Love and its Consequences

'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.