part0047

Placidly lying down on his bed, Kali had never felt so useless in his life. He had promised himself he would rest when death would be near. Not before that; for resting meant sparing time for innocuous pleasures. Kali was suffocating and not because of all the dirt that had accumulated his lungs, but because he was stuck in a room, just as his sister was worried about his well-being. Where was she anyway, he asked himself, as he worried about not having seen her for an entire day.

Though, that could be a blessing in disguise.

Kali lifted himself up, brushing his legs against the floor, stretching his back. He knew he would die if he remained in the bed for long. He walked to the door to find his two generals standing, on opposite sides, wearing their plated suit of armour. They instantly stiffened at the sight of Kali.

“At ease,” Kali said, sighing, even speaking feeling like a huge tax on his throat.

Koko timidly said, “My lord, you should be resting.”

“I know I should be, but I choose not to.”

“Lady Durukti has commanded us…”

Kali shot Vikoko a look of pure poison. She didn’t meet her master’s eyes. Kali realized how small he was in comparison to the twins. They were both more than six feet tall, broad and agile, while he was decidedly diffident next to them.

“I want to travel outside. I want to see how the city is working.”

“All right, my lord.”

Kali was guided by the twins, outside the fort, as he saw the simmering rays of the sun, washing over him after the longest time. The twins opened the chariot door for him, which was attached to two white stallions. At the sight of his ride, Kali shook his head.

“I want a horse, and a personal one.”

The guards around the fort stood shocked. The twins walked forward, incredulously. Koko began, “My lord, this is better for your back.”

“I don’t want to be protected anymore.” Kali patted his general with a warm smile, hoping to make him understand his plight. “I want to breathe in the fresh air as I ride through the streets of the city.”

The twins didn’t quarrel much. They brought him a horse, while he waited, watching all the guards. It was only his fort where the Manavs, Rakshas, Yakshas and Naga soldiers were together, for he allowed every capable warrior to be appointed. He didn’t let prejudices dictate the professions they were engaged in. There was a small garden in between, with a statue of Kali and Durukti in the centre, flanked by trees on both sides. The officials of his government were walking casually, going about their duties. When they saw Kali, they bowed down to him and he waved with a grin.

The horse appeared in front of him. Kali sat on it, feeling powerful like before. He was clad in black, wearing his metal armour over it. He had a small cloth, wrapped around his neck, red in colour. He pulled it up to his mouth, partially hiding his face. It was for security purposes as well as to protect his lungs. The horse galloped forward, leaving the iron gates behind and making way to the city. The twins were in the front, and two guards were leading the rear.

Moving after a prolonged period of inactivity, he was assaulted by the various sights and smells. The bazaars were operating in full force, while the merchants and the customers noisily haggled. Everywhere, people parted and quietened in deference to Lord Kali. They were all whispering and quivering, some in fear, while others had a look of delight. The bazaar was his brainchild, conceived as an open wholesale market, where traders and vendors from the entire northern province could congregate with their wares. They would be taxed at forty percent of what they’d earn, but it was worth it. He could see books, food and utensils being sold in different lanes. The shops were constructed in narrow spaces, covered with brightly-coloured canopies overhead.

Kali came off his horse with his guards in tow. Kali signaled them not to follow, except for Koko and Vikoko, who went wherever he went. He entered the bazaar and made his way. Some were so busy negotiating prices, they didn’t notice the new Commander of the city walking past them, but Kali showed no haste in portraying himself as someone like that. He chose to show he was an ordinary man. His arms were sprawled wide, as his eyes fell upon an old lady sitting behind a table. She had a lot of cards on the table, with multiple gemstones over each pair of cards.

Kali was interested. He had always believed in destiny and the fates. He was innately superstitious. Fortune-telling, Kali had learnt, was the extension of astrology. Kali went there and sat opposite the woman. She had blue eyes, hence she was probably a Naga. But her eyes weren’t exactly the colour of sapphire, but cloudy and pale… until it hit Kali. She was blind, of course. “Kaliyan Seth,” Kali said. The last name, though unknown to many, was his surname. In fact, it had been so long since he had uttered it, he had forgotten it himself.

“Designation?” The woman began shuffling her cards now.

“Middle-class caste,” Kali said.

“Hmph.” She laid the cards in front of him. “Pick one.”

“But I didn’t ask you a question.” He knew about cards a little. They were already around when he was small as well. There were some who read faces, while others who would look at hands and some even just touched the person, interpreted the energy and understood. They were all bogus in his eyes, until once he met a fortune teller, before his expedition of uniting the Manavs and the Tribals. The teller had said it would happen easily, but with a price. Perhaps his deteriorating health was that price, or perhaps it was something else.

“Pick a card,” the woman coldly continued. She had no wrinkles and yet she looked old. That was odd, for her eyes had wisdom and her voice sounded quite young. She had duskier skin than any Naga and had hands that were too small for her body.

Kali did so. The woman touched the card softly, as if feeling it, and then smashed it on the white sheet on which all of her stuff was placed.

“You are lying,” she said. “About your name and your designation.”

Kali smiled. He couldn’t believe the woman had caught on to his lies. Was there a slight uncertainty in his lies or was it really magic?

“All right. I choose not to share either.”

“That won’t be an issue. Touch the card for that.”

Kali did so. “Your energies have been passed into it.” She shuffled the deck and then spread it again. “How many cards do you want me to pick up?”

Kali didn’t have any particular number in mind. “Three,” he entreated his lips to speak for themselves. “Am I not asking any questions?”

“For those who ask questions, they look for a certain answer in every answer and that is how a fraudulent tantric is able to work around that answer until she hits the heart. It’s called reading an individual; the earnestness, the resoluteness, and the body language helps in determining that answer. As such, other astrologers make a lot of money doing this.” She paused, explaining the structure of astrological shams, impressing Kali in the process. “I had the powers of interpreting the future.” She wasn’t even trying to be modest. “To prove I am not like others, I burnt my eyes for I couldn’t see an individual then. I could only feel their energies.”

Kali pursed his lips. He was excited, as he now began to pull three cards out of the scattered bunch. He could feel his stomach lurch and his fingertips growing cold with nervous enthusiasm. She lifted the three cards, brushing her palms across them, to feel the energy of the cards. Kali had never felt so nervous about something. He shouldn’t believe in all of it, like Durukti, but all of this magic and wonder had really interested him.

“Hmmm,” she said, “I see partnership, and a strong one.”

Kali nodded. “Yes, I already have…”

“No, not now. I don’t speak of now. I speak of then. I see partnership between you and an unlikely individual or a group you thought would never be right for a partnership. It’ll change the course of time and help you build a bigger empire if you use them correctly.” The woman kept speaking and Kali peered over the card. It was of two individuals holding each other’s hands as a pact. “And amongst trusted people.”

“What if I don’t?”

“It’ll be one of the reasons for your downfall.”

Kali felt strained. Downfall? He had fought his way till here. He couldn’t believe he would die because of some partnership he failed to live up to. She pulled out a second card, turning it over to reveal a man coming on a white horse, with a blazing sword and long hair. She did the same movements with her hands.

“You will have an adversary with equal brains and strength as you. He will combat you and he will try to destroy you.”

“That’s all right.” Kali shrugged. He was in such an influential position that his life would obviously be at risk.

“He’ll be your greatest foe, but he won’t be the cause of your downfall.”

And the words pierced his chest, even though it was already burning up inside.

“Yes, a male.” She paused, sniffing. “Ah, but there is a problem. He’s not ready yet. He’s exploring.”

Kali shook his head. She turned the third card over.

“You will face betrayal from the ones you trust,” she said with a crooked smile.

Kali couldn’t take this anymore. He came onto his feet, the chair rocking from the sudden movement. “This is stupid. Is there no good written for me?”

“I see great power coming your way, Lord Kali,” her voice had turned into a snarl, as she giggled.

“Use it wisely otherwise it’ll corrupt you,” she said craftily.

And just then he felt a sharp lunge from the back, and the plunging dagger twisted deep within him. His hand swept at the back, holding the serrated dagger that had been stabbed into him. He pulled out the dagger, turning around to see a man, dressed in a cloak. Kali called out to the twins, who were busy watching a performer. When they heard him, they rushed over. The assassin decided to run in the ensuing confusion.

Kali collapsed, but he tried his best to hold onto the assassin’s leg. He tripped. Kali pulled away the cloak. By the time the twins came, they were quick enough to plunge their blades inside his neck, ripping his throat and spraying blood on the unsuspecting bystanders. The entire bustling bazaar had come to a standstill. Koko and Vikoko made way for Kali now, as they lifted him up. A sharp, crackling pain was careening down his spine, as he slowly swiveled his head and saw the old woman had disappeared.

“We should leave, my lord.”

“Sho…show me the body.”

Kali was pulled forward by his generals, and by this time, the guards who waited outside the bazaar had come in and pushed the crowd from coming too close. Kali knelt down, his hand going for the man’s hood that concealed his chest. He tore it open, with the leftover strength he had in him.