‘Yes, My Lord. Where else would they be safe? Everybody is out of harm’s way in Kashi. But the Brangas have tested even the famed Kashi patience and hospitality.’

‘Really?’

‘Apparently, they are very difficult to get along with. Kashi is a cosmopolitan city and nobody is forced to change their way of life. But the Brangas wanted their own area because they have certain special customs. The Kashi royal family advises its citizens that the Brangas have suffered a lot in their homeland and that Kashi denizens should be compassionate. But most people find that difficult. In fact, a few years back, it was rumoured that the situation came to such a pass that the king of Kashi was about to order the eviction of the Brangas.’

‘And then what happened?’ asked Shiva.

‘Gold managed to do what good intentions couldn’t. Branga is by far the richest land today. The king of Branga had apparently sent gold equivalent to ten years of Kashi’s tax collections. And the eviction order was buried.’

‘Why would the Branga king spend his own money to help people who have abandoned his country?’

‘I don’t know, My Lord. I think we can put that down as another strange characteristic of the Brangas.’

The ship docked softly at Assi Ghat and Shiva looked towards the multitudes gathered there to welcome him. Parvateshwar was already organising the place so that Shiva could alight. He saw Drapaku at a distance giving orders to Nandi and Veerbhadra. Bhagirath had already bounded down the gangway in search of the Kashi head of police. Sati tapped Shiva lightly. He turned to look at her and she gestured delicately with her eyes. Shiva looked in the direction she had indicated. In the distance, away from the melee, letting his nobles and the Ayodhya aristocracy hog the frontlines of the Neelkanth’s welcome, under an understated royal umbrella, stood a sombre old man. Shiva joined his hands in a polite namaste and bowed slightly to Athithigva, the king of Kashi. Athithigva in turn bowed low in respect to the Neelkanth. Sati could not be sure from the distance, but it appeared as though the king had tears in his eyes.

Chapter 5

A Small wrong?

‘Mmm,’ mumbled Shiva as Sati softly kissed him awake. He cupped her face gently. ‘Are my eyes deceiving me or are you getting more beautiful every day?’

Sati smiled, running her hand along her belly. ‘Stop flattering me so early in the morning!’

Shiva edged up on his elbows, kissing her again. ‘So there is a fixed schedule for compliments now?’

Sati laughed again, slowly getting off the bed. ‘Why don’t you go wash? I have requested for breakfast to be served in our room.’

‘Ahh! You are finally learning my ways!’ Shiva always hated eating at the organised and civilised dining room gatherings that Sati liked.

As Shiva walked into the comfortable washroom attached to their chamber at the Kashi palace, Sati looked out. The famous ring road, also called the Sacred Avenue, was clearly visible. It was an awe-inspiring sight. Unlike the congested city of Kashi itself, the avenue was very broad, allowing even six carts to pass simultaneously. There was a breathtaking profusion of trees around the road, with probably all the species of flora from the Indian subcontinent represented. Beyond the trees lay the plethora of temples. The boulevard extended upto a roughly semi-circular distance of more than thirty kilometres and not one of the buildings built on its sides was anything but a place of worship. The Chandravanshis liked to say that almost every Indian god has a home on Kashi’s Sacred Avenue. But of course, that belief was scarcely built on reality, considering that the Indians worshipped over thirty million gods. But one could safely state that practically all the popular gods had a temple dedicated to them on this holy pathway. And the most majestic temple of them all was dedicated, but of course, to the most admired of them all, the great Mahadev himself, Lord Rudra. It was this temple that Sati was staring at. It had been built close to the Brahma Ghat. Legend had it that the original plan for the temple, hatched by the Devas during the life of Lord Rudra himself, was to have it close to Assi Ghat, the scene of Lord Rudra’s deliverance of justice. But the great Mahadev, the scourge of the Asuras, had ordered that no memorial to him must ever be built near Assi Ghat, with one of his most unfathomable lines — ‘Not here. Anywhere else. But not here’. No one had understood why. But at the same time, no one argued with the fearsome Lord Rudra.

‘They call it the Vishwanath temple,’ said Shiva, startling Sati with his sudden appearance. ‘It means the Lord of the World.’

‘He was a great man,’ whispered Sati. ‘A true God.’

‘Yes,’ agreed Shiva, bowing to Lord Rudra. ‘Om Rudraiy namah.’

‘Om Rudraiy namah.’

‘It was good of King Athithigva to leave us alone last night. We certainly needed the rest after the string of ceremonies at Assi Ghat.’

‘Yes, he seems to be a good man. But I fear he will not be leaving you alone today. I could make out that he has a lot to talk to you about.’

Shiva laughed. ‘But I do like his city. The more I see it, the more it feels like home.’

‘Let’s eat our breakfast,’ said Sati. ‘I think we have a long day ahead!’

‘Especially not you?’ asked Kanini. ‘He actually said that?’

‘Those very words,’ said Anandmayi. ‘He said he cannot touch any woman. Especially not me!’

Kanini expertly massaged the rejuvenating oil into Anandmayi’s scalp. ‘That does make sense, Princess. There are only two women who can make a man break the vow of lifelong celibacy. Either the apsara Menaka or you.’

‘Two?’ Anandmayi had her eyebrows raised at being considered akin to the celestial nymph.

‘My apologies,’ chuckled Kanini. ‘What is Menaka compared to you!’

Anandmayi laughed.

‘But this is a far tougher challenge than Menaka’s, Princess,’ continued Kanini. ‘Sage Vishwamitra had taken the vow late in his life. He had already experienced the pleasures of love. Menaka just had to remind him, not create the need. The General on the other hand is a virgin!’

‘I know. But when something is so beautiful, achieving it cannot be easy, can it?’

Kanini narrowed her eyes. ‘Don’t lose your heart before you have won his, Princess.’

Anandmayi frowned. ‘Of course I haven’t!’

Kanini stared hard at Anandmayi and smiled. The Princess was obviously in love. She hoped Parvateshwar had the good sense to realise his good fortune in time.

‘You have a beautiful capital, Your Highness,’ said Shiva.

The sun had already covered a third of its daily journey. Shiva was sitting in King Athithigva’s private chambers with Sati. Drapaku, Nandi and Veerbhadra stood guard at the door supporting the baton-wielding Kashi royal guard. It was a mystery to Drapaku how only batons could be used to protect a royal family. What if there was a serious attack? Meanwhile, Parvateshwar had set off on a tour with the Kashi police chief. He wanted to ensure that the path from the palace to the Kashi Vishwanath temple was well-protected for the Neelkanth’s planned visit in the afternoon. It was expected that practically the entire city would be lining the Sacred Avenue to catch a glimpse of the Neelkanth, for only the nobility had been allowed to meet him at his arrival at Assi Ghat.