The Oath of The Vayuputras by Amish

again,’ swore Kartik. ‘I will not be the cause of my family’s misery.’
    The door swung open. Parvateshwar and Bhagirath walked in.
    Just by looking at them, Anandmayi could tell that they had discovered what she feared. ‘Was it Meluha?’
    Ayurvati winced. She could not imagine her great country’s name being dragged into a vile conspiracy like the attack on the Neelkanth’s convoy at the outskirts of Panchavati. And yet, after what she had discovered of Emperor Daksha’s perfidy during Sati’s pregnancy at Maika, she would not be surprised if Meluhan ships had carried out this dastardly act.
    ‘It’s worse,’ sighed Bhagirath as he sat down.
    Parvateshwar sat next to Anandmayi and held her hand. He looked at Ayurvati, his pained expression bearing witness to his stark misery. The general prized his country, his Meluha, as Lord Ram’s ultimate legacy. It was the custodian of Ram Rajya. How could this great country’s emperor have committed a dastardly act such as this?
    ‘Even worse?’ prompted Anandmayi.
    ‘Yes. It seems Swadweep is in on the conspiracy as well.’
    Anandmayi was stunned. ‘What?!’
    ‘It’s either only Ayodhya or all of Swadweep. I cannot be sure if other kingdoms of Swadweep are following Ayodhya’s lead. But Ayodhya is certainly involved.’
    Anandmayi looked at Parvateshwar. He nodded, confirming Bhagirath’s words.
    ‘Lord Rudra, be merciful,’ said Anandmayi. ‘What is wrong with father?’
    ‘I for one am not surprised,’ said Bhagirath, barely able to conceal his contempt. ‘He is weak and gets easily exploited. It doesn’t take much for him to succumb.’
    For once Anandmayi didn’t rebuke her brother for denigrating their father. She looked at Parvateshwar. He seemed lost and unsure. Change was horrible for the Suryavanshis, for the people of the masculine, used as they were to unchanging rules and stark predictability. Anandmayi turned her husband’s face towards herself and kissed him gently, reassuringly. She smiled warmly. He half-smiled back.
    Kartik quietly put his plate down, washed his hands and walked out of the room.

    It was early afternoon as Kartik and Ganesh’s steps led them around the five banyan trees from whose existence Panchavati derived its name. Non-Nagas were not allowed inside the inner city. In truth, many of them, Brangas included, refused to enter due to a strong superstition about the misfortune that would befall those that did. But the Neelkanth’s family did not believe in it. And anyway, nobody wanted to enforce an entry ban on them.
    ‘Why have only Lord Ram’s idols been depicted on these trees, dada ?’ Kartik asked his elder brother.
    ‘You mean why have his wife, Lady Sita, and his brother, Lord Lakshman, not been shown?’
    ‘Not just them, even his great devotee, Lord Hanuman, is missing.’
    Ganesh and Kartik were admiring the beautiful idols of Lord Ram sculpted into the main trunk of each of the five banyans. The five tree idols showed the ancient King, respected as the seventh Vishnu, in the five different roles of his life known to all: a son, a husband, a brother, a father and a godly king. Each banyan trunk depicted him in a different form. In each form, in a manner that somehow appeared natural, the sculptors had made the idols look towards the temple of Lord Rudra and Lady Mohini at one corner of the square. Their idols, on the other hand, were placed in the front section of the temple as opposed to the back as in most temples, with the effect that the two deities appeared to be looking at all five tree idols as well. It seemed as if the architects intended to show the great Mahadev and the noble seventh Vishnu being respectful to each other.
    ‘It’s in keeping with Bhoomidevi’s instructions,’ answered Ganesh. ‘I know his traditional depiction in the Sapt Sindhu is always along with his three favourite people in the world, Lady Sita, Lord Lakshman and Lord Hanuman. But it was an order of Bhoomidevi,