The conqueror, p.18
The Conqueror, page 18
I did not know if she was telling the truth. But I smiled at her and took her in my arms.
‘I believe you. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.’
A few days later, I was walking back through the city from her place. Two bodyguards were walking behind me. We were near the farmer’s marketplace and were trying to navigate through a sea of people who were elbowing each other, trying to get the freshest vegetables for their home. In the rush, my bodyguards and I got separated. A beggar suddenly leaped at my feet. I was about to push him away when he looked up at me. His face was covered in a shabby hood, but I could make out that he was from my land.
‘My lord, sorry for this intrusion. I have little time. The pirate attack will happen on the twenty-third of Aadimaasam. Tell Lady Paravai where you will be staying in Puhar so that Indravarman can arrange for your pickup.’
He began grovelling at my feet, as if he had committed a grave crime and wanted forgiveness. I kicked him away for good effect before my bodyguards arrived on the scene.
The next morning, I went to Bhaskaran’s house at dawn and asked to meet the emperor. ‘He’s a very busy man. Even I don’t see him these days, despite carrying out construction of the vaidyasalai . All my bills are pending and I’ve started paying from my pocket,’ Bhaskaran said, wretchedly.
‘I’m sure there is a way. Please ask him. I grow tired of this place. All I want is some time in Puhar.’
I sounded desperate. His eyes softened and he said he would try. That afternoon, I was summoned to the palace. I hadn’t visited the palace complex since my earlier humiliation. It was the first time I was entering its great hall. I was ushered in past a number of eager petitioners who stood outside on the vast porch and made to sit on a couch until my turn came. After a little while, the large wooden doorways to the palace hall creaked open, and a man announced my name inside.
I walked inside the hall and looked around. There were guards stationed near each pillar and archers on the gallery on the first floor. I walked to the centre of the hall and was asked to stop and speak from there. I looked at the emperor and bowed. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the armrest of his throne and looked around. The sabha was silent.
A man began talking, stating my name and case. Rajendra heard him patiently. There was no recognition in his eyes. I had never existed for him. ‘Maharajah Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman of Srivijaya wishes to go to Puhar? Are the pleasures of my city not enough to interest you?’ the mountain voice rumbled.
The court burst out laughing in unison. A little excessively perhaps, as is the nature of sycophantic courts. Mine used to do the same.
‘I yearn for the sea breeze, your majesty, having been weaned on it since I was a child. I humbly request an opportunity to reinvigorate myself there.’
He scratched his chin. ‘What do my ministers advise?’
Nearly all of them shook their heads and declined.
He scratched his chin again. ‘My ministers, all of whom have offered me valuable counsel over the years, do not think you should be allowed to go.’
As he fell silent, I knew that it was time for some quick thinking on my part. ‘They say when the Yavana King Alexander defeated Porus in the battle of the Indus, he had Porus brought to his court in chains. He asked Porus if there was anything he desired, as a final request. All Porus replied was, “Treat me as befits a king.” The great and benevolent king was pleased with the answer and gave him back his kingdom. Now, I’m no Porus, my lord. But I request you to be as Alexander.’ I hoped that he remembered the story I had told him.
He looked at me, puzzled, and then began to laugh. The room echoed with his harsh laughter. He looked at his ministers. ‘Does my court consider me Alexander?’
The ministers realized it was banter, and pleaded that he was greater than Alexander ever was.
‘Very well then. There are other matters to attend to. I will overrule my ministers this time only to fulfil my duty to my guest. You may go to Puhar. But under our watch. A troop of men shall accompany you, and bring you back when you have had your fill of sea air, which should not take more than a month. You will live in one of the royal palaces by the ocean. Now begone, young Porus.’
There was no uproar or murmur of discontent. The court quickly moved on to other matters.
I went to Paravai’s house after that and told her I was leaving for Puhar the next morning and would be staying at the royal guesthouse in the Yavana quarters. She asked me when I would return and I replied, within a month. She said nothing. We embraced and she bid me farewell without any mention of meeting me when I returned. This was the end. Even she knew it.
I returned to my mansion and began putting together some clothes in a large trunk. I told my servants to pack enough clothes, along with Munnir, and retired to bed early.
The emperor visited me that might, sitting at the foot of my bed, as he hadn’t for two years.
‘So, you talk only when you need a favour?’ he asked quietly.
I was silent.
‘Alexander and Porus. A good story, though a little dry for my liking. I prefer the one you had told me about your ancestor. Alexander has been sung to death by the bards.’
He cleared his throat. ‘I will miss these little stories. Return soon, Maharajah.’ With that, he blew out his lamp and left the room.
‘My name is Indravarman. I represent a faction of merchants from Srivijaya,’ he said. ‘I have news that would be of interest to you, my queen. It is regarding your father.’
The queen heard his story without interruption. Her father had been captured by the Cholas and taken back to the land of the Tamils. A kingdom conspiring against the Cholas – called the Chalukyas – had brought the information to Indravarman. They would be interested in any plot that would weaken Chola sovereignty and would be happy to help bring the monarch back to his lands if a preferential trade agreement could be worked out. The merchants of Srivijaya were unhappy with Srideva. They were also unhappy with the fact that he had given Tamil traders better trade privileges following the Chola invasion.
‘If Maharajah Sangrama Vijayatunggavarman ever was to come back, he would receive our support,’ Indravarman said.
He had smiled after that, and looked at her intently. ‘We will be able to finance an attempt to bring him back to his lands. A coup, however, is an entirely different proposition for beleaguered merchants without armies. If an army could be arranged to attack the Srivijaya kingdom by the time he lands on these shores, it would help our cause greatly.’
The queen nodded grimly. ‘It will be arranged.’
‘One more thing,’ said the merchant. ‘Srideva has cracked down on all kinds of piracy. It has been hard for us to find able men who will be willing to conduct an audacious raid into Chola territory. Perhaps someone from Kahuripan can help with this? Money is no object, of course.’
‘I know just the man,’ said the queen.
4
I set off for Puhar the next day, accompanied by a troop of light cavalry – ten soldiers led by a man called Beemasenan who did not speak much. I sensed he was annoyed about having to babysit a potentate and would rather have been carving up Chalukyas at the front. The journey passed in sullen silence.
We reached Puhar after three days where I was taken to a guesthouse in the Eastern City that overlooked the ocean and an armed guard was placed around me. I would wander out into the Yavana quarters where traders of all lands hawked their wares. I did not see any Srivijayans, though. I took this as a sign. Perhaps they had been told to keep away before the pirates attacked. I stayed at home, and took the time to exercise and loosen my muscles. There would probably be running and fighting involved.
The day of the rescue finally arrived.
I woke up that morning with a fluttering in the pit of my stomach. For the first time in nearly two years, I did not have my toddy. Instead, I had a bath and went straight back to bed, feigning illness. I had to be well awake for the night. Around late evening, when I awoke and took my customary stroll down the Yavana quarters, I noticed a great clamour taking place. I asked my guards to ask a vendor what was the matter.
‘It’s only pirates making a raid. Don’t worry, my lord. The coastal defences will keep us secure.’
I nodded.
‘Where are the pirates from?’ I asked innocently.
‘No one has any idea. Maybe from Eelam or from Kalingga. These are the only kingdoms that are close enough.’
I looked around. Traders were lifting their goods and removing them from the port area by horse or elephant or even hand. ‘No one wants to take a risk,’ my guard informed.
I nodded and we returned to the mansion. The sky went dark and fires began to get lit at the port. I looked towards the lighthouse where the fire had been extinguished, perhaps to not draw the pirates in. I sat on the bed, waiting for something to happen.
And then it did.
A loud crash was heard outside. I leapt up and ran towards the window of my bedroom. In the horizon, I could see three ships on fire followed by several more speeding towards the port, lit by torches on their stern and in their back. Like fireflies in the night. Trumpets began sounding and the beat of war drums filled the sky.
The war ships cut through to the dock that was surprisingly poorly defended. A few ships had sailed out to repel the attackers but had been brushed aside. The ships arrived at the dock with little resistance. I went back to my bed and waited.
My bodyguards – all ten of them including Beemasenan – rushed into my room. Beemasenan then spoke to me for the first time. ‘It appears the coast guard has not been able to deal with the pirates. I’m stationing two guards here to protect you. The rest of us will be outside until the situation has been resolved.’
I nodded as I sat and looked at the faces of the two guards; they looked back at me impassively. The sound of war – the breaking of wood, the cries of men, and the sound of metal clashing – started getting louder. I stood up and walked over to the window. In the distance, a group of pirates rushed outside the dock and fanned out. A few armed Tamils were easily hacked down.
Then I heard the sound of thumps coming from below. The guards took their swords out from their sheaths and looked uncomfortably at me as they stood outside the door, waiting for an attack. The thumps were getting louder. All of a sudden, the door was kicked open and four men covered in blood ran inside and attacked the guards, who put up a brave fight. One of them wounded a pirate but was cut open by two of them. The other one took out one pirate with a heavy blow to the head. He swivelled around to kill the other pirate assaulting him, but was run through with a sword.
Panting heavily, one of the pirates came up to me and spoke in Malay; he was one of my people – an ugly man with a bald head, a grey beard and a mouth that had only four of his front teeth.
‘Your lord highness, the ships await.’
I nodded, and we charged down the stairs and outside to the street where I saw Beemasenan’s body lying with a spear stuck in his torso. As we passed him, I saw his eyes open, wide with anger and shock. We ran up to the docks that were quite close and met with another group of pirates who were waiting to take us back.
An arrow flew from above and sunk into the neck of one of the pirates. Another one caught a second one in the forehead. The pirates put up their shields and we began retreating to the docking area.
A voice rang out into the night. ‘Surrender now, and you can expect clemency. The Imperial Chola Army does not offer it frequently to pirates.’
I heard the pirates laugh harshly under the shields. I could smell their salty sweat and the garlic on their breath.
‘Does he speak Chinese? I didn’t understand a word of what he said.’
‘I repeat!’ said the voice once again. ‘No leniency or forbearance shall be offered if you do not forsake your arms.’
‘Does he want to use all the big words he knows?’ cackled the voice from behind me.
‘Posh boy playing at soldier,’ growled another.
Arrows thudded into our midst. One of the pirates slumped on me with a groan. His body was taken out of our group that then huddled closer together. A voice spoke from behind me – it was the bald man from before, who seemed to be the leader of this band of pirates.
‘Fear not, my lord. You’re getting on that ship. I’ve promised the queen. All together now!’
I had no time to reflect on which ‘queen’ he was referring to. We rose as one as the arrows fell among us, killing the pirates. Even as our group thinned, we rushed into a warehouse with deer-eye windows, the last before the docking area began.
The voice sounded from above.
‘You are surrounded.’ And then with a hint of urgency, ‘Please give up.’
‘Well, I understood that,’ said a pirate, cackling again.
Three Chola soldiers charged into our midst. There was a brief sword fight, and they fell, but took a pirate with them.
The ugly pirate leader turned me around to face him.
‘My lord, we have to make a dash for ships.’
I looked in the direction in which he was pointing. A ship was trading arrows with the forces on the ground while three more were behind it.
‘Right, one, two…go now!’
The pirates ran out of the warehouse shouting and hollering and waving their swords around. I heard the arrows scythe through the air and hit the pirates running by my side. An arrow caught the ugly bald man through his skull, and I saw him collapse. Miraculously, I was unhurt. I charged towards the ship, running faster than I ever had in my life. An arrow clipped the ground next to me. I weaved to one side and then the other and prepared to leap on to the wooden bridge that extended from the dock to the ship. I saw a pirate on the ship beckoning me towards him as his comrades fired arrows into the army on the dock.
A whooshing sound came from above and crashed into the ship. Wooden splinters hit me in the face and I fell down. I looked up dazed, and saw that a huge stone blazing with fire had been flung into the ship. Two more stones flew through the air; one hit the ship, and the other fell into the water. I looked at the ship. There was a large hole on its deck and one of its masts had been cut down. It was only a matter of minutes before it sank.
I sat there, not knowing what to do. The ship had floated away from the dock and was keeling over to its side. A fiery stone flew overhead and smashed through the deck, setting fire to the ship. I saw the remaining two ships a short distance away. They were beginning to head back out into the ocean. If I jumped into the water and swam, and if they did not let their sails loose to catch the wind, I could still make it. Three arrows hit the ground next to me, and brought the life back into my limbs. I rolled away and found refuge behind some large wooden crates. Behind me was the ocean, and in front were the Cholas. To both my sides, left and right, were warehouses. The ships began moving away from the docks even as two stones fell howling into the ocean behind them like wild dogs stalking prey.
I had to make a choice now. I could risk my life trying to reach the Srivijaya ships, or, if I stayed there, risk being captured by Chola troops and probably executed for attempting to escape.
As the arrows briefly stopped, I ran back to the warehouse I had left. From there I took another glance at the ships that were speeding away from fear of being catapulted with stones. Four ships from the Chola coast guard immediately gave pursuit.
My great escape had failed.
I hid in the warehouse for a few minutes trying to collect my thoughts. I had to get back to my house somehow. I looked around, trying to find something that could aid my escape. There was nothing in the warehouse except for two large crates placed next to each other in its centre. I went up to one of them, and pushed open the lid. It was empty.
Should I hide there? But then if someone discovered me in the morning, I would have to put my skills of storytelling to good use.
It was then that I saw the prone bodies of the Chola soldiers. My way out presented itself.
I dressed myself in their bloodstained clothes. Well, in the least bloodstained clothes I could find. I tore a piece of bloodied cloth and wrapped it across my face till only my eyes were visible. No one would question a wounded man or ask him to take off his bandage. I walked slowly out of the warehouse without being recognized, just as Chola troops flooded in. I proceeded calmly down the docks towards the mansion. When I finally reached home, I headed for the bathing area and washed my face with a pot of water. Taking off the clothes, I bundled them up and threw them away into the street. Then I sat on my bed and waited for someone to come.
They came an hour later. I told them the truth.
BOOK III
1
Well, most of the truth anyway. I told them that pirates had come to kidnap me and my bodyguards had fought to defend me and died in the attempt. I had hidden under the bed until they had left. The Cholas were not convinced. Why had the pirates left without taking anything ? they asked me. I shrugged and replied that maybe there wasn’t anything of worth to take – a rather mean allusion coming from a foreign king. They desperately tried to convince me that the bronzes in my room were very expensive. However, I simply told them that they did not appear so, infuriating those patriots further.
And so I returned to Gangaikonda Cholapuram and fell into despondence again. I shaved off the hair on my head and refused to see anyone. Most significantly, I stopped drinking toddy and Munnir, much to the anguish of Nadan, who suddenly lost his milch cow. Paravai came enquiring about me a few times, as did Bhaskaran, but I refused to see either of them.
Then, one night, Rajendra visited me.
‘How was the ocean?’ he asked.
‘Salty.’
He guffawed. ‘I heard there was some trouble. Pirates?’
‘I suffered not a scratch, your highness. Your soldiers performed their duty commendably, at a terrible cost.’
