The Secret of the Nagas (29 page)

Athithigva nodded. ‘My Lady, please don’t think I’m unsure about your abilities... But you are like a sister to me. I cannot allow you to put yourself in danger like this. I don’t think you should go.’

‘And I think I must go. Innocents are being killed. Lord Ram would not allow me to stay here. Either I can leave Kashi alone, or with forty soldiers. Which option would you prefer?’

The ship was sailing slowly along the Madhumati. There had been no attack from Parshuram. No devil boats to set Shiva’s ship on fire. No arrows to injure the lookouts. Nothing.

Parvateshwar and Anandmayi were standing against the balustrade at the stern of the ship, staring at the reflection of the sun rising gently in the sluggish Madhumati.

‘The Lord is right,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘They are watching us. I can feel it. It irritates me.’

‘Really?’ smiled Anandmayi. ‘I have had people staring at me all my life. It’s never irritated me!’

Parvateshwar turned to Anandmayi as if trying to explain his point. Then, as he understood the pun, he smiled.

‘By Lord Indra!’ exclaimed Anandmayi. ‘I got you to smile! What an achievement!’

Parvateshwar smiled even more broadly. ‘Yes, well, I was only talking about why the bandits were not attacking...’

‘Now don’t spoil the moment,’ said Anandmayi. She slapped Parvateshwar’s wrist with the back of her hand. ‘You know you look very nice when you smile. You should do so more often.’

Parvateshwar blushed.

‘And you look even better when you blush,’ laughed Anandmayi.

Parvateshwar blushed even deeper. ‘Your Highness...’

‘Anandmayi.’

‘Sorry?’

‘Call me Anandmayi.’

‘How can I?’

‘Very simple. Just say Anandmayi.’

Parvateshwar kept quiet.

‘Why can’t you call me Anandmayi?’

‘I can’t, Your Highness. It is not correct.’

Anandmayi sighed. ‘Tell me Parvateshwar. Who exactly defines what is correct?’

Parvateshwar frowned. ‘Lord Ram’s laws.’

‘And, what was Lord Ram’s fundamental law on punishment for a crime?’

‘Not even one innocent man should be punished. Not even one criminal must get away.’

‘Then you are breaking his laws.’

Parvateshwar frowned. ‘How so?’

‘By punishing an innocent person for a crime she didn’t commit.’

Parvateshwar continued to frown.

‘Many noblemen committed a crime by breaking Lord Ram’s law two hundred and fifty years ago. They got away with the crime. Nobody punished them. And, look at me. I had nothing to do with that crime. I wasn’t even born then. And yet, you are punishing me today for it.’

‘I am not punishing you, Your Highness. How can I?’

‘Yes, you are. You know you are. I know how you feel. I am not blind. Don’t pretend to be deliberately stupid. It’s insulting.’

‘Your Highness...’

‘What would Lord Ram have told you to do?’ interrupted Anandmayi.

Parvateshwar clenched his fist. He looked down, sighing deeply. ‘Anandmayi. Please understand. Even if I want to, I can’t...’

Just then Drapaku marched up. ‘My Lord, the Lord Neelkanth requests your presence.’

Parvateshwar stood rooted to his spot. Still staring at Anandmayi.

‘My Lord...,’ repeated Drapaku.

Parvateshwar whispered. ‘Forgive me, Your Highness. I will speak with you later.’

The Meluhan General turned and marched away, followed by Drapaku.

Anandmayi hissed at Drapaku’s retreating form. ‘Impeccable timing!’

‘Do you have to go, My Lady?’ asked Krittika, gently rocking a sleeping Kartik.

Sati looked at Krittika, bemused. ‘There are innocents dying, Krittika. Do I have a choice?’

Krittika nodded before looking at Kartik.

‘My son will understand,’ said Sati. ‘He would do the same. I am a Kshatriya. It is my dharma to protect the weak. Dharma comes before anything else.’

Krittika took a deep breath and whispered, ‘I agree, My Lady.’

Sati gently ran her hand across Kartik’s face. ‘I need you to take good care of him. He is my life. I have never known the pleasures of motherhood. I never imagined there would be another person I would love as deeply as I love Shiva. But in such a short span of time, Kartik...’

Krittika looked at Sati with a smile, touching the Princess’ hand. ‘I will take care of him. He’s my life as well.’

The Naga Lord of the People was kneeling in the cold waters of the Chambal river. He scooped some water in the palm of his hands and allowed it to pour slowly, mumbling quietly. He then brushed his hands across his face.

The Queen, kneeling next to him, raised an eyebrow. ‘A prayer?’

‘I don’t know if prayers will help. I don’t think anybody up there is really interested in me.’

The Queen smiled and looked back at the river.

‘But there are times when you wouldn’t mind the help of the Almighty,’ whispered the Naga.

The Queen turned towards him and nodded. Getting up slowly, she put the mask back on her face. ‘I’ve received a report that she has left Kashi and is riding towards Icchawar.’

The Naga breathed deeply. He rose slowly and put the mask back on his face.

‘She rides with only forty soldiers.’

The Naga’s breathing picked up pace. At a distance, Vishwadyumna was sitting quietly with a hundred Branga soldiers. This could be the moment. Capturing her in a teeming city of two hundred thousand was well nigh impossible. The remoteness of Icchawar improved the odds dramatically. And they finally had the advantage of numbers. The Naga slowly brought his breathing back to normal. Trying to keep his voice calm, he whispered, ‘That is good news.’

The Queen smiled and patted the Naga gently on his shoulder. ‘Don’t be nervous, my child. You are not alone. I am with you. Every step of the way.’

The Naga nodded. His eyes narrowed.

It was just the beginning of the second prahar when Sati rode into Icchawar at the head of her platoon, with Kaavas by her side. She was shocked to see a massive pyre at the far end of the village. She rode hard, followed by her men.

A man rushed up, breathless and panic-stricken, waving. ‘Please leave! Please leave!’

Sati ignored him and kept riding up to the giant pyre.

‘You cannot ignore me! I am the Headman of Icchawar!’

Sati noticed the faces of the villagers. Every single one had terror writ large on his face.

‘Things have only gotten worse since you people came!’ shouted the Headman.

Sati noticed the Brahmin who had just finished the puja at the pyre, praying for the safety of the departed souls. He was the only one who seemed to be in control.

Sati rode up to him. ‘Where are the Kashi soldiers?’

The Brahmin pointed at the giant pyre. ‘In there.’

‘All twenty of them?’ asked a stunned Sati.

The Brahmin nodded. ‘They were killed by the lions last night. Just like our villagers here, your soldiers didn’t know what they were doing.’

Sati looked around the pyre. It was an open area, a little outside the village, which opened straight into the forest. To the far left were some blankets and the remnants of a camp fire. There was blood all over that area.

‘Did they sleep here?’ asked Sati in horror.

The Brahmin nodded.

‘This is a suicide zone with man-eating lions around! Why in Lord Ram’s name did they sleep here at night?’

The Brahmin looked at the Headman.

‘It was their decision!’ said the Headman defensively.

‘Don’t lie,’ said the Brahmin. ‘It wasn’t solely their decision.’

‘Don’t you dare call me a liar, Suryaksh!’ said the Headman. ‘I told them their presence in any house only attracts the lions and leads to deaths. The decision to not stay in any house was their own!’

‘You actually think the lions are interested only in the soldiers?’ asked Suryaksh. ‘You are wrong.’

Sati had stopped listening. She was surveying the area where the Kashi soldiers had been killed. Despite the immense amounts of blood and gore, she could clearly make out the tracks of some lions and maybe lionesses. There were at least seven distinct marks. The information they had was clearly wrong. She turned around and growled. ‘How many lions are here?’

‘Two,’ said the Headman. ‘We’ve never seen more than two lions. The third lion was killed in a trap.’

Sati ignored him and looked at Suryaksh. The Brahmin responded, ‘Judging from the tracks, at least five to seven.’

Sati nodded. Suryaksh was the only one who appeared to know what he was talking about. Turning towards the village, Sati told Suryaksh, ‘Come with me.’

Seven. That means five lionesses at least. A standard pride. But counting the one that died, there were three lions in this pride? That is strange. There is usually just one adult male in a pride. Something isn’t right!