“He sent assassins after me,” Asoka shrugged. “I’d say I have been much compassionate after all that he did.”
“You sure have.” Hardeo laughed. “But his assassin almost killed my daughter too. And I daresay I won’t be as compassionate as you.” He leaned ahead. “He however has much to tell us before I show him my true colors.”
“I won’t tell you shit,” Hariharan spit on the floor, “you untouchable Buddhist!”
“Maybe you need to show him your colors before he blurts out his story,” Asoka smiled. “But Kanaka here can take care of that, can’t you?”
“Indeed I can,” Kanaka said, getting up and revealing a small blade from his clothes. “As you can see, Acharya,” he said, “I am carrying a blade, though carrying weapons is banned in this city. I am carrying this blade because I am a weapons dealer and have means to bring it inside the city through my connections with the guards. However how did you manage to get your bows, arrows and poison inside the city?”
“You have definitely had inside help,” Hardeo said. “But no guard would have helped you. So you need to tell us who the traitor was who let you bring weapons in.”
Kanaka placed his sword on the Acharya’s skin. “Oh, don’t make a face.” He said. “I won’t kill you. Just hurt you until you tell the truth. And being hurt is worse than being dead, trust me.”
“I should have killed you all,” Hariharan said loudly, “but this prince here ruined everything. I was so close, yet so far.”
“Give us a name,” Hardeo said, “and maybe I’ll let you live, to exchange as a hostage obviously.”
“The Ancient Brahminical order!” Hariharan said. “It was the order. The order wanted you dead, to disperse your guild. You had become too powerful. Something had to be done.”
“And there is only one man who could have told you that we have become powerful,” Hardeo said, looking the Acharya in the eye.
“Now that I have failed, there is no harm in telling you,” Hariharan said. “It was Raja Utamacharya. He came to us. He told the order what was happening. How Buddhists were gaining control in the city. He couldn’t go to Patliputra, so he came to us.”
“And here I was, thinking that the Raja was almost good for nothing now,” Hardeo said. “Would you take care of this for me, Kanaka?”
“Surely I will.” Kanaka said. “I placed Raja Utamacharya under the protection of the guards last night. I told him it was for his own security. So now we can be sure that he hasn’t gone anywhere.”
“I’ll come with you too,” Asoka said, getting up.
“But you and I have so much to talk, Prince,” Hardeo said.
“Then you should come with us too,” Asoka smiled.
“How are we going to talk with the Raja?” Kanaka wondered, as they walked into the palace. “He’s deaf, isn’t he?”
“Oh, leave that part to me,” Hardeo said.
Raja Utamacharya was sitting on the throne, eating his breakfast. He didn’t notice at all until Hardeo had walked up to the throne and stood over him by his side. Asoka and Kanaka stayed behind, at a little distance.
“Raja,” Hardeo shouted loudly in the Raja’s ear, “I have some news for you.”
“What?” Utamacharya asked with a scared face.
“You’re going to the capital,” Hardeo said. He pointed at Asoka. “Here is the Prince of Patliputra.” He said. “He has come to take you away to answer for your sins.”
Utamacharya tried to get up from his seat, but Hardeo forced him to sit back down. “Finish your meal.” He said. “You’re going to need it.”
Then he walked back to Kanaka and Asoka.
“Prince of Patliputra, I like it,” Asoka said.
“You two meet me at the guild house,” Hardeo said. “Now I have to have some private discussion with the Raja before he leaves Vidishanagri forever.”
Asoka smiled as he saw Hardeo clutching his knuckles. They walked out of the palace, closing the doors behind them.
‘Where is Devi?” Asoka asked once they were out.
“I was waiting for you to ask that,” Kanaka smiled. “She is safe too, in the guild house. Last night was quite frightful for her. She is strong, but impending death frightens everyone.”
“Indeed it does.” Asoka said. “Last night was frightful for everyone.” He touched the back of his neck where Pushyamitra had almost cut him last night. He closed his eyes and remembered his heart beating fast as Pushyamitra’s sword hovered above him.
“You want to go see her?” Kanaka asked.
“No.” Asoka said, opening his eyes again. “There will be ample time later. Lots of time.”
Chanakya
Northwest, 50 years earlier
This time, Raja Puru’s camp lay in a large valley, with no river within miles of its sight. Mountains soared all around the numerous tents and men who camped there. They were marching back to Paurava, from the Beas river and had stopped in the valley to rest.
I first caught sight of the camp from atop a mountain. Everything looked so small from there. I slowed my horse down a bit. I had been riding nonstop for two days and nights finding the camp. I had come straight from Taxila. Finally, I had found them. The horse indeed was tired, but I was not. I was bustling with energy.
The atmosphere of the camp was dull, because it was not a battle camp at all, but a marching one. I could see no soldiers practicing anywhere. No sound of the blacksmith’s hammers hitting the anvil. Instead I saw men relaxing around the tents. Women everywhere, whores for sure. Soon, the army would be dispersed, and the men were enjoying their last days on the march.
I found no fortifications of any kind around it. The camp had been put up quite hastily. There was nobody there to check who went in and out. Nor was there anybody to guide me to the Raja’s tent. I had to find it myself, and I found it, the somewhat large tent in the middle of the camp.
No guards stood at the tent’s entrance, and I peeped in unannounced. Puru was sitting on his bed again, sharpening his sword. He welcomed me in one moment.
“Welcome, friend!” Raja Puru greeted me, standing up. I noticed that the tent was quite small compared to the last one. Raja Puru’s head almost touched the roof. Even the Raja’s attire was quite different. The clothes were no longer rich, no golden doublets of any kind. The only thing that hadn’t changed was the Raja’s height.
I bowed to him. “I see quite a celebration outside.”
“There sure is.” Puru laughed. “We are celebrating our freedom after all, Chanakya.”
I smiled, sitting down on a chair.
“Finally, Alexander is gone,” Puru said, sitting back down on his bed.
“Well, he did take most of your wealth with him while going.” I said.
“Alas.” Raja Puru looked down. “He took all the gold, ornaments, artifacts. But all that is nothing compared to freedom, I say.”
“Yes. Nothing compared to freedom.” I said. “But freedom is sweeter when it is achieved without losing all the wealth associated with it.”
“I know you speak of Taxila.” Puru said. “It has become independent and turned even better than it was earlier, but not all of us can be that lucky now, can we?”
“Nor lucky, nor able.” I said.
“Can I offer you something, friend?” Raja Puru asked. “Wine, women? You should enjoy the celebrations here too.”
“I’m sorry I won’t be able to.” I said. “I won’t be here long.”
“So why are you here?” Raja Puru asked.
“To ask something from you.”
“And what would that be?” Puru asked.
I told him. Puru sat back with his arms folded, as I kept talking. When I was finished, Puru smiled. He took a cask of goatskin and poured some wine in a cup for himself.
“I never believed in the thought that history repeats itself, friend.” He said. “But here we are again, in another tent, in another army camp, planning another battle.”
I poured another cupfu
l of wine for myself and sipped it. “But a lot of things have changed since the last time we were doing so, Raja.” I said. “Your hair has started graying and freckles are showing on your face. Your hands tremble as you hold the cup of wine to your lips.”
Puru placed the glass of wine down on the table. “I have indeed aged almost a decade in this last year, friend.” He said. “I am tired, and here you are, asking me to undergo the labors of a campaign one more time.”
‘It’s the same campaign that you were prepared to go on with Alexander.” I said. “The same campaign against the Nandas. Against the Rajya of Magadha. You would have gone on it with Alexander. And suddenly, you are tired now?”
“Is this campaign really necessary now?” Puru asked. “The Greeks are gone. Can’t we just go back to life as before? I say we’ve all had enough. We all deserve rest now.”
“The Nandas have disgraced the revolution by killing one of its leaders.” I said. “The Nandas shall be punished and this campaign shall happen. That much is unquestionable.”
“Frankly, I am afraid of these leaders of the revolution as much as the Nandas.” Puru said. “My people loved them more than me.”
“Your people still love them more than you.” I said. “And so do the people in the Nanda kingdom.”
“I thought that the people in the Nanda Rajya loved the Nandas.” Puru said.
“I lied.” I said. “The people hate the Nandas. They are tyrannical Rajas who rule with the help of an equally tyrannical army.”
“Oh my my.” Puru gasped. “What in the name of the Trinity would have happened if Alexander would have invaded?”
“If he would have,” I said, “he would have made himself the master of the entire continent. He missed it by a small amount.”
“I am still his Satrap.” Puru said.
“Not without his army, you aren’t.” I said. “He and his army have gone far south now. Nothing you do concerns him now.”
“But he shall return.”
“Going to Greece and back takes a lot of time.” I said. “And lots of things can happen to a travelling army.”
“He promised me that he would return,” Puru said, as white as chalk. “He promised that he would come back and complete his mission of world dominion.”
“You’re still afraid of him, aren’t you?” I said.
“He is just twenty five, Chanakya.”
“And Chandragupta is just eighteen,” I said, stamping my fist on the table. It spilled some of the wine. “Chandragupta’s work is just beginning, while I believe Alexander’s has ended.”
“What if he does return, Chanakya?” Puru asked. “What then? Have you heard of how he punishes traitors?”
‘And have you heard of how Chandragupta punishes traitors?” I smiled. “Have you heard of how Raja Ambhi died? Or what happened to his sons?”
“I hate your guts, Chanakya.” Puru said. “But we must consider the fact that if the Greeks returns, they shall punish me for betrayal.”
“If Alexander does return,” I said, “we must be ready for him this time. The Gods have given us a second chance. Think of how the past years have been. Do you want your people to go through anything like that again?”
“I don’t want anybody’s people to go through anything like that again.” Puru said. “It was horrible.”
“The mutual differences between you Rajas!” I said. “That is what made all of this possible. It’s time to end that.”
“I do want to make amends, Chanakya.” Puru said. “But I don’t want to put my people through another series of hardships. They’ve suffered enough for now.”
“Yes, they’ve suffered.” Chanakya said. “But for what? What has their suffering bought about? Nothing at all, with a distant possibility of another chain of sufferings.”
“What do you want me to do?” Puru asked looking down at his feet.
“I want you to ask your people to fight again.” I said. “This time, for safeguarding their own future and for the future of all the Aryas.”
“It’s very hard.” Puru said.
“You don’t understand.” I said. “I am not asking you to. I am telling you. The name of Chandragupta is already chanted by everyone between the Indus to Beas. Everyone knows how he has fought against foreign rule while everyone else was busy surrendering. If you won’t agree to join us, your generals will. And that will be bad for you, Raja Puru!”
“I know,” Puru said, “that my generals would rather follow him than me, but hold on to me only due to the bonds of old kingship.”
“Don’t let it all come down to that.” I said. “Work with us, Puru. The Nandas are weak. There are rebels operating in Patliputra itself. They asked me to bring Alexander to the city. That much is how they are desperate for liberation. I told them I would bring a good Kshatriya Raja instead. The time is ripe for snatching. The Aryas in the east are dying for liberation. By liberating them, we unite them under one banner. We solve the problem of our divided lands once and for all.”
“A united Aryavarta?” Puru looked shocked. “Like the old days of the epics? Like Mahabharata? Like that of Raja Ram?”
“A united Aryavarta under one man.” I said. “One man who is the Maharaja of Maharajas, Leader of all the Aryas, Samrat Chakravartin of the whole of Bharathvarsha.”
“All the other rulers will pay homage to him?”
“He shall appoint all the other rulers.” Chanakya said. “He shall rule by an iron fist made possible by the love of the people for him. Nobody shall oppose him, and he will make the realm as strong as it can be with his will.”
“I can’t believe it.” Puru exclaimed. “You have turned the Greek invasion into a thing of advantage for yourself.”
“For myself?”
“Who after all shall be the Guru of this new Samrat?” Puru mocked.
“I do nothing for myself.” I said. “All I do, I do for the realm. I do it for its betterment and advancement. I do it so that the Aryas are never again invaded by a foreign force and if they are, they should be able to stand united against whoever dares to do it, and defeat him.”
“You should have been born a Kshatriya, Chanakya,” Puru said.
“Even you were born one.” I chided. “What difference have you made?”
Puru looked like he had been slapped.
“One month from now,’ I said, “Chandragupta’s armies will be raised. I want you to raise yours and join him in this new campaign.”
“Will I at least lead the campaign?” Puru asked.
“No, Chandragupta will.”
“I have more experience here, Chanakya.” Puru said.
“And Chandragupta has more ability.” I said. “I would put up ability against experience any day.”
“What am I gaining here?” Puru asked. “I am giving you my army. I also have given up my claims on Taxila through marriage with Ambhi’s daughter.”
I laughed. But then I stopped as I realized how evil the laugh sounded. “You are gaining nothing, Raja Puru.” I told him, “only conserving your dignity.” Puru watched me speak with horror.
“Your days are over.’ I said. “You have had your chances, and you have lost. Now like the grey hair on your head, you have become old. The future belongs to us now.”
“No one,” Puru said, “not even Alexander has spoken to me like that.”
“And therein lays the problem.” I said, “I have wanted to say this for so much time now!” I stood up. “You petty Rajas and your pride! It is time to swallow all of it now, because someone a lot bigger and better than all of you is coming. And when he comes, you’ll either have to walk alongside him, or be trampled along the way.”
‘Who?” asked Puru.
“Me!” I said, standing up. Then I turned and walked out of the tent without looking back.
Almost a thousand miles away, somewhere in the darkness under Patliputra, a man in a black robe broke Avarak’s trance.
“Word has arrived, Grand Master,” he sai
d.
“Word from where?” Avarak asked, looking up at him. He hid a smile as he already expected the answer that was to come.
“From the northwest.” The man said. “It is done. The armies are being raised. Preparations are being made.”
Avarak smiled. “Then we must make preparation too.” He said, “Go run for the others. Call for a meeting immediately.”
When the messenger had run away, Avarak got up from his seat and knelt before the wall in front of him. “Great Ajatshatru!” He said. “It has begun. Give us strength to do what must be done.”
In front of him, into the stone of the wall, were colored bricks laid side by side as if to make a large symbol. And when one looked at it from far away, one would find a giant red snake etched into the blackness of the wall.
Not a mile from that place, a soldier peeped into the study of Prime Minister Rakshasa. “My Lord.” He said. “The spymaster sends word.”
Rakshasa looked up from his desk. “What?” He asked, confused.
“There are reports of a vast army being raised in the northwest, beyond the Beas river.”
“What?” Rakshasa gasped, as he got up from his seat. This was totally unexpected. “Who is raising the army?”
“The new Raja of Taxila.” The soldier said, bowing. “The spymaster said the army is being raised to attack us.”
“But why?” Prime Minister Rakshasa wondered. “What feud does this new Raja have with us? What have we done to him?”
“The spymaster said that the new Raja’s chief advisor is allying all the Rajyas in the region against us.” The guard paused. “The spymaster wasn’t sure but he has a name for you.”
Prime Minister Rakshasa stood up from his seat and looked at him expectantly. “Arya Chanakya.” The guard said.
Sushem
Taxila, 270 BC
Maharaja Sushem was sitting in the balcony of his grand palace, staring at the orange glow of the evening sky as his first wife, Divija, joined him. Sushem did not turn to look at her as she made herself comfortable on the only armchair on the wooden floor.
The Prince of Patliputra Page 30