Immortals of Meluha (27 page)
Brahaspati stared at Shiva, first in shock and then with pleasure. He noticed a pattern in their dancing, a smooth six-step combination repeated rhythmically. Shiva reached out and pulled Brahaspati and Nandi to their feet. They joined in, tentative at first. But it was only a matter of time before a reluctant Brahaspati was dancing with abandon. The group moved together in a circle around the fire, the singing louder and livelier.
Shiva suddenly darted out of the ring towards Sati. ‘Dance with me.’
A flabbergasted Sati shook her head.
‘Oh come on! If you can dance while your Guruji and I watch, why not here?’
‘That was for
knowledge!’
said Sati.
‘So? Is it wrong if we’re not dancing for knowledge?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘Fine. Have it your way,’ said Shiva with a frustrated gesture. ‘Ayurvati, come!’
A starded Ayurvati didn’t know how to react. Before she could decide on a course of action, Shiva held her hand and pulled her into the circle. Veerbhadra lured Krittika in as well. The group danced boisterously and sang loudly, making a racket in an otherwise quiet night. Sati got up, clearly agitated, glared at Shiva’s back and ran into the rest-house. Shiva’s anger rose even higher as he noticed her absence when he turned towards the veranda.
Damn!
He got back to his dance, his heart in a strange mixture of pain and joy. He turned once again towards the veranda. There was nobody.
Who’s behind that curtain?
Shiva was dragged into the next move by Veerbhadra. It was a few moments later that Shiva was in a position to look again at the veranda. He could see Sati, outlined behind the curtain, staring at him. Only at him.
Wow!
A surprised and delighted Shiva swung back into his dance, moving in his prime form. He had to impress her!
CHAPTER 13
Kotdwaar was in all its glory to receive the Neelkanth. Torches had been lit across the fort perimeter as if it was Diwali. Red and blue pennants, embellished with the Suryavanshi Sun, had been hung down the fort walls. In a rare breach of protocol, the governor had come outside the city to personally receive the Neelkanth. After the formal exhibition of the Neelkanth for the Kotdwaar elite at the local court, a public function had been organised the following day. Sixty-five thousand people, practically the entire population of Kotdwaar, had converged for the event. Considering the vast number of attendees, the event had been organised outside the city platform to ensure that every person could be accommodated.
A speech by Shiva convinced the Kotdwaarans that Meluha’s days of trouble were soon to end. The remarkable effect Shiva seemed to have on the people was a revelation to him. Though he was careful with his words, telling them that he would do all he could to support the people of Meluha, the public made their own interpretations.
‘The cursed Chandravanshis will finally be destroyed,’ said one man.
‘We don’t have to worry about anything now. The Neelkanth will take care of everything,’ said a woman.
Seated with Brahaspati and Sati on the speaker’s platform, Parvateshwar was deeply unhappy at the public’s reaction. Turning to the chief scientist, he said, ‘Our entire society is based on laws and we are not supposed to blindly follow anyone. We are expected to solve our problems ourselves and not hope for miracles from a solitary man. What has this man done to deserve such blind faith?’
‘Parvateshwar,’ said Brahaspati politely, for he greatly respected him. ‘I think Shiva is a good man. I think he cares enough to want to do something. And aren’t good intentions the first step towards any good deed?’
Parvateshwar didn’t completely agree. Never a believer in the legend of the Neelkanth, the general thought that every man or woman had to earn his station in life with training and preparation, not just get it on a silver platter because of a blue throat. ‘Yes, that may be true. But intentions aren’t enough. They have to be backed by ability as well. Here we are, putting an untrained man on a pedestal and acting as though he is our saviour. For all we know, he might lead us to complete disaster. We are acting on faith. Not logic or laws or even experience.’
‘Sometimes one needs a little bit of faith when faced with a difficult situation. Rational answers don’t always work. We also need a miracle.’
‘You’re
talking about miracles? A scientist?’
‘You can have scientific miracles too, Parvateshwar,’ smiled Brahaspati.
Parvateshwar was distracted by the sight of Shiva stepping off the platform. As he came down there was a surge of people wanting to touch his hand. The soldiers, led by Nandi and Veerbhadra, were holding them back. There was one blind man amongst them who looked like he might be injured in the melee.
‘Nandi, let that man through,’ said Shiva.
Nandi and Veerbhadra lowered the rope to let him in.
Another man shouted, ‘I am his son. He needs me to guide him.’
‘Let him in as well,’ said Shiva.
The son rushed in and held his father’s hand. The blind man, who seemed lost without his son’s hand, smiled warmly as he recognised the familiar touch. He was led close to Shiva and the son said, ‘Father, the Neelkanth is right in front of you. Can you sense his presence?’
Copious tears flowed from the blind man’s eyes. Without thinking, he bent down to try and touch Shiva’s feet. His son cried out in shock as he pulled the man back sharply.
‘Father!’ scolded the son.
Shiva was stunned by the harshness in the son’s tone compared to the loving manner in which he had spoken so far. ‘What happened?’
‘I am sorry, my Lord,’ apologised the son. ‘He didn’t mean to. He just lost control due to your presence.’
‘I am sorry, my Lord,’ said the blind man, his tears flowing stronger.
‘Sorry for what?’
‘He is a vikarma, my Lord,’ said his son, ‘ever since disease blinded him twenty years ago. He should not have tried to touch you.’
Sati, who was now standing near Shiva, had heard the entire conversation. She felt sympathy for the blind man. She knew the torment of having even your touch considered impure. But what he had tried to do was illegal.
‘I am sorry, my Lord,’ continued the blind man. ‘But please don’t let your anger with me stop you from protecting our country. It is the greatest land that
Parmatma
created. Save it from the evil Chandravanshis. Save us, my Lord.’
The blind man continued to cry folding his hands in a penitent namaste. Shiva was shaken by the dignity of the blind man.
He still loves a country that treats him so unfairly. Why
? Even worse he doesn’t even appear to think he’s being treated unfairly.
Tears welled up in Shiva’s eyes as he realised that he was looking at a man whom fate had been very unkind to.
I will stop this nonsense.
Shiva stepped forward and bent down. The flabbergasted son trembled in disbelief as he saw the Neelkanth touch the feet of his vikarma father. The blind man was at sea for a moment. When he did understand what the Neelkanth had done, his hand shot up to cover his mouth in shock.
Shiva rose and stood in front of the blind man. ‘Bless me, sir, so that I find the strength to fight for a man as patriotic as you.’
The blind man stood dumb-struck. His tears dried up in his bewilderment. He was about to collapse when Shiva took a quick step forward to hold him, lest he fall to the ground. The blind man found the strength to say,
‘Vijayibhav’. May you be victorious
.
The son caught hold of his father’s limp body as Shiva released him. The entire crowd was stunned into silence by what the Neelkanth had done. Forget the gravity of touching a vikarma, the Neelkanth had just asked to be blessed by one. Shiva turned to see Parvateshwar’s enraged face. Shiva had broken the law. Broken it brazenly and in public. Next to him stood Sati. Her face, her eyes, her entire demeanour expressionless.
What the hell is she thinking?
Brahaspati and Sati entered Shiva’s chambers as soon as he was alone. Shiva’s smile at seeing his two favourite people in the world disappeared on hearing Sati’s voice, ‘You must get a shudhikaran done.’
He looked at her and answered simply, ‘No.’
‘No? What do you mean no?’
‘I mean No. Nahin. Nako,’ said Shiva, adding the words for ‘no’ in the Kashmiri and the Kotdwaar dialect, for good measure.
‘Shiva,’ said Brahaspati, keeping his composure. ‘This is no laughing matter. I agree with Sati. The governor too was worried about your safety and has arranged for a pandit. He waits outside as we speak. Get the ceremony done now.’
‘But I just said I don’t want to.’
‘Shiva,’ said Sati, reverting to her usual tone. ‘I respect you immensely. Your valour. Your intelligence. Your talent. But you are not above the law. You have touched a vikarma. You have to get a shudhikaran. That is the law.’
‘Well if the law says that my touching that poor blind man is illegal, then the law is wrong!’
Sati was stunned into silence by Shiva’s attitude.
‘Shiva, listen to me,’ argued Brahaspati. ‘Not doing a shudhikaran can be harmful to you. You are meant for bigger things. You are important to the future of India. Don’t put your own person at risk out of obstinacy.’
‘It’s not obstinacy. You tell me, honestly, how can it harm me if I happened to touch a wronged man, who I might add, still loves his country despite the way he has been ostracised and ill-treated?’
‘He may be a good man Shiva, but the sins of his previous birth will contaminate your fate,’ said Brahaspati.
‘Then let them! If the weight on that man’s shoulders lessens, I will feel blessed.’
‘What are you saying Shiva?’ asked Sati. ‘Why should you carry the punishment of someone else’s sins?’
‘Firstly, I don’t believe in the nonsense that he was punished for the sins of his previous birth. He was just infected by a disease, plain and simple. Secondly, if it is my choice to carry the weight of someone else’s so called sins, why should it matter to anyone?’
‘It matters because we care about you!’ cried Brahaspati.
‘Come on Sati,’ said Shiva. ‘Don’t tell me you believe in this rubbish.’
‘It is not rubbish.’
‘Look, don’t you want me to fight for you? Stop this unfairness that your society has subjected you to.’
‘Is that what this is about? Me?’ asked Sati, outraged.
‘No,’ retorted Shiva immediately, then added. ‘Actually yes. This is also about you. It is about the vikarma and the unfairness that they have to face. I want to save them from leading the life of an outcast.’
‘I DON’T NEED YOUR PROTECTION! I CANNOT BE SAVED!’ shouted Sati, before storming out of the room.
Shiva glared at her retreating form in irritation. ‘What the hell is it with this woman?!’
‘She’s right Shiva,’ advised Brahaspati. ‘Don’t go there.’
‘You agree with her on this vikarma business? Answer with your heart, Brahaspati. Don’t you think it is unfair?’
‘I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about Sati.’
Shiva continued to glare at Brahaspati defiantly. Everything in his mind, body and soul told him that he should pursue Sati. That his life would be meaningless without her. That his soul’s existence would be incomplete without her.
‘Don’t go there, my friend,’ reiterated Brahaspati.
