THE CURSE OF BRAHMA (55 page)

‘I will not be as forgiving as my boy was,’ Ugra snarled. ‘Prepare to die!’ he roared as he threw Vasudev’s sword to him.

Vasudev caught the sword mid-air. He saw Ugra charging at him with his axe held high, and he pushed Devki to the side, preparing himself to face his daunting adversary.

Ugra brought the axe down with all his might. Vasudev jumped nimbly aside, as the axe made contact with the stone corridor, shattering the floor in a shower of fragments. Vasudev was flabbergasted at the speed of the asura. He moved with astonishing agility for a man of his size and even before Vasudev had got his bearings, Ugra landed another massive blow. This time, Vasudev was not quick enough and the axe dug itself in his sandals, a nails breadth away from his toe. The sandal was useless and would only inhibit further movement. Vasudev slipped out of both his sandals and flexed his toes to get the blood flowing.
This man is not in the same class as his son; but the difference in their ability is more than made up by his size and his inhuman strength
, thought Vasudev.

Ugra was swirling the axe in a manner that made it almost impossible to get inside his circle of defense. Vasudev knew he might only get one chance to strike. He had no intention of losing that opportunity whenever and if it presented itself. He decided to confuse the assassin. He knew the technique he had tried with Ghora may not work with this opponent, given the asura’s height and the unpredictability of his weapon. He tried a different tactic. Instead of waiting for him to strike, Vasudev began to twist his body sideways, transferring his sword from one hand to the other as he did so. Just when Ugra thought he had timed Vasudev’s moves to predict where he would be next, Vasudev changed the frequency of his body movements. The continuous monitoring of his opponent’s movement took Ugra’s attention from Vasudev’s sword. He did not realize that Vasudev had stopped transferring the sword between his hands, and now held it firmly in his right hand.

When Vasudev was certain the moment was right, he moved his body to the left. He was deliberately slow in order to lull Ugra into a sense of security. As he had thought, Ugra brought down his axe at the spot he calculated Vasudev would be. But Vasudev had shifted his body weight mid-way and the axe slashed through the air, swishing harmlessly on one side of Vasudev. The right flank of the asura lay open and Vasudev thrust his sword in a straight line. Ugra did not see the attack coming. The sword pierced through a barely perceptible opening in his armour near the shoulder, and it cut right across the brachial artery. In one blow, the radial, median and the ulnar nerves were sliced. Ugra felt the axe fall involuntarily from his hand, as complete paralysis of the arm set in. Vasudev stared at the man whose son had once spared his life. He considered for a brief moment, letting the asura live. But the vision of the blood-soaked room came unbidden to his mind, and in a daze of uncontrollable fury, he swung his sword at Ugra.

There was a hush as the Zataka Upanshughataks watched their chief’s head separate from his torso and fall to the ground, as though in slow motion. The legendary fighter, whom no law or enemy had been able to subdue, lay vanquished at Vasudev’s feet.

There was a bellow of rage from the assassins as they regained their self-possession. They looked at each other, and prepared to charge at the man who had killed their chief. Vasudev knew he would not be able to fight their combined might. He glanced at Devki, silently exhorting her to run away. She shook her head and walked towards him. Vasudev smiled in resignation as he recalled one of the lines from their wedding vows:
We have taken the seven steps together. You have become mine forever. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought and I am sound. You are the song and I am the lyrics. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me
.

Kansa took one last look at Ugrasena. The man who had played the role of his father for the past twenty-nine years sat slumped on the ground. Kansa couldn’t believe this was the same man he had admired as a great warrior while growing up. But then, he also couldn’t have believed that this very man had once wanted him killed as a child and who had recently disowned him in favour of that back-stabbing Vasudev.
It doesn’t matter. I am stronger and more powerful than any of them now
, he thought.
I don’t need anyone to love me any longer. Anyone!
He raged as he locked the door on his former father. Ugrasena had given him what he wanted, even without his asking for it.

As he walked out of the room, Kansa’s attention was drawn to an uproar from the compound. He peered over the banister and saw the group of assassins moving menacingly in the direction of Vasudev and Devki. Devki had stationed herself on one side of Vasudev who had his arms around her, in a protective gesture.

The part of his mind that still loved Devki asserted itself and Kansa hurled himself over the banister landing on the ground three gavutas below. He stood between the assassins and Devki. The assassins, confused by Kansa’s sudden presence, stopped in their tracks. They had seen Ugra bow to the prince of Madhuvan and they were aware that he was the one who had hired their services through Jarasandha. They bowed to him, awaiting further orders, expecting he would instruct them to kill the two mortals like he had asked them to slay the bodyguards. His words shocked the assassins into silence. ‘No one will harm these two,’ he growled.

Kansa turned around to look at Vasudev and Devki. Vasudev glared at him with a mixture of contempt and fury. ‘What have you done with the king?’ he demanded.

Kansa smiled. ‘The king is safe. He has retired from his kingly duties and desires to relax in this palace for a few years.’

A shiver of fear ran through Devki as she heard Kansa speak. He looked and sounded exactly as he had when she had left him in Magadha. ‘Why are you doing this, Kansa? What’s happened to you?’

Vasudev interjected, ‘Nothing’s happened. This man suddenly wants to be king and he couldn’t wait for tatatulya to announce his ascension. This is a sick man and I am galled that I ever called him my friend.’ Vasudev paused to get back his breath even as Kansa looked at him with mild amusement. ‘You will never succeed in your vile designs Kansa. The people and the army of Madhuvan will never forgive the person who kidnapped their king and was responsible for the merciless killing of his bodyguards. You are a monster amongst men and the people of Madhuvan will treat you as one,’ Vasudev spat out in disgust.

‘I know I am a monster!’ Kansa said quietly. ‘My sister and her father have already told me that. But do they know how you actually tried to have me assassinated in Magadha?’ Kansa’s eyes reflected his pain as he allowed himself to think through the torment he had faced when he got to know that the man behind his assassination attempt was none other than Vasudev.

Vasudev looked at Kansa in disbelief. ‘You lie!’ he roared. ‘You lie to cover your dark deeds. Remember this Kansa. As soon as the army of Madhuvan knows what you have done, they will rebel and you will be paraded around the kingdom of Madhuvan as the murderer you have become.’

‘Really?’ Kansa snarled, his other persona creeping over him as he listened to Vasudev. ‘The king has already signed a letter announcing me as the new sovereign of Madhuvan. The letter bears his seal and it also mentions that he is going on a long journey of self-realization, accompanied by his trusted bodyguard and cavalry commander, Airawat.’

Devki gasped. ‘Why would Father do that?’

Vasudev gave a bitter laugh. ‘Because this fiend must have threatened him that he would harm you if the king didn’t sign the declaration.’

Kansa’s eyes flared, the green light of Aghasamarthan fighting to gain control over his senses. ‘I didn’t have to threaten the king. You see, like you, he doesn’t know that I would not talk about harming Devki even in a threat. And like you he believes that I am monster enough to do what you just said,’ Kansa paused, his head hanging low. ‘He signed the declaration on his own and gave it to me.’

Devki looked pleadingly at her brother. ‘Kansa, why have you held all of us here?’

‘Madhuvan needs a new king; someone who can do what needs to be done,’ he replied vaguely.

Devki couldn’t believe Kansa would hold their father prisoner. But she needed to know more. ‘And Vasudev and me? Why have you held us here? What have we done?’

Kansa’s eyes narrowed. He was having another splitting headache. ‘Vasudev tried to assassinate me. He needs to be punished,’ he said cradling his head in his hands.

‘And Devki? What has she done?’ Vasudev glared at him.

The pain in his head was becoming unbearable now. Kansa struggled to stay calm as his thoughts started going into disarray. ‘Devki’s son will kill me!’ he cried out in agony. ‘Her boy will betray me just as all of you have done,’ he raged, finally losing all control and submitting to the dark force of Aghasamarthan. As the evil energy coursed through his system, he felt the pain in his heart and mind receding. He raised his head and roared; and even the assassins standing there cowered in fear. Devki sobbed as she saw her brother being torn apart by a force she couldn’t yet fathom. Without thinking, she advanced towards Kansa, her arms open as they used to be when she was a child, and wanted him to hug her. Kansa looked at her approach, his green eyes boring into her, threatening to devour her.

Vasudev saw Kansa snarl as Devki approached closer. Afraid for her, he shouted at Kansa and charged towards him with his sword held high.

Devki saw Vasudev move to attack Kansa. ‘No, Vasudev, don’t!’ she screamed at him to stop.

Kansa stared at Devki and then at the charging Vasudev. Ignoring Devki, he caught Vasudev’s sword with his bare hand and twisted it out of his grip, throwing the mangled blade to the ground. With a howl that sent shivers down her spine, Kansa bodily lifted Vasudev and dashed him to the ground.

Devki watched in horror as Vasudev’s body convulsed and quivered for a while and then went completely limp. She still stood as she had with her arms open, too shocked to move. Kansa moved towards her, the force of Aghasamarthan beginning to leave his body and his mortal self gaining dominance over it once again. He held her hands. ‘Devki,’ he said softly, wanting her to hug him like she used to.

At the sound of his voice, Devki snapped back to the present. She stared at the motionless body of Vasudev, and an involuntary sob escaped her mouth. ‘You have killed him, you bastard!’ she screamed. And then her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘You are right. My son will kill you, you monster.’

Kansa looked at the woman he loved despite all that she had said and done. She was bent over Vasudev trying to revive him. Kansa was too tired to linger there any longer. The headache had returned as the force of Aghasamarthan left his system. He looked at one of the assassins. ‘Take the two of them to their room.’ As the assassin stared at him in disbelief, he said quietly, ‘Make sure no harm comes to either of them.’

Staggering from the pain in his head, and the constant ache in his heart, Kansa left the scene. He didn’t notice Devki staring at his retreating back with tears in her eyes; torn between the husband she loved and the brother she couldn’t help.

The assassins all stared at one another. The law of the Zataka Upanshughataks demanded that they avenge the murder of one of their clansmen. And the man who had died today was their Chief. But the person forbidding them to follow their law was not a mortal. He had the fire of Aghasamarthan burning in his eyes and to disobey his word would mean instant death. Two of the assassins moved forward to help Devki lift Vasudev, even as the others slowly slunk away.