CHAPTER 11

Neelkanth Unveiled

The next morning the royal caravan resumed its journey to Devagiri after spending the
night at a temporary camp in the clearing. It wasn’t safe to travel at night considering the
circumstances. The wounded, including Nandi, were lying in the first three carriages and the
fifth one. The royal family and Shiva travelled in the fourth. All the soldiers who had fought in the
previous day’s batde were given the privilege of riding on horses in relative comfort. Brahaspati
and Kanakhala walked along with the rest of the troops, in mourning for the three slain
Arishtanemi. Parvateshwar, Bhabravya and two other soldiers bore a make-shift wooden
palanquin that carried three urns containing the ashes of the martyrs. The urns would be given
to their families for a ceremonial submersion in the Saraswati. Shiva, Sati and Nandi too wanted
to walk but the doctor insisted they were in no condition to do so.
Parvateshwar walked with pride at the bravery of his soldiers. His boys, as he called them,
had shown they were made of a metal forged in Lord Indra’s own furnace. He cursed himself
for not being there to fight with them. He castigated himself for not being there to protect his
goddaughter, bis Sati, when she was in danger. He prayed for the day when he would finally
get a chance to destroy the cowardly Chandravanshis. He also silendy pledged that he would
anonymously donate his salary for the next six months to the families of the slain soldiers.
‘Even I didn’t think he would fall to these levels!’ exclaimed Daksha in disgust.
Shiva and Sati, comfortably asleep in the carriage, were woken up by Daksha’s outburst.
Veerini looked up from the book that she was reading, narrowing her eyes to concentrate on
her husband.
‘Who, your Highness?’ asked Shiva groggjly.
‘Dilipa! That blight on humanity!’ said Daksha, barely concealing his loathing.
Veerini continued to stare hard at her husband. She slowly reached out, pulled Sati’s hand in
hers, brought it close to her lips and kissed it gentiy. Then she put her other hand protectively
on top of Sati’s hand. Sati looked at her mother warmly with a hint of a smile and rested her
tired head on Veerini’s shoulders.
‘Who is Dilipa, your Highness?’ asked Shiva.
‘He is the Emperor of Swadweep,’ answered Daksha. ‘Everyone knows Sati is the apple of
my eye. And they were possibly trying to kidnap her to force my hand!’
Shiva gazed at Daksha with sympathy. He could understand the outrage of the Emperor at
the latest Chandravanshi treachery.
‘And to be reduced to the level of even using a Naga for this nefarious plan,’ said a furious
Daksha. ‘This just shows what the Chandravanshis are capable of!’
‘I don’t know if the Naga was being used, your Highness,’ said Shiva softiy. ‘It appeared as
though he was the leader.’