker’s throat. The attacker fell to the ground.
We got out of the tent. “You’re bleeding.” I said. Chandragupta touched his nose. Blood was flowing out from where the attacker had punched him. He took off his cloth to wipe it.
“Don’t wipe it off.” I said.
We rushed down the hill towards the horses. The guard was nowhere to be found. Dileepa was lying on the ground, on his stomach.
Chandragupta turned him around. There was an arrow in his neck, and his eyes were closed. He was dead.
I finally let out a sigh of relief. Avarak’s men had been good. The mission had been completed.
Asoka
Vidishanagri, 270 BC
The darkness fell over Vidishanagri early that night. The sun disappeared into the hills far west and the full moon shone brightly in the darkening sky. But there were so many candles and lamps in the town square, that it almost felt like day.
The town square was flooded with people in festive clothing. A wooden stage was put up at one edge, decorated with multi-colored fabric. The air was filled with the constant chatter of the people and the sound from the musicians who played from the stage.
Asoka and Pushyamitra stood at a side in the crowd, waiting for the dance to begin. Behind them on a high platform sat the members of the guild, including Hardeo.
Asoka could have easily sat there, but he wanted to be at the front. He wanted to surprise Devi, when she came out on to the stage for the dance. Pushyamitra looked bored.
He watched the men prepare the stage. There was noise all around them.
Suddenly a man called out to him from the crowd. It was Kanaka. They couldn’t hear each other in the noise, so Kanaka pulled him aside.
Back in the alleys, it was darker. With almost all the city thronging the town square, the alleys felt deserted.
“Quite a celebration,” Asoka said, once they were away from the noise.
“I told you,” Kanaka said. “We Buddhists are a happy people.”
“Happy indeed,” Asoka agreed, watching the jolly crowd from the alley.
“Anyway, I wanted to give you this.” Kanaka brought out a small blade hidden in a cloth. Asoka’s eyes lit up at once.
“How did you sneak it in?” He asked, holding its handle and admiring the clear iron blade.
“I am a member of the guild and a weapons trader.” Kanaka winked. “Really, it wasn’t that difficult.”
Asoka played with the blade, raising it up and down and doing a few pseudo strokes in the air. “I can’t thank you enough for this.” He said to Kanaka.
“Thank me later.” Kanaka said. “Now the sound tells me that the dance has begun.” They could indeed hear fast music being played from the trumpets.
Both of them made their way back into the crowd. Asoka returned to Pushyamitra’s side to find that the Captain had not moved. Women danced on the stage dressed in indigo colors. Asoka spotted Devi at once. She was in the centre. Devi looked beautiful as she shifted from one step to the other. She had not yet spotted him.
Asoka pushed through the crowd and emerged at the front. He was now very close to the stage. He stood there smiling, his hands folded, and waited for her to break out of step. But she was concentrating so much that her eyes did not leave her feet.
Asoka waited for the dance to end. Then as everyone clapped, he whistled.
That was when she finally saw him. Their eyes met and her face was full of surprise. She missed the next step. The other dancers watched her awkwardly and some of the crowd booed. But she was quick to rectify it and broke into a rotation.
Asoka stood there, still smiling. He watched her moving braid one last time before disappearing back into the crowd. He walked over to Pushyamitra.
“Time to go.” He said. A surprised Pushyamitra followed him.
They left the town square and entered the alleys. Asoka looked back at the stage. One more round had ended and Devi was looking at the crowd, trying to locate him. He smiled to himself.
“Where are we going, My Lord?” Pushyamitra asked with concern.
“You thought I came here only to watch her, didn’t you?” Asoka said. He led the way through the dark alleys. Everything was deserted. Not a single soul could be seen. The sound of music playing from the town square echoed all over them.
“Where are we going, My Lord?” Pushyamitra asked again, catching up with him.
“You’ve stayed in the city long enough now,” Asoka said, “where do you think we’re going?”
They were at the back of the inn, where a nullah flowed, filling the air with its stench.
“You see, Mitra,” Asoka said, “our Maharaja Sushem has sent a horse for the Ashwamedha. It is somewhere in this region. The man who leads that party is here in Vidishanagri tonight.”
Pushyamitra struggled to match his quick pace. “If he is here,” he asked, “why isn’t he at the festivities?”
“Because, my friend,” Asoka said, raising his hand, “he and his group of friends are having one of their own festivals tonight.”
He pointed to the first floor windows which had light shining out of them. “We need to get there.” He said.
They tried to push open the doors of the inn. They were locked. Asoka looked around. “We’ll need to climb around.”
He propped himself up upon a wall and climbed over to the roof of the inn. The window with the light wasn’t far now. Pushyamitra had followed him. Asoka leaned in, his ear to the window. He could hear murmurs.
“Guildmaster Hardeo is the primary target.” A soft voice said. “You two must not miss him at all costs.”
“We won’t, Master.” Two voices spoke.
“Good.” The soft voice said. “Line the tips of your arrows with this deadly kalkoot poison. That will make sure that he certainly dies wherever the arrows hit him.”
“Yes, Master.” The two voices said.
“For the Order!” The soft voice chanted.
“For the Order.” The two voices swore.
Asoka could now hear footsteps. Someone was walking out of the room. Then he heard the door being closed. Then he could hear someone walking near the window. The window opened, and the face of an old man with a white beard popped out. Asoka held him by the shoulders and pulled him out of the window, on the ceiling.
It came as a shock for the old man. Asoka held his palm tightly over the old man’s lips, to stop him from screaming.
“Welcome to Vidisha, Minister Hariharan.” He said, pulling the old man up to his feet.
The old man opened his mouth. “What is the meaning of this?” He asked.
“It is I who should ask you that,” Asoka thundered.” The men you just sent to murder Hardeo, how many are they?”
“I am a man of the Ancient Brahminical Order.” Hariharan said. “I am not going to tell you anything.”
Asoka slapped the old man hard. His white beard became bloodied. “Two men.” He said. “Armed with bows and arrows.”
“Where did they go?”
“I asked them to choose any tall building along the town square,” Hariharan said, rubbing his cheek where Asoka had slapped him. the slap had hit.
Asoka turned to Pushyamitra. “Take this man with us.” He sai
d. They jumped down from the roof to the streets. Asoka drew his blade.
They walked along the alleys again.
“I need a sword, My Lord,” Pushyamitra muttered. He was holding Minister Hariharan by the side.
“From where am I going to give it to you?” Asoka whispered back. “Just wait until we find one.”
They were along the east alleys now. They could see the town square from between the buildings. The platform Hardeo and the others were sitting on was to the west.
Asoka looked atop every building. Soon he found an open door and saw movements on the top. “We must hurry,” he whispered.
They broke out onto the ceiling with surprise. The two men with the bows had their backs to them. Asoka immediately attacked one with his blade. The bowman fell dead to the ground. But the other bowman turned.
Asoka hit him too, and he too fell to the ground.
“Go check if they have any swords,” Asoka said to Pushyamitra and Pushyamitra left Hariharan to check the bodies. Hariharan fell to the ground. Asoka crouched next to him.
“Acharya Hariharan,” he said, “you are the prime minister of my brother Sushem. From when did you stoop down to levels this low?”
“I was doing a holy task.” Hariharan said. “A task of the Order. The guild has become too big. It must be eliminated.”
“A holy task!” Asoka laughed. “Like trying to murder me too? Your Order breeds nothing but murderers.”
“You are mistaken.” Hariharan said.
“No, I am not,” Asoka said. “I know it was you who sent the assassins after me.”
“Yes, but you still are mistaken,” Hariharan said. “The Order did not tell me to send the assassins after you.”
“Then who did?” Asoka asked, though he was afraid that he already knew the answer.
“Maharaja Sushem.”
“My own brother?” Asoka’s face was filled with horror. It had been confirmed now. He had heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.
“Indeed.”
“It is time for payback then,” he said. “Tell me where the Ashwamedha horse is and I’ll let you live.”
“The horse is on the road between here and Patliputra,” Hariharan said and he began to laugh.
The Prince of Patliputra Page 28