part0028

Arjan was following the so-called guide across the woods, with Bala behind him to keep him in check. Kripa had a certain quality about him which Arjan felt was very unnecessary in this situation—and that was being pessimistic. He constantly cribbed about how they all were going to die.

Bala had shushed him on a couple of occasions, but that didn’t work. As they went deeper into the woods, the canopies grew thicker and with that, it led to no sunlight illuminating the path ahead of them.

That was when Kripa stopped them. He carefully crouched down and that entire drunken swagger had disappeared from his body language. Now, he seemed calculative and urgent. He touched the grass, rubbed the mud between his fingers, smelled the surrounding air and with a flick of his wet finger, he tried to figure out the air movement.

“They are here, or at least close by, mate.”

Arjan stood on alert, his legs and arm tight with tension. “How far?”

Kripa didn’t answer. Rather he trudged forward and opened up a large bush with his bare hands, in between two mammoth size bamboo trees.

Bala and Arjan came forward. Arjan was the first one to gasp at the sight of the clearing, where the sun was brightest and the trees were less. The clearing had all sorts of flowers, with a burning fire that wasn’t too bright to attract attention. There were stallions, thick and firm; not like the ones Arjan had seen close to Gurukul or even at the sarpanch’s house. These horses were fed well. There were three purple tents, hammered to the ground. And he saw the Mlecchas in person, well and clear. They had initially been covered with silken cloaks and masks but here they looked just human. A few had scars and bruises with scorched clothes and were better in physique than the ordinary village folks. Bala could perhaps take two of them at most at one go.

He couldn’t see his father and for a while, he thought that he had been killed and buried. But then he saw his father in chains, wearing the same clothes as yesterday, coming out of the tent with a man who had hair like thorns. Vishnu and the bandit talked to each other, the thorny haired one speaking for the most part before he took him to the side, where the remaining cows were.

“It’s an evil practice,” Arjan began, “if a Brahmin murders a cow with his own bare hands.”

“That’s just ancient history, mate,” Kripa said. “Everyone eats cows now.”

Arjan nodded distastefully as they backed off, hoping to not get caught.

“Well you saw it, now I should leave.”

Kripa began to move, when Bala lay out his hand to stop him.

“Not so fast,” Arjan said.

“What happened now?” Kripa asked irritably. “I did what you asked me to do and I brought you to the men who kidnapped your father. Now if you don’t mind my suggestion, let him be like that. You can’t save him, just so you know, mate.”

“I didn’t care about your opinion. Not then, and definitely not now,” Arjan raised his brow. “I don’t even know when Kalki will return,” he mumbled to himself. “What should we do Bala?”

“Smash them?” Bala suggested.

Arjan had a fit of laughter. It was honestly relieving to see his father alive, but the cows were growing less in number and they didn’t have a lot of time on their hands.

“You don’t suggest we battle them all? That would be worse than death. That’ll be torture, mate.” He said. “Especially with the leader of this clique.”

“The thorny haired man? You didn’t notice?”

“That’s the one I noticed, yes,” Arjan said. “What about him?”

“Oh, his name is Keshav Nand. When I was in the city, minding my own business and being the humble drunkard I am, I had seen this decree being pasted on the walls. I cared to look at it and learnt it was this man,” Kripa signalled at the back, “he’s a wanted man, just so you know, after he escaped the prison.”

“What was he convicted of?”

Swallowing a lump of nervousness, Kripa answered, “Mostly killings, yes. But uh well killings of children and women, so that is the worst kind. He was a madman according to the decree. He has a dagger with many curved edges. I have heard it helped him to cut the human flesh nicely and tenderly.”

“Makes me wonder though why he has taken your father as a hostage,” thoughtfully Kripa mused. “I am just saying, he isn’t a man you should pick a fight with. Killers of this sort, they have neither remorse nor any understanding behind their actions. For them, it is mere fun.”

Arjan saw the skies turning dusky. The evening was bound to descend at any moment and he had no time at his disposal.

“I have a plan,” he said.

“A plan? Well, everyone has a plan, mate, until they are hit with a blade,” he said, “and in your case you don’t even have a shield or a blade to defend yourself; even if you know how to defend yourself which I’m sure you don’t, so the best option you have is to be on your way.” He looked at Bala. “But if there were three of them like him, there could have been a chance. There are ten bandits out there, all vicious and trained and you are just a pretty boy with a tough boy who loves his little toy dearly. Now let me put this plainly; who do you think will win?”