Nasteya Read online

  ‘This is it. Move a muscle and I’ll stick it right into your heart,’ I shouted.

  ‘A man cannot kill Abhuva,’ he growled slowly yet loudly, in his deep monstrous voice. ‘Leave my cave or die!’ His voice was like hundreds of horses neighing and his words were hard to understand.

  ‘Cave or cage? I said. ‘You are Rudra’s captive and he has kept you in this cage.’

  ‘I serve Lord Rudra. Lord Rudra gives me the flesh of men, foul men, wrong men, bad men, prisoners and criminals. I punish them. I eat them. I serve as a punisher,’ the monster said.

  ‘Prisoners and criminals? Bad men? Did Rudra tell you so?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes! Men who are penalised with death, I punish them,’ he said. Had Rudra kept him oblivious of everything? Was he feeding him lies, I wondered…

  ‘He has deceived you, Abhuva! What was always kept away from your knowledge is the truth,’ I yelled. ‘So you think you give death to the ones who deserve it? You’ve been devouring innocent people and no criminals!’

  ‘You lie!’ roared Abhuva.

  If Abhuva was right about what Rudra had told him, then he too was a victim of Rudra’s cunning malice.

  ‘You were made to do things on the grounds of a lie. If you think that you grant death to criminals then you’re sadly mistaken,’ I said.

  ‘Who are you? I do not believe you. I believe what Lord Rudra says. I do what Lord Rudra says,’ Abhuva said, trying hard to cling to what he thought was the truth.

  ‘Rudra treats you like a puny pet. Why has he kept you captive? Why does he order you to do treacherous deeds? Why has he never told you that the men he offers you are innocent? Yes, those men were innocent! Rudra imposes high taxes. The ones who do not pay, usually poor and helpless people, are fed to you. This is the truth!’ I said.

  Then he asked why he should believe me. I told him that I did not ask him to believe me. But every creature, big or small, fears the wrath of God. Every creature is destined to face God in the afterlife. And he too, would face Him. ‘What will you answer Him then?’ I asked. And I offered him a chance to even the odds. I told him that I had come to make him choose.

  But the giant was hardly convinced. Then I did something that I thought might convince him. I pushed my sword back into its scabbard and walked slowly away. I stood in front of Abhuva’s giant face. He growled. But he didn’t move.

  ‘I have not come here to hurt you,’ I said. ‘And now that I know what tricks Rudra has played on you, I pity you. I offer you a choice. And if you choose what is right, I vow to take you out of here to the place where you actually belong. Free men will stand against Rudra’s tyranny tomorrow. It will be the time for you to choose. You still have a whole night ahead of you to think. People fear you for being a cruel monster. You have a chance to show them that you are just another creature from another world. Fear God. Remember, every creature is destined to face Him. Now, I am going to walk out of here without looking back. And I am sure you won’t hurt me because I believe you aren’t a heartless monster.’

  As I said this, Abhuva growled faintly. With my heart in my mouth, I turned and walked towards the exit. Behind me, the monster growled but didn’t move, for he had already started thinking. I finally left the place, unharmed. And today, we saw the result,’ Nasteya recounted.

  ‘You took a huge risk, Nasteya,’ I said.

  ‘And yet I live,’ he replied.

  It was the time to celebrate our triumph. Mehrgarh was lit up in joy once again. The time for weeping over the ones we had lost was over. The darkness had been wiped out. We had earned the love of thousands and the good wishes of even more. The next day marked the return of Mehrgarh’s real king, King Vidhur.

  He sat on the throne to the joyous applause of his citizens, who rejoiced to have their kind king back. Tears of happiness ran through his glinting eyes. Four days after the war, the whole city was invited to the great feast arranged in the palace. Music and dance was all that everyone was interested in on that day. But everyone who went past us thanked us for our help. Nasteya spent most of his time with Eshana while I worked hard on not letting Ayaan feel the absence of his father. But he wasn’t the only one I had to feel responsible for. A purpose lay ahead of us, a purpose for which we had come so far. We were supposed to depart after few days, but between us and our departure, there lay a time full of joy. Vedang was happy to be a part of this historical event and was longing to write about it. King Vidhur was content to see his citizens merry. Savaan had tears in his eyes for Hira. But Hira hadn’t died in vain. I felt satisfied to have kept the word I gave to Hira. Though Nasteya, in his heart, felt uneasy for all his mistakes yet he was enjoying the time he got to spend with Eshana. He would improve, I knew he would. After a lot of losses, we had gained. After a lot of downs, we were up. After a lot of pain, we were happy. I missed Saarah more than anything that blissful night. But most of all, I missed Seeya. I could almost feel her presence, feel her hands playing with my hair, and feel her breath touching my eyelids. And then I could see her. She smiled and said, ‘It’s time to relax. You have done well and I’m proud of you, my love. Look, I’ve come to embrace you tonight. Come into my arms and I’ll make you sleep.’

  I leaned back and placed my head on her shoulder while she gazed at me with her beautiful bright eyes. I knew she’d be gone when I woke up, yet I wanted to sleep and be close to her.

  Even though I never wanted to open my eyes to reality, I knew that I had a long way to go. Vengeance for some was over, but for us, it lingered. After Saarah’s fall, after tremendous pain, after yetis and eagles, after the end of evil, we had come a long way. But somewhere, evil still breathed. Kushya’s sword was in the hands of the wicked. There was much yet to be avenged. The journey was not yet over.

  TWENTY-NINE

  GODS ARE NEVER BORN

  Nasteya’s nightmares rendered him uneasy in his sleep. He perspired and panted. ‘Ssshhh… Calm down, Nasteya.’ It was Eshana’s voice falling in Nasteya’s ears driving his agitation away as he lay next to her, still asleep. Eshana edged up on her elbows, her hand slowly reaching for his face. She looked at Nasteya with keen eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek and fell on his face—a tear that wasn’t born out of pity, but veneration. She knew she could love her with everything she had and it wouldn’t be enough. Slowly, Nasteya opened his eyes. With drowsiness still upon him, he ran his hand on her face, wiping away the wet trail of the tear.

  ‘I wish to wake up every morning only by your side,’ Nasteya said, smiling.

  ‘I want all your wishes to be fulfilled,’ Eshana said, followed by a gentle kiss. Their chamber was filled with golden radiance that the first light of dawn imparted as the sun’s rays streamed inside through the wide window. Beyond the balcony, Nasteya could see the city of Mehrgarh waking to embrace a new life. It reminded him of Saarah and along with the memories came anger and guilt.

  ‘What is it?’ Eshana asked. Nasteya smiled and kissed her, not wanting to spoil this serene moment with foul thoughts. Yet the memories of Saarah lingered.

  ‘Wake up little warrior,’ I sat next to Ayaan and patted his arm. Without opening his eyes, he rolled over to one side, clutched my hand in his arms and murmured, ‘Let me sleep, baba.’

  As soon as he said so, a bitter realisation made him shudder and he sprung up at once leaving my hand which he mistook for his father’s. I pitied the poor child and held him in my arms.

  ‘I won’t let you feel his absence,’ I said.

  ‘And I too,’ it was Savaan’s voice. He seated himself on the other side of the bed. Ayaan hugged him too.

  ‘Come on! Get up now. Don’t you want to go feed Abhuva?’ I said. That lifted the boy’s spirits. Abhuva was kept in the arena behind the palace with guards unceasingly patrolling the parapets, as per Nasteya’s orders. He feared some citizens who still hated Abhuva might try to harm the rakshasa. Abhuva was fed two times a day, the meals mostly comprising of lamb meat and tonnes of fish which was delivered under A
yaan’s watchful vigilance. Ayaan had befriended the rakshasa, but I had ordered the guards to stay close to Ayaan. I wasn’t really very fond of this monster. Ayaan got up and dashed towards the bathing chambers.

  Just then, Nasteya, well dressed in his white dhoti and pale-white embroidered silk kurta, came into the room. A beaded rosary, the one given to him by Vedang, hung down his neck right over his brawny chest. But there was one thing different about him.

  ‘What’s with the braided hair?’ both Savaan and I asked simultaneously. Nasteya’s hair were intricately plaited into numerous intertwined strands and it looked good on him. ‘Uh… It was Eshana’s idea. She did it. She says I look better this way, well groomed too,’ said Nasteya.

  ‘She must have found out about your lice too,’ I commented and Savaan chuckled. Nasteya playfully threw a pillow at me. ‘Now get up you lazy sloths, we’re late. A lot of planning needs to be done.’

  In one corner of the sand arena, on a high platform, Ayaan stood with some newly appointed guards and watched Abhuva as he feasted on fresh fish and lamb meat. Some distance away, Nasteya, Savaan and I stood in discussion with King Vidhur.

  ‘Naksos… I have never heard of the island. But I am familiar with the Gulf of Aden,’ the king said. He was uneasy. ‘Are you sure there’s no alternate route?’

  ‘I don’t know, Your Highness. Even if there is one, we don’t know about it,’ Nasteya replied, ‘But what is it that you’re worried about?’

  ‘The Gulf of Aden,’ King Vidhur said, ‘There is no chance you will cross the Gulf of Aden without being noticed by Persian pirates.’

  ‘Persian… pirates?’ I mumbled.

  ‘All merchant ships pay huge amounts of gold to these pirates in order to earn a safe passage through the gulf. These pirates don’t like people trading with Egypt. And the Persian emperors also supply them with advanced weaponry because they believe the fear of pirates will help their own trade since people from east won’t dare to go beyond,’ The king laid bare this unpalatable fact.

  ‘How do you know about them, Your Highness?’ Savaan asked.

  ‘When we were raising an army against the priest-king, we needed weapons. Egypt was the only place where we could get weapons without the emperor’s consent and without any legal documentation. The weapons didn’t cost much, but the price we paid was in the form of a lot of gold to the pirates,’ the king said.

  ‘It seems the price you paid for getting the weapons didn’t go in vain,’ said Nasteya, comforting the king.

  ‘Nasteya,’ the king sounded really worried, ‘The pirates aren’t a major concern. The problem is that I spent all that I had in preparation of the war. And Rudra’s treasures have not been found yet; he remains a source of trouble even after he’s gone. The search teams and experts are on it. But I’m afraid it is going to take time.’

  ‘Time is of the essence,’ Nasteya said, ‘Your Highness, you need not worry. You have an entire realm to look after. I’ll think of something.’

  Just when Nasteya said this, a maid—a mid-aged woman who was sweeping dust off the balcony—threw the broom aside and hastily walked away. Her actions drew our attention for a moment. But then Savaan broke the silence, ‘How long will it take to reach Egypt?’

  ‘Since it is the end of the monsoons and the winds will be in your favour, it will take you four months to reach the port of Myos Hormos towards the north of the Erythraean Sea, from where you shall journey by land until you reach Kairoh, the city of the Pharaoh. There, you might get information about the island of Naksos. I will send a bird courier to the port of Lothal and ask them to get their fastest ship ready,’ the King said.

  Nasteya slightly bowed his head. Savaan and I followed.

  The setting sun gave the furry clouds an orange tint. Ayaan was busy learning archery from a guard. Nasteya, Eshana and I sat on a bench in the courtyard watching Ayaan as he shot arrow after arrow towards his wooden target, hitting precisely.

  ‘Egypt,’ I said thoughtfully, ‘I wonder what this place will be like.’

  ‘I’ve heard that most of its settlements flourish in the vicinity of a huge river called Nile,’ said Eshana, ‘and they’ve also built some gigantic temples and tombs in an inverted cone shape called pyramids.’ While I pictured Eshana’s not-so-vivid description, Nasteya hardly listened.

  ‘What is it, Nasteya?’ Eshana asked, concerned.

  ‘I’m not worried about Egypt, I’m concerned about our passage through the gulf,’ Nasteya said.

  ‘I will ask father to do something about it,’ Eshana said.

  ‘No you will not,’ Nasteya said, his eyes reflecting his plea as he looked at her, ‘Let him focus on making his empire stand stronger than before. It is a very crucial time for him.’

  ‘By the way,’ I interrupted, ‘When do we leave?’

  ‘Gold or no gold,’ Nasteya said, ‘We leave in two days.’

  Words had hardly left Nasteya’s mouth when a guard came running to us. ‘My Lord,’ he said. Who was he referring to? The guard then took a step forward, bowed specifically to Nasteya and said, ‘My Lord!’ Nasteya was astonished on being referred to as ‘Lord’. A year ago he was just a common man. He felt a bit embarrassed.

  ‘What is it?’ Nasteya stood up and asked.

  ‘They’ve grouped outside the palace. His Highness and you are requested to address them,’ The guard admired Nasteya’s new look as he spoke.

  ‘Who?’ Nasteya asked.

  ‘The citizens… and Minister Vedang.’

  ‘Vedang is here?’ I said, eager to meet our historian friend after days. Vedang was elected as the minister of internal affairs and representative of the citizens of Mehrgarh by King Vidhur soon after his coronation.

  ‘How many citizens?’

  ‘All of them,’ the guard said startling us, ‘all four hundred thousand of them.’

  Eshana and I stood behind King Vidhur and Nasteya on the palace’s front platform from where we could see thousands of citizens congregated within the palace precincts, thousands of them filling the streets adjoining the palace and many more grouped on rooftops up to as far as the eye could see. In front of all citizens stood Vedang, his hands joined in front of his somewhat protruding belly. It didn’t take me long enough to pinpoint the lady that stood beside him. She was the same maid who had earwigged our chat in the morning. The king joined his palms together in a triangular shape and raised them high in front of his face, a gesture for namaste, the Mehrgarhians’ formal way of greeting someone. A wave rippled across the crowd as everyone stooped to greet both Nasteya and King Vidhur. Nasteya bowed in return. ‘What brings you here, Vedang?’ asked the king.

  ‘Your Highness, perhaps this lady could elucidate better,’ Vedang said, pointing at the maid. The king nodded and the maid stepped forward. Her eyes were fixed at Nasteya. Everyone else’s eyes were fixed at her. But she seemed lost, her tranquil smile embarrassing Nasteya. ‘Truly a God.’ She whispered.

  ‘Speak up, kind lady,’ king’s voice drew her out of her thoughts. She stirred and started, ‘My king, forgive me for having overheard your conversation in the morning. It wasn’t intentional. But it made me aware of the fact that Lord Nasteya is in need of help. It was hard for me to see him in distress. I wanted to help. But what riches can a maid possess? So I went to Minister Vedang to seek counsel. He asked me to share this matter with ten people and ask each one of them to share it with ten others. It spread like wildfire and all these citizens have willingly decided to give away what little gold each of them is left with. They have come voluntarily. None of them wanted to miss this one chance of helping the one who gave them their freedom.’

  I was astounded. So was Nasteya. He tried to blink away the emotions that blurred his vision. King Vidhur glanced sideways at the man who stood beside him, the man he admired since he had first seen him.

  ‘Bearing in mind the generosity of people of Mehrgarh, I pronounce immediate abolition of all taxes henceforth,’ the king announced. All
citizens bellowed: ‘Long Live King Vidhur, Long Live Lord Nasteya!’

  Nasteya glanced at Vedang. Vedang bowed his head slightly and smiled. Nasteya did the same.

  ‘Long Live Lord Nasteya’, a reinvigorated crowd hollered.

  I stared hard at my best friend. Since Saarah’s fall and this journey, he had grown beyond his stature. His decisions had moulded history for the better. His valour had ended the misery of millions. He was destined to be the one. His visage reflected serenity. The wind hissed into his braided hair. The setting sun felt like it bowed to him. It bowed to a living God. ‘Long Live… Lord… Nasteya,’ I murmured in admiration.

  THIRTY