Veerbhadra, were holding them back. There was one blind man amongst them who looked like
he might be injured in the melee.
‘Nandi, let that man through,’ said Shiva.
Nandi and Veerbhadra lowered the rope to let him in.
Another man shouted, ‘I am his son. He needs me to guide him.’
‘Let him in as well,’ said Shiva.
The son rushed in and held his father ’s hand. The blind man, who seemed lost without his
son’s hand, smiled warmly as he recognised the familiar touch. He was led close to Shiva and
the son said, ‘Father, the Neelkanth is right in front of you. Can you sense his presence?’
Copious tears flowed from the blind man’s eyes. Without thinking, he bent down to try and
touch Shiva’s feet. His son cried out in shock as he pulled the man back sharply.
‘Father!’ scolded the son.
Shiva was stunned by the harshness in the son’s tone compared to the loving manner in
which he had spoken so far. ‘What happened?’
‘I am sorry, my Lord,’ apologised the son. ‘He didn’t mean to. He just lost control due to your
presence.’
‘I am sorry, my Lord,’ said the blind man, his tears flowing stronger.
‘Sorry for what?’
‘He is a vikarma, my Lord,’ said his son, ‘ever since disease blinded him twenty years ago.
He should not have tried to touch you.’
Sati, who was now standing near Shiva, had heard the entire conversation. She felt
sympathy for the blind man. She knew the torment of having even your touch considered
impure. But what he had tried to do was illegal.
‘I am sorry, my Lord,’ continued the blind man. ‘But please don’t let your anger with me stop
you from protecting our country. It is the greatest land that Parmatma created. Save it from the
evil Chandravanshis. Save us, my Lord.’
The blind man continued to cry folding his hands in a penitent namaste. Shiva was shaken by
the dignity of the blind man.
He still loves a country that treats him so unfairly. Why^1? Even worse he doesn’t even
appear to think he’s being treated unfairly.
Tears welled up in Shiva’s eyes as he realised that he was looking at a man whom fate had
been very unkind to.
I will stop this nonsense.
Shiva stepped forward and bent down. The flabbergasted son trembled in disbelief as he
saw the Neelkanth touch the feet of his vikarma father. The blind man was at sea for a
moment. When he did understand what the Neelkanth had done, his hand shot up to cover his
mouth in shock.
Shiva rose and stood in front of the blind man. ‘Bless me, sir, so that I find the strength to
fight for a man as patriotic as you.’
The blind man stood dumb-struck. His tears dried up in his bewilderment. He was about to
collapse when Shiva took a quick step forward to hold him, lest he fall to the ground. The blind
man found the strength to say, ‘Vijayibhav’. May you be victorious.
The son caught hold of his father ’s limp body as Shiva released him. The entire crowd was
stunned into silence by what the Neelkanth had done. Forget the gravity of touching a vikarma,
the Neelkanth had just asked to be blessed by one. Shiva turned to see Parvateshwar ’s