The Aryavarta Chronicles Kurukshetra: Book 3 by Krishna Udayasankar Page B
Authors: Krishna Udayasankar
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horses.
Govinda picked up the fallen mercenary’s axe. Without pause, he brought the heavy, short blade down on the screaming Yavana’s face, wedging it through the skull into the blood-soaked ground below.
Govinda clenched his fists and bit down as hard as he could on a thick piece of leather from Balahak’s bridle. Sweat beaded his forehead and he tried to stay still, but the pain was too intense. And then, just when he thought he would bite right through the leather, the burning ebbed. He let the leather bit fall from his month and gasped in relief.
‘I’m yet to seal it up, Commander,’ Daruka, crouched next to him, said. He held out the blade he had extricated from Govinda’s back for the injured man to see as he pressed hard with his other hand to stem the bleeding.
‘Do we have wine?’ Govinda asked.
Daruka shook his head. ‘For the fifth time, no. The bag broke during the fight. Maybe if you’d been more cautious.’
‘Cautious?’ Govinda said, grunting through the agony of Daruka’s care. ‘I didn’t know what I was doing, to tell you the truth.’
‘That much was apparent, Commander. One would have thought it was some thorn, not a dagger in your back. Of course, you’re more than making up for it with all your whining now… The scarred man was right, you know. You’ve kept your calm in the trickiest of situations, but one graze on your beloved horse-friends and you were a madman. I think you forgot that I existed!’
Govinda did not dispute the statement. Chuckling, he let his head fall on to his forearms and forced his breath to come evenly.
Daruka continued, ‘An old enemy?’
‘He certainly wasn’t an old friend, though I think he came after us on the instructions of one,’ Govinda said.
‘The Secret Keeper?’
‘Yes. The worst adversary I could have. You see, we are enemies in principle and principle alone. We both agree on the final outcome, the importance of the task that was left to us to see through. But we no longer agree on what needs to be done to reach that outcome, and that is why we are no longer allies. In any case, he does not, cannot trust me and I – I see no point in trying to convince him of what he is duty-bound to deny…’
Daruka did not completely understand, but then, he was a man of action, not explanation. Out loud he said, ‘It’s simple enough for you to destroy him. All you have to do is…’
‘…reveal his identity? Of what use would that be?’
Daruka leaned back on his heels. ‘Don’t you think you’re taking this compassion thing too far, Commander? Unless…’
With a hoarse laugh, Govinda admitted, ‘You know me well, Daruka. No, it isn’t some misplaced sense of kindness that underlies this decision. My self-interest, which I claim is one with the larger interests of Aryavarta, would not benefit from such a revelation. You see, the Firstborn have thrown their might behind Syoddhan. Dwaipayana has said nothing in public, but Suka’s presence at Hastina leaves no doubt. As it stands, there are rumours that the Secret Keeper and I are no longer of the same mind, but it would be another thing altogether if it became known that he considers me an enemy worth killing in cold blood. It would erode what little influence I have with Dharma Yudhisthir. Dharma would have little choice to surrender to Syoddhan, or leave Aryavarta and live in exile. Nothing would change.’
Before Daruka could argue, Govinda continued, ‘I thought he was dead, Daruka – the Yavana, I mean. It’s disconcerting when the past suddenly turns up to haunt us like this when the present and future are more than enough to deal with!’
‘You mean, haunt you,’ Daruka said. ‘I take it you and he didn’t get along back then?’
‘No. He blamed me for bringing the bane of the Firewrights, their mistakes, to bear upon Elis. I guess he’s not the only one who thinks I’ve done wrong by his people.’
‘If there are more like him, Commander, you’d
Govinda picked up the fallen mercenary’s axe. Without pause, he brought the heavy, short blade down on the screaming Yavana’s face, wedging it through the skull into the blood-soaked ground below.
Govinda clenched his fists and bit down as hard as he could on a thick piece of leather from Balahak’s bridle. Sweat beaded his forehead and he tried to stay still, but the pain was too intense. And then, just when he thought he would bite right through the leather, the burning ebbed. He let the leather bit fall from his month and gasped in relief.
‘I’m yet to seal it up, Commander,’ Daruka, crouched next to him, said. He held out the blade he had extricated from Govinda’s back for the injured man to see as he pressed hard with his other hand to stem the bleeding.
‘Do we have wine?’ Govinda asked.
Daruka shook his head. ‘For the fifth time, no. The bag broke during the fight. Maybe if you’d been more cautious.’
‘Cautious?’ Govinda said, grunting through the agony of Daruka’s care. ‘I didn’t know what I was doing, to tell you the truth.’
‘That much was apparent, Commander. One would have thought it was some thorn, not a dagger in your back. Of course, you’re more than making up for it with all your whining now… The scarred man was right, you know. You’ve kept your calm in the trickiest of situations, but one graze on your beloved horse-friends and you were a madman. I think you forgot that I existed!’
Govinda did not dispute the statement. Chuckling, he let his head fall on to his forearms and forced his breath to come evenly.
Daruka continued, ‘An old enemy?’
‘He certainly wasn’t an old friend, though I think he came after us on the instructions of one,’ Govinda said.
‘The Secret Keeper?’
‘Yes. The worst adversary I could have. You see, we are enemies in principle and principle alone. We both agree on the final outcome, the importance of the task that was left to us to see through. But we no longer agree on what needs to be done to reach that outcome, and that is why we are no longer allies. In any case, he does not, cannot trust me and I – I see no point in trying to convince him of what he is duty-bound to deny…’
Daruka did not completely understand, but then, he was a man of action, not explanation. Out loud he said, ‘It’s simple enough for you to destroy him. All you have to do is…’
‘…reveal his identity? Of what use would that be?’
Daruka leaned back on his heels. ‘Don’t you think you’re taking this compassion thing too far, Commander? Unless…’
With a hoarse laugh, Govinda admitted, ‘You know me well, Daruka. No, it isn’t some misplaced sense of kindness that underlies this decision. My self-interest, which I claim is one with the larger interests of Aryavarta, would not benefit from such a revelation. You see, the Firstborn have thrown their might behind Syoddhan. Dwaipayana has said nothing in public, but Suka’s presence at Hastina leaves no doubt. As it stands, there are rumours that the Secret Keeper and I are no longer of the same mind, but it would be another thing altogether if it became known that he considers me an enemy worth killing in cold blood. It would erode what little influence I have with Dharma Yudhisthir. Dharma would have little choice to surrender to Syoddhan, or leave Aryavarta and live in exile. Nothing would change.’
Before Daruka could argue, Govinda continued, ‘I thought he was dead, Daruka – the Yavana, I mean. It’s disconcerting when the past suddenly turns up to haunt us like this when the present and future are more than enough to deal with!’
‘You mean, haunt you,’ Daruka said. ‘I take it you and he didn’t get along back then?’
‘No. He blamed me for bringing the bane of the Firewrights, their mistakes, to bear upon Elis. I guess he’s not the only one who thinks I’ve done wrong by his people.’
‘If there are more like him, Commander, you’d
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