Entry 4:
The Intricacies Of Politics
"Maa! Please don't go away! Please come back to me!", I was screaming while running behind the Maharani of Magadh. The distance between us seemed to be increasing with each step that she took away from me. I continued to run behind her and my screams only worsened as she continued to move away from me.
I continued running and screaming behind my mother as her figure became hazy in my eyes and her voice continued to reach my ears, "Don't run behind me. Look behind you. So many people are waiting you. Moreover you have to stay in Magadh and avenge my death". And with that she was gone...
I woke up with a start with sweat beads on my forehead. The same nightmare, it has become a routine for me since I have lost my mother, Maharani Dharma of Magadh. Looking around my room, I came to the reality slowly. This was not my bedroom in Pataliputra but the guest room of the royal palace of Prayag. Stretching my hand to get the earthen mug which had water, I grasped it hard and drank till the last drop of the colorless liquid was inside me. As my thirst was quenched, I made up my mind to talk with the King of Prayag, that the time of attacking Magadh was coming near. I had to remind him of the mission behind our attacking Magadh.
I thought of the time nine years ago when I had left Magadh. What was I to do if my own father did not believe me? I tried to reason with him so many times but it seemed that his eyes were closed in the love of his step-mother. In the process of making him understand, I had lost both my mother and father. I hate to call Rajmata as my grandmother. After all, how can a grandmother make her grandchild a orphan. In her dream to make her son Justin, the king of Magadh, she has robbed me of my mother. I heard her talking with her son about the poison that they gave my mother. I was so angry with them and when I confronted them about the matter, they threatened me to stay quiet. How could I do that! That's why I went to Maharaj Bindusar, my father, to reveal the culprits behind my mother's murder.
But I was so wrong to believe that he would believe me. He easily fell trap to his step-mother's emotional blackmailing and as a result left my mother's murder issues alone. I tried to extract the truth from the raj vaidhya but even she refused to accept the truth.
In front of the people of Magadh, my mother's death was due to ailment but I was the one to die every moment knowing the truth behind the false faade. I knew my father was only becoming more and more frustrated with my mood swings and my rant of my mother's murder, but still he did not trust me for once.. How could he not trust his own blood!
The last pin on the coffin was my father's second marriage with Rajkumari Charumitra of Chedi. Obviously the marriage was a result of the conspiracy of Justin and Rajmata. I tried to make my father understand about the consequences of his actions but he was not the one to trust me.
In one of my heated moments, I had uttered some words to the new Maharani of Magadh which I shouldn't have done, and the punishment that I got was exile from Magadh for my whole lifetime.
I still remember his last words to me, "I don't need a son like you. Maharani Charumitra will give Magadh it's heir. You will be leaving Magadh today only and never ever dare to set your foot on Magadh again".
I was so hurt that day. Suddenly he seemed to be the step-father to me, after all, how can someone's real father say this to his ten years old son!
The loud rumbling sound of thunderstorm outside the room took me out of my reverie. Having decided to talk again with the King of Prayag, I embraced the pillow again.
*************************
The loud noise of conches signaled the beginning of the war between Magadh and Prayag. And I felt like the most unlucky son of this world when I faced my motherland in the battlefield, but as an enemy. The look on the faces of the subjects of Magadh made me feel horrible. The subjects who once used to hail at my entry, now stood against me with their faces showing disgust. I learned from my fellow warrior that the King of Magadh was not to come to the war field today. He was ailing.
*************************
As the night descended on the battle ground, I felt homesick. My mother's voice came to me. She used to say that her dream was to see me fighting in the battle for Magadh. What an irony! Today when I was fighting, it was against Magadh.
An aide entered the camp announcing the visit of the Chief Councilor of Magadh, Chanakya.
I stood up to greet him. As I went to take his blessings, he stepped away, "I don't give blessings to those whose sole aim is to harm Magadh", was all he said.
"Guruji, I have never meant to harm Magadh", I said facing the other side.
"Then why is this sudden war?", he forced me to face him.
I was afraid to tell him the whole truth but still I went on and told him everything. As I looked at him after finishing the story, I found his eyes steeled.
"Don't worry son. I will surely make the Vaidya utter the truth. I will make sure Maharaj comes to know the entire truth this time. He has been in the dark for long", was all he said.
"Me too hope so..", I sighed hearing him.
*************************
The next day sunrise commenced the second day of the battle.
It was afternoon when the war was suddenly called off from Magadh. Though everyone was surprised at the latest developments, I was not. While everyone's mind was filled with numerous questions, my heart was filled with new hopes... hopes of returning to my motherland, of being accepted by my father again.
It was not long before my call came from the Royal palace of Pataliputra. Thanking the idol of Shivji, that I worshiped, I began my journey to the palace. I remembered the numerous times I had crossed the palace gate as a child. The whole palace was eerily silent. I wondered where Justin and Rajmata were. I didn't want to face them again. I was escorted by an aide to the King's bedroom. It was exactly same as I had seen it nine years ago. There my father was lying on the palatial bed with Chanakya seating beside him. As our eyes met, tears pricked behind my eyes. I lowered my eyes not able to look at his eyes. He looked like he had aged by fifty years. Hairs grey, body lean, the once strong hands laid lifeless by his sides, I couldn't remember the last time he had looked so helpless.
When he called me, I saw Chanakya leave his place, so that I could sit there.
As I sat there, I heard Chanakya say how the Vaidya accepted her crime of giving poison to my mother. I heard him say how my father was also given poison slowly for these nine years. I heard that my mother was killed to make place for the entry of Charumitra, who was assigned with the task of slowly poisoning my father.
I could hear no more as the tears fell from my eyes and I broke down on my father's chest. I found the solace, I was searching for the past nine years there. I felt him stiffening a little before his hands slowly came to rest on my head. I raised my head slightly to see his eyes spilling tears.
I embraced him again as Chanakya told me about the impending hanging of Justin, Rajmata and Charumitra with the sunrise of the next day.
"Son, after their hanging tomorrow, you will be declared as the King as I don't have any other child", my father said quietly.
I shook my head, "No. I will only sit on the throne when you will be standing beside me portraying the proud look in your eyes", I argued with him.
"I'm not going to live that long son", he sighed looking at the other side.
"Nothing is going to happen to you now that I'm here. I have lost my mother, but I'm not going to lose you", I promised embracing him tightly as tears continued to flow from both our eyes.
These tears are needed, I thought as I felt his hands hugging me, in a comforting manner and I heard his words, "I'm sorry my son".
Entry 5:
Lost and found
He looked towards the Peepul tree with the same longing in his eyes. He was leaving that place today.. the place where he grew up since a child. He tried to make his parents understand but they seemed to be extremely unreasonable for reasons unknown to him.
He turned back, making his mind not to look at the tree again, as it would only hurt him more. Being a lonely child that he was, he loved to spend his time alone, rather than being with others. And in that alone life of his, the Peepul had become a very important part. He used to share his every little joy, every sad experience and every tear with it. Thoughts of having to leave that tree made his heart painfully constrict again.
The tree also had another importance. It is below that tree only that he had met the Maharani of Magadh, Dharma.
It was a stormy day, when he had found a palanquin from the royal palace resting below that tree, while a broken branch of the tree had managed to crush one end of it.
On reaching near, he had found the Maharani laying there. Her unconscious figure lying there had managed to tug unknown strings in his little heart. He looked around to find no one there, the carriers must have fled sensing the storm approaching.
Thereby, running on his toes to fetch the required medical herbs to treat the queen's wounds, and treating her wounds, he had developed something special with her. Though he couldn't place what they shared, but he knew that it was another important bonding to him.
When the queen had opened her eyes, the first word that she had uttered was, "Ashok".
"I'm not Ashok. I'm Jaimal", he had introduced himself.
But he had soon understood that his words had fallen on deaf ears as she had crushed him in a fierce embrace calling him Ashok again and again.
He had heard that the Prince of the neighboring state Magadh, Ashok's name who was lost when he was just a month old.
He had understood that moment that the royal lady sitting in front of him was none other than the Royal Queen of Magadh.
After she had come back to the reality, the queen had told him how she was travelling to her father's place in Awadh, when the storm had come. Rest she didn't remember.
It was from that time, a beautiful relation had grown between the two. The relation was a strange one.. Neither was it a mother-son relationship, nor that of two friends. Whatever it was, they both knew that it was extremely important for both. A mother searching for her son had found solace in the little Jaimal and a little boy, a loner in the world's eye had found a friend in the royal lady.
Thereafter her visits to her parents home increased and whenever she came to Awadh, she used to visit Jaimal surely. The same was with jaimal. He used to wait for the queen's visit to Awadh.
This had continued for four long years. Strangely, though there was nothing to hide, but both of them had kept their meetings hidden from others around them.
It was just two days ago when jaimal's mother, Kanchi had found about the secret meeting, when she had seen them Jaimal sitting below the Peepul tree laughing on something that the Queen had uttered.
Kanchi was afraid when she had seen the Queen's eyes sparkling with unknown happiness and Jaimal basking in her unconditional love. She faced a hard truth; Jaimal was never like this with her.
Kanchi and her husband Manohar had found Jaimal lying by the riverside on a small vessel about twelve years ago. He was a small child of a month or two at that time. It was from that time Kanchi and Manohar had brought him up. They were always protective about him meeting other people and were always haunted by the fact that if ever his real parents met him...
Seeing the Queen's face and the relation between the two, Kanchi had come to understand, there was surely something more than that met the eye.
That day after Jaimal had returned home, he was subjected to endless questions from his parents, at the end of which he had poured his heart out. He had divulged to his parents, how he had met Dharma and how they used to meet every time she used to visit Awadh.
The next day he was given the news of their shifting to Ujjain. He had tried everything possible in him to stop his parents but they were not the ones to pay heed to his pleadings.
A long defeated sigh left his mouth as he pondered upon the thought that he would never be able to meet Dharma maa again.
*******
The Queen of Magadh came below the Peepul tree to meet her best friend. But the loneliness she met there, did not seem to be normal to her.
"Why did not Jaimal come today?", she thought.
"What if something had happened to him..", as soon as the thought came, she snapped herself out of it! What was she thinking!
"May ne he's busy today.. I'll come tomorrow", she told herself.
*******
The next day also was spent waiting for him. She had spent her whole stay in Awadh waiting for him.. But Jaimal did not come..
*******
"Maharaj", she slowly called the King from behind, "Please search him. I can't live without him".
Maharani Dharma had returned Magadh sooner than she had to. In order to find for jaimal, she had divulged the whole story of meeting the boy to her husband, King Bindusar.
"You take rest. I'll appoint Amatya Chanakya to search for him", the King said while consoling the broken queen.
*******
"Bring them to the court now", King Bindusar ordered his minister.
Within minutes, Jaimal, Kanchi and Manohar were presented in the court.
On questioning them again and again, at last they disclosed the reason behind their sudden shifting.
Jaimal was shocked would be an understatement.. he was shattered. The people whom he had known as his parents were not his real parents; this bitter truth stabbed his young heart.
"We found him on the river banks twelve years ago", Manohar said with his eyes lowered.
Bindusar was shocked to find that the boy standing in front of him was found twelve years ago, when his own son was lost.
He remembered how frantically he had searched for Ashok, but only to meet with dead ends every time.
*******
"Maharaj", Chanakya barged in the King's chambers with his heart racing with the news he had suddenly received.
"The boy jaimal is our Ashok", he broke the news to a baffled Bindusar, "Our soldiers found Maharani's chain and pendant in their house while they were searching Manohar's home.
"Present them to the court now", Bindusar ordered before going to give the good news to the queen.
*******
"Maharaj, not only we have found out that Jaimal is our Prince Ashok but also the culprit behind the incident", Chanakya announced in the court as everyone gasped out loudly.
"It was on the night after a month of the birth of the Prince. I had heard Rajmata and Prince Justin talking about the river. Though I didn't get anything at that time but after a week when the Prince went missing, I had my doubts on them. But due to less proofs, I didn't take up the matter to you. But after Jaimal is found, yester night, my disciple Radhagupt found this letter written by Rajmata to Prince Justin who is busy in war against Ujjain. I want you to read this", Chanakya declared as the whole court sat with their mouths gaping.
********
...The boy came to the palace today and Justin my heart says that this boy is Ashok.
As King Bindusar read the last line, his face went on to become more red.. red with pain of betrayal by the woman he considered his own mother, red with fury for the criminal who was now standing in front of him.
********
Thereafter jail till death was announced for Rajmata Helena and Prince Justin. Justin was ordered to be back from Ujjain.
Maharani Dharma didn't waste a second to take Ashok in her arms and Ashok went willingly to her extended arms. He cried his heart out along with the queen and was soon joined by the King himself.
As the family went busy in shedding happy tears in the four walls of their room, King wiped his tears, "I have ordered Manohar and Kanchi to stay in Magadh and they will be given all facilities from the Palace. Ashok, son, you can visit them whenever you wish."
Ashok grinned, "Ha. From now on I have two mothers, just like Kishenji had. Isn't it mother?"
Dharma went on to laugh hearing that, "Yes my son".
Entry 6:
Magadh Ka Mahayoddha
After a much needed hiatus, finally the day had arrived for which entire Magadh was waiting with baited breath. The day which would determine the ultimate victor of the Magadh mahayoddha competition. Both the contenders for the coveted title - Prince Sushim and Ashok - were keen for the commencement of the deciding stage of the competition. An aura of restive energy and steely determination had been emanating from Ashok while that of sheer wiliness and iniquity had been emanating from Sushim. An ambience of expectation and anticipation began to build up around them as they awaited the commencement of the culminating part of the competition.
Laid in front of them an intricate maze, a labyrinth, which was the brain child of acharya Chanakya. The task assigned to the ultimate contenders, Ashok and Sushim, was to reach the other end of the maze. However, in accordance with acharya Chanakya's views, appearances, in most cases, are highly deceptive. Everything was not as they appeared.
"You do know that all your efforts are futile and that I will win the sword at the end of the day, don't you?" Sushim drawled with a sly smirk.
"I do know one thing. The sword of a true patriot can only belong to another true patriot. Let's see who among us that will be." Ashok rejoined with a serenity he was far from experiencing.
Sushim glowered at Ashok, his eyes reflecting the malice in his heart but Ashok met his glower head on, his eyes reflecting steely grit.
However, before Sushim could come up with another snarky rejoinder, the announcer's booming voice alerted both Sushim and Ashok to their surroundings and they returned their attention to him. With the announcement of the commencement of the round, the announcer let the piece of crimson cloth fall from his grip.
Following the cue, both Ashok and Sushim dashed towards the maze like a pair of arrows shot out of a bow. However, Sushim was absolutely no match to Ashok's speed and within no time he began to lag behind. By the time Sushim entered the labyrinth Ashok was nowhere in sight.
Ashok came to an abrupt halt at a crossroad. Three identical paths led to three different directions. He frowned as he tried to determine which path could be the one leading out of the labyrinthine maze and which could lead him deeper into the confounding labyrinth. The paths in the left and right were paved broadways while the middle path was a narrow one carpeted with cobblestones and while the other two paths were flanked by smooth walls on either sides, those of the middle path had jagged edges.
Any other person would have preferred either of the roads which, by the look of them, promised a better experience and evade the middle one which displayed, in no uncertain terms, a difficult way ahead. However, Ashok was no other person. He was the student of one of the greatest and most gifted teacher of all time of the country. He recalled that on one occasion acharya Chanakya warned him that appearances can be deceptive and everything may not be as they appear. Acharya also told Ashok once that there was no shortcut to success and that destination lay at the end of the most toilsome and difficult path. With a deep inhalation of fresh air, Ashok fortified himself as his choice became crystal clear in his mind's eye. Wasting not a moment more in futile deliberation, he strode towards the middle path. However, in his haste, his arm brushed with one of the several jagged edges on the walls flanking the road which lacerated his skin, drawing blood. Ashok grimaced at the sudden pain. Though he instantly tore a piece of cloth from his attire and tied it securely around the wound, thus stopping the flow of blood, Ashok didn't notice the few drops that had already scattered on the ground. Ashok was not one to let a mere wound deflect him from his destination. He strode ahead through the path, albeit cautiously this time.
A while after Ashok had disappeared out of sight, Sushim skidded into a halt in front of the crossroad. The paved and less toilsome roads decided it for him and he was about to chose the one in his right when a glimpse of something crimson caught his eye. He walked towards it and on a closer inspection, realized it to be someone's blood. His sly mind instantly realized that it could only belong to Ashok as he was the only other person beside him in the maze and that it insinuated that Ashok had opted for the middle path. Hence, Sushim, too, took that path.
After he turned a corner, Ashok came within his range of vision. There was quite a distance separating him from Sushim. The disquieting realization that he could not hope to outmaneuver Ashok through fair play struck Sushim. Who cared for fair play anyway, thought Sushim, he had always displayed nepotism towards the idea of achieving his objective through any means, no matter how foul they were. With his signature sly smirk, he brought out some pebbles, hidden in the folds of his garments probably for a moment like the present one. He sprinted towards Ashok to reduce the distance between them to some extent and then did what he did best. He stooped and rolled the pebbles on the ground towards Ashok.
Oblivious of the booby-trap, Ashok accelerated his momentum. However, at that precise moment, he stepped over the pebbles, stumbled and was thrown on his back. Before he could wrap his head around the out of the blue fall, someone's footsteps grew louder. From his position on the ground, Ashok turned towards the sound and found Sushim gaining in on him. Soon Sushim skidded to a halt beside him and looked down at him with unadulterated scorn.
"Tch, tch! Poor trivial creature! Told you all your efforts will come to nothing. You cannot win against prince Sushim." Sushim jeered.
"Even you know, prince Sushim, that you were lagging behind until you resorted to your nefarious means." Ashok gritted through clenched teeth.
"It doesn't really matter. At the end of the day everyone remembers the winner, not the means by which he won. Victory is all that matters. Get ready to congratulate me on my victory." Sushim retorted with a palpable smugness and resumed his sprint.
"Never Sushim. I can't and won't let you win. Not today, not ever." Ashok vowed vehemently.
Disregarding the gashes on his arms and legs oozing blood, Ashok leapt on his feet with the agility of a wild cheetah and gritting his teeth against the pain, resumed his sprint.
Sushim skidded to a halt as he came across Subahu, who seemed to have materialized out of thin air.
"Sushim. My mother is in grave danger. Please help me to rescue her." Subahu entreated.
"Yeah, right! Why not? Now I'll go save your mother and let that Ashok win the competition. Do you take me for a fool Subahu?" Sushim scoffed "Victory is much more important to me than rescuing your mother. Go, save her yourself. Don't bother me." Shoving Subahu aside Sushim went on his way.
Within no time Ashok reached the spot and stopped on encountering Subahu.
"Ashok, please help me save my mother. She is in grave danger." Subahu entreated again.
Ashok glanced at Sushim who was getting farther away with each passing moment and then returned his gaze to the helpless boy whose heartfelt entreaty touched him. He was aware of the excruciating agony of losing a loving mother and certainly did not wish such a misfortune to befall even a foe. He realized that he had two choices, either to pursue his dream or to save Subahu from experiencing the bereavement that he, himself, had had to endure and at that moment his choice was made. He could live with losing a competition but he could not live with the compunction of shoving one to endure the bereavement of losing a mother.
"Lead me to the place where your mother is. Don't worry together we will save him." Ashok promised.
With a grateful smile, Subahu beckoned Ashok to follow him. However, moments later, to his utter befuddlement, Ashok found himself at the other end of the maze and in front of emperor Bindusara, acharya chanakya and others. He glanced around but there was still no sign of Sushim.
"You must be thinking how suddenly you are standing at the other end of the maze. The real test was to see if you are compassionate enough to give priority to others over your own interests. As you have shown compassion you have won the competition. A great warrior should also possess compassion beside valor and patriotism. Valor without compassion becomes atrocious." Chanakya beamed.
A beaming Bindusara presented Chandragupta Maurya's sword to an overwhelmed Ashok who accepted the honor with inherent humility. Once again good triumphed over evil.
Cricket
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
