‘Happy?’ Jeemotha hissed at her as he struggled to free himself from the six warriors who were holding him tight. Some warriors dragged Kattappa towards them by the rope on his neck. Ally was held by four of them as she screamed and kicked. Some tried to grope her breasts. A man kissed her full on her mouth. She spat in disgust, and he slapped her across her face. He kissed her again.
‘Well, well, well,’ she heard a peculiar accent. An unusually tall man, almost a giant, had joined the warriors.
‘Who would have thought Devil’s Island would have people living on it,’ he said, looking at them with curiosity.
‘We are farmers,’ Ally said.
‘Oh, I can see the farm, the bullocks, granary, chickens, sheep and cows. Wonderful. And who is that noble man?’
‘My husband,’ Ally said, and added as an afterthought, ‘And that is our slave.’
‘Interesting.’ The giant walked towards Jeemotha who had not lifted his head. He kicked Jeemotha between his legs and Jeemotha doubled over.
‘When did you get married, pirate Jeemotha?’ he asked.
‘Bhoomipathi Akkunda, I…I will pay my debts,’ Jeemotha said, clutching his groins.
‘In cash or kind? It seems you are very rich. How gigantic your palace looks,’ he said and his men laughed. Suddenly, Akkunda’s demeanour changed. He grabbed Jeemotha’s chin and screamed, ‘Bloody bastard. Son of a bitch. I was waiting to lay a hand on you. You were warned not to enter my villages, yet you did not spare my people. If someone higher up knows you hunted inside the Mahishmathi kingdom, I will hang with you.’
‘Mistake, an honest mistake, Bhoomipathi Akkunda. I will compensate.’
‘With what? By asking your wife to bed me? Or with swamp fish? I heard how Achi Nagamma destroyed you.’
‘Let me go and I will show you. Please,’ Jeemotha pleaded. Akkunda looked at him for a moment and then gestured for his men to free him. The pirate ran to fetch the pearls they had collected so far. He gave it to Akkunda and bowed. ‘Accept this and give us a ride to civilization. To sweeten the deal, I shall give you another gift.’
Ally knew what he was going to offer. She watched helplessly as Jeemotha pulled Kattappa and handed him to Akkunda. She was tempted for a moment to free the slave by uttering the words of freedom, but that might only get the poor man killed. The bhoomipathi assessed the slave and grunted. His men dragged Ally, Kattappa and Jeemotha to the coracles and then onto the ships. Once they boarded the ship, Kattappa was taken to the lower deck to pull the oars.
Surprisingly, Ally and Jeemotha were treated better once they were on the ship.
Later, as night fell and countless stars lit the sky above them, Ally approached Jeemotha. Lanterns swayed in the breeze, making their light dance on the deck. Jeemotha was lying on his back, staring at the sky. She sat near him, put her palm on his broad chest, and asked, ‘Why are they treating us so well?’
She could see his lips curve in derision. ‘Because they know we are not going to get out of this alive.’
Ally withdrew her hand as if she had been burned. ‘What do you mean? Why should they kill us? We have paid them.’
‘Do you think they will leave anyone who has set eyes on the greatest secret of Mahishmathi?’ he asked.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Do you have any idea what the cargo in these ships is?’ Jeemotha sat up and looked at her face.
Ally felt excited and terrified at the same time. ‘Gaurikanta?’ she asked.
Jeemotha nodded. ‘They are going for Mahamakam. After a day’s travel, the river enters Gomukha Gorge and the rapids start. The Guha bhoomi also starts from there. These ships will land in Guha bhoomi and the stones will be stored there. It is the duty of one bhoomipathi to transport the stones across the rapids in coracles to Mahishmathi city. Akkunda is the master of the upper river and swamplands. No one who has set eyes on the secret of the Gaurikanta stones has gone free.’
‘They will kill us?’
‘Worse. They will sell us as slaves to Guha.’
‘What is Guha like?’
‘Compared to Guha, Akkunda is a saint,’ Jeemotha said, as he lay back on the deck.
For the first time, Ally felt she had learnt something. The ships with their bellies full of precious stones continued to cut across the waters of the River Mahishi. Sails fluttered in the wind above them and the ship creaked and groaned. A night bird fluttered its wings and flew above them. Ally leaned on Jeemotha’s chest and started kissing him. He had earned it. She wanted him too, for she was celebrating. She was on the verge of striking at the root of Mahishmathi’s evil system. Achi Nagamma would be proud of her, she thought as she untied the knots of her breast-cloth.
THIRTY-FOUR
Mahamakam
Pattaraya drummed his fingers on the table as Rudra Bhatta fanned himself with his angavastra and Pratapa paced up and down the room. They were inside Pattaraya’s chamber and the nine days of Mahamakam festivities were about to start. The sounds of horns blaring and the excited crowds came in through the window that was cracked open. The room was stuffy and hot, and only the dim light from one lamp on the table illuminated it. Outside, it was growing dark. When they heard a soft knock, Pattaraya stood up. Pratapa rushed to open the door and Keki stepped in.
‘Prince?’ Pratapa asked anxiously. Keki moved aside and Prince Bijjala walked in. Keki closed the door and latched it. The three men in the room bowed to the prince. Bijjala appeared nervous.
‘Your Highness, thank you for coming,’ Pattaraya folded his hands and bowed again.
‘Are you going to embarrass me by asking for the money I owe?’ Bijjala scowled.
‘No, Your Highness,’ Pattaraya said with a horrified expression. ‘Why do you suspect your poor servants? We are ready to wait until you become the crown prince. Have I even asked you once before?’
Bijjala walked to the chair Pattaraya had been sitting on and sat on it himself. He lifted his legs and rested them on the table, and leaned back on the chair. Pattaraya knew the prince was trying to assert his superiority. If that was what the prince wanted, he could play that game. Pattaraya and his friends stood slightly bent at their waist, in a posture of abject subjugation.
Pattaraya said, ‘We heard that the mahapradhana is creating problems for Your Highness. Shall we talk to him?’
Bijjala looked at each of the men’s faces. Keki was watching him intently, but when Bijjala’s eyes met hers, she smiled.
‘That man is a pain in the neck, but my father trusts him. He is so frustratingly honest,’ Bijjala said.
‘Hmm…do you think so, Your Highness? What if I say we can pull away his mask of honesty and prove him to be a traitor?’ Pattaraya asked, stealing a glance at his friends. They nodded their heads in agreement.
Bijjala pulled away his legs from the table and sat up straight. ‘How?’
‘Your Highness need not bother with the details. We do not want to drag Your Highness’s name into it if anything goes wrong.’
Bijjala stared at them for a moment. Pattaraya moved near him and whispered, ‘He is our enemy too. He is the enemy of all right-thinking people in Mahishmathi. This low-caste pretender…’
‘What am I supposed to do?’
‘Be with us. Just get him to go to his chamber. And when the time comes, say that you ordered whatever we are going to do. Just leave everything to us.’
‘If getting him to his chamber is the only thing you want me to do, why can’t you do that yourself?’ Bijjala frowned.
‘Ah, Your Highness. I am a mere bhoomipathi. I cannot ask him to be in his chamber on the night of Mahamakam. Ha ha, I cannot ask him even on a normal day. I am his subordinate, Prince. But you are his superior. If you order it, he has to come.’
‘I will be his superior only when my father declares me the crown prince,’ Bijjala said, rubbing his chin.
‘Ah, but which mahapradhana would disobey the future maharaja’s orders, Your Highness,’ Pattaraya said and ob
served that the prince was pleased. He decided to push his luck.
‘Your Highness, on second thoughts, I feel you are right. I appreciate your insight. This low-caste pretender, the son of a bear dancer, he is so arrogant that he may disobey your order. And that would be embarrassing.’
‘I will pluck his tongue out if he dares to be impertinent to me.’
‘Of course, of course. But the maharaja would not be pleased. Leave such things to your humble servants, Your Highness. Just go to him and whisper that you have to talk to him regarding Gauridhooli.’
‘Gauri what—’ Bijjala’s eyebrows knitted in suspicion. ‘Do you mean Gaurikanta stones, the gift of Amma Gauri?’
‘Sort of. Don’t bother about the details. Just tell him the word, say you need to discuss it, and he will follow you like a dog,’ Pattaraya said.
‘And once he comes, what am I supposed to discuss? What is this gauri—’
‘Leave the discussion to us, Your Highness. Don’t get involved. Once you bring him to the chamber, leave him there. We will take the risk. We assure you, you will come out of this a hero.’
‘I am already a hero. People fear my prowess with the sword. They shiver when they see me. There is no warrior greater than me,’ Bijjala said.
‘Of course, Your Highness. The world knows your greatness, but not your father. Tonight, we will let him know,’ Pattaraya said.
Bijjala sat scratching his chin, deep in thought.
Pattaraya gestured to Keki and the eunuch came forward and sat on the floor near Bijjala. She started massaging his legs.
‘My prince,’ Keki said in a husky voice, ‘I am readying a gift for you. The one I showed you a few days before.’
Bijjala became alert. ‘That one—’
‘The very same, Your Highness. Your gift will be waiting for you in your room once you bring Skandadasa to his chamber. A humble present from a poor eunuch, Your Highness.’
Rudra Bhatta, who had been silent all this time, said, ‘For the past one week I have been studying your birth chart, Your Highness. I see a glorious future. Your stars are changing from this day of Mahamakam. Glory awaits you. You are going to shine like Indra in heaven.’
‘With many apsaras as concubines,’ Keki simpered.
Pattaraya bowed low, ‘We are always at your service, Your Highness. Just allow us to keep serving you.’
Bijjala looked pleased. He said, ‘Should I do it now?’
‘No, not now, Your Highness. Keki will let you know when you have to approach Skandadasa.’
‘Yes, Your Highness,’ Keki said. ‘I need time to arrange for your gift to be in your chamber, isn’t it? I will indicate the correct time.’
Pattaraya fell on his knees and his friends followed him, ‘Jai Bijjala Deva, jai Mahishmathi. Hail the future emperor of Mahishmathi!’ he cried and prostrated himself at Bijjala’s feet. The others did the same. Bijjala blessed them and walked out with a pleased smile on his face. Keki hurried to join him and Pratapa went to close the door.
From the antechamber, a man stepped out.
‘I did not think it would be that easy,’ he said.
Pattaraya turned to him. ‘It is never easy, Roopaka. Grandmasters make it appear easy. In this game of chaturanga, I am the grandmaster,’ he laughed.
‘And we are just pawns,’ Roopaka smiled.
‘And here is the reward for your information,’ Pattaraya gestured to Pratapa and the dandanayaka put a cloth bag on the table. Roopaka picked it up and shook it. The coins in it jingled.
‘This is so little.’
‘More after you finish your task,’ Pattaraya said and waved his hand towards the door.
Roopaka took it and tied it to his waist. He covered it with his waist-band and walked out. At the door, he paused, ‘Hey, I am not doing this only for money,’ he said.
‘Money is just the add-on, friend. Keep doing the good work,’ Pattaraya said. ‘Tomorrow you will have more work to do and more to earn.
When Roopaka had left, Pratapa said, ‘Frankly, I do not know what you are planning to do. Are you going to—’
‘I will explain everything in its time,’ Pattaraya said raising his palm. ‘Is the dwarf waiting where I told him to?’
‘I hope so,’ Pratapa said. ‘I have closed the path of the untouchables so that no one comes there even by chance. It was difficult to convince Hidumba to stand there for the whole night. He says he has no faith in your stupid plans.’
Pattaraya laughed. ‘Ouch, that hurt. Criticism from a half-sized half-wit. Am I supposed to weep?’ His demeanour changed then, and in a grave tone he said, ‘This is our only chance to kill many birds with a single stone. I hope the fool doesn’t goof it up. For today, everyone will do as I bid. No questions, no doubts, no one-upmanship.’
‘As per astrology, our good times start from today,’ Rudra Bhatta said.
‘That is the only thing that scares me,’ Pattaraya hissed. ‘Keep your petty tricks to fools like Bijjala. I create my own destiny—not some blasted stars in the sky.’
THIRTY-FIVE
Ally
As far as Ally could see, grasslands stretched over rolling hills. In the distance, Gauriparvat rose, her peak reaching towards heaven. Dusk was creeping up from the hills. On the other side of the river, towards the north, like a faded painting, the city of Mahishmathi could be seen.
Forests and swamps separated the grasslands of Chempadava from Gauriparvat, and thousands of cows, buffalo and sheep grazed on the grasslands. The overlord’s mansion was just a glorified hut. It was massive as huts went, but still a hut—made of unpolished planks and with a roof of dried grass. But it was rumoured that the mansion was filled with exotic crystals, stuffed animals and gold lamps. Exquisite carpets were laid on the mud floor and diamonds were used to multiply light in the chandeliers. His concubines wore the thinnest of muslin, his wives the smoothest of silk with gold embroidery. Yet the best of Arabian perfumes mixed with the smell of cow dung and sheep droppings. Bhoomipathi Chandrahasa Guha, the overlord of Chempadava bhoomi, never discriminated among his people, his wives, his concubines, his children, his cows, sheep, hunting dogs or servants. They all stayed under his massive roof, sleeping, eating, drinking and copulating together.
Ally watched Jeemotha drinking palm toddy with Bhoomipathi Chandrahasa Guha and Bhoomipathi Akkunda in the front courtyard of Guha’s mansion. It was amazing how the pirate had managed to change the term of slavery to one of servitude. It still rattled Ally that he had offered her up sexually to Chandrahasa and Akkunda. But that had not bought them complete freedom. They were not allowed anywhere beyond the confines of the mansion.
They were not chained now, and were just like any servants in Guha’s mansion. Jeemotha said the good times would not last for ever. Guha was waiting for Mahamakam to get over and then he would do as he pleased with them. Guha liked to be unpredictable. She should not try anything foolish, Jeemotha told her. As if he cared.
Ally often wondered what would happen with the stones. She would have given her right arm to know the details and pass it on to Achi Nagamma. If only she could destroy the cache of stones, she may perhaps achieve what no rebel had achieved in the past three generations. That would bring the corrupt Mahishmathi empire to its knees. That would result in the destruction of an inhuman system that used children as fodder for its progress. As Achi Nagamma used to say, their war was against the system and not the country.
Since Ally had been holed up in Chempadava with Jeemotha, she had not seen Kattappa. She often wondered what had happened to the slave. She did not know whether it was pity, respect or love, but she missed the calming presence of Kattappa sorely. She had tried to look for him, but was stopped by guards. There were rumours that the Vaithalikas were preparing for something big, and Guha had placed more guards to secure the armoury where the stones were kept.
Every Mahamakam, the Mahishmathi government somehow brought the stones to the city, or so it was rumoured. Ally wondered how this was
done secretly, as almost the entire population of Mahishmathi would be thronging the city. If they just came in the ships, why couldn’t Bhoomipathi Akkunda transport them without coming to Guha Bhoomi? And if the stones were being taken to the city, why had no one seen it being transported? What did they do with the stones? No commoner talked about them. It was just whispers among the elite, a hushed rumour, with all the sinister air of a dreaded secret. Yet, Jeemotha hinted it was the duty of a bhoomipathi to take it across. Something did not add up.
The three men were getting drunk and Jeemotha was singing some bawdy song. The pirate sat on the floor while the two bhoomipathis had chairs. This was the time to slip out and see whether she could find out something more. She walked as if bored, kicking a stone out of her way and smiling at the guards, as though merely going for a stroll. They knew her as the woman who pleasured the bhoomipathis and that gave her some respect. She sat by the river, throwing stones, waiting for the guards to stop watching her. It was getting darker by the minute.
The river breeze was cool, yet that did not soothe her tension. She was feeling nervous. Capture meant sure death, but this could be the most important breakthrough if she pulled it off. Ally was desperate to do something for Achi Nagamma. Achi had been her father and mother, her guru and god. Ally always yearned for Achi’s words of praise, which were rarely given.
Ally slipped into the tall grass and started weaving her way through it. She was terrified of snakes, and every step she took, she thought she would tread on the head of a cobra or a viper and it would bite her. She would die here, without doing anything worthwhile in life. Blades of grass scratched her face and drew white lines over her black skin, making her itch everywhere. She willed herself to make her way through the swaying grass. The breeze picked up pace, bending the blades as it howled past her ears. A pale moon was rising in the sky. She wished it was darker and less windy. Whenever the grass moved, she could see the swaying lantern that hung in front of Bhoomipathi Guha’s mansion. The three men were still drinking as the women of Guha’s household milled around, serving eatables.
The Rise of Sivagami : Book 1 of Baahubali - Before the Beginning Page 31
