Immortals of Meluha (21 page)
Daksha gazed at the dumbstruck couple with glee. He had the look of a director who had just seen his play being perfectly executed. Nandi, standing right behind Shiva, could see Sati’s expression. Suddenly everything became clear to him. The dance practices, the vikarma touch, the shudhikaran and his Lord’s anguish. While some part of him was afraid, another reconciled to it quickly. If his Lord wanted this, he would support it in every way possible. Brahaspati stared blankly at the couple, deep in thought about the implications of this unexpected situation. Parvateshwar looked at the goings on with barely concealed repugnance. What was happening was wrong, immoral and worst of all, illegal.
‘My Lord,’ said Daksha pointing to the empty seat at his right. ‘Please take your seat and we shall begin.’
Shiva did not react. He had not heard Daksha’s words. He was in a world where the only sound was the harmonious melody of Sati’s heavy breathing. A tune he could blissfully dance to for his next seven lives.
‘My Lord,’ repeated Daksha, a litde louder.
A distracted Shiva finally looked at Daksha, as if from another world.
‘Please take your seat, my Lord,’ said Daksha.
‘Yes of course, your Highness,’ said Shiva averting his eyes in embarrassment.
As Shiva sat down, the food was brought in. It was a simple delicacy that the Meluhans loved for breakfast. Rice and some cereals fermented and ground into a thick batter. Small portions of this batter were then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed into cylindrical roundels. The preparation was served while still draped in the banana leaf, along with some spicy lentils for taste. The dish was called an idli.
‘You’re the Neelkanth?’ a still shocked Sati whispered softly to Shiva, as she had willed some calmness into her breathing.
‘Apparently so,’ replied Shiva with a playful grin. ‘Impressed?’
Sati answered that question with a raised disdainful brow. The mask was back. ‘Why would I be impressed?’
What?!
‘My Lord,’ said Daksha.
‘Yes, your Highness,’ said Shiva, turning towards Daksha.
‘I was thinking,’ said Daksha. ‘Our puja should be over by this evening. Yet I have to stay here for two more days for some reviews with Brahaspati. There is no point in having Veerini and Sati get thoroughly bored out here for so much time.’
‘Thank you, your Highness,’ said Brahaspati with a sly grin. ‘Your vote of confidence in the interest that the royal family has in Mount Mandar is most reassuring.’
The entire table burst out laughing. So did Daksha, exhibiting a sporting spirit.
‘You know what I meant Brahaspati!’ said Daksha, shaking his head. Turning back to Shiva, he continued, ‘From what I know, my Lord, you were planning to leave for Devagiri tomorrow morning. I think it may be a good idea for Veerini and Sati to accompany you. The rest of us can catch up with you two days later.’
Sati looked up in alarm. She wasn’t sure why, but something told her that she shouldn’t agree to this plan. Another part of her said that she had no reason to be scared. In all the eighty-five years she had spent as a vikarma, she had never broken the law. She had the self-control to know what was right, and what wasn’t.
Shiva though had no such thoughts. With very obvious delight, he said, ‘I think that is a very good idea, your Highness. Nandi and I could travel with both her Highnesses back to Devagiri.’
‘It’s settled then,’ said a visibly content Daksha. Turning to Parvateshwar, he said, ‘Parvateshwar, please ensure that the Arishtanemi escort are broken up into two groups for the return journey.’
‘My Lord, I don’t think that is wise,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘A large part of the Arishtanemi are still in Devagiri preparing for the material transfer. Also, the standing contingent in Mount Mandar cannot be reduced under any circumstances. We may not have enough soldiers for two caravans. Perhaps, we could all travel together day after tomorrow’
‘I am sure there won’t be a problem,’ said Daksha. ‘And don’t you always say that each Arishtanemi is equal to fifty enemy soldiers? It’s settled. The Lord Neelkanth, Veerini and Sati will leave tomorrow morning. Please make all the arrangements.’
Parvateshwar went unhappily back to his thoughts as Shiva and Sati started whispering to each other again.
‘You did go for a shudhikaran, didn’t you?’ asked Sati seriously.
‘Yes,’ said Shiva. He wasn’t lying. He had gone for a purification ceremony on his last night at Devagiri. He didn’t believe he needed it. However, he knew that Sati would ask him the next time they met. And he didn’t want to lie to her.
‘Though I think the concept of doing a shudhikaran is completely absurd,’ whispered Shiva. ‘In fact, the entire concept of the vikarma is ridiculous. I think that is one of the few things in Meluha that is not fair and should be changed.’
Sati looked up suddenly at Shiva, her face devoid of any expression. Shiva stared hard into her eyes, trying to gauge some of the thoughts running through her mind. But he hit a blank wall.
It was the beginning of the second prahar the next day when Shiva, Veerini, Sati and Nandi departed for Devagiri along with a hundred Arishtanemi. Daksha, Parvateshwar and Kanakhala stood outside the guest house to see them off. Brahaspati had been detained by some scheduled experiments.
The entourage had to sit in the same carriage as there were guidelines that a minimum of four carriages had to be kept aside for any caravan that carried the Emperor. Since the royal procession had come in five carriages, that left only one carriage for this caravan. Parvateshwar was deeply unhappy about the unorthodox way in which members of the royal family had to travel without any dummy carriages, but his objections were overruled by Daksha.
Sitting on one of the comfortable sofas inside the carriage, Sati noticed that Shiva was wearing his cravat again. ‘Why do you cover your throat all the time?’
‘I am uncomfortable with the attention that comes when anyone sees the blue throat,’ replied Shiva.
‘But you will have to get used to it. The blue throat is not going to disappear.’
‘True,’ answered Shiva with a smile. ‘But till I get used to it, the cravat is my shield.’
As the caravan left, Parvateshwar and Kanakhala came up to Daksha.
‘Why do you have so much faith in that man, my Lord?’ asked Parvateshwar of Daksha. ‘He has done nothing to deserve respect. How can he lead us to victory when he has not even been trained for it? The entire concept of the Neelkanth goes against our rules. In Meluha a person is supposed to be given a task only if he is found capable of it and trained by the system.’
‘We are in a state of war, Parvateshwar,’ replied Daksha. ‘An undeclared one, but a state of war all the same. We face a terrorist attack every other week. These cowardly Chandravanshis don’t even attack from the front so that we can fight them. And our army is too small to attack their territory openly. Our “rules” are not working. We need a miracle. And the first rule of serendipity is that miracles come when we forget rational laws and have faith. I have faith in the Neelkanth. And so do my people.’
‘But Shiva has no faith in himself. How can you force him to be our saviour when he himself doesn’t want to do it?’
‘Sati will change that.’
‘My Lord, you are going to use your own daughter as bait?’ asked a horrified Parvateshwar. And do you really want a saviour who decides to help us just because of his lust!’
‘IT IS NOT LUST!’
Parvateshwar and Kanakhala kept quiet, shocked by Daksha’s reaction.
‘What kind of a father do you think I am?’ asked Daksha. You think I will use my daughter so? She just may find comfort and happiness with the Lord. She has suffered enough already. I want her to be happy. And if in doing so, I help my country as well, what is the harm?’
Parvateshwar was about to say something, but thought the better of it.
‘We need to destroy the Chandravanshi ideology,’ continued Daksha. ‘And the only way we can do that is if we can give the benefits of our lifestyle to the people of Swadweep. The common Swadweepans will be grateful for this, but their Chandravanshi rulers will try everything in their power to stop us. They may be able to resist us, but try as they might, they cannot stop a people led by the Neelkanth. And if Sati is with the Neelkanth, there is no way he would refuse to lead us against the Chandravanshis.’
‘But your Highness, do you really think the Lord would come to our side just because he is in love with your daughter?’ asked Kanakhala.
‘You have missed the point. The Lord does not need to be convinced to be on our side,’ said Daksha. ‘He already is. We are a great civilisation. Maybe not perfect, but great all the same. One has to be blind to not see that. What the Neelkanth needs is the motivation and belief in himself to lead us. That belief in himself will assert itself when he moves closer to Sati.’
‘And how is that going to happen, your Highness?’ asked Parvateshwar, frowning slightly.
‘You know what is the most powerful force in a man’s life?’ asked Daksha.
Kanakhala and Parvateshwar looked at Daksha nonplussed.
‘It is his intense desire to impress the person he loves most,’ expounded Daksha. ‘Look at me. I have always loved my father. My desire to impress him is what is driving me even today. Even after his death, I still want to make him proud of me. It is driving me to my destiny as the King who will re-establish the pure Suryavanshi way of life across India. And when the Neelkanth develops a deep desire to make Sati proud of him, he will rise to fulfil his destiny.’
Parvateshwar frowned, not quite agreeing with the logic, but kept quiet all the same.
‘But what if Sati seeks something different?’ asked Kanakhala. ‘Like a husband who spends all his time with her.’
‘I know my daughter,’ replied Daksha confidendy. ‘I know what it takes to impress her.’
‘That’s an interesting point of view, my Lord,’ smiled Kanakhala. ‘Just out of curiosity, what do you think is the most powerful force in a woman’s life?’
Daksha laughed out loud. ‘Why do you ask? Don’t you know?’
‘Well the most powerful force in my life is the desire to get out of the house before my mother-in-law wakes up!’
Both Daksha and Kanakhala guffawed loudly.
Parvateshwar didn’t seem to find it funny. ‘I am sorry but that is no way to speak about your mother-in-law.’
‘Oh relax, Parvateshwar,’ said Kanakhala. ‘You take everything too seriously’
‘I think,’ said Daksha smiling, ‘the most powerful force in a woman’s life is the need to be appreciated, loved and cherished for what she is.’
Kanakhala smiled and nodded. Her emperor truly understood human emotions.
CHAPTER 10
As the caravan emerged from the carefully chiselled passage leading out from the depths of Mount Mandar, Veerini requested that the carriage be stopped for a minute. Veerini, Sati, Shiva and Nandi went down on their knees and offered a short prayer to the mountain for its continued benefaction. Watching over them on high alert was the Arishtanemi Bhabravya, a strapping man of sixty years with an intimidating moustache and beard.
After a short while, Bhabravya came up to Veerini and said with barely concealed impatience: ‘Your Highness, perhaps it’s time to get back into the carriage.’
Veerini looked up at the captain and with a quick nod got up. Sati, Shiva and Nandi followed.
