AJAYA I -- Roll of the Dice

by Unknown

  But the Nagas were in no mood to stop for street urchins. The leader was whispering to his followers and with a burst of activity they shot towards the palace. Ekalavya started running behind them, with Jara close behind. He knew what he was doing was sheer madness, yet he wanted to see where the Nagas were going. In a corner of his mind, Ekalavya wished they would take over Hastinapura and treat the nobles inside with the same contempt they had meted out to Untouchables like him, but these were impossible dreams. Hastinapura was too strong and a rag-tag group of Nagas were never going to take over the formidable city. Yet their leader, Takshaka, kept mounting terror attacks on the great cities of India. Takshaka! Ekalavya now recognized the young Naga leader. He was leading the covert terror attack on Hastinapura. Ekalavya felt thrilled to witness it. He ran with all the speed his spindly legs could muster and like a puppy, Jara tried to keep pace with him.

  The night was so silent that the pounding hoofs sounded like the drumbeats of war. Ekalavya thought it was foolish of the Nagas to make so much noise while attacking one of the most powerful capitals of the world. The Hastinapura guards would chew up these twenty-four men in minutes. Even a boy of ten could understand the folly of their plan. Were they that stupid? Ekalavya wanted Takshaka to win at any cost. Many innocents in the fort would die today. No, they were not innocent. They were not people like him. They were inhuman and treated people like him with contempt, or pity at best. Ten years as an Untouchable Nishada had taught him more about life and human nature than what many older men learnt who were fortunate enough to be born into the right caste.

  Ekalavya could understand the hatred and contempt of the nobles. He bore the same hatred towards them. He had the same contempt for creatures like Jara, who belonged to the even more despised lower castes below the Nishadas. Perhaps, if the Nagas took over, things would be different - or perhaps not. Yet there was satisfaction in seeing the high and mighty fall. 'Oh Shiva!' prayed Ekalavya. 'Let Takshaka win today.' But the face of Prince Suyodhana haunted him. Why had the Prince shown him kindness? The high-born were not expected to be kind. It was all so confusing. 'Perhaps the Prince wanted me to do something for him; such high ones are never kind to us,' he thought. But what could a Prince of Hastinapura want from an Untouchable Nishada boy? 'Let them all burn in the fire. They are all the same. If Takshaka wins today, we can watch the palace burn and crumble.'

  Lost in his thoughts, Ekalavya had not noticed Takshaka and four other warriors move away from the main body of the attackers. The main force clashed with the soldiers guarding the front gate. The bells of the fort began tolling in alarm. Amidst the clangour of bells, neighing of horses, and clashing of swords, Takshaka and his men moved through the shadows below the fort wall. Ekalavya watched as hundreds of Kuru soldiers clambered down rope ladders from the towering fort walls and engaged the Nagas in combat. The twenty Nagas were hopelessly outnumbered as they fought the Hastinapura soldiers.

  It was only when Jara tugged at his hand and pointed to the left of the fort gate that Ekalavya saw it. There was a rope ladder hanging down and Takshaka and his four soldiers were climbing up the fort wall rapidly. As they reached the top, the moon, which had gone into hiding behind the clouds, suddenly emerged and Ekalavya caught sight of a dark figure on top of the wall. This person was helping the Naga leader enter the fort. Ekalavya felt a deep thrill. Takshaka was taking on the might of Hastinapura head on. He felt a desperate need to see his hero in action. Somehow, he had to get in and see what was happening. Jara tried to stop him but Ekalavya pushed the little boy away and ran on. Jara hesitated for a moment and then shrugged and followed suit.

  ***

  Ekalavya quickly climbed up the rope ladder. A few hundred feet to the right, the battle raged on. Jara tried hard to keep pace with the agile boy. Ekalavya could see the four Nagas and their informant, running towards the palace, keeping to the shadows. Hearing something behind him, Ekalavya turned to see Jara trying to climb the last few rungs of the ladder, which were too high for him. Cursing, he bent down and hauled Jara up.

  "Why did you come?" Ekalavya hissed at the little boy but received only a foolish grin in answer. Cursing again, he ran along the wall, but the Nagas had vanished. Where had they gone? Who was the traitor who had helped them get in? It was becoming quieter outside. Had the battle ended? As usual, the sheer numbers of Hastinapura would have crushed the valour of the Nagas. They knew it was a suicidal mission yet they had been willing to lay down their lives to create a diversion to allow their leader to get into the fort. Ekalavya's admiration for the dreaded Nagas increased as he thought of the one-sided battle. But where had the Naga leader vanished? 'If only this idiot Jara had not delayed me, I could have kept up with them. I will take care of the fool later,' he promised himself.

  Suddenly, he saw them again. They had left the safety of the shadows and were running towards the palace. The guards were lighting more and more torches, but the side from which the Nagas were approaching, was still in shadow. They had almost made it when a boy in his early teens stopped them. Takshaka tried to fight his way past him but the boy held the Naga leader back; ducking the slashing sword while trying to thrust his own into the Naga's gleaming body. A door opened on the first floor of the fort and an older man ran towards the commotion, shouting at the brave teenager to turn back. Ekalavya stood fascinated, watching the unfolding drama. One of the Nagas kicked the man as he neared and he fell like a log. The teenager held on, despite the cuts he had received. Meanwhile, the man who had helped the Nagas enter the fort crept away into the darkness. No one other than Ekalavya and Jara saw him vanish from the scene as soldiers came running in from all sides.

  A tall muscular figure pushed the teenager away and engaged the Naga leader in fierce combat. Ekalavya recognized the Brahmin Guru who had caught him that morning. He prayed for Takshaka to win. Arrows flew thick and fast. They had already claimed two of the Naga warriors but as the soldiers recognized the Guru, they stopped shooting, lest one of them pierce the heart of the Brahmin warrior. Takshaka and the other surviving Nagas struggled in desperate combat with the Guru. A few Kuru soldiers rushed to help him but he waved them away contemptuously. He was more than enough for these barbarians. With amazing swordsmanship and agility, Drona held off three Naga warriors, including Takshaka. His sword found its mark more than once and Takshaka was soon fighting with his back to the wall.

  Ekalavya saw the tall figure of Bhishma, Grand Regent of the Kurus, appear on a balcony of the palace. He was barking orders and Ekalavya could see soldiers running in from all sides with their swords drawn. Hearing the commotion, Drona looked back and shouted that he did not need any help. That was enough for Takshaka. In the split second Drona's attention wavered, Takshaka ran towards the hanging rope and swung himself over the fort wall. Drona roared in rage and tried to get hold of the fleeing Naga leader but the two surviving Naga warriors held him back for a few precious minutes. Drona cut off their heads without even breaking stride and almost caught Takshaka. His sword missed Takshaka's right foot by inches. The Guru grunted in frustration. Guards shot arrows at the fleeing Naga leader as he ran along the fort wall, desperately trying to find his waiting horse. A couple of arrows found their mark and Ekalavya saw Takshaka trying to pull them out from his thigh and shoulder without breaking his run. Drona too, ran along the fort wall, gracefully leaping over the bodies of the fallen while chasing the fleeing Naga.

  Ekalavya wanted to see Takshaka escape but with growing admiration, he watched Drona's amazing prowess. How could a man fight that well? What grace and nimbleness! What power and technique! 'I want to fight like that,' Ekalavya thought passionately, just as he heard a scream. A lead-tipped arrow had pierced the Guru's left foot and he had tumbled off the wall landing below with a sickening thud. Guards ran towards the prone figure. Takshaka ran on. He gave a low whistle and Ekalavya heard a horse neighing and galloping towards his master.

  "Get him, get him..." Drona tried to stand. In one hand, he held the ar
row he had pulled from his leg and the wet, bloody tip glinted in the moonlight.

  As the guards rushed towards Takshaka, he disappeared around a corner of the wall. "Chase him... he is getting away you fools," shouted Drona.

  The fort gates opened below and scores of mounted soldiers rushed out, galloping in hot pursuit of the Naga leader.

  Drona limped back into the fort, disgusted at the way things had turned out. Bhishma stood with his hands behind his back, his face impassive. The breeze ruffled his long salt and pepper beard. The hint of a frown appeared on his broad forehead. An uncomfortable Vidhura stood beside him. When Drona saw the tall figure of Bhishma, he was taken aback for a moment. He looked around at the lifeless bodies of the palace guards and then at the Grand Regent's proud face.

  "The soldiers here are incompetent, my Lord. The Naga leader got away because they do not have professional training. They shot me instead of that rascal." There was a tone of accusation in Drona's voice but Vidhura understood the Guru was trying to defend himself for the terrorist leader's escape.

  Bhishma looked the Guru squarely in the face. Drona looked away. Finally, the Grand Regent spoke. "It will be more prudent for you to stick to training the Princes. Leave the security of the palace to the professionals. I admire your swordsmanship but not your eagerness to prove your heroism. Vidhura, show the Guru to his chambers. He needs to rest."

  Drona's fair face reddened in anger and embarrassment. Vidhura avoided his eyes. Drona burned with humiliation. His employer had insulted him and the fact that he had done so in front of a Shudra, made it almost unbearable. He longed to retort but feared the consequences. He needed the job. Until this employment, he had led a tough life. The thought of roaming from village to village, from kingdom to kingdom, in search of another job, made him shudder. He had gone through all that misery. Poverty had been his constant companion from as early as he could remember. He had a family to feed. The warrior in him wanted to challenge the arrogant Bhishma to a duel. Perhaps the veteran warrior would defeat him. After all, the Grand Sire inspired fear and awe in his opponents. It was even thought honourable to die at his hands. Drona had dreamt of such a death in his youth. It was how warriors wished to die, with honour intact and head held high. Then Aswathama's innocent face rose up in his mind's eye. His son deserved a better life than he had. 'For his sake I must swallow my pride. That is the fate of every father.'

  He turned to Vidhura saying, "I need no escort." Drona hurried past him to his chamber.

  Vidhura stood back, understanding Drona's pain and so refusing to respond to the Guru's insult. Vidhura gazed at the vanishing form of the Guru, his shoulders stooped. Bhishma could be scathing at times.

  "Report to me once they catch Takshaka, though I think it is most unlikely." Bhishma sighed and walked away.

  It was then that Vidhura saw a young boy tugging at an unconscious man. He walked over to him and asked, "Is he hurt?"

  The boy looked up at the well-dressed person in surprise. "I do not know, Swami."

  "You are the fearless one who tried to stop Takshaka, are you not? What is your name, son?" Vidhura asked.

  "I am Vasusena, Swami, and this is my father, Athiratha, the charioteer. I am also known as Karna. Swami, please help me to carry my father to our hut. My mother will be worried."

  Without a word, Vidhura lifted the prone man's shoulders while Karna tried to lift his legs but the man was too heavy for the boy.

  "I think we should help," Jara said to Ekalavya from where they stood in the shadows. Before he could be stopped, Jara ran out.

  Ekalavya cursed the idiot. 'Ruined! Now we will be caught and thrashed. That fool Jara!' he muttered viciously. There was no choice. He had to pull back the idiot and run before somebody found them. He chased after Jara, trying to catch the little boy by his hair. The sound attracted the guards and they raised the alarm. Hearing the noise, Karna and Vidhura looked up and saw two Nishada boys running towards them. Before they could recover from their surprise, Jara had reached the prone man and started to lift him. Ekalavya stopped a few feet away, panting.

  "Swami, we came to help," said Jara, looking at Vidhura with his wide eyes.

  The Prime Minister of the Kurus burst out laughing seeing Jara's frail form. The soldiers had closed in and caught hold of the struggling Ekalavya, but Vidhura raised his hand. "Leave him... these are my nephews from the village."

  Ekalavya was even more surprised than the soldiers, who reluctantly released their grip on his shoulders. They bowed and departed. Without a word, Ekalavya joined them in carrying the unconscious man to his hut, located at the lowest level of the fort, near the stables.

  A woman stood at the entrance. "My mother, Radha," said Karna.

  They gently laid the man on the lone cane cot in the sparsely furnished hut. Vidhura asked the woman for some water, a few Tulsi leaves, and some kitchen herbs. Jara and Ekalavya stood in a corner, afraid to move, unsure how the Minister would react. Ekalavya was confused about why he had saved them from the soldiers. His eyes roamed about the small but tidy hut. These people lived in poverty, yet he was jealous of them. They were lucky; they had a roof over their heads. The faces of his aunt and cousins sleeping in the open came to mind and he felt bitterness well up in his heart.

  The woman fussed around her husband while the Minister administered his brew to the dry lips of the injured man. After a while, he stirred and woke. His wife smiled through her tears and Vidhura stood up to leave. Radha protested saying they could not leave without eating something. She thanked Vidhura profusely for saving her husband's life. The Prime Minister explained it had been a minor injury and there was no threat to her husband's life. The charioteer too, joined his wife in pleading with the Minister to eat something in their humble home. Finally, Vidhura consented. He could not deny them this small pleasure without hurting them. He looked at the man and said with admiration, "Your son is courageous. If he was to be trained in arms, he would be an asset to Hastinapura."

  "Swami, we are poor Sutas. Who will instruct our son? I am teaching him my own profession and shall make him the best charioteer in the country. But learning archery is beyond our caste status and means."

  Ekalavya saw the Suta boy keep his eye fixed to the ground, not wanting anyone to see his shame. 'If he can be a warrior, I can be one too,' he thought fiercely. He turned to see Jara looking at the boiling pot, his eyes pleading for something to eat.

  Vidhura remained silent for a long time. "Hmm... let me see, Athiratha. I do not know whether it will work but I will try. The Acharya is a good man and a great teacher. Your boy has done a great service to the country tonight by stopping Takshaka's attack. I will request him to accept your boy as his pupil. But he is conservative and may object to teaching a... I will ask his Excellency Bhishma to put in a word. Maybe... let me see..."

  There was doubt in Vidhura's voice but Athiratha was ecstatic. This was the Prime Minister of the country speaking and the charioteer had every reason to be happy. His son's future would now be secure.

  Ekalavya was burning with jealousy. How easy things were for some people. He wanted to ask the Prime Minister whether he would consider his case as well but the gap in social status between him and Karna was so great that he did not dare. He bit his lip and stood burning with envy, angry at the fates, which had ordained his birth in the lowest of castes.

  'Who needs a Guru? The world is my Guru,' thought Ekalavya. 'I can be a better archer than that lucky bastard.' He wanted to run away from the sickening happiness pervading the humble hut. Jara tugged at his fingers. Irritated, Ekalavya snapped at him to remain quiet. Jara made the universal gesture of hunger. It was the only thought he ever had. At any moment, the Prime Minister could change his mind and then there would be hell to pay. The kindness Ekalavya had experienced from Prince Suyodhana and this important man was unsettling. He remained tense and silent.

  Radha had seen Jara's hungry look. She put three plantain leaves on the clean floor and invited her gu
ests to sit down and eat. Vidhura declined, saying it was not his habit to eat so early and that he had not performed his morning ablutions yet. Ekalavya wanted to eat everything Radha served. He was as hungry as a dog. Except for the mango, he had not eaten anything, but he did not want to show these strangers that he was hungry. So he ate slowly, refusing a second helping. Jara stuffed himself with whatever Radha offered and stood up reluctantly when he found there was no more food coming his way. He licked his fingers, savouring the last lingering taste. Ekalavya felt disgusted by the mess Jara had left. As they washed their hands in the backyard, Ekalavya saw Jara beaming with satisfaction. Before he could lash out at his smugness, Vidhura called them in to bid farewell to Athiratha and his family.

  ***

  "Who are you and how did you enter the fort?" There was no smile on Vidhura's face now.