OSR Samyukta Part 14 - Veer meets Pari & Sakshi; Dharam and Veer disproved!
Recap – Dharam and Veer travel back to Aryanagar with the girl. Veer doesn't trust her, but is unable to prove anything against her. Coming home, they discover that their mothers had arranged for a massive prayer festival for them. Having stolen his knife, she uses that as an opportunity to meet Veer and offers them conflicting advice
Links to previous episodes and Preview to Part 15 posted below
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Palace of Aryanagar – The palace grounds
After waiting for a long while, Veer eventually leaves his room to go to the temple alone; fazed by Dharam's actions. Nimbly arriving at the expansive palace grounds, Veer becomes dumbstruck to find the generally serene area crowded to suffocation. He takes a while to comprehend the flurry of activity and the bursts of commotion unfolding all around the vast open space. Joyous about the divine aura permeating around his palace, he listens to the reverberating hymns chanted by priests at the far end of the grounds, in the temple courtyard; where blazing fires flamed brightly in reaction to the offerings being poured in. The prince proudly observes how thousands of eager Shramiks swamping the area, were being uniformly ushered into long queues by overwhelmed soldiers; in a bid to receive the free clothes and food being distributed by the maids and palace residents.
Slowly recovering from the shock of the scale of the festival, Veer tries searching for a familiar face in the sea of people. The soldiers watch puzzled when they notice their prince agitatedly darting through the crowds and manoeuvring himself through each queue. Looking in all directions, he eventually spots his mother supervising the distribution atop a low dais and tries to wiggle out of the long queue. Unwittingly, he suddenly trips on a child that darts past him and falls on the ground in between the mob of people. Embarrassed, he sits up and brushes his clothes until he becomes taken aback to hear someone faintly whisper the words "Bless you, my son"
Looking up, he notices the beautiful face of a motherly Shramik woman with misty eyes. Spellbound by her effect on him, the ecstatic boy stares at her for a while till his attention is caught by another pretty young lady standing behind her. The woman slowly gives him her hand to help him on his feet, but their brief interaction is interrupted by soldiers rushing in to ensure their royal's safety. Warning the lady to stay away, they shove her back and try helping him up instead. Veer angrily orders the soldiers to leave him alone and then smiles at the affectionate Shramik woman, as he takes her hand to stand up.
Encountering an unaccountable sense of attachment towards them; he thanks them humbly for their help, while Sakshi and Pari fold their palms in a mark of respect to him. Veer then proceeds towards the podium; battling a strange reluctance in him, as he leaves them behind. Watching a part of their family walk away; the gladdened Sakshi holds her tearful mother supportively, while Pari thanks the Lord for finally having the joyous opportunity of having been able to personally interact with her son for a few moments.
Noticing Veer swimming through the crowd towards her, Nivritti shouts out to him "Where have you been all this while? We organized this festival so that you all could participate in it and you come late…I don't know where Dharam is either…" not giving him a chance to explain, Nivritti frantically continues "come up here Veer…quickly…I want you to distribute the clothes with your own hands…and receive everyone's blessings…"
Veer smiles and springs atop the dais to await his instructions. He is caught unaware when Nivritti suddenly grabs his hand and starts dragging him. Leading him towards a spot at the head of a large queue stacked with baskets of clothes, she hurriedly instructs him "It's simple Veer… dhotis for men…veils for girls…scarves for children… shawls for women…" she abruptly pauses when she hears the inundated Swathi calling out to her. Sighing out aloud, she addresses Veer hastily "I am sure you must have understood everything Veer …the maids will help you…don't worry…"
Just as Veer tries to reconfirm his instructions, she runs back to Swathi; leaving behind a daunted Veer to deal with throngs of people all alone. Alarmed; Veer stares at the humungous piles of clothes, the faces of numerous fervent people waiting patiently and then glares at Agni carrying out his duties with false enthusiasm. After pausing for a moment, he devotedly starts distributing the items to the grateful Shramiks with a fond smile, receiving their good wishes in return.
All through the hectic process, the worried Veer repeatedly surveys the palace grounds to search for any signs of Dharam. At one such instance; he suddenly spots the blacksmith girl lined in his queue, a short distance away. Seemingly engrossed in having pleasant conversation with some old ladies around her, the horrified Veer unwittingly observes her magnetic giggles briefly. Squirming at the thought of having to face her again, he immediately looks around for someone to hand over his duty to. He notices his mother whizzing past behind him and calls out to her "Ma... I don't want to do this...is there some other work that I could help with..."
The irritated queen turns around and scolds him "Veer...I am having so much to do... why are you so fussy.…one job and you can't even do that properly..." As the unhappy Nivritti abandons him to his misfortune, he catches Agni grinning at his predicament and frowns at him angrily.
Getting back to his duties; Veer consciously tries to avoid looking in her direction and the distracted prince starts rapidly handing out the clothes to the confused people in his queue. Aware of how she was inching closer to him in the queue, he prays for a quick end to his tribulations. After a while; unable to overcome his curiosity, he looks in her direction to ascertain where she was. By chance; she notices him reluctantly seeing her and smiles at him. Frustrated that she caught him watching her, he immediately turns away.
When her turn eventually comes, she patiently waits to be handed her veil, while Veer curtly thumps the item in her hand; not looking at her face. After a few moments, he notices her still standing there and then advices her sternly "We only give one item per person... I am sorry…I can't give you anymore free clothes...you may leave now..."
She nods her head negatively and smiles indicating to the dress in her hand with her eyes "Rajkumar...you have given me a dhoti...I shall still leave if you want me to..."
Perturbed by how everything always went wrong for him around her, he takes out two veils and thumps it in her hand stating "Here…now... happy?"
She smiles happily and nods her head inquisitively "What about the dhoti?"
Veer sighs "You can have that too..."
Just as she is about to leave, Veer muses for a moment and then calls her back. He whispers to her grimly "I... I... have to ask you something...why are you following me..."
Surprised, she puts her hand on her mouth and replies "Rajkumar, I have been standing in this queue since morning…you came here much later...so, who is following whom..."
The ladies around her overhear their sweet exchanges and start giggling lovingly "Looks like our Rajkumar is having his eye on someone now..."
She laughs sweetly and then leaves from there. The ladies start speculating about the pair; not allowing Veer any chance to defend himself. Veer gives up, not knowing how to hide his misery at his constant mishaps with her and moans to himself "Every time... every time...she is around me...I face trouble...why…if she steals...I get scolded...even Dharam trusts her over me... and now this...oh Lord...please I beg you...I never want to catch sight of her again...I will fast for one month...no one week...if you fulfil my wishes"
His disturbed thoughts are distracted as he hears the familiar grim voice of his brother behind him "So this is where you are! I have been looking for you...the entire morning!"
Surprised, Veer turns to Dharam and replies "What do you mean...you were supposed to wait for me...but you leave me alone..." handing out another dress, he whispers angrily "by the way, since when did you start discussing state problems with strangers?"
Not comprehending what Veer was trying to imply, Dharam becomes confused "What! When did I discuss my problems…anyway…Veer with regards to today's assembly…"
Their argument is abruptly interrupted by the loud noise of a silver tray clanging on the ground. They turn around to see the scattered trails of religious paraphernalia on the floor and Queen Swathi furiously staring at her royal dress stained with vermillion. Veer notices the Shramik woman who helped him in the crowd staring apologetically at Swathi, as his aunt reprimanded the pair of ladies "Why the hurry? Couldn't you be patient? You would also get your items..."
Pari apologises profusely and offers to rub the stains off with the end of her veil and clear the mess. However; Swathi just moves away angrily, refusing to listen to Sakshi's explanations for her mother's actions. As the maids eventually ask the mother and daughter to leave the area, Veer watches the whole incident; feeling immensely pained. Affected by the incident, Nivritti finally interrupts the maids and bends over to ask Pari what the matter was.
Looking at Nivritti; Pari feels a surge of gratifying emotions and takes out the bamboo idol of Lord Krishna and hands it over to her gently. Distracted by the fact that Veer was watching them, Pari looks at Veer fondly for a few instants. Receiving the bamboo idol, the baffled Nivritti observes Pari staring at Veer and then asks her "What is the matter dear lady?"
Pari turns back to Nivritti and smiles sadly "I have lost my son… now that the princes have come back from the Gurukul and that you are doing this kind deed for us Shramiks… I wanted you to have this idol in your house and worship it everyday…it is considered a very good omen for the house…and for the son's well being if done so…"
Realizing what her intentions were, Dharam, Veer, Nivritti and Swathi feel culpable and saddened for the lady. Not minding the insult, the mother and daughter bid the royal family a meek farewell and leave the palace grounds quietly, content at their few humble wishes being satisfied.
Palace of Aryanagar - The evening assembly
During the comparatively quieter evening in the beautiful corridors of the palace, Veer interrupts his brother's whispers by staring at him resentfully. The bickering duo halt near the august entrance of the pompous assembly hall, unable to reach a conclusion.
Seeing his brother's irked expressions, Dharam mumbles angrily "You are very stubborn Veer!" he looks around him and then whispers "We are going to be attacked in three days and you want me to wait patiently till you find evidence to support our claims. If you don't find anything, Aryanagar will be destroyed just because we didn't act on time!"
Veer sighs and then paces agitatedly, as he replies "This scroll hardly states anything…it's not evidence… just trust me...I will find you evidence to support our claims…if they don't believe you, then they are not going to allow Aryanagar soldiers to march towards the border, anyway…"
Noticing a few nobles approaching in their direction, Dharam waits for them to pass by and then debates with Veer "We don't have any time for all of your suggestions Veer… at least this way…we will be able to take Agni by surprise..." reflecting on the girl's advice, Dharam concludes "there is a famous saying…Time and tide waits for none…."
Veer frowns sarcastically "There is also a famous saying that actions speak louder than words…" he pauses "Dharam just don't say anything in the assembly….half those Aryavrat nobles have been bribed by Jai mama…"
Looking at Dharam's unmoved face he concludes "Fine…do whatever pleases you… I will stand by you, whatever happens to you…but if this corrupt system ends up framing you, don't tell me I didn't warn you…"
Irritated, Dharam replies angrily "If I confide in my father, he will have to repeat everything to the assembly anyway...and...Veer the system is not corrupt...it is some dishonest people…"
Not wanting to argue with Dharam anymore; Veer abruptly storms away from his brother into the room, followed closely by a fuming Dharam. Entering the majestic hall, the anxious princes are forcibly quietened, as they survey the large room filled with numerous Aryavrats engaged in conversation. The brothers bow to their king seated on his large throne and then give a curt nod to Agni and Jaivardhan, before walking to their grandiose seats.
The proceedings of the assembly begin with a few formal speeches after which; members from various departments of defence, welfare and commerce present their summaries for the fortnight. When the suggestions for budgets are being discussed, the revenue minister speaks up proudly "The treasury is flowing Maharaj. We are highly pleased that Aryanagar has started flourishing so well... especially after Rajkumar Agnivardhan has started supervising the taxes…hail Rajkumar Agnivardhan…"
The remaining nobles join him in praising Agni, while the disgusted Veer and Dharam listen helplessly to the undeserving resounding praise that their cousin was receiving.
After beaming proudly at the pleased king, Agni and Jaivardhan glance at Veer and Dharam's expressions and smirk quietly at their frustrated faces. The elated Jaivardhan then addresses the crowd gently "It is not fair that only Agni should receive all the praise. We should find out what the other princes have been up to, as well" he turns to Dharam "Dharam, would you like to let us all know what has been keeping you busy lately…"
The worried Aryavardhan looks at his son with a grim expression, waiting for him to speak up in his justification. Dharam looks at Veer's disapproving frown, sighs heavily and then announces loudly "We have been making enquiries…All this extra revenue…that everyone is so proud of… the source of this revenue is not honourable…" not minding the murmurs in the crowd, he continues confidently "Agni is misusing his power here by extorting double the taxes that are permitted… even Jai chacha is aware of all this…and this is wrong!"
Taken aback by the claims, Jaivardhan laughs hesitantly at the onlookers and then addresses Dharam "My son, you are so innocent. Did the Shramiks tell you all this? They would exaggerate their troubles anyway…they don't want to pay any taxes…they want a life of ease… I am just a strict disciplinarian…." he then faces the king humbly "Maharaj you go on your rounds regularly… do the Shramiks ever tell you anything…I think these are stories the gullible princes have heard of, during their playtime adventures…"
Pondering on the matter, Aryavardhan responds "My brother is very strict with the Shramiks, no doubt…however, how could you think of implicating your uncle of such horrible deeds?"
Deliberately avoiding Veer's wrathful glares, the discomforted Agni asks Dharam "What would we gain by all this Dharam…it's very unprofessional of you to bring out our petty personal indifferences into a formal assembly…stop lying to implicate me falsely"
Aware of how Agni was provoking them, Veer signals Dharam to remain quiet. However, unwilling to come to terms with the fact that his integrity was being questioned, Dharam retorts "Don't act ignorant Agni…all that funding is being used to bribe corrupt officials and soldiers… so that they remain quiet about all these injustices with the Shramiks…"
Unmindful of the extremely irate faces in the assembly, he continues "In fact…. Some of the money is being used to b…b… bribe soldiers from other kingdoms too!"
The grins on Jaivardhan's and Agni's face slowly give way to affright, as Dharam persists "A coup is possibly being planned against you pitaji…with the kingdom of Gadhwar…we will need to get our army ready immediately…you would have to trust me, this time…"
Veer buries his face in his hands, fearing the worst; while everyone in the room becomes shocked by the prince's serious accusations. Unable to believe his ears, Aryavardhan thunders, as the assembly of nobles watch in alarm "Dharam…stop it …do you know what you are trying to say…who are you trying to incriminate with all this…"
Feeling cornered, Dharam agitatedly turns to Veer and pleads with him to speak in his support. Staring at Dharam unhappily, Veer sighs and stands up. The throng of men listen in dread, as Veer reluctantly narrates all about the purpose of their trip to Niphaud and their discoveries at Gadhwar in the disguise of weapon merchants. After describing the conversations that had transpired with the commander-in-chief of Gadhwar, Veer stares at Agni and Jaivardhan and utters "The commander mentioned your names too…traitors…you have been involved in all this!"
Agni and Jaivardhan arduously try to hide their panic at the fact that the nosy brothers had discovered far more than they had anticipated; within their short trip to Gadhwar.
Desperate to prove his innocence, Jaivardhan roars vehemently to instigate the silenced crowd "I have known all of you for more than 20 years and this is the treatment I am receiving…" he turns to his brother despondingly "Maharaj why do you remain silent about all these false accusations on us…do you not trust me… your own brother?"
Agni's eyes widen in horror, as he watches Veer slowly remove the contract that had been sealed by the Gadhwar commander. Not knowing what the contents of the scroll were, Agni finds his pulse racing and glares at the shocked Jaivardhan.
As the scroll is passed on to the king, the appalled nobles quickly glance through the scroll, one after another; before handing it to the king. Reacting to Jaivardhan's pleas, the nobles finally start questioning the princes in unison "Where is the proof for all this? All this scroll talks about is a weapons deal by the Gadhwar commander…it doesn't say anything else or give any names!"
Listening to the noble's words, the terror in Agni's and Jaivardhan's eyes slowly fade away, as they see a ray of hope in the fact that the brothers had no tangible proof for their claims. Veer stares sadly at his brother, who continues to try and convince the king for his cause.
After going through the document, the king feels disappointed by what he considers to be his son's immaturity. Responding to the noble's accusations, he finally stands up to add his regrets "Dharam…you are accusing my men and family of planning a coup against Aryanagar in front of the assembly! I know you both for 17 years, but I know my brother for 40 years. You are asking me to trust the words of a rival commander-in-chief over my brother's…you expect me to prepare for war based on a general weapon's contract?"
Dharam replies desperately "Father…the scroll proves that we were indeed at Gadhwar …that we spoke to the commander…he clearly stated that they were marching south!"
Infuriated, the king interrupts him "Dharam! All I have is your word for it…what if they are marching south to some other kingdom…what makes you think they are declaring war on us…do you know for certain yourself…You both lied about your trip to Niphaud and entered a dangerous kingdom like Gadhwar, endangering your lives! After all that you have said, I will do my duty and alert my army in the borders… but I am not going to waste any resources by releasing any regiments…I don't want to listen to anymore of your silly boyish imaginations…If any more investigation is done in this matter, I will have you both punished, till you accept your mistakes and make up for it!"
The silenced brothers watch helplessly, as they are forced to accept their honesty fade against the forces of vice.
Palace of Aryanagar – Dharam's bedroom
Banging his fist on the wooden chest; the humiliated Dharam displays his refusal to be appeased, while Veer pursues with his conciliations. Veer toils to repeatedly suggest new venues in order to deal with their current situation, but Dharam nods his head, unconvinced. The forlorn Veer tries to comfort his hurting brother by putting his hand on his shoulder, but Dharam pushes him away and grips him by his shoulder, as he shouts back "Stop it Veer…why are you trying to pacify me now…out there, you didn't even speak up to try and convince them… you just let me stand there and be a fool for most of the time...all our hard work has been disproved…I have to remain ashamed in front of them for the rest of my life!"
Veer angrily glances at his brother's strong grip on his throbbing shoulder and mutters "Dharam you are hurting me" As Dharam gradually removes his hand, Veer retorts sarcastically "Ashamed?…you deserved it - I told you not to do this, but you didn't listen...what did you want me to say? I knew all this was going to happen…not one of them believed us!"
Tormented by Veer's comments, Dharam asks him sadly "Did I deserve all this Veer?"
Feeling bad for what he said, Veer exhales deeply to compose himself and replies "I am sorry Dharam…I didn't mean it that way…" he holds Dharam's shoulders and takes a supportive oath "I will never allow you to be ashamed in front of anyone…ever" he then proposes chirpily "Dharam, I could go to Sawai… meet this vicious Dhananjeya...do you remember the construction site near the border that Sonu had mentioned…we could find out if they are probably using that site for their illegal activities…"
Dharam puts his hand up to stop Veer "Enough of all adventures Veer…they have forbid us from doing anything further in this matter. We will not disobey their decree..."
Veer pleads with him "Give me a chance. I will find out where all the money is stashed"
The dutiful Dharam answers worriedly "The only thing we will do is to try and convince father to send as many troops as possible to the border… I cannot upset them anymore or they will never again respect us…" he pauses to look at Veer "Promise me that you will not go to Sawai…"
After a while, Veer unwillingly nods his head, in a bid to please his brother and agrees "Ok… ok I wouldn't go…" he pauses ""you are upset with me now, so I will leave you alone… I will come and talk to you tomorrow morning…don't worry as long as we are there, no one could do any harm to Aryanagar."
Veer pats him Dharam on his shoulders and then leaves the room in a sombre state.
Ciao till next Saturday 😳
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