Immortals of Meluha (32 page)
Suddenly Sati leapt to the left. Tarak remained stationary. He knew that with her right hand holding the knife, the leftward movement was a feint. She would have to move to the right to bring her knife into play. Sure enough, Sati quickly moved to the right and brought in her arm up in a stabbing motion. Tarak was prepared. Shifting his knife quickly to his left arm, he slashed viciously, cutting Sati across her torso. It wasn’t a deep cut, but it appeared to hurt. A collective gasp went out from the audience.
Sati retreated and rallied. She moved the knife to her back again, transferring it from one hand to the other. Tarak kept a close eye on her arms. The knife was in her left hand. He expected her to move to the right, which she did. He remained immobile, waiting for her to swerve suddenly to her left. She did, swinging her left arm as she moved. Tarak acted before her arm could even come close enough to do any damage. He swung ferociously with his right arm and cut her deep in the left shoulder. Sati retreated rapidly as the congregation moaned in horror. Some shut their eyes. They could not bear to look anymore. Most were praying fervently. If it had to be done, let it be done swiftly and not in a slow painful manner.
‘What is she doing?’ whispered a panic-stricken Brahaspati to Shiva. ‘Why is she charging in so recklessly?’
Shiva turned to look at Brahaspati, also noticing Parvateshwar’s face. Parvateshwar had a surprised, yet admiring grin on his face. Unlike Brahaspati, he knew what was going on. Turning back to look at the duel, Shiva whispered, ‘She’s laying a trap.’
At the centre, Sati was still transferring the knife between her hands behind her back. She feigned a move from her right to the left, but this time did not transfer the knife. She flexed her left arm, keeping the right arm holding the knife loose and relaxed.
Tarak was watching Sati closely, confident that he was going to slowly bleed her to death. He believed the knife was in her left hand. He waited for her to move right, then left, which she did in a swift veer. Expecting her left arm to come in, he sliced with his right hand. Sati neatly pirouetted back. Before a surprised Tarak could react, Sati had leapt to her right and brought her right hand in brutally onto Tarak’s chest. The knife pierced Tarak’s lung. The shock of the blow immobilised Tarak. Blood spurted from his mouth. He dropped his knife and staggered back. Sati ruthlessly maintained the pressure and dug the knife in deeper, right up to the hilt.
Tarak stumbled back and collapsed to the ground, motionless. The entire stadium was stunned. Sati’s face had the expression of the mother goddess in fury. Eighty-five years of repressed anger had surfaced in that instant. She pulled the knife out, slowly twisting it to inflict maximum damage. Blood spewed out from Tarak’s mouth at an alarming rate. She raised the knife with both her hands. All she had to do was bring it down on his heart and Tarak would meet his maker. Then suddenly, her expression became calm again. It was almost as if someone had sucked out all the negative energy inside her. She turned around. Shiva, the destroyer of evil, sat on his throne, staring at her with a slight smile.
Then she looked at Tarak, and whispered. ‘I forgive you.’
The stadium erupted in joy. Even if Lord Varun had himself scripted the fight, it wouldn’t have been as perfect. It had everything that the Suryavanshis held dear. Defiant when under pressure, yet magnanimous in victory.
Sati raised her knife and shouted, ‘Jai Shri Ram!’
The entire stadium repeated, ‘Jai Shri Ram!’
Sati turned towards Shiva and roared once again, ‘Jai Shri Ram!’
‘Jai...,’ Shiva’s words were clogged by the knot in his throat.
The Lord won’t mind this time if I don’t complete the cry.
Shiva glanced away from Sati, lest he show his tears to the woman he loved. Regaining control of himself, he looked back at her with a radiant smile. Sati continued to stare at Shiva. Emotions that had been dormant in her for too long rippled through her being as she saw Shiva’s admiration. When she couldn’t bear it any longer, she shut her eyes.
CHAPTER 16
There was an impromptu celebration that night in Karachapa. Their princess was safe. The insufferable Tarak had been defeated. Many people in Karachapa believed that even his own mother must have loathed the surly preacher. He had few supporters in the liberal city. But there were rules for duels. Hence the moment Sati had forgiven Tarak, paramedics had rushed in to take him to the hospital. Surgeons had laboured for six hours to save his life. To much dismay for the town folk, they had succeeded.
‘Have you heard about the poem of the sun and the earth?’ Sati asked Shiva.
They were standing on the balcony of the governor’s palace while a boisterous party raged inside.
‘No,’ said Shiva with a seductive grin, corning a little closer to her. ‘But I’d love to hear it’
‘Apparently the earth sometimes thinks of the possibility of coming closer to the sun,’ said Sati. ‘But she can’t do that. She is so base and his brilliance so searing, that she will cause destruction if she draws him closer.’
What now?
‘I disagree,’ said Shiva. ‘I think the sun burns only as long as the earth is close to him. If the earth wasn’t there, there would be no reason for the sun to exist.’
‘The sun doesn’t exist just for the earth. It exists for every single planet in the solar system.’
‘Isn’t it really the sun’s choice for whom he chooses to exist?’
‘No,’ said Sati, looking at Shiva, melancholic. ‘The moment he became the sun, his calling became higher. He does not exist for himself. He exists for the greater good of everyone. His luminosity is the lifeblood of the solar system. And if the earth has any sense of responsibility, she will not do anything to destroy this balance.’
‘So what should the sun do?’ asked Shiva, his hurt and anger showing on his face. ‘Just waste his entire life burning away? Looking at the earth from a distance?’
‘The earth isn’t going away anywhere. The sun and the earth can still share a warm friendship. But anything more is against the laws. It is against the interests of others.’
Shiva turned away from Sati in anger. He looked north to seek solace from his holy lake. Feeling nothing, he looked up at the skies, towards the gods he did not believe in.
Dammit!
He banged the balcony railing with his powerful fist, dislodging some bricks and stormed off.
Outside the city walls, in a forested area, a few soldiers lay in wait. At a slight distance, two hooded figures were seated on large rocks. The captain of the platoon of soldiers stood rigid in attention next to the duo. He could not believe that he was standing next to the Queen herself. The privilege overwhelmed him.
One of the hooded figures raised his hand to motion for the captain to step closer. On the hooded figure’s wrist was a leather bracelet with the serpent Aum. ‘Vishwadyumna, are you sure this is where we are supposed to meet him? He is late by nearly an hour.’
‘Yes, my Lord,’ replied Vishwadyumna nervously. ‘This is exactly where he had said he would come.’
The other hooded figure turned and spoke in a commanding voice - a feminine one. A voice used to being obeyed without question. ‘That man makes the Queen of the Nagas wait!’ Turning to the other hooded figure, she continued, ‘I trust you have worked this out in detail. I hope I haven’t entered this vile territory in vain.’
The other hooded figure moved his fleshy hands in a motion asking the Queen for patience. ‘Have faith, your Highness. This man is our key to giving the Suryavanshis a blow that they will never recover from.’
‘Apparently, there was an Agnipariksha fight between the princess and a man in the city yesterday,’ said Vishwadyumna suddenly, trying to impress the Queen with his sharp ear for local knowledge. ‘I do not have the exact details. I just hope that our man was not involved in it.’
The Queen turned swiftly to the other hooded figure. Then back to Vishwadyumna. ‘Please wait with the other soldiers.’
Vishwadyumna sensed he had said something he shouldn’t have and quickly retreated before his Lord’s stern gaze could reprimand him. This is why he had been told in training school that a good soldier never speaks unless spoken to.
‘
She
’
s
here?’ asked the Queen with barely suppressed anger.
The other hooded figure nodded.
‘I thought I’d told you to forget about this,’ said the Queen sternly. There is nothing to be gained by this quest. Do you realise that your stupid attack on Mount Mandar may have let them suspect that we have a mole in their midst?’
The male figure looked up in apology.
‘Did you come here for her?’
‘No, your Highness,’ said the hooded figure with a deeply respectful tone. This was the place where he asked us to meet him.’
The Queen reached her hand out and gently patted the man’s shoulder. ‘Stay focussed, my child,’ said the Queen softly. ‘If we pull this off, it will be our biggest victory ever. Like you just said, we will strike a blow that they will find very difficult to recover from.’
The man nodded.
‘And yet,’ continued the Queen, pulling her hand back into the shelter of her black robes, ‘your preoccupation with her, makes you take uncharacteristic decisions. Do you know he has sent a clear message that she cannot be touched? Otherwise, the deal is off.’
The hooded figure stared at the Queen in surprise. ‘How did you...’
‘I am the Queen of the Nagas, my child,’ she interrupted. ‘I have more than one piece on the chessboard.’
The hooded figure continued to look at the Queen, ashamed about his poor call at Mount Mandar. The Queen’s next words added to his shame. ‘You are making surprising mistakes, my child. You have the potential to be the greatest Naga ever. Don’t waste it.’
‘Yes, your Highness.’
The Queen appeared to relax.
‘I think when we are alone now,’ said the Queen, ‘maybe you can refer to me as
Mausi
. After all I am
your mother
’
s sister
’
‘Of course, you are,’ said the hooded figure as a smile reached his eyes. ‘Whatever you say, mausi.’
It had been two weeks since the Agnipariksha. Sati had recovered sufficiently for the convoy to continue its journey to its next destination. Shiva, Parvateshwar and Brahaspati sat together in Shiva’s chambers at the guest-house.
‘It’s agreed then,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘I will make the arrangements for us to commence our journey a week from today. By that time, Sati should have recovered completely’
‘Yes, I think that is a suitable plan,’ agreed Shiva.
‘Parvateshwar, I will not be coming along any further,’ said Brahaspati.
‘Why?’ asked Parvateshwar.
‘Well, the new chemicals I had ordered have come. I was considering going back with the consignment to Mount Mandar so that the experiments can begin as soon as possible. If we can get this right, the consumption of water for making the Somras will reduce drastically.’
Shiva smiled sadly. ‘I am going to miss you my friend.’
‘And I you,’ said Brahaspati. ‘But I am not leaving the country. When you finish your tour, come to Mount Mandar. I’ll show you around the sylvan forests near our facility’
