THE CURSE OF BRAHMA

by Jagmohan Bhanver

  Vasudev interjected, ‘Nothing’s happened. This man suddenly wants to be king and he couldn’t wait for tatatulya to announce his ascension. This is a sick man and I am galled that I ever called him my friend.’ Vasudev paused to get back his breath even as Kansa looked at him with mild amusement. ‘You will never succeed in your vile designs Kansa. The people and the army of Madhuvan will never forgive the person who kidnapped their king and was responsible for the merciless killing of his bodyguards. You are a monster amongst men and the people of Madhuvan will treat you as one,’ Vasudev spat out in disgust.

  ‘I know I am a monster!’ Kansa said quietly. ‘My sister and her father have already told me that. But do they know how you actually tried to have me assassinated in Magadha?’ Kansa’s eyes reflected his pain as he allowed himself to think through the torment he had faced when he got to know that the man behind his assassination attempt was none other than Vasudev.

  Vasudev looked at Kansa in disbelief. ‘You lie!’ he roared. ‘You lie to cover your dark deeds. Remember this Kansa. As soon as the army of Madhuvan knows what you have done, they will rebel and you will be paraded around the kingdom of Madhuvan as the murderer you have become.’

  ‘Really?’ Kansa snarled, his other persona creeping over him as he listened to Vasudev. ‘The king has already signed a letter announcing me as the new sovereign of Madhuvan. The letter bears his seal and it also mentions that he is going on a long journey of self-realization, accompanied by his trusted bodyguard and cavalry commander, Airawat.’

  Devki gasped. ‘Why would Father do that?’

  Vasudev gave a bitter laugh. ‘Because this fiend must have threatened him that he would harm you if the king didn’t sign the declaration.’

  Kansa’s eyes flared, the green light of Aghasamarthan fighting to gain control over his senses. ‘I didn’t have to threaten the king. You see, like you, he doesn’t know that I would not talk about harming Devki even in a threat. And like you he believes that I am monster enough to do what you just said,’ Kansa paused, his head hanging low. ‘He signed the declaration on his own and gave it to me.’

  Devki looked pleadingly at her brother. ‘Kansa, why have you held all of us here?’

  ‘Madhuvan needs a new king; someone who can do what needs to be done,’ he replied vaguely.

  Devki couldn’t believe Kansa would hold their father prisoner. But she needed to know more. ‘And Vasudev and me? Why have you held us here? What have we done?’

  Kansa’s eyes narrowed. He was having another splitting headache. ‘Vasudev tried to assassinate me. He needs to be punished,’ he said cradling his head in his hands.

  ‘And Devki? What has she done?’ Vasudev glared at him.

  The pain in his head was becoming unbearable now. Kansa struggled to stay calm as his thoughts started going into disarray. ‘Devki’s son will kill me!’ he cried out in agony. ‘Her boy will betray me just as all of you have done,’ he raged, finally losing all control and submitting to the dark force of Aghasamarthan. As the evil energy coursed through his system, he felt the pain in his heart and mind receding. He raised his head and roared; and even the assassins standing there cowered in fear. Devki sobbed as she saw her brother being torn apart by a force she couldn’t yet fathom. Without thinking, she advanced towards Kansa, her arms open as they used to be when she was a child, and wanted him to hug her. Kansa looked at her approach, his green eyes boring into her, threatening to devour her.

  Vasudev saw Kansa snarl as Devki approached closer. Afraid for her, he shouted at Kansa and charged towards him with his sword held high.

  Devki saw Vasudev move to attack Kansa. ‘No, Vasudev, don’t!’ she screamed at him to stop.

  Kansa stared at Devki and then at the charging Vasudev. Ignoring Devki, he caught Vasudev’s sword with his bare hand and twisted it out of his grip, throwing the mangled blade to the ground. With a howl that sent shivers down her spine, Kansa bodily lifted Vasudev and dashed him to the ground.

  Devki watched in horror as Vasudev’s body convulsed and quivered for a while and then went completely limp. She still stood as she had with her arms open, too shocked to move. Kansa moved towards her, the force of Aghasamarthan beginning to leave his body and his mortal self gaining dominance over it once again. He held her hands. ‘Devki,’ he said softly, wanting her to hug him like she used to.

  At the sound of his voice, Devki snapped back to the present. She stared at the motionless body of Vasudev, and an involuntary sob escaped her mouth. ‘You have killed him, you bastard!’ she screamed. And then her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘You are right. My son will kill you, you monster.’

  Kansa looked at the woman he loved despite all that she had said and done. She was bent over Vasudev trying to revive him. Kansa was too tired to linger there any longer. The headache had returned as the force of Aghasamarthan left his system. He looked at one of the assassins. ‘Take the two of them to their room.’ As the assassin stared at him in disbelief, he said quietly, ‘Make sure no harm comes to either of them.’

  Staggering from the pain in his head, and the constant ache in his heart, Kansa left the scene. He didn’t notice Devki staring at his retreating back with tears in her eyes; torn between the husband she loved and the brother she couldn’t help.

  The assassins all stared at one another. The law of the Zataka Upanshughataks demanded that they avenge the murder of one of their clansmen. And the man who had died today was their Chief. But the person forbidding them to follow their law was not a mortal. He had the fire of Aghasamarthan burning in his eyes and to disobey his word would mean instant death. Two of the assassins moved forward to help Devki lift Vasudev, even as the others slowly slunk away.

  Sini Yadav was on the way back with his task force when they were met by a messenger from Bateshwar. The man was badly wounded and would not survive, even though Sini had ensured that he was given immediate medical aid. Sini read the urgent message from Surasena with incredulity. Surasena had been ambushed on the way back from Madhuvan and the small battalion escorting him had been decimated by Jarasandha’s outsized forces. Jarasandha had then proceeded to attack Bateshwar and taken the army there unawares. It had been an easy task; not only had the army not expected an attack, but the people who could have inspired the army to fight back—Vasudev and Sini Yadav—were both not there. And Surasena himself was in confinement and unable to do anything. Surasena also wrote that Jarasandha had boasted that Madhuvan was now under the command of Kansa who had taken his father Ugrasena captive. And that Vasudev and Devki were also incarcerated by the prince of Madhuvan, who was now the sovereign of the country.

  Sini Yadav’s jaw clenched in anger as he read the bit about Vasudev being a prisoner. He cursed himself for not having gone to the wedding.

  In his letter, Surasena specifically commanded Sini not to come to Bateshwar or go to Madhuvan as he would surely be taken prisoner or worse, be killed on sight. He was instructed to go to Hastinapur at once and meet Dhritarashtra with news of what had happened. Surasena was certain that Dhritarashtra may be able to help. His final instructions were that Sini should stay away till such time that either Hastinapur decided to assist them or till Surasena sent him a new communiqué. At the conclusion of the letter, Surasena had given him the name of the person he could stay with while he was in Hastinapur.

  Sini read the name mentioned in the letter—Kripa Acharya.

  The Carnage Begins

  ine months had elapsed since Kansa had taken over as king of Madhuvan and Jarasandha had added Bateshwar to Magadha’s list of conquests.

  There had been a few murmurs when Kansa presented himself two days after Devki’s wedding and told the senior members of the royal court that Ugrasena had declared him king and gone on an indefinite pilgrimage. But Ugrasena’s letter signed in his own hand and carrying the royal seal had put all rumors to rest. Also, there were enough people who had seen Kansa return from Magadha and being cordially received by Ugrasena on the day of the weddin
g. Airawat’s absence too corroborated what the king had written in his letter. Kansa was crowned as the new king of Madhuvan and the court members enthusiastically pledged loyalty to their new sovereign.

  Mandki was the only person convinced that something was terribly wrong. She knew Airawat would not have left without meeting her. They had decided to get married immediately after Vasudev and Devki’s wedding was consecrated. His sudden departure didn’t make sense and Mandki became increasingly concerned that something was wrong as the weeks went by without any news from Airawat.

  And then everyone heard about Jarasandha’s conquest of Bateshwar. Mandki was horrified at the news. She wondered what had happened to Vasudev and Devki after Bateshwar fell into Jarasandha’s hands. The biggest surprise was that Kansa did nothing about it. Why hasn’t he done anything to help Vasudev? she thought. How could Jarasandha dare to attack Bateshwar when he knows that Kansa’s sister is married to the prince of Bateshwar. And why doesn’t Kansa talk to Jarasandha about this? After all, Jarasandha’s sisters are married to him.

  Mandki started keeping a close watch on Kansa. She observed that he had systematically removed all those people from court who had been close to Ugrasena. It was done subtly and always with good reason, but it was too much of a coincidence to ignore. Gradually, the senior-most members of the court were all people that Kansa had personally handpicked. And then there were all the strange-looking people who suddenly began arriving at Madhuvan. They dressed like people of the city but they were clearly outsiders. Some of them did not even look like mortals, with their distorted faces and their misshapen bodies. The crime rate had increased in the kingdom but Kansa appeared to turn a blind eye to it all. It was as if he was either not bothered about what happened to Madhuvan or it was all being done with his consent. Mandki refused to believe that Kansa could participate in something like that. She remembered him risking his life for Devki on the Shiva hill.

  But then why doesn’t he do anything? she thought in frustration.

  She continued to keep a tab on Kansa’s activities, including the people he met and the places he went to. With Devki and Airawat not being there, she had all the time in the world, and lately, it had become an obsession with Mandki to find an answer to all the strange events happening around her.

  Then one day, she saw Kansa ride away from the palace. Mandki rode at a distance, careful not to let her presence be known. Kansa did not seem to be headed in any particular direction. His path kept meandering and it looked like he was simply out for a ride. Just when she was about to give up and turn back towards the city, she saw Kansa give a furtive look over his shoulder. Satisfied that he was not being followed, he took a sharp turn and rode at a gallop. Mandki followed as fast as she could. The zig-zag route continued for a while. As she took a particularly sharp bend, she realized she had lost him. She rode along the road and came to a beautiful palace built beside a lake. She recognized it as the palace Kansa had built for his sister. Her sharp eyes perceived the fresh hoof marks on the ground and Mandki realized that Kansa had entered the palace compound.

  She stayed on her horse, lost in thought. And then making up her mind, she started the horse at a trot entering the palace gates. She had a feeling that the answer to all her questions lay within the walls of the palace.

  Kansa sat perched on the tree as he waited for the person following him to enter the palace gates. He had been aware that he was being stalked for many days now. He had seen the same person showing up wherever he went and it was too much of a coincidence to ignore. Kansa did not believe in coincidences. But he had been unable to make out the features of the person because the stalker’s face was always covered by a cloak. He had noticed the same stalker trailing him today. To make sure that the rider was actually following him, he had taken several meandering paths. The stalker had stuck with him all through. There was no doubt now in Kansa’s mind that he was being followed. He wanted to know who this person was.

  As the horse came through the gates, Kansa took a deep breath and jumped from the tree, pouncing on the rider. Both Kansa and the stalker fell to the ground with a jarring thud. In one swift move, Kansa was astride the stalker and he viciously pulled off the cloak covering his pursuer’s face.

  ‘Mandki!’ he gasped. ‘Why have you been following me?’ he demanded.

  Mandki winced in pain. The fall had badly shaken her and as she looked into Kansa’s eyes, she felt inexplicably lost in the strange power she saw blazing there.

  ‘I…I wanted to know what was in the palace,’ she stammered.

  Kansa looked at her quietly and she felt the cold finger of death rest on her soul as she stared into his cold eyes.

  ‘You have all your life to find out what is within the palace, my dear,’ he whispered menacingly.

  Mandki looked at him, her face reflecting her confusion.

  Kansa laughed harshly. ‘Devki has been pining for someone to talk to. Who could be better than her childhood friend to keep her company?’

  Mandki stared at him, horrified at the implication of his words.

  The fear she had been feeling in his presence transformed into a frenzy of terror as she saw the pisaca and the bonara approach from a distance. She screamed in terror, and then darkness engulfed her as she lost consciousness.

  Mandki got up with a start. There was total darkness. She had had a terrible nightmare. She had dreamed that two of the assassins she had seen on the Shiva hill were coming to kill her and Kansa was smiling at her, even as they approached. She shivered at the memory of the pisaca’s quivering tentacles and the bonara’s razor sharp talons.

  She became aware of the bed she was lying on. It didn’t feel like her own. She looked around her and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized with a tremor that she was lying in a strange room. She screamed in terror in the same instant that she realized it hadn’t been a nightmare. It had all been real—Kansa’s blazing green eyes boring into her, the two assassins coming towards her and then…total darkness.

  An urgent knock on her door made her scramble up from the bed. She frantically looked for a place to hide herself. The door opened and someone entered her room, holding a candle. Mandki trembled in fear hoping for a quick death. She didn’t want the assassins ravaging and torturing her.

  ‘Mandki!’ the face behind the candle whispered softly. Mandki knew the voice. Even as her dazed mind recalled what Kansa had said to her before she fainted, the face behind the candle became visible. Mandki gasped in relief and rushed into the arms of the person holding the candle.

  Devki got Mandki up to date with all that had happened since her wedding night. She was not overtly surprised when Mandki told her about Jarasandha’s conquest of Bateshwar. She had known that would happen after Kansa had held Vasudev and her hostage. If Bateshwar hadn’t been conquered, their army would certainly have created a problem for Kansa when Vasudev failed to return to his country.

  Mandki was thrilled to know that Airawat and the king were safe, even though they were in confinement. Airawat had recovered from his wounds but was not allowed outside his room. The king, however, was free to walk around in the palace compound, though he had voluntarily decided not to leave his room after his last interaction with Kansa. Devki would visit Ugrasena in his room, every day. She too had the freedom of moving around within the palace and the outer compound. The assassins were everywhere, out of sight. It was futile to try and escape.

  Mandki looked closely at her friend. The stress of being held by her own brother had matured Devki beyond her years. But the hopeless look in her once-mischievous eyes told Mandki that there was something more than that; something so terrible that it had killed all the joy inside Devki. And then it struck her. Devki had spoken about everyone else, including Airawat. But she had carefully refrained from talking about Vasudev, except for one or two occasions when she had to.

  ‘Devki, where’s Vasudev?’ Mandki asked unable to contain her apprehension.

  Devki did not an
swer. Her eyes were as expressionless as her face. Mandki grew increasingly perturbed as she asked again, ‘Where is Vasudev?’

  Devki got up abruptly. She held Mandki’s hand and silently pulled her behind her as they entered the inner chambers of the vast residential area. They reached the bed where a figure lay huddled under a blanket. Mandki gaped in horror as she saw the motionless body of Vasudev. His eyes gazed expressionlessly at her, his mouth twisted in a constant grimace. His once muscular body had atrophied to becoming almost skeletal.

  ‘He has been completely paralyzed since the day Kansa threw him to the ground,’ Devki said softly. ‘He hasn’t spoken or moved since that day.’

  Mandki stared at her friend who had always been transparent with her emotions. But the Devki standing next to her displayed even lesser sensation than the man who had been lying motionless on the bed for the past nine months.

  Mandki sobbed unable to restrain her own feelings. ‘Devki, how have you lived with…with all this?’ she said marvelling at the princess’s stoicism.

  Devki touched her stomach. ‘This…I live for this!’ she whispered. And Mandki’s attention was drawn for the first time to the signs of life growing rapidly inside Devki’s enormously protruding belly.

  Brahma listened carefully to Narada. The news from Mrityulok was not encouraging. In the last few months, there had been grave incidents of unrest and violence in various kingdoms of the mortal world. Most of them had occurred in Bharat, which comprised majority of the civilized portion of Mrityulok. Brahma shuddered as Narada narrated stories of murders, theft, vandalism and all other forms of bestiality.

  ‘It has started then,’ Brahma muttered to himself.

  ‘Did you say something, My Lord?’ Narada asked hesitatingly, not sure what his father had said.