Revenge of the Chandalas Page 14

  “How can one not be, when such an intoxicating grape vine is swaying around!” said the poet grabbing the left wrist of Vaishali.

  Vaishali twisted her wrist to get away from the poet's hold but harder she tried, stronger he clutched her. Eventually, when she couldn't try any more to free herself, she turned towards the poet and lent a thunderous slap on his left cheek. The hall went as quiet as a dead man's heart.

  Vaishali was a Nishada woman of pride and integrity. The poet felt extremely insulted but being slapped by a woman in a full view of the house was too embarrassing too. He let go of her hand nervously.

  Vaishali knew she might be in trouble for offending a state guest publicly. She huddled in a corner still breathing heavily.

  The artist who stood up for Vaishali came forward and said, “I think you should go out from here to have a breath of fresh air. I will accompany you, if you don't mind.”

  Vaishali herself wanted to get out of there. She accepted the artist's offer. They walked off to a garden behind the guesthouse.

  “You did absolutely right. Such profanity deserves this,” said the artist.

  “But he is our state guest. I am not feeling good after insulting a guest like this,” Vaishali said in a soft voice.

  “Being a guest gives no right to insult a woman. By the way who are you, if I may ask?” asked the artist.

  “I am Vaishali. I am the state courtesan of Sripur. As you know a Nagarvadhu is a state entity. Available to anybody and everybody. So how can one be insulted, I guess,” said Vaishali.

  “Every civil society allows its citizens to live respectfully irrespective of their profession,” said the artist.

  “Well, leave all these talks. Tell me about yourself. What do you do?” asked Vaishali.

  “Oh, I am just a simple artist. I perform magic and hypnotism shows to entertain people,” replied the artist.

  “So, you are a magician! You know how to hypnotize people and you call yourself a simple artist!” said Vaishali with a surprise.

  “No, you are a real artist. I saw how your dance hypnotized one and all there,” replied the artist.

  “Don't sing my praises, tell me about yourself. What kind of magic you do?” asked Vaishali.

  “I am a different kind of magician. It is not as intoxicating but surely marvellous, I would say,” said the artist.

  “Tell me more. What exactly can you do?” asked Vaishali.

  “I can make you forget your name and address. Do you want to see?” asked the artist.

  “That's not possible, is it? No, I don't believe,” said Vaishali.

  “I am here to prove, if you want to see the proof,” offered the artist.

  “Why not! I am ready too,” replied Vaishali.

  The artist asked Vaishali to sit on a stone platform and then moving closer to her asked her to look into his eyes intently.

  Vaishali did as he asked her to do. She felt a strange attraction. Soon after he touched her forehead softly and Vaishali drifted into deep sleep and knew nothing of what happened thereafter. When she woke up, she found herself lying on the stone platform in the garden.

  There was an attractive young man standing in front of her. The artist was nowhere in sight.

  Vaishali got a bit nervous. She stood up hurriedly. Was this all a ploy to hypnotize her? Has the artist found out things she would have never said in the state of consciousness? Suddenly, the thought of Neel and Dhananjay dawned upon her. She felt the ground beneath sinking underneath her feet.

  “Who are you lady and how come you are lying here in this state?” asked the young man with utmost politeness. His voice brought her back from the stream of her own thoughts. She scanned the young man's face. It pulled her into another wave of hypnotism, but she managed to control her senses and said, “All that doesn't matter, can you please take me to my house as soon as you can?”

  “Yes, why not, but what is it that's troubling you so much?” asked the young man.

  “As I said, I need to get home as soon as possible please,” reiterated Vaishali.

  “Where do you live?” asked the young man.

  “Please arrange for a carriage, I will give you the directions,” replied Vaishali.

  The young man brought Vaishali outside the guesthouse. There was a flamboyant horse carriage with four horses parked outside. He asked her to get on board the wide rear seat of the carriage and said, “Please relax, we'll take you home quickly now.”

  Vaishali leapt quickly into the horse carriage. The young man took his seat on the left of Vaishali and waived the coachman to move on. He then turned towards Vaishali and asked, “So tell me what it is that has made you so worried?”

  “Actually, I was with that artist from North Kosala in the garden. I don't know what he did, but he hypnotised me in some way and I don't remember anything. I feel nervous and very strange,” replied Vaishali.

  “North Kosala? We don't particularly have good relations with them. We have to be formally friends to keep old traditions in mind. But these people are the ones we must beware of,” said the young man.

  “I am feeling so nervous. In my house…” and Vaishali suddenly realised that she was talking to a stranger again. She had already tasted betrayal after trusting the artist from North Kosala.

  “What were you saying regarding your house? What is it in there?” asked the young man.

  “See…..in my house...I have all my belongings and jewellery and all that I have. I fear that he might have got the information out of me. I am now worried about my house and belongings,” replied Vaishali looking visibly perplexed.

  “Oh! Don't worry about that. Even if he manages to break into your house and steal anything, he can't get away. Sripur's guards can't be fooled by a mere thief,” the young man explained trying to console Vaishali.

  The very fact bothered her—how to fool the guards and help Neel and Dhananjay escape from Sripur. She kept quiet to what the young man said. She kept asking the coachman to drive faster. She kept telling the directions to her house. Soon they arrived at her house and the carriage pulled by. Vaishali jumped off and rushed to the locked front door of the house. She checked the door and the lock and took a deep sigh of relief. She turned back and said, “Thank you very much indeed for your help. I don't know what I would have done without you.”

  She realized that it's a matter of etiquette to invite the young man in her house, even though that would not be an appropriate thing to do at that moment. She still asked him, “Please come inside,” and she motioned towards her house.

  “No, thank you. Not today. Maybe next time,” replied the young man.

  “But how? You didn't introduce yourself?” asked Vaishali.

  “My name is Udayan. My father is the king of South Kosala,” replied the young man and motioned the coachman to move.

  Vaishali was awe-struck at this disclosure from Udayan. Realising that she had just shared a ride with the prince of the state, made her thrilled. She had heard about him. About his handsomeness and abilities in all areas. Such an attractive young man, she felt being hypnotised once again. She felt like meeting him again for sure. A soft smile passed her lips.

  Walking inside the house, she quickly scanned for any signs of intrusion. Everything seemed okay. That meant Neel and Dhananjay were fine. She walked down the stairs into the basement room where they were hidden. They were sitting comfortably and talking. The sight finally soothed her tense nerves. No sooner than she could utter a word, she heard footsteps above her. Somebody was entering the house. She had left the front door open. Or was she still under the spell of Udayan's aura? She needed to check. She waived at Neel and Dhananjay to stay put. She ran upstairs to find six armed soldiers looking around for something in the house. As soon she appeared, one of the soldiers asker her, “We have information that some enemies of the state are hiding in this house?”

  “Enemies!” exclaimed Vaishali and thought whether South Kosala had any friends at all. She tried to look surpri
sed and added, “I think you have been misled, there is nobody hiding here.”

  “We'll find that out soon once we have searched the house thoroughly.” said the soldier.

  “Do as you wish.” said Vaishali trying to look at ease and not perturbed at all. But she was scared. If their search led to the basement then it'll be all over. They searched the entire upper area and found nothing. They had seen her coming upstairs from the basement, so they knew about the basement. She had to do something to distract them somehow.

  “They must be down in the basement area, let's go to search there,” said one of the soldiers and they proceeded towards the stairs. Vaishali ran after them. She stumbled and fell just before the stairs and cried in agony, “My foot…aah..I think it's broken.”

  “Hey you, are you playing any tricks on us.” asked one of the soldiers.

  “Can't you see I fell in front of you? I am sure my bone is fractured. I can't even move it. It's hurting so much. Aah!” then she looked seriously at the soldier and added, “Are you going to stand there now or arrange for a vaidya to treat me?”

  One of the soldiers, who seemed like the leader of the pack, asked another soldier to go to fetch a vaidya quickly.

  Vaishali felt a slight sense of relief but she knew how to conceal it. She knew at least one soldier is gone. Now only five to deal with.

  The leading soldier asked another soldier to stay there and keep an eye on Vaishali while the rest went down to search the basement.

  “What is your name soldier?” asked Vaishali looking up at the soldier assigned to keep an eye on her.

  “Gajraj,” replied the soldier.

  “And the name is very appropriate I must say,” replied Vaishali looking at his round abdomen.

  “What do you mean?” asked the soldier tucking his belly in and widening his chest.

  “Oho, you took it the wrong way Gajraj. I meant you adorn the grace of Lord Ganesha.”

  Gajraj felt happy at this. His chest widened.

  “Ganapati is the God of art and culture. Do you have any inclination towards any art form? Or you only know how to swordfight?” asked Vaishali examining his sword with her piercing eyes.

  “Why? You think fencing is not an art form?” Gajraj asked angrily.

  “You get annoyed too quickly. I only meant if you have any interest in dance, music, or poetry?”

  “I don't mind watching dance.”

  “You might now know I am a state courtesan. If you like to watch dance, you are welcome to come to my dance theatre. You'll enjoy very much.”

  “So, you dance?” asked Gajraj.

  “Told you I am a Nagarvadhu. That's what I do—dance to please my guests. What else do you expect me to do—fistfights!” replied Vaishali and this brought an easy laughter on Gajraj's face.

  “Is that sword sheath made of ivory?” asked Vaishali looking at his sword dangling from his waist belt.

  “Yes,” replied Gajraj.

  “Very beautiful. Such fine artistry on it! Would you mind showing it to me for a moment? I love ivory engravings,” requested Vaishali.

  “I am not such a fool to hand over my sword to you!” Gajraj got angry again.

  “I am not asking for your sword; I simply want to see the ivory sheath. You can keep the sword if you want,” replied Vaishali in a stern voice.

  Gajraj thought what the harm in handing over the sheath. It helps to have good relations with a Nagarvadhu. Some cheerful evenings can be created. He took the sword out of the sheath and held it in his right hand and handed over the sheath with his left hand and said, “Here you go, enjoy it as much as you want.”

  “Will you please bend down and hand it over, I can't get up as you can see,” requested Vaishali.

  As he bent down to hand over the sheath, she held his dress and pulled him further down towards her and started shouting at the top of her voice, “Help, help!”

  She started to get louder and this scared Gajraj. He didn't know what to do. Out of utter confusion, he fell upon her. In the meantime, the soldiers came back to check out what was happening. They saw Gajraj lying over Vaishali with his sword in his right hand.

  “Save me from this beast! He was trying to molest me and threatened me with his naked dagger,” Vaishali screamed at the soldiers.

  “What are you saying? Why are you accusing me of this?” Gajraj got up and tried to explain.

  “What do you think, we are blinds? Can't we see you were lying on her wielding your sword? This disgusts me to no limits soldier,” shouted the leader of the pack.

  “You don't believe your own soldier while you are trusting this loose courtesan?” Gajraj said while getting up on his feet.

  “Gajraj, learn to respect women. Is this what you are taught in the army?” the chief replied angrily.

  “The army teaches us to defend our own respect at all costs. This woman here is wrongly accusing me of something I didn't do.”

  “If you cared so much about your self-esteem, you would not have done this devilish act.”

  “You are doing a devilish act by trusting this lewd woman over me,” shouted Gajraj puffing with anger.

  “How dare you speak to me like that?” yelled the chief and took his sword out and pointed at Gajraj's chest.

  Gajraj wasted no time in stepping back and swung his sword and struck his chief's shining blade with all his might.

  As the swords clattered in the upper area of the house, Neel and Dhananjay, who had been listening to the events thus far, climbed up the stairs. They pounced upon the two fighting soldiers and before anybody could react, stabbed the soldiers with their own daggers. Both the soldiers collapsed on the ground moaning in acute anguish.

  Vaishali lost no time in sensing the opportunity and kicked one of the nearby soldiers in his right knee. He fumbled down and as soon as he got down aching in pain, she picked up a sword and pierced his bosom. Expecting the other two soldiers to get into action, she pushed the two idle swords on the ground towards Neel and Dhananjay.

  The two soldiers jumped over Neel and Dhananjay, but they changed their stance like trained dancers, bowed their heads down, swung around, and with a silken swing of their blood thirsty swords slashed the throats of the two soldiers. Blood gushed out and both collapsed on the floor.

  “We can't stay here any longer now, your Highness, we have to get out as soon as we can. I will do your make-up and arrange for you two to depart with the artists in disguise.” said Vaishali while getting up.

  “And what about you? Where will you go? Now they would know for sure you are involved,” asked Neel.

  “Don't worry about me, your Highness.”

  “No, we can't leave you here to be slaughtered, Vaishali.”

  “Don't be so stubborn your Highness.”

  “It's my order, Vaishali. You are coming with us.”

  “If that's the case your Highness…your wish is my command,” replied Vaishali.

  Chapter 23

  Shatvari was pleased with the decision to declare Gunjan a Brahmin. She felt good about how there was at least some justice in the world. But she wasn't happy with the decision made for her. She wasn't in anyway willing to go back to Damodar on her own. She was willing to fight with the whole world and even God himself. Gunjan's popularity increased manifold. The Shudra community got inspired by this decision. His fame travelled as far as the state capital itself in a matter of days. The Shudra in the capital also accepted him as their hero. But the priestly and higher caste community also got the news and they got alert. Shatvari declined the Panchayat's decision to go back to her husband. Shastri ji sent her to her in-laws' house to save some prestige in the society.

  Damodar was burning in the flames of regret. How could he lose his childhood love for a lusty temporary affair with a courtesan! Even though he had stopped meeting Amodini, he knew the damage had been done. His social prestige took a clear hit and people started avoiding him. Even his friend Ambarish stopped meeting him. He felt lonely and stressed. H
e took refuge in alcohol.

  One day when he found out about Shatvari's pregnancy, his anguish reached its peak. He couldn't stay away anymore. He wanted to get to his child by any means. Whatever it takes he would get over to Shatvari and ask for forgiveness on his knees.

  “I am ashamed of everything I did to betray you Shatvari. Please, if possible, forgive me just once.” said Damodar with his head bent down.

  “It took you such a long time to realize this.” Shatvari spoke without any display of emotion.

  “I did realize it a while back but could not muster courage to face you.”

  “How many different faces you have to show me?”

  “Shatvari, I am not what I made you think about me.”

  “Wasn't my love genuine that you had to go to a prostitute to satisfy your lust? In fact, you never loved me from the core of your heart.”

  “Don't say that please. I realise that I have made a big mistake.”

  “It wasn't simply a mistake. You committed a sin. You insulted the vows we took in front of the holy fire. You made it unholy with your deeds.”

  “For quite some time I am burning in the fire of remorse.”

  “You are a Brahmin. You must know that remorse is not enough to wash away the sin. You have to pay penance.”

  “What would that be?”

  “Stay away from me and our child.”

  “For how long?”

  “Until your child decides to meet you.”

  “Will you be able to raise the child alone?”

  “I have been living with the unbearable burden of your sin alone for so long. It has made me stronger. Raising my child will be much easier.”

  Damodar didn't reply. He left with a heavy heart.

  Shatvari gave birth to a beautiful baby boy after some time. She gradually forgot her miseries and spent most of her time in raising the child.

  But everything was still not okay. Some conservative minds of the society were not happy with the soft decision of the Panchayat. Pandit Vishvamohan was one of them and he was determined to do something about the matter. One day he went to meet the village chief Jugalkishore and said, “Mukhiya ji, the popularity of Gunjan has been on the rise ever since the Panchayat declared him at par with Brahmins. He has been spreading the religious knowledge to his fellow Shudras. If something is not done soon, there will be many more Gunjans out there. What should we do then? How will you manage the society? Also, Shatvari has openly rejected the Panchayat's decree.”