‘No,’ said Shiva.

‘Why, My Lord?’

‘Because Parvateshwar will certainly be prepared for that. He’s not an idiot. It will be a suicide mission all right, but not a successful one.’

‘There is one other way,’ whispered Gopal.

‘The Vayuputras?’ asked Shiva.

‘Yes.’

Shiva looked back at the burning ships, his expression inscrutable. The Vayuputras appeared to be the only recourse now.

Chapter 32

The Last Resort

Shiva had pulled a light cloth over his head and wrapped it around his face, leaving his eyes open. His angvastram was draped across his muscular torso, affording protection from the fine drizzle. Sati lay in a covered cart as oxen pulled it gently. She was strong enough to walk now, but Ayurvati had insisted on exercising abundant caution during the march to Lothal. Shiva parted the curtains on the cart and looked at his sleeping wife. He smiled and drew the curtain shut again.

He kicked his horse into a canter.

‘Panditji,’ said Shiva, slowing his horse down as he approached Gopal. ‘About the Vayuputras...’

‘Yes?’

‘What is that terrible weapon that they possess that Kali spoke of?’

‘The Brahmastra?’ asked Gopal, referring to the fearsome weapon of Brahma.

‘Yes. How is it different from other daivi astras?’ asked Shiva, for he didn’t understand how a Brahmastra was so much more terrible than other divine weapons.

‘Most daivi astras only kill men. But there are some, like the Brahmastra, that can destroy entire cities, if not kingdoms.’

‘By the holy lake! How can one weapon do that?’

‘The Brahmastra is the weapon of absolute destruction, my friend; a destroyer of cities and a mass-killer of men. When fired on some terrain, a giant mushroom cloud will rise, high enough to touch the heavens. Everyone and everything in the targeted place would be instantly vaporised. Beyond this inner circle of destruction will be those who are unfortunate enough to survive, for they will suffer for generations. The water in the land will be poisoned for decades. The land will be unusable for centuries; no crops will grow on it. This weapon doesn’t just kill once; it kills again and again, for centuries after it has been used.’

‘And people actually contemplate using a weapon such as this?’ asked a horrified Shiva. ‘Panditji, using such a dreadful weapon is against the laws of humanity.’

‘Precisely, great Neelkanth. A weapon like this can never actually be used. The mere knowledge that one’s enemy has this weapon, can strike terror in one’s heart. No matter what the odds, one will surrender; one cannot win against the Brahmastra.’

‘Do you think the Vayuputras will give this weapon to me? Or am I being too presumptuous? After all, I’m not one of them. They think I’m a fraud, don’t they?’

‘I can think of two reasons why they may help us. First, they have not tried to assassinate you, which they would have, had a majority of them believed that you were a fraud. Maybe a strong constituency amongst them still respects your uncle, Lord Manobhu.’

‘And the second?’

‘Lord Bhrigu used daivi astras in his attack on Panchavati. It was not the Brahmastra, but it was a daivi astra nevertheless. Even if it was fabricated from Lord Bhrigu’s own material, he broke Lord Rudra’s laws by actually using one. That, I suspect, would have turned the Vayuputras virulently against him. And an enemy’s enemy...’

‘...is a friend,’ said Shiva, completing Gopal’s statement. ‘But I’m not sure these are reasons enough.’

‘We don’t have any other choice, my friend.’

‘Perhaps... How do we get to the land of the Vayuputras?’

‘Pariha is at a substantial distance towards our west. We can march overland, through the great mountains, to get there. But that is risky and time consuming. The other option is to take the sea route. But we will have to wait for the Northeasterly winds.’

‘The Northeasterlies? But they begin only when the rains stop. We’ll have to wait for one or two months.’

‘Yes, we will have to.’

‘I have an idea. I’m sure the Meluhans will set up spies and scouts in and around Lothal once they know that we have retreated into the city. So if we take the conventional route to Pariha, they will know that I have sailed west. Lord Bhrigu may guess that I’ve gone to the Vayuputras to seek help, which may encourage him to send assassins in pursuit. How about sailing south in a small convoy of military ships?’

Gopal immediately understood. ‘We’ll make them think that we’re going to the Narmada, onwards perhaps to either Ujjain or Panchavati.’

‘Exactly,’ said Shiva. ‘We could disembark from our military ships at a secret location and then set sail in a nondescript merchant ship to Pariha.’

‘Brilliant. The Meluhans can keep searching for you along the Narmada while we are on our way to Pariha.’

‘Right.’

‘And if we use just one merchant ship instead of an entire convoy, we could keep the voyage secretive and be quick.’

‘Right again.’

Sati stood at a window in a lookout-shelter on the southern edge of Lothal fort, staring at the vast expanse of sea beyond its walls. The monsoon had arrived in earnest and heavy rain was pelting the city.

Shiva and his army were well fortified within the city walls. Ganesh was expected to arrive in Lothal within a week or two, along with his force.

Ayurvati rushed into the shelter with a loud whoop, propping her cane and cloth umbrella beside the entrance. ‘Lord Indra and Lord Varun, be praised! They have decided to deliver the entire quota of this year’s rain in a single day!’

Sati turned towards Ayurvati with a wan look.

Ayurvati sat next to her and squeezed the end of her drenched angvastram. ‘I love the rain. It seems to wash away sorrows and bring new life with renewed hope, doesn’t it?’

Sati nodded politely, not really interested. ‘Yes, you are right, Ayurvatiji.’

Not one to give up, Ayurvati plodded on, determined to lighten Sati’s mood. ‘I’m quite free right now. There aren’t too many injured and the monsoon diseases have, surprisingly, been very low this year.’

‘That is good news, Ayurvatiji,’ said Sati.

‘Yes, it is. So, I was thinking that this would be a good time to do your surgery.’

Sati’s face carried an ugly blemish on her left cheek, where scar tissue had formed over the remnants of the burns she had suffered during the Battle of Devagiri.

‘There’s nothing wrong with me,’ said Sati politely.

‘Of course there isn’t. I was only referring to the scar on your face. It can be removed very easily through cosmetic surgery.’

‘No. I don’t want surgery.’

Ayurvati assumed that Sati was worried about the long recovery time and the possible impact on her ability to participate in the next battle. ‘But it is a very simple procedure, Sati. You will recover in a couple of weeks. We seem to be in for a good monsoon this year. This means there will be no warfare for a few months. You will not miss any battle.’

‘Nothing would keep me away from the next battle.’

‘Then why don’t you want to do this surgery, my child? I’m sure it would make the Lord Neelkanth happy.’