Indrajith

Sitting in the shop, Indrajith is striking hard on the heated iron with the hammer in his hand. Sweat dripped from Indrajith’s body. He plunged the beaten iron into the water. With a sound, the baked iron cooled. Indrajith got up from the floor. Then he took a cloth from there and wiped the sweat off his body. That’s when Indrajith noticed the traffic on the way. It includes men, women, and children. Some are walking and some are riding horses. Indrajith realized that there was something special. But he sat back on the floor asking no one. He continued his work.

“Devadathan, aren’t you coming to the palace?”

Indrajith’s friend Chandra and his wife Amrita are standing outside his shop when Indrajith looks to the side where he heard the sound.

‘Devadathan’ is the name Indrajith is used. No one here really knows who he is.

Seeing them, Indrajith put down his tools and got up from the floor. Then he went straight to them. The head of Chandra, which does not even have hair, glows in the sunlight. Chandra had parted his mustache as usual. White hair has appeared on the mustache. Chandra had a wooden stick in his hand. He is standing on the floor with it. Chandra was a soldier. He lost both his legs in battle. Now his legs are replaced by wooden legs. But Indrajith has never seen Chandra except with a smile. Amrita looks beautiful in a green sari. Her focus is always on Chandra.

“Where are you going?” Indrajith asked.

“Today the king Brahma is going to make an important proclamation”.

Chandra’s face was full of excitement and joy.

“Is that such a big deal?”

Chandra did not like Indrajith’s attitude.

“I forgot, you’re not a citizen of Chandrakantapuram”.

Chandra reminded Indrajith where he came from.

“Will you both stop?”

Amrita intervened. Chandra and Indrajith then said nothing.

“Where is Madhavan?”

Amrita asked Indrajith.

“He goes to the market.”

“Come on, let’s go.”

Chandra told Amrita. Chandra pushed his wooden stick into the ground and walked forward. Amrita tried to stop Chandra, but it did not happen.

“I will come,”

Indrajith did not want to go to the palace but agreed. Chandra stopped walking. Then he turned around and looked at Indrajith and smiled.

Indrajith went back to his shop. He drank the water from the pot. Then he left the shop and started walking towards the palace with Chandra and Amrita.

The three of them came in front of the palace gate. They felt a large crowd in front of the gate. After checking each one, the guards in front of the gate will allow them in. The guards themselves check the men. Women court servants examine the women. They lined people up in two rows. Men in one row and women in the other. Chandra and Indrajith came and stood in the line of men. And Amrita in the line of women. The guards examined them one by one. Amrita’s focus is on Chandra, though he is on the other line. The guards examined Chandra, who was standing in front of Indrajith. After a while, he could enter. But Chandra did not enter. He stood near the door, waiting for Indrajith.

“Come closer,” a guard ordered Indrajith.

Indrajith approached. The guard started checking Indrajith. His hands moved through Indrajith’s clothes. Suddenly, the guard withdrew his hands from Indrajith’s clothes.

“Your whole body is sweating”?

The guard smelled his hand.

“What a stench. You cannot enter inside. Stay away”.

Indrajith stepped out of line. The guard examined the next man. Seeing all this, Chandra approached Indrajith.

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“What Devadathan? What is the problem”?

“Sweat all over my clothes. So they were not allowed me to enter”.

Chandra angrily pounded his wooden stick hard on the floor. Then he rushes towards the guard. Before Indrajith could stop Chandra, Chandra had approached the guard.

“Why couldn’t he enter inside?”

Chandra asked the guard.

“A person who smells bad cannot be allowed inside”.

The guard made his position clear. But Chandra came closer to the guard. And then stood face to face. The other guards started laughing. They did not seem to compete with a man who did not have two legs. People started saying something to each other. Some are ready to avoid a conflict.

“Our country is growing because people like Devadathan are sweating. It is not right to think that there is a stench of sweat in his body. If you do not let him in, you will regret it”.

At that time, Amrita came to Chandra from the line of women.

“How dare you?”

The guard grabbed Chandra and pushed him away. Amrita and Indrajith hold before Chandra falls. Chandra’s wooden stick fell to the ground. While Indrajith was holding Chandra, Amrita took the wooden stick lying on the ground and handed it to Chandra. Indrajith raised his hand towards the guard. But Chandra stopped Indrajith. The other guards picked up their weapons. Chandra came closer to the guard.

“Son, do you see these legs?” That is what I have lost for this country. That is why I am preaching here. If you stop him, I will kill everyone and we’ll go inside”.

“What’s the matter here?”

Indrajith and Chandra looked back. At the back of the line, Aditya is standing. He is king Brahma’s nephew. He is in a military uniform. Aditya had a sword in his hand. He came forward. When Aditya approached, the guards went back and stood. He looked at Indrajith and Chandran. And then told the guards.

“Check and enter people inside, quickly”.

Aditya looked at Chandra and Indrajith once more. After he put his sword in his sheath and left.

“Go Inside”

The guard angrily told Indrajith and Chandra.

Indrajith and Chandra entered inside the fort gate. Amrita went back to the line where the women were standing.

Beyond the entrance was a floor made of marble. The palace was a very spacious place. There is a garden a short distance away. It has many colorful flowers. The fragrance of those flowers filled the place. The royal palace is carved in white stone. The royal palace glows in the light of the rising sun. Indrajith still remembers coming to this palace when he was the king of Tajore. Two decades later, Chandrakantapuram palace has changed.

“Cheater,” Indrajith said in his mind.

Indrajith turned to Chandra behind him. Chandra and Amrita were standing near the fort gate. Hundreds of people entered the palace compound. And people are still coming. After a while, the front doors closed from the outside. Chandra and Amrita were happy. Indrajith’s eyes were on the balcony above the palace. When the joy and talks of the people inside came together, it became a commotion. The guards inside told them to be quiet. Then there was calm. All eyes were now on that magnificent palace. This is the first time many have been there.

“Didn’t you see the happiness of the people?” Devadathan. This blessing is not for everyone”.

Indrajith just laughed. Chandra was right. People can enter the palace grounds only when the king’s announcement is made. The method is to pick them up who comes first. Some will succeed and enter inside. Others will stand outside the gate of defeat.

It was then that an old man appeared on the balcony of the palace. It was Chandan, the king’s minister.

“The King Is coming”

People smiled. All eyes are now on the balcony of the palace. Then a thick figure appeared on the balcony. It was King Brahma. His crown is on his head and he stands with a majesty. Fatigue with age was clear on the king’s face. The queen was with him. King Brahma slowly raised his hands and waved at the people.

When the people saw the king, they were amazed.

“Please, Everyone calm down. I am here to inform you about my granddaughter Jaya’s marriage. Jaya’s marriage was held in her father’s state, Tabore. I invite you all”.

There was applause among the people. Chandra and Amrita’s faces filled with happiness. Indrajith is staring at Brahma. King Brahma speaks to his minister and waves to the people.

“Brahma, you will not be king for long. I’m coming for you”.

All three of them are walking back. There were trees on both sides of the road. The palace will not allow people to trade or stay in the palace’s area. Indrajith is enjoying the beauty of nature. Then Chandra said.

“When King Brahma declared war on Anuradhapuram, I was inside the palace walls. It still lingers in my mind. After that, I saw the palace now”.

“This is my second time seeing the palace”.

Amrita just corrected her sari and said. This is a topic that Indrajith does not want to hear. But he listened to his friends.

“When King Brahma told us to fight for another country that day, we did not deny it.”

Indrajith was listening to Chandra. As soon as Chandra started telling the story of the war, Amrita shifted her focus from Chandra and started looking at the surrounding nature.

“At that time, I was a young man with boiling blood at that time. I still have no shortage of boiling blood. But I had my legs that time. Not now”.

There was silence for a while. Indrajith knows that a soldier who fought for his country is standing in front of him.

“The war between Anuradhapuram and Tanjore was one I will never forget. I lost my legs in that bat It was a life-changing battle for Indrajith as well.it all started there. The war in which the world knew the power of Tanjore. The war against the garudas”.

“Sometimes we lost the battle, sometimes we won. Sometimes we get mentally exhausted. Why do we lay down our lives in another country? This was the doubt in everyone’s mind. It was Indrajith, the young prince of Tanjore, who cleared that doubt and gave us courage”.

Indrajith smiled.

Indrajith said nothing. He also wants to tell his friend that “I am Indrajith”. But he can’t do it now.

“Indrajith was a person I adored with all my heart. What can I do now? It has been years since he died. I will see Indrajith when I die and go to heaven”.

Chandra burst out laughing. Indrajith is looking at Chandra. Suddenly, Chandra looked at Indrajith and said.

“Devadathan, I have a wish. I was a soldier. I like to fight and die on the battlefield as a soldier”.

At that moment, Chandra’s face filled with excitement. He parted his mustache. At that moment, Amrita withdrew her eyes from nature and looked at Chandra.

“Please, shut your mouth,” Amrita said.

Amrita’s face was red. Then Amrita started walking silently forward.

Chandra looked at Indrajith and smiled. They continued their walk.