‘Oh no, it isn’t,’ he laughed. ‘What would the people of Bateshwar say if they found their queen hadn’t given them a crown prince within the first year of marriage?’ he said in mock horror.
Devki slapped him again, ‘You chauvinistic man! Why does it have to be a crown prince; why can’t it be a princess?’
Vasudev roared in laughter. ‘It’s so easy to provoke you, darling. Of course it could be a prince or a princess. But we wouldn’t know unless we keep trying, would we now?’ he said playfully as his hands started roving again.
Devki laughed. ‘And I thought someone wanted us to sleep early so we could be fresh in the morning?’ she said coquettishly.
‘Really?’ Vasudev acted surprised. ‘That’s strange. I don’t know anything about that.’ He laughed as he expertly pulled the last of the strings holding up Devki’s robe.
Devki sighed in pleasure as she felt his hands finally find what they had been searching for. This time their love-making was slower and gentler. The night had begun to give way to dawn when they finally slept, exhausted, in each other’s arms.
Vasudev woke up with a start. His senses honed over a lifetime of training told him that something was radically wrong. He turned towards Devki and breathed a sigh of relief. She was still sleeping, the hint of a smile on her face. Then he heard the noise again. It was the same commotion that had roused him from his slumber. He pulled open the curtains and blinked involuntarily as the bright glare of the morning sun pierced his eyes.
‘What the…’ he stopped himself from cursing out loud.
‘What’s the matter, darling?’ Devki called softly from the bed, stirring from her sleep.
Vasudev turned to look at her. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, and vulnerable. He had to force himself to take his eyes off her and focus on the situation. ‘Something’s wrong Devki…I can feel it in my bones. The sun is up. We have obviously overslept. But the strange thing is that no one woke us up.’
Devki was staring at him, her expression betraying her confusion and apprehension. Then she heard the same uproar that had woken up Vasudev.
Her eyes widened in trepidation. ‘What could it be?’ she asked timorously.
‘I don’t know yet, but I intend to find out,’ Vasudev said grimly, donning his clothes hurriedly. He looked around for his armour and sword. They were gone.
‘My sword!’ he whispered. ‘I can’t find it.’
Devki had got into her robe as quickly as she could. ‘Let’s go out and see what the matter is,’ she said.
Vasudev nodded. A part of him wanted Devki to stay back in the safety of the room. But he wasn’t sure what the problem was and he decided he would feel better if she were with him instead of being alone in the room.
Vasudev and Devki were baffled at the complete absence of activity in the palace. The place had a deserted look about it that was ominous. Vasudev hadn’t got the opportunity to survey the palace when they had arrived the previous night. Now, as he moved through the palace, he studied the entire structure with the eyes of a professional warrior.
The main palace building had three levels to it. The top storey housed the master section, which comprised an enormous bedroom and an assortment of other lodgings. This is where they had spent the night. The next floor had fifteen mid-sized rooms, all residential in nature. Kansa and tatatulya must have occupied two of the rooms on that level, Vasudev reflected. The lowermost level was the ground floor, which included a large hall for public meetings and separate rooms, which could presumably be used for private discussions with select guests.
Vasudev did not detect any activity within the main palace building. Whatever noise he had heard earlier must have emanated from somewhere else within the sprawling palace compound. Vasudev’s attention was drawn to the considerably sized outhouse on the eastern side of the compound, about fifty gavutas away from the main building. The outhouse normally served as lodgings for the domestic staff working in the palace. The windows of the outhouse were open, and Vasudev could see right inside that building. He couldn’t perceive any employee there. And then it occurred to him that he hadn’t noticed any staff during the night either. It had struck him as odd even then, but Devki’s excitement at seeing the palace had made him uncharacteristically ignore the irregularity. Getting increasingly concerned, he moved quickly down the stairs with Devki following, and reached the ground floor. From where they were standing, they had a full view of the pakasala (kitchen). It should have been bustling with activity, with the paurogava (superintendent of the kitchen) shouting orders at the various kitchen staff. Today, the pakasala was conspicuous by the complete absence of any movement.
Suddenly, he felt Devki nudge him softly. He turned to look at her and saw her pointing in the direction of the aikanga kaksha (bodyguard’s lodging). He drew in his breath as he observed the open door. It made creaking noises as it swayed back and forth on its hinges. Vasudev’s pulse raced with a multitude of thoughts blazing through his mind. ‘Tatatulya’s bodyguards…’ he whispered. ‘I can’t see them.’
Devki huddled close to Vasudev as he crept cautiously along the compound, moving in the direction of the aikanga kaksha. She could sense his ragged breathing, and the adrenaline pulsating through his system as he moved forward, measuring each step warily. They reached the open door, and Vasudev brought his finger to his lips, indicating to Devki that he wanted her to move back, away from him. Devki reluctantly took a few steps backwards. The menace in the air was palpable and she didn’t want Vasudev facing whatever awaited inside the room alone. But she guessed he stood a better chance of tackling whatever it was if she was not in his way. She watched, her heart thudding against her chest, as Vasudev took a deep breath and dived inside the room. And then she heard him scream.
It raised her hackles as she sensed the mix of rage and agony in Vasudev’s voice. Without waiting to think, she rushed towards the door, intending to tear down whatever or whoever had dared to inflict pain on the man she loved more than anything else. She collided with Vasudev as he stumbled out of the room, his expression reflecting utter despair and horror.
‘Vasudev, what happ…’ Devki cried out in concern as Vasudev held her in a tight embrace. She could feel his heart thumping against her body as he held her close, not wanting her to go inside the room.
‘Vishnu have mercy on our souls!’ he finally whispered, his anguish transparent in his expression.
Devki lifted her head over his shoulders, and she saw what he hadn’t wanted her to glimpse. The floor and the walls inside were splattered in shades of red and scarlet. Beds and pillows were soaked in blood and gore. A singular odour pervaded the air; the sickly sweet smell of blood. The entire room had been witness to a ruthless bloodbath. Devki knew she would never forget the scene or the smell for as long as she lived.
Vasudev heard the noise at the same time that Devki did. It was the same commotion that had woken him up in the morning. It seemed to be coming from one of the rooms on the ground level.
Devki shuddered, ‘Kansa… Father…’ she whispered, her voice trembling. ‘I hope they are safe!’
‘Let’s find out,’ Vasudev said grimly; his composure and self-control returning as he realized he would need all his skill to fight whoever had done this dastardly deed. But first he had to make sure that Kansa and Devki’s father were alright.
‘Stay behind me, darling,’ he said quietly to Devki. She saw his expression and realized that he had used the endearment automatically. His mind was elsewhere. The savage expression on his face scared her almost as much as the horror of the scene they had just witnessed. The Vasudev that stood before her was not the gentle man she had known all her life or the tender lover of the previous night. This person was the warrior she had heard people in the court talk about with awe; the ruthless slayer of assassins.
Vasudev ran in a criss-cross direction towards the source of the commotion, all the time holding Devki’s hand and shielding her with his body. He reached the roo
m from where the noise was coming. The door was locked and it was too thick to break through. Vasudev ran to the other side, where he thought he spotted a window to the room. It was open but was barred with thick iron grills. Vasudev tried looking through the closely spaced bars. It was dark inside and impossible to see what or who was within.
‘Kansa, is that you?’ There was no response.
‘Tatatulya, are you in there?’ he shouted louder. There was a scuffling sound as someone dragged himself from the other side of the room. There was a groan as the person inside made a herculean effort to raise his body and bring his face next to the grilled window.
‘Airawat!’ Vasudev gasped as he recognized the Madhuvan cavalry commander. ‘How did you get in there? Speak up, man!’
Airawat winced with the effort of standing up. ‘They broke my legs,’ he said in a hoarse voice. ‘The bodyguards were drugged…I think I was too…when I woke up, I saw I was bound in chains.’ Airawat shut his eyes as a shiver of unbearable pain coursed through his body. ‘They gagged me and carried me out of my room, taking me to the aikanga kaksha, where the bodyguards were lying unconscious. I was made to watch as they hacked the bodyguards in their sleep,’ Airawat broke down and tears of frustration flowed down his face.
‘Who did this?’ Vasudev growled.
‘A man called Ugra…he led the assassins,’ Airawat replied, his voice registering the horror of having seen his former colleagues and friends being mercilessly hacked to death.
‘That man is already dead. I promise you this!’ Vasudev swore.
Devki had been silent. She couldn’t contain herself any longer. ‘Where are Kansa and Father, Airawat? Are they safe?’
Airawat looked at Devki in bewilderment. ‘Don’t you know?’ ‘Know what?’ Devki’s lips trembled. She feared the worst.
‘The king has been locked up in a room on the second floor….but he is safe,’ Airawat said haltingly, the pain in his legs wracking his entire body.
‘And Kansa? Where is he?’ Vasudev intervened.
Airawat hung his head. ‘Kansa is with the king, My Lord.’
‘Thank God!’ Vasudev sighed in relief. ‘Once I get him out of there, we are going to cut down each and every one of these assassins.’
Airawat laughed harshly. ‘I don’t think you understand, My Lord!’ Vasudev stared at Airawat. ‘What do you mean?’ he demanded.
‘Kansa is holding the king hostage.’ Airawat said softly. ‘He is the one who hired these assassins!’
Vasudev had still not been able to absorb the full import of what Airawat had just told him when his attention was distracted by the sound of several feet running softly over the ground. He turned around to see a hundred assassins standing in a large semi-circle. They were led by a giant of a man, holding an axe in one hand and a sword in the other. Vasudev’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the sword the man was holding. It was his.
‘Be careful, My Lord!’ Airawat mumbled feebly. ‘The man with the axe is Ugra…’ Airawat was unable to complete his sentence as the unbearable agony finally took its toll and he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Ugra smiled at Vasudev. The intensity of his loathing was reflected in his expression.
‘Vasudev!’ he said softly, the menace in the tone unmistakable.
The news of Kansa’s betrayal had paralyzed Vasudev. The sight of the man who had mercilessly hacked the king’s bodyguards in their sleep served to bring him back to reality and he felt rage surge through his entire being as he glared at Ugra.
‘I am told you are the one who killed my son after he had granted you your life,’ Ugra said in muted fury.
Vasudev blinked for an instant as he recalled the fearless young warrior he had almost died battling in the Bhairava Van. ‘Your son was a brave warrior. He knew he was fighting on the wrong side but he still had the courage to fight…for your beliefs. You are the one who killed him when you sent him to Hastinapur. I just did what I had to do,’ Vasudev retorted.
Ugra seemed to waver for a moment as he remembered Ghora’s indecision at the time of going to Hastinapur. Did I really send him to his death? He thought with anguish. He shook off the thought from his mind and focused on his enemy, the man who had taken away from him the one person he had really cared about in his whole life.
‘I will not be as forgiving as my boy was,’ Ugra snarled. ‘Prepare to die!’ he roared as he threw Vasudev’s sword to him.
Vasudev caught the sword mid-air. He saw Ugra charging at him with his axe held high, and he pushed Devki to the side, preparing himself to face his daunting adversary.
Ugra brought the axe down with all his might. Vasudev jumped nimbly aside, as the axe made contact with the stone corridor, shattering the floor in a shower of fragments. Vasudev was flabbergasted at the speed of the asura. He moved with astonishing agility for a man of his size and even before Vasudev had got his bearings, Ugra landed another massive blow. This time, Vasudev was not quick enough and the axe dug itself in his sandals, a nails breadth away from his toe. The sandal was useless and would only inhibit further movement. Vasudev slipped out of both his sandals and flexed his toes to get the blood flowing. This man is not in the same class as his son; but the difference in their ability is more than made up by his size and his inhuman strength, thought Vasudev.
Ugra was swirling the axe in a manner that made it almost impossible to get inside his circle of defense. Vasudev knew he might only get one chance to strike. He had no intention of losing that opportunity whenever and if it presented itself. He decided to confuse the assassin. He knew the technique he had tried with Ghora may not work with this opponent, given the asura’s height and the unpredictability of his weapon. He tried a different tactic. Instead of waiting for him to strike, Vasudev began to twist his body sideways, transferring his sword from one hand to the other as he did so. Just when Ugra thought he had timed Vasudev’s moves to predict where he would be next, Vasudev changed the frequency of his body movements. The continuous monitoring of his opponent’s movement took Ugra’s attention from Vasudev’s sword. He did not realize that Vasudev had stopped transferring the sword between his hands, and now held it firmly in his right hand.
When Vasudev was certain the moment was right, he moved his body to the left. He was deliberately slow in order to lull Ugra into a sense of security. As he had thought, Ugra brought down his axe at the spot he calculated Vasudev would be. But Vasudev had shifted his body weight mid-way and the axe slashed through the air, swishing harmlessly on one side of Vasudev. The right flank of the asura lay open and Vasudev thrust his sword in a straight line. Ugra did not see the attack coming. The sword pierced through a barely perceptible opening in his armour near the shoulder, and it cut right across the brachial artery. In one blow, the radial, median and the ulnar nerves were sliced. Ugra felt the axe fall involuntarily from his hand, as complete paralysis of the arm set in. Vasudev stared at the man whose son had once spared his life. He considered for a brief moment, letting the asura live. But the vision of the blood-soaked room came unbidden to his mind, and in a daze of uncontrollable fury, he swung his sword at Ugra.
There was a hush as the Zataka Upanshughataks watched their chief’s head separate from his torso and fall to the ground, as though in slow motion. The legendary fighter, whom no law or enemy had been able to subdue, lay vanquished at Vasudev’s feet.
There was a bellow of rage from the assassins as they regained their self-possession. They looked at each other, and prepared to charge at the man who had killed their chief. Vasudev knew he would not be able to fight their combined might. He glanced at Devki, silently exhorting her to run away. She shook her head and walked towards him. Vasudev smiled in resignation as he recalled one of the lines from their wedding vows: We have taken the seven steps together. You have become mine forever. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought and I am sound. You are the song and I am the lyrics. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me.
Kansa took one last look at Ugrasena. The man who had played the role of his father for the past twenty-nine years sat slumped on the ground. Kansa couldn’t believe this was the same man he had admired as a great warrior while growing up. But then, he also couldn’t have believed that this very man had once wanted him killed as a child and who had recently disowned him in favour of that back-stabbing Vasudev. It doesn’t matter. I am stronger and more powerful than any of them now, he thought. I don’t need anyone to love me any longer. Anyone! He raged as he locked the door on his former father. Ugrasena had given him what he wanted, even without his asking for it.
As he walked out of the room, Kansa’s attention was drawn to an uproar from the compound. He peered over the banister and saw the group of assassins moving menacingly in the direction of Vasudev and Devki. Devki had stationed herself on one side of Vasudev who had his arms around her, in a protective gesture.
The part of his mind that still loved Devki asserted itself and Kansa hurled himself over the banister landing on the ground three gavutas below. He stood between the assassins and Devki. The assassins, confused by Kansa’s sudden presence, stopped in their tracks. They had seen Ugra bow to the prince of Madhuvan and they were aware that he was the one who had hired their services through Jarasandha. They bowed to him, awaiting further orders, expecting he would instruct them to kill the two mortals like he had asked them to slay the bodyguards. His words shocked the assassins into silence. ‘No one will harm these two,’ he growled.
Kansa turned around to look at Vasudev and Devki. Vasudev glared at him with a mixture of contempt and fury. ‘What have you done with the king?’ he demanded.
Kansa smiled. ‘The king is safe. He has retired from his kingly duties and desires to relax in this palace for a few years.’
A shiver of fear ran through Devki as she heard Kansa speak. He looked and sounded exactly as he had when she had left him in Magadha. ‘Why are you doing this, Kansa? What’s happened to you?’
THE CURSE OF BRAHMA Page 34
