Chapter 7 - At War - 1

Gangapur

‘Hurry up, Sister!’, Bhola called out to Maya.

‘It will be noon soon. We can’t miss the Panchayat meeting’, he added.

The usual Panchayat meetings bored Bhola, but today was different - It was an emergency meeting. No one had told him the particulars of the agenda, but he had picked up bits and pieces from the general discussion around the village and pretty much figured out what was happening.

All the villages located at the border of Magadha are supposed to have a small military squad. Gangapur had one too during the reign of King Ashwapati, but it had returned to the Capital when the clash between King Ashwapati and King PriamRaja had been at its peak. It had been more than three months now, since soldiers were stationed here. The military outpost at the outskirts of the village had been cleaned and redecorated in the last week. Bhola put two and two together ,most likely there would be a new squad coming in today and that was the reason for the excitement.

Bhola had many happy memories with the military folk. They were always amiable. Bhola would often carry gifts of sweetmeats for them and in the process befriended most of them. Ofcourse, sometimes their commander was strict and Bhola had to be more circumspect.

‘Do you have the lock with you?’, Maya asked, as she rushed out of her shop.

‘Everything is in place , Your Highness! All that remains is your valuable presence!’, Bhola teased.

‘Don’t be cheeky! Come on, Lock up!’, she admonished with a laugh.

Bhola had become a regular presence at Sister Maya’s shop since a fortnight. As the Gramika his father, Kailashnath, had no family business to pass on. Having limited interest in academics, Bhola was now in need of a profession. Tailoring didn’t excite him, but running a business looked interesting. Both he and Sister Maya had been going over the accounting books everyday and he had developed quite a knack for it.

They hurried and reached just in time to secure seats at the back. Due to the rains and chilly weather, the venue of the Panchayat meeting had been shifted from the forest to the Ashram premises. Straw mats had been laid out on the ground for seating. The space was limited, but the crowd today was large.

‘Father should have waited another day. I wonder why he left for Chunar yesterday’, Bhola murmured.

‘Must have been something important’, Maya whispered back.

There was an air of expectation among the people, as though something momentous were about to happen. Bhola experienced a sense of foreboding, unlike any he had felt before.

There was a commotion at the entrance and they turned their gaze to it. The crowd had parted.

A man - A commander of the army, walked in at a brisk pace. Behind him, in contrast, the Panchayat members, excluding Kailashnath, walked meekly. The commander walked up to the front and stood facing the crowd, his arms akimbo. A muscular man, he cut an imposing figure.

Bhola’s uncle, Badrinath, stepped forward and began to speak.

‘Umm… Let me introduce…’

But the commander brushed him aside, with a wave of his hand. A group of soldiers came forward and flanked the Commander, two on each side. The commander’s stern and piercing gaze looked almost threatening, and Bhola shuddered. Here is an important man - A very decorated and, most likely, a very senior Army Commander, what was he doing in Gangapur?, Bhola wondered. He didn’t have to wait long for an answer.

‘I am Commander Durmukha.’, he began in a booming voice.

‘As of today, my battalion is taking over your village. No one is allowed to leave the village until further notice.’, he added.

There were gasps from the crowd.

‘Any returning villagers will be thoroughly vetted by me and my team here.’, Durmukha said.

‘But why Commander? Has there been any untoward incident here, in Gangapur?’,a soft voice from the crowd queried.

‘We …’, Durmukha paused for effect.

‘ are going to WAR!’

‘What??? Why ???’, a host of voices exclaimed, as the crowd broke out into a noisy chatter.

‘SILENCE !’, Durmukha shouted, as he held up his hand.

The crowd stilled and soon the murmurs died down.

‘WHO DARES QUESTION THE KING?’, he thundered on.

‘Why not? The King has a duty…’, an agitated youth began to protest.

‘Now, Now.. Let us talk in private’, Govardhan , the Panchayat member, stepped forward and interrupted the youth, eager to avoid any further damage.

Govardhan turned to Durmukha and spoke in a conciliatory tone.

‘Our people mean no offence , Commander. It is just that.., just that, it is easier if everyone knows the reason.’, he said, his slight smile indicating that his demand was reasonable.

S L A P !!!

Govardhan placed his palm on his right cheek to ease the pain, as he looked up in disbelief at the soldier in front of him.

A member of the Panchayat had been slapped and that too, in front of the entire village. At first, there were few gasps of outrage from the crowd, but they soon died down and there was pin drop silence.

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Bhola watched the spectacle before him with increasing unease. He had seen people disagree, even fight in the past. He knew violence took place, but had always assumed that there was a cause for it. This was his first experience of high-handedness and cruelty. Fear, an unfamiliar sensation thus far , began to envelope him and he looked to Maya for comfort.

Maya saw Bhola shiver and held his hand in sympathy.

‘This, … this wouldn’t have happened if father was here.’, Bhola murmured.

A year ago, no, even three months ago, Maya would have thought the same. But as a member of Gyanadoot, Maya had watched Kailashnathji’s daily struggles with the limitations of his position and influence.

‘Are you sure?’, she asked softly.

‘Ahem, Ahem... we have a message from the King.’

Maya and Bhola looked up to see Jaiveer addressing the crowd. One of the soldiers handed Jaiveer a scroll and he began to read.

‘My Beloved Subjects,

As a child, my father always taught me to have a grand vision. Such a beautiful thought instilled at a young age, left a lasting influence on my impressionable mind. It is a thought that has inspired and guided me through the years, and made me the man I am today.

I don’t consider myself unique in any way, indeed I am just the same as you all are. Each of you, therefore, are capable of greatness, of being part of something grand. And today, I invite you to be part of a collective vision - To unite our country, our beautiful India. Personally, I dislike war and often think how wonderful it would be if this vision could be achieved by peaceful means alone. But there are always those who hold on to their greed for power and wealth, and stand in the way of such grand undertakings. It is in such circumstances that we must resort to force. And hence, I, as your king, have decided that we must go to war with the kingdom of Vatsa’.

Jaiveer stopped for a brief moment, letting the words he had just read sink in. Vatsa, was one of the most virtuously ruled kingdoms, their citizens were among the happiest. They were also the friendliest of neighbors.He was shocked. He looked at the crowd and saw the same feeling reflected on their faces. But the crowd was silent, they had learnt their lesson. The commander cleared his throat, displeased with the pause, and Jaiveer carried on.

‘Every citizen of Magadha and Kalinga is a member of my family. And today, as I, your brother, step forth on this journey, I urge you to contribute to this noble cause and make it a success.

Please treat my men, who humbly stand before you, as your brothers and extend all help. From farmers to tailors, to cooks … all can and MUST play an active role.

Don’t miss out on your chance to be part of history!’

Jaiveer was sweating when he finished reading. He rolled up the scroll and the soldier took it back.

‘Now all of you, form a line. Give your name, age and profession to the officer here. You will all be assigned duties henceforth’, the soldier announced.

The crowd remained silent and still.

Suddenly, Acharya Chyavana stepped forward.

‘Greetings Commander. I am Chyavana, the acharya of this Ashram’, he said.

‘May I suggest that the tax records be used for obtaining a record of the people. It will save you much effort .It will also provide details on the villagers who may not be here currently, but would return in future’, he added.

Durmukha surveyed the man in front of him. So, this was the son of the Purohita, Atri. His boss, the Chief of Defence, Somadatta, had instructed him to take special care of Chyavana. This was a man who would wield considerable power in the future.

‘Ahh.. Greetings Acharyaji’, Durmukha replied with folded hands.

‘What a wonderful suggestion. You have saved us from this mammoth exercise. We will definitely do as you say.

Please join me for a chat that I may further benefit from your guidance’, he added.

The villagers watched the exchange in surprise. The commander’s change in demeanor looked suspicious, but anything that allowed them to escape right now, was a welcome reprieve.

Sanga had watched the proceedings of today’s Panchayat meeting from a distance. He had come two days back for a meeting of Gyanadoot and had planned to return to his village,Divyasthal, yesterday. But Kailashnathji had persuaded Sanga to stay one more day and observe the happenings in his absence.

The crowd was dispersing and Durkmukha was leading Chyavana to a corner where few seats had been placed. Sanga followed at a distance and hid behind a tree trunk.

‘How is father?’, Chyavana asked, as they sat down.

‘Purohitji had come to meet me prior to my departure. He wanted me to give you this’, Durmukha replied, as he handed Chyavana a letter.

‘He is fine, but longing to meet you. We can make the necessary arrangements for the meeting once Purohitji arrives at basecamp in Chunar’, he added.

Sanga was stunned. Chyavana was the Purohita’s son, and a confidant of the King PriamRaja.

So, Acharya Chyavana had joined Gyanadoot as a spy for the King, did this mean that the members of Gyanadoot had been compromised?, Sanga wondered.

What were they to do now? Sanga’s mind went blank.

‘How many villages are you locking up to prevent information leaks?’, Chyavana asked Durmukha

‘Just the two before Chunar , Divyasthal and Gangapur. Our soldiers will need the resources of these two villages and the town of Chunar, as we prepare for battle’, Durmukha replied.

‘I see. And how did you decide on Chunar as Basecamp?’, Chyavana asked.

‘Well, we wanted the battle to be as far from Patliputra as possible, just to keep the capital safe.

Also, Chunar is closest to Kaushambi. If we are able to fight off their defence here, it would be a short march to their capital.

And ofcourse, the width of the Ganges is narrowest at Chunar, it will hardly be a few minutes ride by boat for the soldiers’, Durmukha replied.

‘And if we are forced to retreat, it will take some time for the enemy to gather boats and follow us’, he added with a dry laugh.

‘Umm.. Good thinking’, Chyavana joined in the laughter.

Sanga was still rooted to the spot, when Durmukha took his leave sometime later.

*****************

‘I will not work for King PriamRaja or this commander, Durmukha’, Bhola stated in a defiant tone.

‘I mean.. I mean, I don’t want to’, he said in a more uncertain voice.

Maya had watched Bhola as he sat in the corner of her shop. He had been quiet ever since they had got back. His conception of the world around him had been shaken, and his mind was in turmoil. The first slap at our innocence is always painful. Most of us become disillusioned and cynical from then on. It takes a strong will and great perseverance to find the essence of virtue and become guileless again. Would Bhola undertake this journey?, Maya wondered.

‘There is only one way you can do that - Make yourself strong enough to bear the consequences of your choices.’, Maya replied.

‘But he is the King. He can have me killed’, Bhola said in a tremulous voice.

‘Everyone has their weakness, including the King. It is only a matter of finding it and stacking the odds in your favor, so that you may have bargaining power.’, Maya said.

‘But I must say this. There is no substitute for courage. Even the best laid plans can go awry , and if your choices do end in failure, you must be willing to bear the loss. Remember that it is not the goal of life to carry a well-preserved body to the death bed.’, she added with a smile.

‘I am so ordinary, how can I develop this kind of courage?’, Bhola asked.

‘Courage doesn’t come all at once. I started small, by making bold choices in my everyday life. It made me uncomfortable and I shook many times, but each success gave me the confidence to take the next step.

Even today, I experience fear when I have to act against the established order of things. But if fear is cultivated, it becomes stronger. I therefore have learnt to control my fear, and when my conviction is strong for the path I choose, I am able to take the leap of faith and stand firm for my ideals.’, Maya replied.

Bhola was quiet again as he absorbed what Maya had just said. He was still coming to terms with all that had happened today. Life was more complex than he had imagined. A sudden thought occurred to him.

‘Did father have a premonition about today? Was that why he was absent?’, Bhola asked.

Maya pondered over the question for a while.

‘It’s possible.’, she finally answered.

‘Most people choose to be fence sitters because they are shielded from cruelty by the presence of people like your father. If there has to be change, all people must rise and fight, a handful of people can’t make it happen.

Today was a good wakeup call for a lot of people. When we come face to face with peril, as we have today, we are left with no choice but to be courageous and stand up for what is right.’, she added with a wry smile.