part0069

Lord Kali didn’t really worry about finding Chief Martanja. Like every other Rakshas, he would be sitting in his building, or perhaps working his way through the street, marching his soldiers. But most likely, he would be in a tavern, drinking sura and enjoying the little things in life. Koko and Vikoko found him wasted in such an establishment.

Kali entered, seeing the man reeking of liquor. For a Rakshas, this was a surprising sight. Rakshas were disciplined men from the South, working their way up to the top. They were quite extraordinary and yet the paramilitary chief of Rakshas was here, in this state. Surely, if Raktapa found out, Martanja would have a hard time explaining his lackadaisical attitude to him. Unlike Martanja, Raktapa didn’t have a bad day. His bad days were the good days and his good days were his better days. It was perhaps the one eye that troubled Martanja.

At the sound of Kali’s boots, Martanja fidgeted, but he continued to remain half asleep. Kali looked at his guards, who weren’t drinking, but rather kneeling behind him. Kali always liked this kind of respect, for it gave him a boost of confidence and made him feel good about himself.

Kali sat on the opposite chair, one leg on top of another. He didn’t do anything, but sat there watching the man. Drinking made pathetic losers out of the strongest of men. That was one reason why despite all his other vices, he kept drinks at an abeyance.

Koko came forward and shook Martanja. He was dumbfounded for a moment, before he realized it was Kali’s personal guard who had the temerity to wake him up. He frantically came to his feet, spilling the wine in the process when he saw Kali.

“Sorry,” he blinked hard, “I was uh…”

“It’s all right,” Kali waved at him with a friendly grin. “Cheer, don’t worry. We all deserve a rest, right?”

Martanja watched him for a moment, as if Lord Kali, the Usurper of Indragarh, had really said what he thought he had just said.

“I was ill, a while back and I rested, and I’m fine now.”

“What’s wrong with your hair?”

Kali felt anger surging inside him. No one should talk about his hair, not even a mild chief of a stupid tribe. He had a few sparse tufts growing unevenly over his scalp, while his face was getting duller by the day. “It’s my uh…it’s my illness, nothing else. I’ll be fine.”

Martanja must have sensed his insecurity, for he leaned forward.

“You know, I heard what happened to you.”

“Rumors are poison, surely you know that?”

“But if it’s true, the rumours, my lord, then I am positive you were poisoned,” Martanja smiled foolishly, looking at Kali. “Now I’m not pointing anything out, my lord.” He had a way of speaking, his words slipping and half-eaten, not the most coherent words Kali had ever heard someone speak. “But you must really watch your back. There’s a saying in Eelam. It goes like: the winners often have arrows in their backs from the very ones they love.”

Kali nodded. “I’ve heard that. That’s why I have them.” He signalled at Koko and Vikoko, who straightened at being mentioned by their Lord.

“Loyalists,” Martanja nodded back. “And why have I been honoured with your company, my lord? What kind of deed have I done, good or bad?”

Kali pulled out a small vial from the pocket of his tunic, which he sipped. “What is this, really?” he signalled at the vial.

Martanja took the vial of blue liquid. “And why do you ask a humble Rakshas, my lord?”

“Because,” Kali leaned forward, his fingers clasping together, his face half hidden in the shadows of the room, “I got to know what you two did. And it was not nice. Durukti is an impulsive child. She sees terror and she seeks a solution. She saw her brother probably dying and she tried to help, regardless of the consequences. But that isn’t the problem. No. The problem is the very place she sought for the remedy. Now,” he picked up the vial, studying the glinting blue liquid. “I want to know what this is, that is helping me. She says it’s an extract from a herb. But I don’t believe it. I feel it’s something else. It’s something out of this world, after all.”

Martanja chided him. “And why don’t you ask your sister?”

Kali couldn’t. He felt embarrassed about doubting her and showing his suspicion. She would hate him for that. Ever since the beginning, their love had been unconditional and nothing had come in between it. It was just her and him, against the world.

“You are nervous around her, my lord. I wonder why, she’s just a woman. What makes you so nervous around a woman?”

“She’s my sister.”

“Don’t really matter in our culture,” Martanja shrugged. “Wives, sisters, prostitutes; all are same for us.”

Rakshas had an open relationship with their women, for their ancestors were incestuous in nature.

“It’s the men that carry the burden of this world, my lord,” he grinned.

“I’m sure they do quite well with that sense of burden, just like you.”

Martanja stopped grinning and watched Kali in contempt. “You want to know what this is. It is indeed out of this world and from what my men say, it’s from the Gods. This is a nectar of magical proportions. Incorrect dosages can make you go mad. Why didn’t you get affected?”

“How do you know all of this?”

“A man who helps someone should know everything about who he’s helping and what he’s helping in,” Martanja explained.

“And you didn’t think of ever taking it?”

Martanja smiled. “I don’t know. I never thought I was allowed.”

“When has it ever stopped you?”

He laughed. “My lord, you understand me truly well.”

“You didn’t use it because Durukti made sure to never let it be found by anyone else. She has hidden it somewhere in the city and you don’t know about it. You have tried searching for the elixir and the futile attempts have led you here, where you imagine the suras are the elixir and you drink it up,” Kali explained. “What if I tell you I found the warehouse where she has kept it?”

“My informants are better than your men.” Kali signalled again at his twin generals.

Martanja looked at them with delight. “You know, I would really love to know how you all met each other. I’m sure it is a great story.”

“We are all a part of the story’s narrative, chief.” Kali smiled.

Standing in the reservoir, which smelled of ore and fossils, Kali made sure to station the guards around the entrance to the warehouse. The Somas, as they were called, were right here, under his fist, unknown to Durukti. Each stone had a rough exterior, with a blue gel inside it, shining and casting brilliant kaleidoscopic images on the walls around him.

Martanja walked, touching the rocks. Kali stood there, at his one place, his hands at the back, letting Martanja enjoying the pleasures of this discovery.

“I’m glad to be here.”

“I’m glad that you are glad,” Kali responded.

Martanja turned around at that statement, blinking his eye. “Why are you doing this, my lord?”

Kali had a straight face. “These rocks, they have helped me to regain my strength. I thought it would help you with your eyes.”

“Oh, they are gone, pulled out forever.”

“Nothing a little magic can’t solve.”

“You believe in magic now?”

Kali came forward. “I believe in a lot of things now. It’s like this has opened my mind to the universe. Now the existence of Gods and Goddesses, they appeal to me rather than repelling me.”

“All of this is charming, my lord, but I seek honesty in your words and I find none. It’s hard to believe, that out of sheer goodwill, you are helping me to bring my sight back.”

“Goodwill is so rare that when one intends to do it, you think it’s some sort of chicanery.”

“Well said,” Martanja nodded. “So tell me, what is it that you really want from me?”

Kali and Martanja stood ten meters away, their faces on opposite sides of each other as they continued to watch each other unblinkingly. Martanja waited for an answer. Kali didn’t seem to be in a hurry. Martanja knew he didn’t do it out of goodwill. He wasn’t running a charity of course. But he couldn’t quite state it in a manner so blasé.

“All right, Raktapa is not here and I need support. I have enemies in the office and I need someone I can trust. In return for your services, you’ll be rewarded with the elixir, as well as gold from my treasury.”

“Here we go,” he laughed, coming forward. “Of course, you can trust me. I am on your side as long as I’m getting what I need.”

“I just gave you what you need.”

The Rakshas had a sly grin. “All right, I’m in.”

Kali smiled, as they shook their hands to cement the deal.

“And for a person who you trust now, I should tell you. Beware of the prisoner your sister has brought in.”

Prisoner? Arching his brows, Kali’s mouth tightened.

“Oh dear, I suppose she hasn’t told you that either.” Martanja tapped Kali’s shoulders. “I think it’s time for a good, long conversation with her, for she fancies the village boy.”