The Oath of The Vayuputras (59 page)
Therefore, the news of the Meluhan navy sailing towards the Narmada left Kali with only one logical conclusion: they had discovered the route to Panchavati.
‘How would they know the Narmada path to Panchavati?’ asked a bewildered Ganesh.
Kali turned on Sati. ‘Your husband did not listen to me and stupidly insisted on sailing towards the Narmada.’
‘Kali, the Meluhans are in the know of all our goings and comings on the Narmada,’ said Sati calmly. ‘It is no secret. But they would have no idea how to travel from the Narmada to Panchavati. Shiva has not given anything away.’
‘Bullshit!’ shouted Kali. ‘And it’s not just Shiva’s fault, it’s yours as well. I had told you to kill that traitor,
didi
. You and your misplaced sense of honour will lead to the destruction of my people!’
‘
Mausi
,’ said Ganesh to Kali, immediately springing to his mother’s defence. ‘I don’t think we should blame
maa
for this. It is entirely possible that it’s not General Parvateshwar but Lord Bhrigu who has discovered the Narmada route. After all, he did know the Godavari route, right?’
‘Of course, Ganesh,’ said Kali sarcastically. ‘It’s not General Parvateshwar. And it obviously cannot be your beloved mother’s fault, either. Why would the most devoted son in the history of mankind think that his mother could make a mistake?’
‘Kali...’ whispered Sati.
Kali continued her rant. ‘Have you forgotten that you are a Naga? That you are the Lord of the People, sworn to protect your tribe to the last drop of your blood?’
Bhagirath decided to step in before things got out of hand. ‘Queen Kali, there is no point in going on about how the Meluhans discovered the Narmada route. What we should be discussing is what are we going to do next? How do we save Panchavati?’
Kali turned to Bhagirath and snapped, ‘We don’t need to be maharishis to know what needs to be done. Fifty ships will set sail tomorrow with all the Naga warriors on it. The Meluhans will regret the day they decided to attack my people!’
Kali, Ganesh and Kartik had assembled at Lothal’s circular port along with a hundred thousand men, comprising all the Nagas and many Branga warriors, clambering aboard their ships rapidly. They knew that time was at a premium.
Sati had come to the port to see her family off. She was going to stay in Lothal. She suspected the Meluhans might mount a siege on their city at the same time, to try and take advantage of her divided army.
‘Kali...’ approached Sati softly.
Kali gave her a withering look and then turned her back on her sister, screaming instructions to her soldiers. ‘Board quickly! Hurry up!’
Ganesh and Kartik stepped forward, bent to touch her feet and take their mother’s blessings.
‘We’ll be back soon,
maa
,’ said Ganesh, smiling awkwardly.
Sati nodded. ‘I’ll be waiting.’
‘Do you have any instructions for us,
maa
?’ asked Kartik.
Sati looked at her sister, who still had her back turned stiffly towards her. ‘Take care of your
mausi
.’
Kali heard what Sati said, but refused to respond.
Sati stepped up and touched Kali on her shoulder. ‘I’m sorry about General Parvateshwar. I only did what I thought was right.’
Kali stiffened her shoulders.
‘Didi,
one who clings to moral arrogance even at the cost of the lives of others, is not necessarily the most moral person.’
Sati remained quiet, staring sadly at Kali’s back. She could see Kali’s two extra arms on top of her shoulders quivering, a sure sign that the Naga queen was deeply agitated.
Kali turned and glared at her sister. ‘My people will not suffer for your addiction to moral glory,
didi
.’
Saying this, Kali stormed off, verbally lashing out at her soldiers to board the ships quickly.
Kanakhala couldn’t believe what she was hearing. A real shot at peace!
‘This is the best news I have heard in a long time, Your Highness,’ said Kanakhala.
Daksha smiled genially. ‘I hope you understand this has to be kept secret. There are many who do not want peace. They think that the only way to end this is an all-out war.’
Kanakhala looked at Vidyunmali, standing next to Daksha. She had always assumed he was a warmonger. She was surprised to see him agreeing with the Emperor.
Kanakhala
Perhaps,
thought
, the Emperor is referring to Lord Bhrigu as the one who doesn’t want peace with the Neelkanth.
‘We’ve seen the loss of life and devastation caused by the minor battle that was staged outside Devagiri,’ said Daksha. ‘It was only Sati’s wisdom that stopped it from descending into a massacre that would have hurt both Meluha and the Lord Neelkanth.’
Maybe it’s his love for Sati that is forcing the Emperor’s hand. He would never allow any harm to come to his daughter. Whatever the reason, I will support him in his peace initiative.
‘What are you thinking, Kanakhala?’
‘Nothing important, My Lord. I’m just happy that you are willing to discuss peace.’
‘You have your work cut out,’ said Daksha. ‘An entire peace conference has to be organised at short notice. We will name it, in keeping with tradition, after our Prime Minister: the
yagna
of Kanakhala.’
An embarrassed Kanakhala smiled. ‘You’re most kind, My Lord. But the name doesn’t matter. What matters is peace.’
‘Yes, peace is paramount. That is why you must take my instruction of secrecy seriously. Under no circumstances should the news of the peace conference reach Karachapa.’
Karachapa was where Lord Bhrigu had stationed himself, along with King Dilipa of Ayodhya and General Parvateshwar.
‘Yes, My Lord,’ said Kanakhala.
A happy Kanakhala rushed to her office to get down to immediate work.
Daksha waited for the door of his private office to shut before turning to Vidyunmali. ‘I hope Swuth and his people will not fail me.’
‘They will not, My Lord,’ said Vidyunmali. ‘Have faith in me. This will be the end of that barbarian from Tibet. Everyone will blame the Nagas. They are perceived as bloodthirsty, irrational killers in any case. No reasonable citizen here has been able to swallow that fraud Neelkanth’s championing of the Nagas; just like they didn’t accept the freeing of the Vikarmas, regardless of the greatness of Drapaku. The people will readily believe that the Nagas killed him.’
‘And my daughter will return to me,’ said Daksha. ‘She’ll have no choice. We will be a family again.’
Delusions create the most compelling of beliefs.
Shiva, Gopal and Tara stood on the foredeck of their merchant ship. The Parihans had helped in loading their precious merchandise onto the vessel. With everyone having said their goodbyes, the Neelkanth had just ordered his ship to set sail on the Jam Sea.
‘Scheherazade,’ said Gopal, ‘how long...’
‘Tara, please,’ she interrupted the Chief Vasudev.
‘Sorry?’
‘My name is Tara now, great Vasudev,’ said Tara. ‘Scheherazade was left behind in Pariha.’
Gopal smiled. ‘Of course. My apologies. Tara it is.’
‘What was your question?’
‘I was wondering how long you’d lived in Pariha.’
‘Too long,’ said Tara. ‘Initially, I had gone on an assignment that Lord Bhrigu had given me. I had thought that it would be a short stay. He had assigned me to work on the
daivi astras
with the Vayuputras and said I could return only when he gave his permission. But after I heard of Brahaspati’s death, I saw no reason to return.’
‘Well, Brahaspati is not too far off now,’ said Gopal kindly. ‘Just a couple of weeks more on the Jam Sea and then we will be sailing east on the Western Sea to Lothal and to Brahaspati.’
Tara smiled happily.
‘Yes,’ said Shiva, playfully cracking a joke on the meaning of Jam. ‘But it’s all very confusing. The sea that “you come to”, will be the sea that “we go from” now! And then we have to travel east on the Western Sea! Only the Holy Lake knows where we’ll finally land up!’
Tara raised her eyebrows.
‘I know,’ said Shiva. ‘It’s a terrible joke. I guess the law of averages catches up with everyone.’
Tara burst out laughing. ‘It’s not your joke that astonished me. Though I agree, it really was a terrible joke.’
‘Thank you!’ laughed Shiva softly. ‘But what exactly were you surprised by?’
‘I’m assuming you think “Jam” means “to come to”.’
Shiva turned to Gopal with a raised eyebrow, for it was the Chief Vasudev who had told him the meaning.
‘Doesn’t “Jam” mean “to come to”?’ asked Gopal.
‘That is what everybody thinks,’ said Tara. ‘Except for the Parihans.’
‘What do they believe?’ asked Shiva.
‘Jam is the Lord of Dharma. So, this sea is actually the Sea of the Lord of Dharma.’
Shiva smiled. ‘But in India, the Lord of Dharma...’
‘...is Yam,’ said Tara, completing Shiva’s statement. ‘Also the Lord of Death.’
‘Exactly.’
‘Is there a relationship between the two names: Yam and Jam? Was there a great leader or God called Jam in Pariha?’
‘I don’t know about any relationship between the names. But in ancient times there was a shepherd called Jam who, blessed by the Ahura Mazda, went on to become a great king, one of the earliest in this area. He spread prosperity and happiness throughout the land. When a great catastrophe was to strike, that would have destroyed the entire world, he is believed to have built an underground city which saved many of his people. The citizens of his realm later began to call him Jamshed.’
‘Why “shed”?’
‘“Shed” means radiant. So Jamshed means the radiant Lord of Dharma.’
Sati, Bhagirath, Chandraketu, Maatali and Brahaspati had collected in the Lothal governor Chenardhwaj’s private office. They had just received a visitor from Devagiri with a message from Kanakhala. A message that had left them stunned.
‘Peace conference?’ asked Bhagirath. ‘What deception are they planning?’
‘Prince Bhagirath,’ rebuked the Lothal governor, Chenardhwaj. ‘This is Meluha. Laws are not broken here. And the laws of a peace conference are very clear; they were designed by Lord Ram himself. There is no question of there being any deception.’