'I didn't want to question you in front of them. Their faith is
overwhelming,' explained Shiva with a wry grin. He was beginning to like
Brahaspati. He enjoyed being around a man who treated him like an equal.
Brahaspati nodded. 'I understand, my friend. What do you want to ask?'
'Why me?' asked Shiva. 'Why did the Somras have this strange effect on
me? I might have a blue throat, but I don't know how I am going to become
the saviour of the Suryavanshis. The Emperor tells me that I am supposed
to be the one who will complete Lord Ram's unfinished work and destroy
the Chandravanshis.'
'He told you that?' asked Brahaspati, his eyes wide with surprise. 'The
Emperor can be a little tiresome at times. But suffice it to say that what he
told you is not completely correct. The legend doesn't exactly say that the
Neelkanth will save the Suryavanshis. The legend says two things. First,
that the Neelkanth will not be from the Sapt-Sindhu. And second, the
Neelkanth will be the "destroyer of evil". The Meluhans believe that this
implies that the Neelkanth will destroy the Chandravanshis, since they are
obviously evil. But destroying the Chandravanshis doesn't mean that the
Suryavanshis will be saved! There are many other problems, besides the
Chandravanshis, that we need to solve.'
'What kind of problems? Like the Nagas?'
Brahaspati seemed to hesitate for a moment. He replied carefully. 'There
are many problems. We are working hard to solve them. But coming back
to your question, why did the Somras have this effect on you?'
'Yes, why did it? Why did my throat turn blue? Leave alone stopping the
degeneration of my body, the Somras actually repaired a dislocated
shoulder and a frostbitten toe.'
'It repaired an injury?' asked an incredulous Brahaspati. 'That's
impossible! It is just supposed to prevent diseases and ageing, not repair injuries.'
'Well, it did in my case.'
Brahaspati thought for a bit. 'We will have to do experiments to come up
with a definitive answer. For now though, I can think of only one
explanation. I have been told that you come from the high lands beyond the
Himalayas, right?'
Shiva nodded.
'The air gets thinner as you go higher up the mountains,' continued
Brahaspati. 'There is less oxygen in thinner air. That means your body was
used to surviving with less oxygen and resultantly was less harmed by the
oxidants. Therefore the anti-oxidants in the Somras may have had a
stronger effect on you.'
'That could be one of the reasons,' agreed Shiva. 'But if that was the case,
then the necks of all my tribesmen should also have turned cold and blue.
Why just me?'
'A good point,' conceded Brahaspati. 'But tell me one thing. Did your
tribe also experience an improvement in their pre–existing conditions?'
'Actually, yes they did.'
'So maybe the diluted air you all lived in did have some role to play. But
since your entire tribe did not develop blue throats, it is obvious that the
"thinner air" theory may be a partial explanation. We can always do some
more research. I am sure there is a scientific explanation for the blue
throat.'
Shiva's piercing look revealed that he had read the intent behind
Brihaspati's last statement. 'You don't believe in the legend of the
Neelkanth, do you?'
Brahaspati smiled at Shiva awkwardly. He was beginning to like Shiva
and did not want to say anything to insult him. But he wasn't going to lie
either. 'I believe in science. It provides a solution and a rationale for
everything. And if there is anything that appears like a miracle, the only
explanation is that a scientific reason for it has not been discovered as yet.'
'Then why do the people of Meluha not turn to science for solving their
problems?'
'I am not sure,' said Brahaspati thoughtfully. 'Perhaps it is because
science is a capable but cold-hearted master. Unlike a Neelkanth, it will not
solve your problems for you. It will only provide you with the tools that you may need to fight your own battles. Most people find it easier to wait for
the arrival of the Messiah rather than act to solve their own problems.'
'So what do you think is the role that the Neelkanth has to play in
Meluha?'
Brahaspati looked at Shiva sympathetically. 'I would like to think that true
Suryavanshis should fight their own demons rather than put pressure on
someone else and expect him to solve their problems. A true Suryavanshi's
duty is to push himself to the limit of his abilities and strength. The coming
of the Neelkanth should only redouble a Suryavanshi's efforts, since it is
obvious that the time for the destruction of evil is near.'
Shiva nodded.
'Are you concerned that it may be too much of a strain for you to take up a
responsibility that you don't really want, because of the pressure of faith?'
asked Brahaspati.
'No, that is not my concern,' replied Shiva. 'This is a wonderful country
and I certainly want to do all I can to help. But what if your people depend
on me to protect them and I can't? Right now, I can't say that I can do all
that is expected of me. So how can I give my word?'
Brahaspati smiled. According to his rule book, any man who took his own
word so seriously was deserving of respect.
'You appear to be a good man, Shiva. You will probably face a lot of
pressure in the coming days. Be careful, my friend. Because of the blue
throat and the blind faith it generates, your decisions will have ramifications
for the entire land. Remember, whether a man is a legend or not is decided
by history, not fortune-tellers.'
Shiva smiled, glad to have finally found a man who understood his
predicament. And more importantly, was willing to at least offer some
advice.
It was late in the evening. Having spent a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon
on a detailed tour of Mount Mandar with Brahaspati, Shiva lay on his bed,
reading a book. A spent chillum lay on the side table.
A few aspects of the story he was reading, 'The Righteous War against the
Asuras', troubled him. The Asuras were demons and were expected to
behave like demons who had a pathological hatred for the Devas. They
routinely attacked Deva cities, trying to force them to accept the Asura way
of life. This was not a surprise to Shiva. What he hadn't expected though were the unusually unethical means the Devas sometimes adopted in the
pursuit of victory. Lord Rudra, though personally a great man, seemed to
ignore the indiscretions of the Devas in the interest of the larger good.
Shiva heard a commotion outside the Guest House. He looked out of his
first floor balcony and noticed that the royal caravan had just arrived. The
Arishtanemi soldiers quickly lined up for the traditional salute. Some
people appeared to be disembarking from the far side of the second
carriage. Even though they appeared to be the royal family, Shiva noted the
absence of servitude and pageantry on the part of the Arishtanemi. Shiva
suspected that this could be due to the usual Meluhan obsession with
perceived equality.
However, Shiva's equality theory was challenged when he looked at the
fifth carriage from which Parvateshwar alighted. Here, the Arishtanemi
seemed to be in a tizzy. The senior Captain rushed in front of Parvateshwar
and executed a Meluhan military salute — a quick click of the heels, the
body rigid in attention and the right hand, balled into a fist, brought rapidly
and violently to his left chest. The salute was followed by a deep bow of
respect to the commander of the army. The soldiers at the back repeated
their Captain's greeting. Parvateshwar formally saluted in return,
accompanied with a slight bow of his head. He started towards his soldiers,
inspecting them, while the Captain politely fell two steps behind.
Shiva had a feeling that the admiration reserved for Parvateshwar was not
because of the post he held. It was for the man himself. For all his surliness,
Parvateshwar had the reputation of a brave warrior, a soldier's General
respected as a man who was true to his word. Shiva could see the strength
of that repute in the eyes of each Arishtanemi who bent low on receiving
the attention of his General.
A little while later, Shiva heard a soft knock on his door. He did not need
to guess who waited on the other side. Sighing softly, he opened the door.
Daksha's fixed smile disappeared and he started a little as the unfamiliar
odour of marijuana assaulted his senses. Kanakhala, standing to the
Emperor's right, appeared equally perplexed.
'What is that stench?' Daksha asked Brahaspati, who stood to the left.
'Perhaps you should change the Lord's room. How can you subject him to
this discomfort?'
'I have a feeling that Shiva is comfortable with this aroma, your
Highness,' said Brahaspati. 'It is a smell that travels with me, your Highness,' said Shiva. 'I like it.'
Daksha was baffled. His face did nothing to hide his revulsion. But he
quickly recovered his composure. After all, the Lord was happy with the
malodour. 'I'm sorry to disturb you, my Lord,' said Daksha, his smile back
in place. 'I just thought I would inform you that my family and I have
reached the guest house.'
'It's very kind of you to inform me, your Highness,' said Shiva with a
formal Namaste.
'My family and I were hoping for the honour of having breakfast with you
tomorrow morning, my Lord.'
'The honour would be mine, your Highness.'
'Excellent. Excellent,' beamed Daksha as he moved on to the question that
dominated his mind. 'What do you think of the Somras, my Lord? Isn't it
really the drink of the Gods?'
'Yes your Highness. It does appear to be a miraculous drink.'
'It is the basis of our civilisation,' continued Daksha. 'Once you have
taken a tour of our land, you will see the goodness of our way of life. I am
sure you will find it in your heart to do something to save it.'
'Your Highness, I already think highly of your country. It truly is great and
treats its citizens well. I wouldn't doubt that it is a way of life that is worth
protecting. However, what I am not sure about is what I can do. Yours is
such an advanced civilisation and I am just a simple tribal man.'
'Faith is a very potent weapon, my Lord,' said Daksha, his hands joined in
supplication. 'All that is needed is for you to have as much faith in yourself
as we have in you. I am sure that if you spend a few more days in our
country and see the effect that your presence has on our people, you will
realise what you can do.'
Shiva gave up arguing against Daksha's childlike belief.
Brahaspati winked at Shiva before coming to his rescue. 'Your Highness,
Shiva looks tired to me. It has been a long day. Maybe he should retire and
we could meet tomorrow?'
Daksha smiled, 'Perhaps you are right, Brahaspati. My apologies for
troubling you, my Lord. We will see you at breakfast. Have a good night.'
'Good night,' wished Shiva in return.
Sati waited quietly at the table as Daksha glanced nervously at the prahar
lamp. To the left were Kanakhala, Brahaspati and Parvateshwar. To his right was an empty chair. For the 'Neelkanth', thought Sati. Next to the empty
chair sat Sati and to her right was her mother, Veerini. Daksha had agonised
deeply over the seating to get it exactly right.
Sati looked over the arrangements. A formal table and chairs for breakfast
rather than the preferred low table and floor cushions that Meluhans
normally sat upon to eat. The beloved banana leaf had been replaced by
gold plates. The taste enhancing kulhads, or mud cups, had been replaced
by refined silver glasses. She thought that her father was really pulling out
all stops for this breakfast meeting. She had seen him pin his hopes on too
many so-called Neelkanths earlier. Miracle men who had turned out to be
frauds. She hoped that her father would not have to face disillusionment
once again.
The crier announced Shiva and Nandi. As Daksha rose with a reverential
Namaste to receive the Lord, Parvateshwar rolled his eyes at the servile
behaviour of his Emperor. At the same instant, Sati bent down to pick up a
glass that she had accidentally knocked over.
'My Lord,' said Daksha pointing to the people standing around the table.
'Kanakhala, Brahaspati and Parvateshwar, you already know. At the far
right is my wife, Queen Veerini.'
Shiva smiled politely as he returned Veerini's Namaste with a formal
Namaste and a low bow.
'And next to her,' said Daksha with a broad smile as Sati came up holding
the glass she had retrieved, 'is my daughter, Princess Sati.'
The breath went out of Shiva as he looked at his life staring back at him.
His heart beat a frantic rhythm. He could swear that he had got a whiff of
his favourite fragrance in the world: the aroma of the holy lake at sunset. As
before, he was mesmerized.
There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. Except for the noise
made by the unfortunate glass which fell from Sati's hand again. The clang
of the rolling glass distracted Sati slightly from her fixed gaze. With
superhuman effort, she managed to control the look of shock on her face.
She was breathing heavily, as if she had just danced a duet with Shiva.
What she did not know was that her soul was doing exactly that.
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 towards 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 little 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 were fermented
and ground into a thick batter. Small portions of this batter were then
wrapped in banana leaves and steamed into cylindrical roundels. It 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.
However, I have to stay here for two more days for some reviews with
Brahaspati. There is no point in Veerini and Sati getting thoroughly bored
out here in the meantime.'
'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 mean Brahaspati!' said Daksha, shaking his head.
Turning back to Shiva, he continued, 'From what I am led to believe, 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 that 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 compunctions. 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 idea of doing a shudhikaran is completely absurd,'
whispered Shiva. 'In fact, the entire concept of the vikarma is ridiculous. I think it 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
were travelling without any dummy carriages, but his objections had been
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 all the attention that comes along with anyone
seeing 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 is 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 be one?'
'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 within their power to
stop us. They may be able to resist us, but try as they might, they cannot
stop the 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 motivation and the belief in himself to lead us. That
belief in himself will emerge when he gets closer to Sati.'
'And how is that going to happen, your Highness?' asked Parvateshwar,
frowning slightly.
'Do 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 the 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 keeping 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 confidently. '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.