‘Oh he doesn’t need the Somras,’ joked Brahaspati. ‘It’s already done all the damage it can on him.’

Shiva and Brahaspati collapsed into helpless laughter again as the doctor walked away, shaking his head in exasperation.

‘But seriously,’ said Brahaspati calming down. ‘Why would they attack you? You have not harmed anybody’

‘I don’t think the attack was on me. I think it was for Sati.’

‘Sati! Why Sati? That’s even more bizarre.’

‘It probably wasn’t specifically for Sati,’ said Shiva. ‘I think the target was the royal family. The primary target was probably the Emperor. Since he wasn’t there, they went for the secondary target, Sati. I think the aim was to kidnap a royal and use that person as leverage.’

Brahaspati did not respond. He seemed worried. Clasping his hands together and bringing them close to his face, he looked into the distance, deep in thought. Shiva reached into his pouch and pulled out his chillum, before carefully filling it with some dried marijuana. Brahaspati turned to look at his friend, unhappy at what he was doing.

‘I’ve never told you this before Shiva and I probably shouldn’t as, well... since you are a free man,’ said Brahaspati. ‘But I consider you my friend. And it is my duty to tell you the truth. I have seen some Egyptian merchants in Karachapa with this marijuana habit. It’s not good for you.’

‘You’re wrong, my friend,’ said Shiva, grinning broadly. ‘This is actually the best habit in the world.’

‘You probably don’t know, Shiva. This has many harmful side effects. And worst of all, it even harms your memory, causing untold damage to your ability to draw on past knowledge.’

Shiva’s face suddenly became uncharacteristically serious. He gazed back at Brahaspati with a melancholic smile. ‘That is exactly why it is good, my friend. No idiot who smokes this is scared of forgetting’

Shiva lit up his chillum, took a deep drag and continued, ‘They are scared of not forgetting.’

Brahaspati stared sharply at Shiva, wondering what terrible past could have prompted his friend to get addicted to the weed.

CHAPTER 11

Neelkanth Unveiled

The next morning the royal caravan resumed its journey to Devagiri after spending the night at a temporary camp in the clearing. It wasn’t safe to travel at night considering the circumstances. The wounded, including Nandi, were lying in the first three carriages and the fifth one. The royal family and Shiva travelled in the fourth. All the soldiers who had fought in the previous day’s batde were given the privilege of riding on horses in relative comfort. Brahaspati and Kanakhala walked along with the rest of the troops, in mourning for the three slain Arishtanemi. Parvateshwar, Bhabravya and two other soldiers bore a make-shift wooden palanquin that carried three urns containing the ashes of the martyrs. The urns would be given to their families for a ceremonial submersion in the Saraswati. Shiva, Sati and Nandi too wanted to walk but the doctor insisted they were in no condition to do so.

Parvateshwar walked with pride at the bravery of his soldiers. His boys, as he called them, had shown they were made of a metal forged in Lord Indra’s own furnace. He cursed himself for not being there to fight with them. He castigated himself for not being there to protect his goddaughter, bis Sati, when she was in danger. He prayed for the day when he would finally get a chance to destroy the cowardly Chandravanshis. He also silendy pledged that he would anonymously donate his salary for the next six months to the families of the slain soldiers.

‘Even I didn’t think he would fall to these levels!’ exclaimed Daksha in disgust.

Shiva and Sati, comfortably asleep in the carriage, were woken up by Daksha’s outburst. Veerini looked up from the book that she was reading, narrowing her eyes to concentrate on her husband.

‘Who, your Highness?’ asked Shiva groggjly.

‘Dilipa! That blight on humanity!’ said Daksha, barely concealing his loathing.

Veerini continued to stare hard at her husband. She slowly reached out, pulled Sati’s hand in hers, brought it close to her lips and kissed it gentiy. Then she put her other hand protectively on top of Sati’s hand. Sati looked at her mother warmly with a hint of a smile and rested her tired head on Veerini’s shoulders.

‘Who is Dilipa, your Highness?’ asked Shiva.

‘He is the Emperor of Swadweep,’ answered Daksha. ‘Everyone knows Sati is the apple of my eye. And they were possibly trying to kidnap her to force my hand!’

Shiva gazed at Daksha with sympathy. He could understand the outrage of the Emperor at the latest Chandravanshi treachery.

‘And to be reduced to the level of even using a Naga for this nefarious plan,’ said a furious Daksha. ‘This just shows what the Chandravanshis are capable of!’

‘I don’t know if the Naga was being used, your Highness,’ said Shiva softiy. ‘It appeared as though he was the leader.’

Daksha however was too lost in his righteous anger to even explore Shiva’s insinuation. ‘The Naga may have been the leader of this particular platoon, my Lord, but he would almost certainly be under the overall command of the Chandravanshis. No Naga can be a leader. They are cursed people born with horrific deformities and diseases in this birth as a punishment for terrible crimes that they have committed in their previous birth. The Nagas are embarrassed to even show their face to anyone. But they have tremendous power and skills. Their presence strikes terror in the heart of all Meluhans, and most Swadweepans as well. The Chandravanshis have sunk low enough to even consort with those deformed demons. They hate us so much that they don’t even realise the sins they are bringing on their own souls by interacting with the Nagas.’

Shiva, Sati and Veerini continued to hear Daksha’s ranting in silence.

Turning towards Shiva, Daksha continued, ‘Do you see the kind of vermin we are up against, my Lord? They have no code, no honour. And they outnumber us ten to one. We need your help my Lord. It’s not just my people, but my family as well. We are in danger.’

‘Your Highness, I will do all that I can to help you,’ said Shiva. ‘But I am not a general. I cannot lead an army against the Chandravanshis. I am just a simple tribal leader. What difference can one man make?’

‘At least let me announce your presence to the court and the people, my Lord,’ urged Daksha. ‘Just spend a few weeks travelling through the empire. Your presence will raise the morale of the people. Look at the difference you made yesterday. We actually foiled a terrorist attack because of you, because of your presence of mind. Please, let me announce your arrival. That is all I ask.’

Shiva looked at Daksha’s earnest face with trepidation. He could feel Sati’s and Veerini’s eyes on him. Especially Sati’s.

What am I getting myself into?

‘All right,’ said Shiva in resignation.

Daksha got up and hugged Shiva in an unyielding grip.

‘Thank you, my Lord!’ exclaimed Daksha, as Shiva withdrew from his embrace to come up for air. ‘I will announce your presence at the court tomorrow itself. Then you can leave for a tour of the empire in another three weeks. I will personally make all the arrangements. You will have a full brigade travelling with you for security. Parvateshwar and Sati will accompany you as well.’