THE COURTESAN OF JAIGARH (Complete)

Part 14-An Act Of Kindness

 Somdutt guided his horse to the little boy who was sitting beside his mother's corpse and crying. He got down and picked up the child. The villagers, a few who had remained unharmed by hiding in the nearby forest, stood watching the king with curious eyes. Somdutt consoled the child, cooing to him in a soothing voice, then handed him over to a woman.

"Take good care of him, and you shall be rewarded," he said, handing a few coins to the woman.

The village of Raghopura was totally a devastating sight. The crops had been burnt and the land, as far as one could see, lay scorched. The dwellings had been destroyed. And men and women lay dead in the fields. The enemy had not spared even the cattle. A couple of women were reported missing, and in all probability, had been abducted by the invaders.

He felt frustrated at his helplessness. No one seems to know who the masked attackers were, but Somdutt could make an intelligent guess. It was sneaky of Jaigarh to engage in peace talks on one hand and raid their territory on the other. He had thought better of Yashvardhan. Sadly, the man had proved false, going back on his words of establishing peace.

He had rushed here as soon as he got word of the attack but still hadn't been fast enough to catch those scoundrels. Had he done so, he could have confronted Jaigarh with the evidence, but it was too late now. Only a scene of destruction had greeted him on his arrival. He would have to make huge efforts to rebuild the village.

He called his amatya or minister, and consulted with him.

"See that these fortunate few lack for nothing by way of help," he directed his men, who handed out coins to the survivors to rebuild their huts. They even tested the water of the well to make sure that it wasn't poisoned, before leaving for the palace.

What should he do now, wondered Somdutt. He wasn't in a position to start a war again. It drained out his treasury and resulted in the loss of lives. He would wait and watch for their next move, he decided.

Back in his palace, Somdutt found his daughter struggling to master a move in combat. He watched for a while, a smile breaking out on his face to see the little girl trying to get the better of her adversary. The old guard, who was practicing with her, ducked to avoid a blow from the tiny wooden sword, laughing as she screamed in frustration.

"Let me show you, little one," Somdutt took out his sword and waved it above his head in a move meant to intimidate the enemy.

Priyadarshini watched attentively, hands on hips, and then copied it, laughing with joy as she succeeded.

Her father pulled her near, placing a kiss on her forehead. She never failed to brighten his day. It was for her sake too, that he wanted peace with Jaigarh. Defeat usually meant death by jumping into the pyre, for royal women, otherwise they would be no better than slaves and concubines. No way would he let that happen to his beloved daughter.

Back in Jaigarh, Yashvardhan paced the floor of the audience hall, his forehead marked with lines of worry. What his son had done did not bear thinking about. He had summoned Harshvardhan but had been informed that he was at Menaka's mansion, busy enjoying himself. Of course, he should be on his way by now. He needed to have a talk with the boy. It was well and good to spend his time making merry with the courtesans.

Yashvardhan himself had sowed his wild oats in his youth when he had been enamored of Menaka. It had not mattered to him that she had been his father's concubine. He had caught a glimpse of her once while she left the palace after a liaison with the old king. One look at her stunning figure and delicate face and he had been enslaved by her beauty. It was only after he married Devnandini, and she gave him his sons, that he really came to love his queen. Alas, two of his sons did not survive and he had grieved them with her. It was the reason that he loved Harshvardhan so much.

"Father, you wished to see me?" the prince spoke out as he entered the hall.

Yashvardhan looked at him for some signs of remorse but found none.

"Why did you carry out the raids on Reshamgarh?" he asked, running a tired hand over his eyes.

"I told you, father, I wanted to teach Somdutt a lesson. Haven't you heard the latest news? He has retreated in fear, instead of replying to that attack," the prince boasted.

"Alas, I promised him to discuss peace with you. How would I show my face to him now?" lamented the king.

Harshvardhan sat down beside his father's throne and looked at him, his gaze full of pride.

"Do not worry, Father. We needn't explain ourselves. Peace isn't possible as long as that scoundrel stays on the throne. Let me deal with him."

Yashvardhan cogitated on his son's words. It wasn't what he wanted, but the deed was done. He let out a sigh of regret. His son reminded him of his father, headstrong, and fond of bloodshed. He prayed that one day he would regret his choices and talk of harmony among the clans that ruled the kingdoms of the north. The lunar and solar dynasties should unite to fight the foreign invaders. That was the only way they could continue to rule for years.

Neelanjana picked up a morsel of barley bread and dipped it in the aromatic curry. Menaka wasn't stingy like the old tavern keeper. She never starved them and the meals were always delicious.

"Make haste, girls. You have to practice the new dance steps," Menaka hurried the girls.

There was a celebration in the palace and she had been asked to entertain the guests with her troupe. It would be the first time for the girls to present their talent before the king.

Neelanjana finished her meal and hastened her steps. Valli was already in the room, trying out the movements, swaying her body to the beat of the music. The two of them slogged for hours, till they were exhausted and sank onto the floor, wiping the sweat from their brow.

"I see that you have finished for the day," said Lakshmi who had been practicing with Menaka. Her mother wanted her to be the lead dancer. Of course, everybody knew of Menaka's ambition to see her daughter as the chief courtesan of Jaigarh.

"Yes, girls, you can retire for the night," said Madhulika, smiling for a change.

Back in her room, Neelanjana changed her attire and got into bed. She was nodding off when the door opened and in walked Madhulika with a glass of milk in her hand.

"It's for you, dear," she said, offering the glass. "I wanted to make sure you were resting after the vigorous session."

Neelanjana sat up in alarm. Was everything alright? It was most unusual for Madhulika to show kindness, nay, as impossible as for the donkey to grow horns. Still, she took the glass from her hand and drank the milk in one go, just so that the other woman would leave.

"Now sleep," she threw over her shoulder before leaving the room.

Neelanjana heaved a sigh of relief. She always made her uneasy. Neelanjana wondered what Madhulika thought of Menaka's plan to present the three girls before the king. She doubted that Madhulika would take it lying down. No, she would be up to something, and it would be some mischief surely. Well, it was for Menaka to deal with. With that thought, she closed her eyes.