The Aryavarta Chronicles Kaurava: Book 2 (34 page)

Panchali felt her heart begin to race, but she willed herself to reveal no emotion. Oblivious, the General continued, ‘He believed that inequality was inevitable, that its existence is immutable. The only thing that can change is its form. He claimed that the search for equality was what defined humanity… I would have listened more closely to him had he not betrayed me and my people. But no. No one ever came to our aid, Malini. They used us – Firewright, Firstborn… all of them used us and cast us aside. They took our life-giving river, the Saraswati, and hid her underground. And then cast us out of their lives and minds forever, exiling us in our own home. But in their folly, their blind selfishness, our transgressors did not see what a terrible decision that was. Take a look at this.’

Keechak held out a sword, impeccably crafted, but heavy and made of dark iron. As she took it from him, it reminded Panchali of Naga weapons, except that, she realized, this sword was not beaten and forged, but rather cast from a mould and polished to a shine and keenness that Naga iron could not rival. It was lighter too, far lighter, and very well balanced. Panchali resisted the instinct to point the sword and look down its blade for a precise assessment.

The General said, confirming her suspicions, ‘Of all the things that the Firewrights created, nothing was more important or powerful than what was called Wright-metal. It was easy to pour and malleable beyond imagination. But it was also strong and supple and light. And so, the Wrights began casting weapons out of these stone moulds…’ he gestured with his hands.

‘So you use iron in their old moulds? Is that it?’

‘Mih! If you do that, you’ll only get the heavy, ugly things that the Nagas use.’

‘Then how…?’

‘We found a way to temper iron.’

‘You what?’

‘Don’t be so surprised, my dear. What other choice did we have? Cut off from everyone and everything, isolated from the rest of the world, we had to make do with the materials we found here, within our own borders. There was little to farm and much to mine, and we had time, Malini. We had all the time in the world. While the rest of Aryavarta has been playing dice, we have been working hard to find a way to temper iron with other metals to make it lighter, more malleable. We’ve designed new moulds to suit our needs, and those needs are far more important than swords and arrows.’

His voice hoarse with long-contained rage, Keechak said, ‘The river dried up, and there was no rain. Matsya had been cursed by the gods. Many lost their lives, before we managed to build a new home for ourselves here again. And we have, by our sweat and blood, and with this metal! Not for war, but for survival.’

Panchali could not contain herself. ‘What…what do you mean?’

‘We have found newer uses for this tempered metal. We use it for just about everything. It’s all we have. Haven’t you ever wondered how it is that you can bring me a full cauldron of hot water using those slender arms of yours? Or did you think yourself so strong? No, Malini,’ he laughed. ‘It is this metal – Kali. Iron but not quite, though one would never be able tell just by looking. And these workmen of mine can make more than pots and pans. In case you haven’t noticed, we hardly have any lumber here in the desert. What do you think holds up our walls and roofs? We pack the mud and stone around bars made of this metal. Even an elephant couldn’t break though the palace’s walls.’

‘But…’ She stopped herself from asking the question, but the Keechak understood.

‘Why then do we live as outcasts, suffer in this forsaken desert, while the rest of Aryavarta spits on us and calls us uncivilized brutes? We wait, we prepare, Malini. Our solitude has allowed us to deflect attention while we have built arsenals greater than the might of many kingdoms combined. Where the Wrights made one sword in months, I can now cast them in hundreds, in less than a week. No army in Aryavarta has the weapons that mine does. Those who betrayed us should not have made the mistake of leaving us alone and alive.’

Despite the cold feeling in the pit of her stomach, Panchali brought herself to look the General in the eye. ‘I’m sorry for your suffering and that of your people,’ she told him. ‘And I see that you truly are a brave man and an honourable one. But that doesn’t change my position – please understand…’

‘Shh. Come here, Malini.’ The General led her to the end of the chamber, where a small door was set into one corner. Panchali noticed it for the first time. Despite its unimpressive size, the door was made of heavy, black iron, and protected with chains and locks of the same metals.

Keechak removed a small bunch of keys from a chain around his neck and inserted them into the many locks in a specific sequence. The door gave way with a groan. He stepped in, bending down to accommodate his bulk into the tiny space, and gestured for Panchali to follow. The room was commensurately small, no more than a large cupboard. It had no light of its own, but the glow from the furnaces outside was enough to see by. On the walls were stacked bottles and receptacles of many shapes and sizes. Many were empty, others little more than broken shards.

‘These are not of our making. They are things left behind by the Firewrights – their poisons and hallucinogens…’ the General said. He walked over to a high shelf, where a few unbroken, dusty bottles were innocently clustered together. These, Panchali noticed, were not empty.

The General picked up two identical vials. ‘You give me hope. Not just for me, but for all Aryavarta. If only you would see beyond these webs that Firstborn and Firewright have woven around us… I trust you, Malini. I want you to know what you mean to me. And that is why I share with you this, my biggest secret. Do you have any idea what this is? No, of course not…’ Laughing loudly, he went on to explain.

All Panchali could do was listen, her eyes widening further with every word.

12

BHIM HELD HIS BREATH AND SHRUNK BACK INTO THE SHADOW
of a pillar as he heard the sound of footsteps punctuated by the melody of anklets. He relaxed as the figure that emerged through the darkness turned out to be taller and broader than the one he sought to hide from.

‘Well? What’s so important? Why all this secrecy?’ The individual demanded in a voice that was completely appropriate to his feminine attire though incongruous with his person.

‘Shh!’ Bhim cautioned, pulling Partha into the darkness. ‘Panchali is meeting the General here.’

‘You’re out of your mind, Bhim! How could you even think to say such a thing about her! She’d die before…’

‘How many times can she die, Partha? She’s afraid, she’s tired. Three nights ago, I saw her and the General walking across the grounds to that private palace or dungeon or whatever it is that he has. Today I overheard him talk of their plans to meet here, in the dancing hall. I know the fire Panchali is made of, but there is only so much anyone can take, especially when…when her own family can do nothing to protect her.’

Partha frowned. ‘I don’t believe you. You, the cook, know things that I, the palace attendant, don’t?’

Bhim sighed, annoyed at having to explain. ‘The General was posturing in front of me. I was there to serve him a special dish, on his sister’s orders. He took the opportunity to flaunt his conquest.’

Partha shrugged. ‘I still don’t believe you. But this much is certain: if the General comes here, if he as much as tries to touch Panchali…’

‘And if she is willing? If she comes to him of her own free will? What would be so horrible, so wrong, if a woman left a man who cannot care for her, for one who truly does? How does that make her a bad person?’

‘Vathu, Bhim!’ Partha snapped, without regard that the other was older. ‘Or has the kitchen soot finally clouded your brain? You’ve been listening to too much gossip.’

‘Oh, shut up, Partha,’ Bhim replied. ‘You’re just jealous that for once it’s me the women want, not you!’

The accusation calmed Partha down. He turned pensive. ‘Jealous?’ he said. ‘Yes, maybe. I don’t know if I’m the most fortunate man in the world or the most frustrated. Just yesterday, one of the handmaidens asked me to bring her more bathwater – and while she was still in her bath. Whatever you may or may not be doing as Vallabha the cook, your little act is nothing compared to what I’ve got going on here…’ he gestured to his feminine clothes, the vestments of Brihannala the eunuch.’ With a sigh, he added, ‘There are times when I don’t know who I am any more. Not because I have been emasculated. Haven’t we all, in some way? What bothers me is that I don’t know why I do what I do…’

Partha fell silent as his sharp ears picked up the rustle of clothing and the jangling of bangles. He shrunk back into the shadows next to Bhim, who pointed silently first to Panchali and then to the large shadow that approached from another entrance. ‘He’s here, too.’

The dark outline of the General came into prominence as he lit a lamp and placed it on a pedestal nearby. He greeted Panchali with a warm smile. ‘Malini… Tell me you are going to say yes.’

Panchali set her face into studied neutrality, her stance more confident and commanding than she had allowed herself to assume since she took on the identity of Malini the handmaiden. ‘You’re a good man, General.’

‘But…?’

‘No buts. We have other matters to discuss. You took a great leap of faith the other day, when you trusted me with your biggest secrets. Now it is my turn. I ask for your patience to hear me out, for these are things that I myself did not understand till you told me what you did. I need you to trust me as you did before and listen to what I have to say before you make your decision.’

‘Of course. What is it you want to tell me, Malini? You’ve always been mysterious, but I’ve never seen you this serious.’

Panchali took a deep breath and chose her next words with care. ‘You said I gave you hope. You are not the first man to say that to me. Just as you are not the first person to hear what you said were your enemy’s words: “Every poison is defined by its antidote.” He… the man you consider your enemy…once said those words to me.’

Keechak started despite his assurances of patience. ‘You know him?’

‘I do,’ Panchali said. ‘I know him. But it was not till you spoke of him, not till you showed me what you did, that I understood what it was that he has done. He is not your foe, General. He never betrayed you. He truly believed that neither Firewright nor Firstborn had the complete solution. He believes in dualities, in the power of opposites. When he bound all of Aryavarta into an empire, he left Matsya an island. Why? Because where the empire would grow by having everything, Matsya would prosper, as it has, because it had nothing. Your skills with metal are unparalleled today, perhaps even in the world. He knew you would grow, and grow to become a society that valued all that he believed was good and just – equality, self-reliance, compassion… I shall be honest. I, too, once thought Matsya was a land of impoverished heathens. But I now see…’

‘Stop the flattery, Malini. What is it you are trying to say?’

The General’s sharp tone stirred the first traces of fear in Panchali. She wondered if she had been hasty. Brushing the thought aside, she willed all the conviction she felt to show through in her words. ‘He never meant for Matsya to fall. He would never betray you. Your isolation was necessary, so that unlike the rest of Aryavarta you would turn your skills to the things that mattered rather than to making weapons. And you’ve done exactly that, don’t you see! Soon, it will be time for you to share your knowledge with the rest of the realm, to guide them to more peace and prosperity than anyone ever imagined. It is as you said: Matsya will rise. Matsya is meant to rise!’

‘And how would you know?’

‘Because I
know
him. I know what he thinks, what his plans are. His ultimate loyalty is neither to Firewright nor Firstborn, but to humanity. I too once thought he served no interest but his own, till…’ She gave up, not finding the words to convey her emotions. ‘Send for him, General. Let him explain. Govinda Shauri always has a plan.’

Many things happened in quick succession after that. Bhim and Partha hardly had the time to recover from what Panchali had said and done when Keechak, who had gone unnaturally still, suddenly threw himself at her. His large hands were around Panchali’s neck before she could react.

‘Why?’ The General asked, shouting now, his need for comprehension alone keeping him from snapping Panchali’s neck in two. ‘Who are you? Why did you do this? Did he send you here? Did that traitor send you here?’

Panchali tried her best to keep calm. ‘Yes,’ she gasped. ‘I mean… I think so. He wanted me safe. Just as he wanted Matsya safe. You must believe me…’

‘There is nothing to believe.’ The General tightened his grasp.

Panchali felt darkness sweep down on her as her breath tightened in her chest. A burning sensation shot from her throat to her stomach and she felt her knees buckle. Yet, for all her discomfort and the memory of all that had happened over the last years, she felt unafraid. She knew. She understood. There was still hope. There was still Govinda. She closed her eyes and readied herself to die. Hardly was she aware of the presence of someone behind her than she felt the pressure around her neck give. She fell to the ground, coughing hard

‘Panchali! Are you all right?’ She heard Partha’s voice, and felt his hands, with familiar calluses from his once-life as an archer and marked by the more recent fragrance of turmeric and rose water, on her face. She opened her eyes, to a sight that ought to have terrified her, but did not. The General was on his knees, his red, contorted face held tight in the crook of Bhim’s arm. His eyes were bulging out, blood pooled in them as tears otherwise would have, and more blood flowed from his ears, while drool dripped from his slack jaw as he struggled, ineffectively, to breathe. He tried to kick down Bhim, claw at him, but to no avail. The General was the stronger man, yes, but Bhim was impelled by his cold rage, the cumulative resentment and anger that he had suppressed for years.

Panchali had never seen Bhim like this: silent and contained, even during a fight. It frightened her to see this side of a man she thought she knew well. ‘No, Bhim!’ she called out. Her eyes sought out Keechak.