The Aryavarta Chronicles Kurukshetra: Book 3 (31 page)

Abhimanyu marched out of the tent, muttering to himself. Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas glanced shamefully around the tent, and then at each other. By unspoken agreement, they got to their feet and followed Abhimanyu, to pacify him.

A silence reigned after the three young men had gone, not completely unpleasant as Uttara and Govinda exchanged proud smiles, while Bhim glowed with appreciation.

‘Well, that is that,’ Dharma said, in what he thought was the conclusion of the meeting. ‘As for tomorrow’s formation… Let’s sleep on it, shall we? There has been enough excitement for the day. We shall meet again in the morning.’

Either out of physical tiredness or a different kind of weariness, everyone gathered in the Command Tent dispersed without another word.

4

ABHIMANYU LET OUT A SHRILL, MOST UN-WARRIORLIKE CURSE
and quickly held up the small cloth he had been using to dry himself to hide what he could of his nude form. It had been a long day in many ways and he had been glad to enjoy some solitude and a hot bath at the end of it. Just when he thought he was done for the day, he found Uttara peering into his tent while he was still as naked as the day he was born. Oh well, he thought, settling for whatever lay ahead. Knowing Uttara, it could be an argument.

Uttara was affected neither by his resigned attitude nor his state of undress. ‘Oh please!’ she said, entering his tent and taking a seat as she continued to look straight at Abhimanyu. He, in turn, decided that two could play the game. He let the cloth drop to the floor and sauntered over to Uttara. It pleased him that she did not avert her gaze. ‘You wished to see me, Mahamatra?’ he asked, hands on his bare hips.

‘I did. Unless this is an inconvenient time?’

‘I could never be inconvenienced by a beautiful woman. Especially not my wife.’

Uttara ignored his reference to their marriage, saying instead, ‘You did well today, with Uttamaujas and Yudhamanyu.’

‘You came here to tell me that?’

‘I…’ she faltered and, standing up, ran her hand over a arrow-wound on Abhimanyu’s torso. If she noticed the way the light of the flickering brazier played over the taut muscles of his chest and arms she betrayed no sign of it.

‘It will leave a scar,’ Abhimanyu said. ‘Yet another reason to find me unattractive, I suppose.’

‘If that was in jest, Abhimanyu, it is not in the least funny. But then, when have you been capable of saying anything intelligent.’

‘Not since I met you, that’s for sure.’

Uttara studied Abhimanyu’s handsome but stern countenance. He was close, and she could smell the sandalwood and cinnamon that she recognized as his unique musk, mingled faintly with the turmeric he had used as a disinfectant during his bath. Her heart began to beat faster and Uttara tried hard to appear unaffected. But when Abhimanyu’s eyes narrowed, and he bit his lower lip without knowing he was doing so, she was left with no doubt that he felt just as she did. They stood that way in silence, Abhimanyu unable to look away from Uttara’s large eyes, just as she could not bear to take her hand off him. The sound of footsteps passing by brought them both back to their senses.

Uttara said, keeping her voice deliberately casual. ‘We are at war. There will be scars. Anyway, I came to tell you that the Chief is here. He and his men are camped in the valley to the south-east. I sent word for them to remain there till I came for them. I asked them to be patient. Dharma Yudhisthir hasn’t made up his mind about doing battle on the day of the eclipse as yet; who knows when our leaders will be able to raise the matter of the Chief’s arrival with him.’

‘Eclipse… That is in five days, is it not?’

Uttara sighed. ‘Yes. A solar eclipse. Unless you still believe what you were told as a child – that it’s a demon who chases the sun and gobbles it up?’

‘Give me a hungry demon any day! I’ve been listening to completely useless and boring debates amongst some of the commanders on whether it contravenes the ethics of war to fight during the eclipse, and if it does do the usual rules not apply, and do the muhurttas after the eclipse count as a new day… And always, always, it comes back somehow to astra weapons. The enemy has them and we don’t. That singular fact is used to support the idea that we, too, should use astra weapons, and also to argue against their use. But then, you know all that…’

‘Yes. But about the eclipse…what have they decided?’

Abhimanyu groaned. ‘They haven’t! Of course, Emperor Dharma insists the eclipse is an omen that Syoddhan will surrender, but King Dhrupad has said if we were going to bring in omens and all that, we could well interpret it the other way, too. That shook the Emperor up a bit, but Father…that is, Uncle Govinda, actually fell asleep during the discussion, or he pretended to! Have you told him yet, by the way? About the Chief and his men?’

‘No. I came to tell you first. I’ll go find him now.’ Uttara turned to leave, but then glanced at Abhimanyu over her shoulder. ‘It wasn’t unpleasant, you know – our trip. To go find Chief Hidimbya, I mean. You weren’t half as irritating to spend time with as I thought you’d be. I could get used to you.’

By the time Abhimanyu could put words together in response, Uttara was gone. Pushing aside the temptations that flooded his mind and wracked his body, he retired for the night.

The soft scrape of fabric was all it took to rouse Abhimanyu from his sleep. He sat up at once in bed, in the same move drawing the dagger that he kept under his pillow.

‘Shh. It’s me.’ He heard Uttara’s voice through the darkness. Throwing aside the dagger, he stoked the wick lamp next to his bed into a bright flame to see her standing by his bed.

‘What happened?’ he asked.

‘I-I had to tell you… I love you, Abhimanyu….’

Abhimanyu looked up at his wife, surprised and overjoyed by her frank tone. Her eyes glowed with desire and unrestrained affection. At that, he felt something die in him and something else come to life instead. No longer was his the raging passion of youth but it was more. He wanted to be close and closer still; to revel in the precious, private intimacy that was theirs and theirs alone. He wanted every joy life had to offer to be theirs till they were old and wrinkled and still irrevocably in love. Reaching out, he pulled her to him, wanting nothing more than to be one with her in the most intimate way possible.

Later, as they lay awake in each other’s arms, Abhimanyu said, ‘I love you too, Uttara. I did not think I’d fall in love with you so quickly or so deeply, but I have…’

Uttara swallowed hard and tried to will back the tears, but could not. Neither could Abhimanyu. Gently, they brushed each other’s tears away and bundled their naked forms tighter against each other, cherishing the moment. They lay that way for a long time, talking of things past and dreaming of their future together till they fell into a content sleep.

5

MORNING BROUGHT WITH IT SETTLED TEMPERS AND RENEWED
focus. Dharma, particularly, seemed determined to show firmness and benevolence at once. He refused to compromise on his strategy with the formations, but did agree to some changes in the arrangement of the different divisions – though few thought his decisions were of consequence. Some sections of the Matsya and Kashi infantry were replaced with archers and sharp-shooters from one of the Naga-descended tribes of the north whom Partha had brought under submission decades ago during the Imperial campaign. Rumour had it that Partha enjoyed more than just loyalty from the princess who led these tribes, and it was these affections that had brought her people to Kuru’s Fields. Dharma tried hard to ignore all such talk and to gratefully accept the strength his forces gained from their numbers.

‘It will help to have archers in the vanguard,’ Dhrstyadymn admitted, but then added, ‘we…we could do with reinforcements. We can barely scrape a full formation together with the infantry we now have. I hate to say this, Dharma, but a day or two longer is all we can last before it comes down to us – the unit commanders – and only us. What few elephants we have are nearly all dead. Our horses remain, but… We need to find a way to destroy Bhagadatta, and for that we need reinforcements.’

Dharma was adamant. ‘We don’t need reinforcements. And if we did, who would we call on?’

‘We’ve had this conversation before, Dharma.’ Dhrstyadymn said.

‘And you know I disagree with you. Besides, it’s too late now. They’re too far away to help.’

Govinda said, ‘They are here. They’re in the woods on the northern face of the hills. They are ready to join battle at our command. Send Uttara to bring them to camp. Tell her to take Balahak.’

The others watched, perplexed, as Dharma floundered and then found a grip on himself. ‘Uttara…Now I see, Govinda. Now I see why you sent Abhimanyu and Uttara on this particular task. You had planned it all along, haven’t you? What have you tempted Hidimbya here with? My crown? And is that a false promise that you have made, or do you indeed intend to…’

Govinda interrupted, impatient. ‘Yes, I’d planned it all along, despite your objections. You can try me for treason in peacetime, if that’s what you want. But right now there’s a war going on, and we are not winning it.’

‘Stop treating me like a fool, Govinda. You know well why I refused to heed your advice on this.’

Govinda looked around at the others, and chose his words carefully. ‘Because it upsets your precious Divine Order? Abhimanyu! Come here.’ The young man complied. Govinda laid an affectionate hand on his back and continued, ‘If it’s of any interest to you, Dharma, he knew. He has known all along. In fact, all Hidimbya wanted was to be left alone, but Abhimanyu and Uttara are the ones who have brought him here, convinced his people to fight on your side.’

Dharma turned to Abhimanyu, who nodded in agreement. Dharma was visibly disappointed. ‘All right,’ he said, in a choked voice. ‘But I don’t want to see that Rikshasa here in the Command Tent, ever. Is that clear?’ With that, he left the tent. At a sign from Govinda, Bhim followed him out.

Chief Virat waited till they were gone, and then asked, ‘Who’s waiting in woods?’

‘Hmm?’

‘Govinda, tell us! Who?’

‘Bhim’s son. He was born before Panchali and Dharma were married…’

‘But that would make him…’

‘I know. It makes him the eldest of all the children and heir to Dharma’s throne. Abhimanyu has planned to install him as Crown Prince in his stead once this was over…’

‘And you knew? You knew of this…man’s existence when you orchestrated my daughter’s wedding with Abhimanyu?’

‘I did. If you feel I betrayed you, I apologize. But I think you will understand more than anyone else here why I had to do not just that, but also what I have now done.’

Tension filled the Command Tent as a glowering Virat considered Govinda’s words, but it was soon dispelled. ‘I do,’ Virat said. ‘This is not the time for selfish ambitions. Greater things are at stake. My daughter clearly saw that if she has been a part of this plan all along.

It wouldn’t hurt me to learn from her. Now come along, all of you. We have another long day ahead of us.’

One by one, they all left the Command Tent, Chief Virat and Govinda the last to walk out. Govinda whispered, so that Virat alone could hear, ‘That daughter of yours is a gem, Chief.’

‘So is that nephew…no, son, of yours. Is it my imagination, or have those two stopped wanting to kill each other?’

‘Oh, they’ve stopped all right. By the expression on Abhimanyu’s face, I’d say they have other things on their mind these days.’

Virat laughed. ‘It is the power of youth. They’re able to find happiness and contentment even in the middle of war and strife.’

‘It’s the power of hope, Chief. It’s the power of hope,’ Govinda said, his voice grave as he added, ‘it will take some time to get Hidimbya and his men into camp, but once they’re here, I’ll need your help.’

‘But of course, Govinda. What do you want me to do?’

‘Keep the newcomers in your ranks, Chief. Let them find lodgings with your soldiers. I don’t think Dharma is quite ready to meet Hidimbya yet, and I don’t want to push him to any hasty decisions. Hope is all very well, but it won’t hurt to spare a thought for reality.’

‘Speaking of which, Dharma has not ordered a formation for today as yet, has he?’

‘No,’ Govinda said. ‘He finally leaves that task to the man best suited for it: Dhrstyadymn.’

‘I’m curious, Govinda,’ Virat said in a low voice. ‘I mean, I know Dhrstyadymn is an excellent warrior and also that he studied under Acharya Dron as a grown man and all that… But it occurred to me that a man like you would have another reason, a very good reason, for choosing him as Commander…’

‘True,’ Govinda said, smiling.

‘Well? Are you going to tell me or not?’ Virat nudged him with his elbow.

‘What can I say, Chief? I’d rather our former emperor not hear me sing our Commander’s praises so. Let’s just say Dhrstyadymn was trained,
from his very childhood
, for this.’

‘Childhood, eh? Govinda Shauri, you are a scoundrel, and a secretive scoundrel at that.’

‘But of course, Chief. I’m a Firewright!’

Virat was suddenly solemn. ‘Unfortunately, my friend, you are not the only one…’

Govinda did not respond, but his ruminations came to rest, as they often did these days, on the Secret Keeper. Despite all that had happened, all that had been said and done, the thought of the man always gave Govinda hope.

6

‘
YOU
’
RE RIGHT
,’
SYODDHAN BEGAN, ADDRESSING VASUSENA
. ‘Dhrstyadymn knows what he is doing. Now that Dharma has given him a free hand…’

Vasusena shrugged, noncommittal, and said nothing. The two men stood under the large pennants at the heart of their camp, the proud elephant banner of Hastina and beside it the black cobra insignia that marked this war as Syoddhan’s.

Across the field, his rig flaunting a banner of its own, Dhrstyadymn led his soldiers, arranged in precise formation, into battle for the day. It was clear that, unlike Dharma, Dhrstyadymn did not make the mistake of underestimating his enemy. Nor for that matter did Syoddhan. He continued to treat his adversary as a threat despite their smaller force. ‘We shall form the box array,’ he told Asvattama, who stood some distance away. The warrior left immediately to find Bhisma. All three men knew the statement for what it truly was: a command, though Asvattama would be careful to phrase it as a suggestion rather than an instruction when he conveyed it to the Grandsire. Vasusena smiled at the thought, his heart filling with affection for his dearest friend. He did not tire of seeing Syoddhan’s efficient leadership and so, despite his decision to not fight while Bhisma did, he found pleasure in observing the battle.