unborn child. It is a debt that must be repaid.’
The mention of payment made Bhagirath even more livid. ‘You think your filthy gold will get you out of this? Mark my words, if anything happens to the General, I will personally come here and kill every single one of you. Every single one!’
Divodas kept quiet. His face impassive.
‘Your Highness,’ said Nandi. ‘Let us hear him out.’
Bhagirath grunted in an irritated manner.
‘Gold means nothing, Your Highness,’ said Divodas. ‘We have tonnes of it back home. It still cannot buy us out of our suffering. Nothing is more important than life. Nothing. You realise the simplicity of that point only when you confront death every day.’
Bhagirath didn’t say anything.
‘General Parvateshwar is a brave and honourable man. For his sake, I will break the vow I took on the name of my ancestors. Even if it damns my soul forever.’
Bhagirath frowned.
‘I am not supposed to share this medicine with anyone who is not Branga. But I will give it to you for the General. Tell your doctor to apply it on his temple and nostrils. He will live.’
Bhagirath looked suspiciously at the small silk packet. ‘What is this?’
‘You don’t need to know what it is, Your Highness. You just need to know one thing. It will save General Parvateshwar’s life.’
‘What is this?’
Ayurvati was looking at the silk pouch Bhagirath had just handed over to her.
‘That doesn’t matter,’ said Bhagirath. ‘Just apply it on his temples and nostrils. It may save his life.’
Ayurvati frowned.
‘Lady Ayurvati, what is the harm in trying?’ asked Bhagirath.
Ayurvati opened the pouch to find a reddish-brown thick paste. She had never seen anything like it. She smelt the paste and immediately looked up at Bhagirath, stunned. ‘Where did you get this?’
‘That doesn’t matter. Use it.’
Ayurvati kept staring at Bhagirath. She had a hundred questions running through her mind. But she had to do the most obvious thing first. She knew this paste would save Parvateshwar.
Parvateshwar opened his eyes slowly, his breathing ragged.
‘My friend,’ whispered Shiva.
‘My Lord,’ whispered Parvateshwar, trying to get up.
‘No! Don’t!’ said Shiva, gently making Parvateshwar lie back. ‘You need to rest. You are strong-headed, but not that strong!’
Parvateshwar smiled wanly.
Shiva knew the question that would arise first in the General’s mind. ‘All the Brangas are safe. What you did was brilliant.’
‘I don’t know, My Lord. I will have to do penance. I have committed a sin.’
‘What you did saved lives. There is no need for any penance.’
Parvateshwar sighed. His head still throbbed immensely. ‘They had some ghastly ritual going on...’
‘Don’t think about it, my friend. Right now you need to relax. Ayurvati has ordered strictly that nobody is to disturb you. I will leave you alone. Try to catch some sleep.’
‘Anandmayi!’
Bhagirath tried to stop his sister. Anandmayi was rushing into the ayuralay chamber where Parvateshwar lay. She had been out of the city the whole day attending a music lesson at a nearby ashram. She ran into her brother’s arms.
‘Is he all right?’
‘Yes,’ said Bhagirath.
Anandmayi glowered. ‘Who is the bastard who did this? I hope you killed that dog!’
‘We will let Parvateshwar decide what to do.’
‘I heard he was hit on the temple. That there was blood haemorrhaging.’
‘Yes.’
‘Lord Agni be merciful. That can be fatal.’
‘Yes. But some medicines from the Brangas have saved him.’
‘Brangas? First they nearly kill him and then give medicines to save him? Is there no limit to their madness?’
‘The medicine was given by their leader, Divodas. He arrived in Kashi a few hours back and heard about this incident. He seems like a good man.’
Anandmayi was not interested in the Branga leader. ‘Has Parvateshwar woken up?’
‘Yes. The Lord Neelkanth just met him. He has
The mention of payment made Bhagirath even more livid. ‘You think your filthy gold will get you out of this? Mark my words, if anything happens to the General, I will personally come here and kill every single one of you. Every single one!’
Divodas kept quiet. His face impassive.
‘Your Highness,’ said Nandi. ‘Let us hear him out.’
Bhagirath grunted in an irritated manner.
‘Gold means nothing, Your Highness,’ said Divodas. ‘We have tonnes of it back home. It still cannot buy us out of our suffering. Nothing is more important than life. Nothing. You realise the simplicity of that point only when you confront death every day.’
Bhagirath didn’t say anything.
‘General Parvateshwar is a brave and honourable man. For his sake, I will break the vow I took on the name of my ancestors. Even if it damns my soul forever.’
Bhagirath frowned.
‘I am not supposed to share this medicine with anyone who is not Branga. But I will give it to you for the General. Tell your doctor to apply it on his temple and nostrils. He will live.’
Bhagirath looked suspiciously at the small silk packet. ‘What is this?’
‘You don’t need to know what it is, Your Highness. You just need to know one thing. It will save General Parvateshwar’s life.’
‘What is this?’
Ayurvati was looking at the silk pouch Bhagirath had just handed over to her.
‘That doesn’t matter,’ said Bhagirath. ‘Just apply it on his temples and nostrils. It may save his life.’
Ayurvati frowned.
‘Lady Ayurvati, what is the harm in trying?’ asked Bhagirath.
Ayurvati opened the pouch to find a reddish-brown thick paste. She had never seen anything like it. She smelt the paste and immediately looked up at Bhagirath, stunned. ‘Where did you get this?’
‘That doesn’t matter. Use it.’
Ayurvati kept staring at Bhagirath. She had a hundred questions running through her mind. But she had to do the most obvious thing first. She knew this paste would save Parvateshwar.
Parvateshwar opened his eyes slowly, his breathing ragged.
‘My friend,’ whispered Shiva.
‘My Lord,’ whispered Parvateshwar, trying to get up.
‘No! Don’t!’ said Shiva, gently making Parvateshwar lie back. ‘You need to rest. You are strong-headed, but not that strong!’
Parvateshwar smiled wanly.
Shiva knew the question that would arise first in the General’s mind. ‘All the Brangas are safe. What you did was brilliant.’
‘I don’t know, My Lord. I will have to do penance. I have committed a sin.’
‘What you did saved lives. There is no need for any penance.’
Parvateshwar sighed. His head still throbbed immensely. ‘They had some ghastly ritual going on...’
‘Don’t think about it, my friend. Right now you need to relax. Ayurvati has ordered strictly that nobody is to disturb you. I will leave you alone. Try to catch some sleep.’
‘Anandmayi!’
Bhagirath tried to stop his sister. Anandmayi was rushing into the ayuralay chamber where Parvateshwar lay. She had been out of the city the whole day attending a music lesson at a nearby ashram. She ran into her brother’s arms.
‘Is he all right?’
‘Yes,’ said Bhagirath.
Anandmayi glowered. ‘Who is the bastard who did this? I hope you killed that dog!’
‘We will let Parvateshwar decide what to do.’
‘I heard he was hit on the temple. That there was blood haemorrhaging.’
‘Yes.’
‘Lord Agni be merciful. That can be fatal.’
‘Yes. But some medicines from the Brangas have saved him.’
‘Brangas? First they nearly kill him and then give medicines to save him? Is there no limit to their madness?’
‘The medicine was given by their leader, Divodas. He arrived in Kashi a few hours back and heard about this incident. He seems like a good man.’
Anandmayi was not interested in the Branga leader. ‘Has Parvateshwar woken up?’
‘Yes. The Lord Neelkanth just met him. He has
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