by Ranjit Desai
‘Get up, please. Tell me what happened.’
‘Raje, ask me what has not happened.’ He was in tears again and wiped them before continuing. ‘I am shattered. My daughter had gone to the river to fetch water when she was kidnapped and raped. She has now committed suicide. I am orphaned without my child.’
‘Who has dared to commit this act? Do you know his name?’ Raje asked, shocked.
‘Yes. The entire community saw but nobody wants to open their mouths. The protector has become the destroyer—it was the village Patil, the headman, himself.’
‘Yesaji, go to village and fetch the Patil.’
Yesaji galloped away at full speed towards the village. Raje consoled the man and got all information from him. After a long time, Yesaji returned alone, his face flushed.
‘What happened? Did you not find the Patil?’
‘I did.’
‘Then why did he not come along? Raje asked in a firm voice.
Yesaji licked his lips trying to form the right reply. ‘This Patil is an arrogant fellow and doesn’t care two hoots. When I told him that you had commanded his presence, he said, ‘Tell Shivaji that he may be a raja in name but I am a real Patil. Tell him the village is mine and I shall do what I feel like.’
‘Oh, is that so?’ Raje said, smiling.
Baji said, anger rising in his voice, ‘Yesaji, did you come back to give such a message? Is your sword a decoration?’
‘Baji, what Yesaji did was right. There would be no difference between the Mughals and us otherwise.’
‘Raje!’ the man said, now despondent.
‘Don’t worry. Yesaji, ask one of the soldiers to take this man on horseback.’
They all returned to Pune. The poor fellow had introduced himself as Ramji Khade. Raje said as they reached Pune, ‘Yesaji, take fifty horsemen and go to the village. Arrest the Patil and present him to me tomorrow morning.’
Yesaji was all smiles. The next morning Raje dressed up after his bath. He was wearing a churidar with an embroidered shirt. A small knife was put into his cummerbund and a sword hung on one hip. He looked in the mirror as he adjusted his cap and smiled at seeing Jijabai standing behind him.
Jijabai asked, ‘What is the commotion outside? I asked Dadoji but he does not know. The whole courtyard is full of people and why are you dressed up so?’
Shivaji smiled and said, ‘It suits a raja.’
All the office staff had assembled in the courtyard. Shivaji took his seat and said, ‘Yesaji, please produce the Patil.’
The Patil was pushed forward, his arms tied behind him.
‘Ramji, is this the same Patil?’
‘Yes, Maharaj.’
‘Raje …’ said the Patil in a trembling voice. He was clearly petrified.
Raje smiled. ‘Patil, you may be a real Patil and I may be a raja in name only but I am a son of the soil. I respect another woman like my mother or sister. I don’t consider the kingdom my property.’
He looked at Yesaji and asked, ‘Has his crime been investigated?’
‘Yes, Maharaj.’
‘Patil, the village people are like your children. And you were made Patil to take care of them but you go about raping them! You seem to be carrying on the traditions of the Mughals.’
The Patil rushed forward and fell at Pant’s feet.
‘Pant, help me. I need justice.’
‘Raje,’ Pant began.
‘Pant, I suggest you don’t interfere … Patil, we will give you a hearing by jury on one condition.’
‘What condition?’ asked Patil, seeing a small ray of hope.
‘The condition is that you need to get the girl to speak in court. I am sure she too has something to say in her defence.’
‘That is unfair!’ Patil shouted. ‘Since when can a dead person appear in court?’
‘Enough!’ Raje said, staring at him intently. ‘The jury is for ordinary crimes; not for criminals like you.’
The Patil said beseechingly, ‘Pant, I made a mistake. Please pardon me.’
‘Silence!’ Raje shouted, his face red with anger. ‘Were you deaf when the poor girl screamed for mercy? Yesaji! Break this criminal’s legs and arms and take him around the town on a donkey. He is, after all, the village Patil! He should be sent home with due respect. Take him now, and inform me after the punishment has been meted out.’
Raje walked into the inner quarters, followed by Jijabai and Dadoji.
‘Raje, isn’t his punishment too severe?’ Dadoji asked.
Shivaji turned suddenly and said, ‘Pant, please pardon me for interrupting you then, but I believe that this person deserves it.’
‘But Shivaji!’
‘Maa saheb! Do you remember Padmini? Or your sister-in-law? This needs to stop. If I cannot implement these things then I don’t need this jagir and I don’t need to be a raja.’
An angry Shivaji walked out of the room and a stunned Jijabai exclaimed, ‘Look at his temper!’
Dadoji wiped his moist eyes and said, ‘Maa saheb! I am finally content today. How I wish the elder Maharaj was here to see this! Today, Shivaji behaved like a true king. I shall now go and pay my respects to the Almighty.’
The news that the Patil’s arms and legs had been broken spread like wildfire. Everyone had a word of praise for Raje while the Patils and Deshmukhs were a scared lot now. No one dared to dismiss Shivaji as a young lad. He had grown in authority now.
#
‘Maa saheb!’ Shivaji Raje said, entering his mother’s quarters, ‘I am leaving for Rohideshwar for darshan.’
‘Is Dadoji going along?’
‘No.’
‘Then who else is?’
‘Baji, Yesaji, Chimnaji and Balaji are all coming.’
‘Has Pant been informed?’
‘Yes, and he has given his consent.’
‘All right. When will you return?’
‘The day after tomorrow.’
‘And where will you stay?’
‘We will be staying in the village itself. Baji has a house there.’
‘Are you going to stay in his house?’
‘Why, what is wrong with that?’
‘Raje, do you realize it is a poor man’s house? And if a raja stays there, the whole household wealth will be spent in a single evening. And what about your horsemen?’
‘They will stay in the village too.’
‘Then you are going to punish the whole village!’
‘What do you suggest I do?’
‘Raje, you may stay in Baji’s house but send an advance party with all the necessary items for your stay. That way, they will not be constrained and yet can treat you like a royal guest!’
Shivaji left beaming with joy.
#
Raje enjoyed visiting places like Alandi, Jejuri and other such temple towns. Rohideshwar was one such place. There was a Shankar temple in the middle of a dense village on the top of a mountain. Shivaji would get enraptured by the beauty of nature and he had become friends with people like Dadaji Naras Prabhu in his many visits to Rohideshwar.
It was afternoon and the temple looked serene. The cool breeze blowing around soothed the visitors.
‘Raje, you seem to be silent,’ Chimnaji observed.
‘What can I say, Chimnaji? A person who is a raja in name only does not have the right to say something or do something.’
‘Who is the raja in name?’
‘Me! Who else? See how the countryside seems listless. Earlier it was the Nizam Shahi rulers and now it is Adil Shah’s reign. But there has been no change in the country. The royal troops come and loot the place, filling their coffers. The common man swallows his pride while the royals loot the villages, and take away the women and young girls.’
‘Raje, nobody likes this, but these are poor peasants.’
‘Yesaji, I don’t know how strong the ordinary peasant is, but if a peasant can kill a wolf with a mere stick and such peasants join forces then …’
‘Then w
hat, Raje …?’
‘Then … what can I say?’ Raje said, puffing his chest with pride. ‘Then by God’s blessing, our people do not have to hide in these mountains. They can roam around without fear.’
‘But how will this happen?’
‘All these Jagirdars, Patils, Deshmukhs, Kulkarnis; if they all join together imagine the strength!’
‘So you think we can defeat the Bijapurkars?’ Balaji asked.
‘What army did Lord Ram have? Ravan was a great yogi but he was defeated with the help of monkeys. Balaji, what we lack is faith.’
‘Keep talking, Raja,’ Subhana said. ‘It is music to my ears.’
‘Huh!’ Raje smiled. ‘Subhana, all singers speak of God and tell people where he resides. But that does not make people meet God.’
‘But I have found my god …’ Subhana said.
‘Where?’
‘In you!’
‘You are naïve, Subhana. Just saying so does not make one a god.’
‘Then tell us what needs to be done. One command and the whole village will be with you. They worship you. The Deshmukhs, Desais, Deshpandes and the others are with you. If they had not been, they would not have kept quiet when you dealt with that Patil. They are all waiting for directions from you …’
Raje got up and said, ‘Subhana, my head is reeling with all these thoughts. Let’s go talk to Yesaji.’
The small village where Yesaji stayed had a population of a mere hundred-or hundred-and-fifty-odd people. They were all waiting for Raje.
‘Raje, you have blessed the village, thanks to the goodness of Yesaji. Let us go to my mansion,’ the village Patil requested when they reached the village.
‘Why? Is Yesaji driving us away from his humble home?’
‘It is not befitting that you stay with Yesaji.’
‘Patil, I am Yesaji’s guest. I will stay with you the next time.’
They entered Yesaji’s cottage. The courtyard was decorated with simple rugs. Raje washed his feet and sat down on a parapet. He stood up and folded his hands on seeing Yesaji’s mother and wife. Yesaji’s mother bent down to touch his feet, but, holding her hands, Shivaji said, ‘Mother, to you, I am like Yesaji. I need your blessings.’
The whole village had assembled that evening. They were discussing their crops and the other problems they faced. Everyone was happy to see Raje share a close bond with Yesaji and wanted to share their thoughts. The village Patil remembered something and said, ‘Call that girl Manu.’
A young twelve- or thirteen-year-old beautiful Konkani girl came forward and fell at Raje’s feet.
‘Who is she?’ he asked.
‘Maharaj, her name is Manohari.’
‘Manohari? It sounds unfamiliar.’
‘She is from the Manohar Fort and has been named after it. She came here yesterday.’
‘Why?’
‘The kiledar is a Muslim. He had his eye on her, poor orphan that she is, and ordered her to be sent to his harem. The villagers conspired to help her and sent her here in the night. I am sure that you will find a way to take care of her.’
Raje smiled. He said, ‘Send her to Maa saheb. She deals with all these issues. I cannot tolerate the fact that an orphaned Hindu girl is being exploited in such a manner.’
After dinner, Shivaji relaxed on a cot in the courtyard. The cool night breeze was soothing but sleep eluded him for a long time. In the wee hours of the morning, Shivaji took his leave from Yesaji and the horses galloped in the direction of Pune. A flock of birds seemed to be following them. Once in a while, a sambar would rush across the path to the other side. The sun rose and the mountains were lit with the rays of the dawn. Shivaji enjoyed the sights as he rode and he noticed a village nestled in the valley. A lot of men seemed to have assembled near the village. Raje raised his hand for the troops to halt.
‘Baji, please check why these people have assembled at dawn.’
The villagers were scared when they heard the approaching horses. Raje dismounted and the men touched his feet. There was a cow lying down on the ground.
‘What happened?’
An old man, who sat caressing his dead cow, said wiping his tears, ‘Raja, a tiger killed my cow.’
‘And the tiger?’
‘He is somewhere in the jungle. But who can find him? Our whole life is wasted. The Badshah’s men come and take away our crops. Now, the tiger comes and takes away our cow. How do we live? This is the third animal we lost this month.’
‘Baji! Yesaji! Let us drive the tiger out by creating noise. I have my rifle.’
‘A tiger who kills a cow cannot be spared,’ remarked Balaji Narhekar.
The news of Shivaji Raje’s plan to shoot the tiger spread quickly in the small village. Shivaji’s men assessed the terrain and got some people together who had good knowledge of the jungle. The area where the tiger was expected to be hiding was marked.
‘When you hear the gunshot, do not move forward but hide in the bushes. Move forward only when you hear the trumpets,’ Shivaji warned.
The men designated to create the noise moved into the jungle. Raje checked his sword, spear and his knife. He moved forward to take his position followed by Baji, Yesaji, Balaji, Chimnaji and others. He selected a big bush to hide behind and waited after readying his rifle. Everyone waited for the people to begin their shouting to push the tiger out of hiding.
The jungle was bathed in pin-drop silence. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the shouting began all of a sudden. The noise of the shouts and the utensils being banged could be heard as they descended the mountain. Flocks of birds flew up and circled around. Herds of sheep ran down the slopes.
Baji pointed towards a bush hearing a shuffling sound. Raje looked in that direction to see a few wild boars emerge out of the bush, their hair straight, baring their teeth. They rushed unaware of the men hiding behind the bush.
The tiger, having enjoyed his kill, was now enjoying a siesta when he was disturbed by the noise of the utensils banging. There were stones falling all around and the noise was increasing in intensity. The tiger angrily moved out of his cave and growled, his tail raised high as he climbed down the slopes. He turned back every now and then towards the noise which seemed to be nearing closer.
The noise suddenly stopped and then again it increased with more intensity. A few monkeys screeched in warning as they flitted from one tree top to another. Pointing at them, Raje said, ‘Baji, I think the tiger is coming our way.’
Shivaji sat in position without moving an inch. The noise was closer, and suddenly, out of the blue, the tiger emerged into the clearing. The huge animal was nervous and flicked his tail angrily. His stripes shone in the sunlight and the muscles rippled with each step. He was now right in front of the bush where Raje and his men were hiding.
Raje balanced the rifle with one hand on his thigh and shoved the barrel through the bushes. A shot rang out the moment the tiger came within shooting distance. The loud roar of the tiger followed the shot and the jungle reverberated with the sounds. The bush was filled with the smoke emanating from the rifle barrel. The men chasing the tiger, hid in the bushes, waiting for the signal. Raje saw the tiger groaning as he rolled on the ground. The beast was trying to get up but fell back each time. His backbone was hit and it was impossible for him to get up. The jungle shook with the painful roar of the tiger.
‘He has been hit,’ shouted Baji loudly.
‘Shhhh …’ Raje scolded him.
The tiger’s growling subsided slowly and his stomach heaved slowly with his laborious breathing. Raje came out of the hiding in careful steps. ‘My spear …’
‘But Raje …’ Yesaji mumbled.
‘Hit him only if I miss. Come.’
The tiger opened his eyes and saw his enemy walking towards him. He growled loudly and, at that moment, Shivaji’s spear pierced his heart and his neck slumped back instantly. Baji picked up his spear but Raje indicated to him to stop. The tiger was dead.
Yesaji said, �
�It is a tigress.’ The next moment he blew the trumpet to announce the death of the beast. The villagers ran down the slopes shouting with happiness and assembled around Shivaji Raje. Forgetting protocol, many hugged Shivaji in appreciation of his valour. One of them had picked up two cubs and put them in front of Raje. He stretched his hand to pick up one of the cubs but the tiny cub hissed and bared his teeth. He managed to catch the cub and cuddled it forcibly and said, ‘The tigress was stuck in this place because of her cubs. Havaldar, take these cubs with us. They will be a good addition to our zoo.’
One of the old men plucked away the whiskers from the tigress and burnt them. There was a belief that the whiskers were very poisonous. He spat on the animal saying, ‘A tiger has finally met his match today.’
The tigress was tied to two poles and it took ten men to lift the huge beast. Everyone shouted with joy, ‘Shivaji Maharaj ki jai!’
Everyone lifted Raje high up in the air and he was carried around with every one vying to hold him high on their shoulders. Shivaji was embarrassed while Yesaji, Chimnaji and Baji laughed on seeing the funny procession. While departing from the village, Raje asked what the name of the village was.
The old man said, ‘What name? It has not even been a year since we settled here.’
‘Then let us name it Waghmar.’
#
All of Pune gathered to see the dead tigress. The animal lay in the open courtyard of the Lal Mahal palace, and Shivaji was resting in his room in the evening when Dadojipant arrived in the main hall.
‘What a huge animal!’ Jijabai said. ‘I am told that Shivaji killed it all alone.’
‘Yes.’
‘What a daring boy!’
‘That is precisely what I wanted to say—this bravado needs to be contained in time,’ Dadoji said.
‘I thought you were praising him!’
‘I too feel proud of him, Maa saheb, but that does not mean I forget my responsibility. I am responsible for this episode. He said he was going to Rohideshwar for darshan which is why I agreed to let him go. I had not anticipated a shikar in between.’
