THE HEIR OF CHANDRANAGARA

WRITER’S NOTE

    After a long time, I have completed a story that has taken around 7 months to complete! Even by my own leisurely standards of writing, that is a long time! I request readers to let me know how you feel about the story. If the feedback is positive, I may write more. If the feedback is critical, I may write even more also (please don’t reduce the criticism for this reason!)! At 6800+ words, this may qualify as a long short story or a short novella!

    When I read this story, I can pick out many points to improve. Still, I feel rather proud of this story. I hope you also like it.

THE HEIR OF CHANDRANAGARA

    The king of Chandranagara, the dark and strong Bhaskara looked worried. His long, bearded face with its narrow eyes and pointed chin showed the concern. His prime minister and friend the priest Govinda noticed it and contemplated on how he could find out what was worrying King Bhaskara. Govinda quickened his pace. "King, it appears that something is troubling you", said Govinda. The king Bhaskara's worried look momentarily disappeared as he looked at his friend. "Yes, it is the situation in the north of Chandranagara. The bandits are causing a lot of trouble again.", replied Bhaskara. Govinda made an expression of irritation.

    At times, bandits hiding in the forests and hills in the north of the kingdom would suddenly swoop down and attack the villages there. They would loot the villages and worse, destroy the crop. By the time the king's army could respond, they would retreat back into the forests on the hills. "They must be caught and an example made of some of them, so that the others learn to respect us.", said Bhaskara firmly. Govinda nodded slowly. A thought struck him. He went ahead of the king and stood in front of him. Surprised, the king halted. It was unusual of the minister to interrupt the path of the king. "My apologies, my king, but I have an idea.", said Govinda.

    Bhaskara looked at the thin, round-faced Govinda. "Go on", said Bhaskara. "As a king, it will take you at least a couple of days to reach the north. Sending somebody else instead, who can reach in good time will be better.", said Govinda. Bhaskara thought for a while. "Yes, if there is somebody who can ride continuously and reach the north, we could catch a few of the bandits, if not all.", agreed Bhaskara. "My only concern is who can ride so quickly. Our Defence Minister is at the southern borders to rebuild the camp there. We need other senior soldiers in the capital for security here. My brother cannot ride that quickly, just like me. I need you to manage the revenue collection here.", continued Bhaskara. Govinda's fair face was beaming as he said: "King, this is where my idea comes in. You can send your brother's son along with several soldiers!" Bhaskara thought a bit. His brother Somashekhar had a son called Vikrama. The young man was eager to learn and enthusiastic. "It is a good idea. Let us check on this with Somashekhara and Vikrama himself", commented Bhaskara.

    They headed to the inner palace grounds. Vikrama was practising his sword fighting moves. He paused, noticing his uncle. The strapping lad with a square face and an authoritative chin was sweating from the exertion of the sword fighting. His eyes looked alive. "Vikrama, will you go to the north to fight the bandits there?", asked Bhaskara directly. "Only if Sister comes along with me.", replied Vikrama immediately. Bhaskara was taken aback. His daughter Parvathi and Vikrama had grown up virtually together. After Bhaskara's wife, the queen Maya had died in a hunting accident a few years ago, it was Somashekhar's wife Nandaa who had taken on the role of the mother in Parvathi's life. It was natural that Vikrama and Parvathi were close, playing games and learning together as if they were brother and sister. Parvathi was older to Vikrama. He called her Sister out of natural respect. Still, Bhaskara was surprised that Vikrama wanted Parvathi to accompany him.

    Chandashekhar looked at Govinda. "What do you think, my prime minister? Should Parvathi join Vikrama?", asked Bhaskara. Govinda's intelligent eyes gleamed as he replied, "Yes, she will learn." Somashekhara had also joined them. His narrow face broke into a smile as he said: "Yes, I feel that the two of them can go together. They should only remember not to race against each other or fight each other, like they do in this ground!" Bhaskara and Govinda burst out laughing! The two cousins Parvathi and Vikrama enjoyed competing against each other and claiming victory in all competitions. The competition was restricted to the ground, though.

    Bhaskara realised that his daughter had stepped out. He looked at the entrance. Standing there was a young girl, with bright eyes and long limbs. "Did you hear us Parvathi? Will you and Vikrama take on the bandits in the north?", asked Bhaskara. Parvathi replied in her calm voice: "Yes father, leave it to us. We will destroy all of them!" "I will be very happy if you can do that!", remarked Bhaskara.

    Bhaskara and Govinda were alone. The king and Govinda were friends since a couple of decades. “Govinda, I will soon make an announcement of a new ruler for Chandranagara.”, said Bhaskara. Govinda was rather surprised. His forehead creased with a look of concern. “My king, what can you mean? You are in the prime of your life. Kings usually appoint heirs well after their fiftieth birthday!”, he remarked. Bhaskara smiled. “Yes, that is correct, Govinda. Since Maya passed away, I have been wondering who would be my successor. The responsibilities of being a king and the day-to-day issues that I have to address have become like a burden to me. I fear that with this attitude, I can make mistakes as a ruler. It would be better if somebody else takes on the day-to-day responsibilities. I will guide the ruler, of course. To me, Vikrama appears to be the most suitable person as a young prince. In the royal family, he is the most capable and eager.”, said Bhaskara. “You could continue at least for a few years, until Vikrama also gains maturity.”, said Govinda. “Yes, I could do that, but it will mean postponing the decision. I have a feeling that the people of our kingdom will be upset once I announce my decision to stand down. I want to give enough time for them to adjust to the new ruler.”, continued Bhaskara. “Also, I can guide my successor for a longer time, giving enough time for my heir to get adjusted to the responsibilities of a ruler.”, said Bhaskara. “On that point, I agree with you, my king.”, concurred Govinda. “Have you told Somashekhara?”, asked Govinda. “Yes, I discussed this topic with him and Nanda. Both have said that the decision was mine to take. Like you, they asked me what was the hurry in declaring an heir so quickly. Like I told you, I informed them that I would like to give adequate time for my successor to settle in.”, replied Bhaskara. Govinda slowly nodded.

    Outside, Parvathi had donned her armour and checked that her bow was strung correctly. She took out the sword from its scabbard and practised a few moves, feeling its weight and balance. Satisfied with it, she called out: “Vikrama, you are slow!” There was an immediate reply from outside, from Vikrama: “Sister, I am already checking the wheels of my chariot!” Parvathi smiled, knowing that Vikrama’s voice had come from the left, while the horse chariots were to the right side! He was trying to fool her! Still, she was silent and headed outwards towards the chariots on the right. “My daughter, do you think 200 soldiers will be enough to manage?”, asked Bhaskara. Parvathi thought for a while. “Speed is important for us. Managing a quick ride with 200 soldiers could be difficult. The bandits are supposed to be around 50. I feel that 100 soldiers should be enough, father.”, replied Parvathi. Bhaskara and Govinda looked at each other. The same thought was in the minds of both friends: Parvathi had made an important point, but entrusting the safety and the lives of the prince and the princess to 100 soldiers was risky. Bhaskara said: “You make a point, Parvathi. I will send 100 soldiers, but they will be the guards for Somashekhara, Nandaa and me. I intend to see both you and Vikrama back, triumphant!”

    “So be it, Father. We will return soon.”, said Parvathi. Vikrama had heard the conversation. “Uncle is being extra careful. We could have gone with the army soldiers rather than his guards”, remarked Vikrama. “Yes, I wanted to protest, but then if he sends 150 or 200 soldiers instead, the purpose of this campaign would not be met.”, said Parvathi. Vikrama nodded.

    “Vikrama, if we have to be successful, we need to be quick. Let us start immediately and aim to reach in a day’s time.’, said Parvathi. Vikrama thought over the idea and said: “I agree, Sister. The bandits loot and disappear into the hills. Having come down from the hills, they will be in the northern villages at least for a couple of days. If we reach within a day, we can surprise them.”

    The two cousins headed towards the chariots even as Vikrama called out to the guards to join them. Preparations for the ride and the battle with the bandits began right away. In a few hours, the team was ready to ride. “Soldiers, do you have your weapons? Have you checked the horses and the feed for them? Speed will be important now, but before we begin, check that your armours, weapons and chariots are good. If the wheels of the chariot require tightening, take the time to do it now. We should not be spending time on these activities once we start.”, said Vikrama in a friendly voice. One of the soldiers asked: “Prince, who is in command?” Vikrama looked surprised and turned to Parvathi as he said: “Sister, you are the older among us. Will you issue orders?” Parvathi’s eyes also became a little worried. She thought for some time before replying: “Until we reach the north, Vikrama will be in charge. Once we get to the villages where the bandits are roaming, I shall be your leader.”

    Govinda frowned and addressed Bhaskara as he said: “Two people in command of a campaign will not work. Shall I guide the princess to let Vikrama assume command completely?” Bhaskara looked at him. “No, let us not interfere. Vikrama is already issuing orders for the soldiers to assemble. I suppose that when they reach the north, there will be some confusion among the soldiers, but let the youngsters sort it out.” “My king, sorting out who will lead even as a battle beckons will not be the right thing to do.”, commented Govinda. “Yes Govinda, but if you or I make a declaration now, the authority of Vikrama and Parvathi will be reduced. Do you recall how Parvathi plays chess? She thinks of two moves in advance! For the battle, she is better suited to lead!”, said Bhaskara.

    Vikrama and Parvathi approached the two of them. “Uncle, we take your leave. We have to leave as soon as possible.”, said Vikrama. Bhaskara nodded and asked: “How will you decide when Parvathi will take over?” It was Parvathi who replied: “As we approach the villages, I shall take up the leader’s flag from Vikrama’s chariot so that the soldiers realise that I have assumed command, my king.” “Good, be watchful and look for informants or suspicious people. The bandits could not have launched this attack without having informants tell them about the villages.”, said Bhaskara.

    Parvathi and Vikrama nodded and set out. It was a ride that the guards of Bhaskara had never experienced. Vikrama asked one senior guard to take the lead. He and Parvathi followed him. Vikrama noticed that after some time, the gap between the lead chariot and his chariot decreased. Once he noticed this, he realised that the pace was slackening. He politely asked the guard to step back and asked another guard to take the lead. In this manner, fresh legs of horses were always in the lead. Vikrama and Parvathi were skilful with their horses to keep pace with the lead consistently.

    The convoy covered the distance to the north quickly. As the light reduced in the evening, Vikrama said: “We will have to camp soon. Sister, I feel that you need to take the leader’s flag in the morning. We will be in the village well before the harsh sunlight of the afternoon sun.” Parvathi nodded and said: “Vikrama, I have been thinking about what my father said: the bandits certainly have informants in the village. This is how they are able to retreat speedily into the forests and hills on the northern side. We should prevent them from doing that.” “Just how do you think we can do that, Sister? Even when they raided other villages earlier, by the time our soldiers fought them from the southern side, they would disappear into the hills in the north.”, remarked Vikrama. “You are right, Vikrama. There are multiple roads leading to the hills from all villages in this area. If our soldiers were waiting in one, they would take the other roads.”, said a thoughtful Parvathi. She continued: “Blocking the roads in the village is not a good idea, since there are alternative roads. The bandits may also know less frequently used roads from the village. Instead, we should wait for them at the base of the foothills.” Vikrama’s eyes widened as he mulled over this sentence. “Sister, reaching the base of the hills will require at least two hours more. It will be well past afternoon by the time we reach.”, said Vikrama. “Not we Vikrama, just you and a few others.”, snapped Parvathi with some irritation. Again, Vikrama looked surprised. “Sister, what do you mean?”, he questioned.

    Parvathi explained: “We need to split up. Even as the first rays of the sun bring light, you need to start for the foothills with half of our soldiers. What I will do is bring the remaining half into the village. Hopefully, we will capture some. If not, we will continue on one of the roads to the hills. It is possible that we may lose the bandits, but they will be spotted by you if you are at the base. Once you see them, play the trumpets and drums. If we get to know which road they take, we shall do so likewise. I will know that you have seen them. We can use different tunes from the trumpets and drums to indicate which road the bandits are coming from. We will go into that road, once we hear from you.” This was a bold plan that Parvathi had made, thought Vikrama. “What happens if the road is far from the road you have taken?”, he asked. “We will take the main road. The other roads have more trees and are wilder. I feel that we will be able to chase them from the main road even if they take one of those roads, though we may be unable to catch them.”, replied Parvathi. “This should work!”, said Vikrama sounding hopeful. He gave the order for the convoy to stop.

    The weary group of soldiers got down from their carts and began removing their armours. The soldiers on guard created a perimeter of safety for the rest. As they began to relax, “Let us decide on the trumpet and drum tunes for the roads from the village.”, said Parvathi to Vikrama. The two of them conversed in low tones and finalised the signals. The moonlight cast a pale shadow on the clearing where the convoy had halted. After eating, the soldiers retired to a peaceful night’s sleep.

    The next morning Vikrama got up as soon as he heard the call of the first birds. Daylight had still to make its appearance. The convoy assembled as Vikrama handed over the leader’s flag to Parvathi. She took it and addressed the soldiers. “Today morning will be an important one for our kingdom. Prince Vikrama shall leave with half of our team to the foothills and await us there. The rest of us will ride swiftly to the village and attempt to capture the bandits alive, as much as possible. If they fight us back, let us give a fitting reply and make them fear our weapons! If they escape, the prince will alert us if he spots them and also indicate by different tunes which route they have taken. We will have to be agile and alert! Let us give the bandits a lesson that they will remember!”, exhorted Parvathi.

    Vikrama took half of the convoy, ensuring that he had some loud trumpets and drums. Parvathi saw him depart and said: “Let us make haste also. Time is of the essence here!” Even as the first traces of dawn made its appearance, the convoy started dismantling the camp that had been set up for the night.

    “Let us be as silent as we can be until we near the village. Once we near it, I want a loud noise so that the bandits get the feeling that there is a huge convoy chasing them! Let us all blow our conch shells and drums as loud as possible so that the sound itself terrifies the bandits!”, said Parvathi.

    The convoy approached the village. The rays of the sun illuminated the fields and the houses. Parvathi looked at the signs of destruction caused by the bandits: the crop had been destroyed, a fence was razed and there were ashes with dying embers. She felt a sense of rage at the wanton destruction. She shouted loudly: “Let our drums and conch shells herald the strength of our weapons!”

    The sound of many conch shells and loud drum beats blew out, shattering the peaceful morning. The convoy of soldiers sped through to the main road in the village. Parvathi kept an eye out to see any retreating bandits. On the north western side of the village near some trees she saw a group of men quickly mount horses that had been roaming free there. “There, near the trees: they are planning to flee!”, she exclaimed. “Let us keep to the main road for now. Let us be together!”, commanded Parvathi. The convoy saw several bandits urging their horses forward. They took a narrow road that diverged away from the north of the village, which gradually veered westwards.

    “Slow down, I want to confirm the road that they have taken”, said Parvathi to her convoy. After confirming that the bandits were indeed on the north western road, Parvathi recalled the tune that she and Vikrama had decided. “Soldiers, I want you to play this particular tune”, she guided and told them the tune. As they approached the northern side of the village, it was less crowded. “Louder”, said Parvathi. “Let us reach the hills as soon as possible on this road itself”, she continued. The convoy sped on the main road towards the hills.

    Vikrama had reached the foothills later than he had expected. He had decided to stay as close to the forests as possible to avoid any informants who could inform the bandits. That had slowed him down. When he saw the foothills at some distance, he hoped that Parvathi had not been too fast. He led his convoy with some greater haste forward.

    He reached the foothills shortly and ascended it along with his convoy with caution and some fear: if there were bandits on the hill, it would be a tough battle. As they ascended, he looked for signs of habitation: fire, ashes or disturbance in the greenery of the hills. Thankfully, there were none. “We are safe here. Let us find rocks behind which we can hide. Keep the horses in the among the trees itself.”, he commanded.

    The convoy waited for the signal. Vikrama noticed how the eagerness of the soldiers dwindled as the morning passed. He silently moved among them to keep their alertness up. His own alertness regained his edge as he moved from rock to rock. One of the soldiers made a gesture to alert him and Vikrama closed his eyes to listen closely. There was no mistaking it: drums and trumpets played one of the tunes that Parvathi and he had decided. This meant that the bandits were coming via the north western road from the village.

    Vikrama positioned his soldiers behind rocks and trees near the north western road. Peering from the top of a high rock, he saw two clouds of dust on two roads: one on the north western road from the villages where the bandits sped towards him, which looked closer and the other on the main road that was further away. “Sister will need some time to catch up. We need to make the most of the surprise element.”, he thought. He directed his convoy to keep their weapons ready by gestures and then put a finger to his lips to indicate the need for silence.

    As the sound of the bandits’ horses became louder and approached the hill, Vikrama reached for his conch to give the signal for attack. A few seconds later, the loud cry of the conch shell sounded from the rocks on the hill. The bandits rushing towards the hills and the forests on the hills were visibly confused. Some of their horses neighed as their reins were yanked by the bandits. Others halted gradually.

    A flurry of arrows suddenly rained from the rocks and boulders on the hills on the bandits! Totally unprepared and already surprised from the attack by the convoy of soldiers behind them, the bandits were in a state of disarray. Unable to see who was attacking them initially, panic began to enter their ranks.

    Vikrama sensed their panic. To take full advantage, he shouted out to his convoy of soldiers: “Let us capture these bandits for our King!” Seeing the armed soldiers, the bandits became fearful. Most of them headed towards smaller roads into the hills. A few remained to fight. Vikrama had to make a quick decision: “Soldiers, stay together. Aim your arrows at the bandits who flee. Let us aim to capture these bandits alive who are fighting here.” Accordingly, some of the soldiers aimed arrows at the bandits fleeing in the side roads. They heard the cries of pain from the bandits as the arrows dispatched by them pierced their bodies.

    The bandits who had remained hid behind the trees in the foothills. The bandits and the soldiers faced each other in a battle of hide and seek. “This can take too much time”, thought Vikrama. Approaching the hill from the main road, Parvathi had the same thought. “If Vikrama has launched an attack from the hills, the bandits must be in the trees at the foothills, retreating back on the north western road. I wonder if we can scare them into approaching the main road.”, she mused. She thought quickly and came to a decision. “Soldiers, I want those of you with our drums and trumpets to quickly ride across to the north western road and create a loud noise. Remember, if the bandits ride to attack, hide! You will be outnumbered, I believe. The purpose of our noise will be to make them take the main road. Hopefully, Vikrama and I can round them up now after that!”, she instructed.

    A few soldiers with drums and trumpets sped on fast horses on a narrow trail towards the north western road, appearing on the road chasing the retreating bandits. Parvathi organised the remaining convoy in a combat mode, ready to face any bandits who would come from the north western road. From the hill, Vikrama saw that a group of soldiers had left Parvathi’s convoy. “What is Sister doing? The bandits can easily fight against this small group. Why is she splitting up a small force?”, he wondered. He watched the development closely.

    As the smaller group of soldiers approached the north western road, he saw them stop and then suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of loud drum beats and trumpets. Vikrama observed that the bandits became less active. As the loudness of the music increased, he saw that the bandits were discussing. Suddenly, he saw that a few horses of the bandits neighed and then he saw the bandits heading towards the main road. “I see what Sister is doing! She is getting the bandits to come to her. Now we must also aim to reach the main road!”, thought Vikrama.

    “Soldiers, let us go down the main road immediately”, he commanded. The convoy complied and quickly got to the main road leading from the village to the hill. The bandits were taking a narrow trail from the north western road to the main road. They had to come in single file, one behind the other. As they approached the main road, Parvathi blew her conch to guide her soldiers and also to inform Vikrama that a battle was about to begin!

    Vikrama heard the conch shell and urged his convoy to quicken up even further, blowing his own conch shell. The bewildered bandits simply did not know what was going on! On one hand, they heard loud music behind them signifying soldiers who seemed ready to fight them. On the other hand, they faced a group of armed soldiers who had pursued them from the village. From the hill, they saw that there were more soldiers advancing quickly. Unable to decide what they should do, the battle ended as an anti-climax. Some of the bandits disappeared into the forest and took less trodden trails leading around the hill. Other bandits fought the soldiers but suffered so heavily in retaliation that they gave up. Others gave up their weapons and surrendered.

    Vikrama saw that the battle was over. He reached across to Parvathi. Her eyes were bright with the excitement and thrill of battle, but he could see that she was already ordering the soldiers to bind the captured bandits securely. “Tie the bandits securely. They should not escape!”, said Parvathi. Addressing Vikrama, she said: “Well Vikrama, that was a good morning’s work!”

    The cousins combined their convoys and stopped in the village. “I shall inform the king about the destruction caused by the bandits. I am sure the king will make sure that the village recovers quickly. You can see that the bandits have been captured. You can rest easy now, knowing that they will be punished severely.”, said Parvathi to the villagers. The villagers bowed in gratitude. Out of respect for the village elders, Parvathi, Vikrama and the captain of the convoy also bowed.

    Halting for some time to prepare for their journey back, the convoy set out in the late afternoon back to Chandranagara. The ride back was considerably slower. Parvathi stopped the convoy for the night midway, ensuring that there were guards for the custody of the bandits. The next morning, Vikrama led the convoy as it entered Chandranagara. There was a lot of curiosity from the citizens there! The people wanted to see for themselves the bandits who had destroyed the village in the north. The convoy progressed slowly and reached the palace.

    Bhaskara saw Vikrama lead the convoy into the palace doors. He felt a sense of satisfaction. “Do you see how Vikrama leads the way, Govinda? In spite of his young age, he has returned successfully with all members of the convoy. I am sure he will be a worthy heir for Chandranagara.”, told Bhaskara to Govinda. Govinda nodded thoughtfully. “I will announce about the successor for Chandranagara soon.”, continued Bhaskara.

    King Bhaskara summoned the chronicler of the King’s court. “Organise a session of the court and announce that attendance is mandatory.”, declared Bhaskara to the chronicler. The chronicler bowed and stepped away. “I will ask Vikrama and Parvathi to describe the campaign before I announce my decision.”, said Bhaskara to Govinda. “I want to confirm that Chandranagara has the right ruler who can lead the kingdom well.” “My king, what you need to consider is that the ruler is smart and can take quick decisions.”, advised Govinda. Bhaskara nodded his agreement.

    There was a murmur in the court which only increased as the ministers and administrators gathered. Bhaskara waited until all of them were assembled. “I have called for this session to announce a major decision: I plan to announce the next ruler of Chandranagara today!”, declared Bhaskara. A commotion resulted! Incredulous shouts of “What?” and “Why?” could be heard. Bhaskara raised his hand to restore order, even as Govinda pleaded for the court to be silent. “Since Shantingara’s queen passed away in a hunting accident years ago, I have spent time strengthening our security and building market places, roads and gardens. Whenever I see the gardens, I wish to spend time there, remembering the queen. However, the responsibility of running the kingdom gives me little time to do so. Considering that the next generation is now ready to take on the responsibility, I want to hand it over and give the successor the time to settle in for a long reign.”, stated Bhaskara. Again, there was a commotion in the court. “Seeing that the next generation of rulers has been involved in capturing the bandits in the north, let us hear how this was achieved. Following the description, I shall announce my decision on the successor for Shantingara.”, said Bhaskara.

    The eyes of the court followed Bhaskara’s glance as he looked towards Parvathi and Vikrama. There was surprise in the young eyes of both Vikrama and Parvathi. Bhaskara noted the surprise and the fact that the extra attention was disconcerting the youngsters. To put them at their ease, he said: “Let us hear about how our princess and prince were able to capture the bandits in their own words. It is a credit to them that there has been no loss of life of our guards and soldiers. It is also creditable that they have been able to accomplish this job so quickly and so efficiently. I will ask Parvathi to summarise what happened and then Vikrama.”

    Even as Bhaskara was speaking, Parvathi whispered to Vikrama: “Vikrama, we will have to make grand speeches. Do you recall all the advice that our priest Govinda gave us about how to make an impressive speech?” “Sister, you know that I used to hate it whenever he scolded us.”, responded Vikrama!

    When Bhaskara asked Parvathi to summarise, she smiled quickly at Vikrama when he made this remark and then stood up to address the court. In a clear voice she said: “Honoured ministers and administrators, I shall summarise how we captured the bandits. We set out in the morning at a fast pace. Our plan was to split up in the morning: Vikrama reached the foothills while I entered the village. I pursued the bandits who went through the north western road to the hills. We were on the main road, running parallel to them. We had set tunes for each road the previous evening. I instructed the guards with me to play the tune for the north western road. Vikrama arranged the remaining guards with him to attack from the hills on to the north western road. Our plan worked. The bandits did not expect the attack from the foothills as well as from behind them!”

    “Vikrama’s attack scattered the bandits into the trees in the north western road. So, I asked a few of our guards to make a loud noise and pursue them on the north western road. This confused the bandits who thought that there were many soldiers coming behind them on that road also! They went to the main road, where we were able to capture most of them.”, concluded Parvathi.

    Bhaskara’s face which showed pride initially now looked a little worried. Govinda wondered what was playing on his mind. Bhaskara said: “Vikrama, let us hear from you.” Vikrama looked at Parvathi who gave him a look of encouragement. Vikrama began: “Respected audience, princess Parvathi has described what happened. I can only add what happened at the foothills. At the foothills, it was mainly a period of waiting until I heard the tune we had selected for the north western road from the village. I marshalled the soldiers to attack the bandits coming from that road. Once they were sufficiently close, all of us attacked from the foothills. The attack succeeded completely! Some of the bandits retreated back on the same road. That is when princess Parvathi sent some of our soldiers to face them. Now they were stuck! From the foothills, the soldiers with me pursued them. From the north western road ahead of them, they could see that princess Parvathi’s soldiers advanced on them. Surrounded on both sides, they surrendered to us.”

    Bhaskara nodded and he asked: “There could not have been too may soldiers on that road, isn’t it?” Both Parvathi and Vikrama were startled on hearing this question. The king’s awareness of the situation that they had faced was an unexpected one. “This is the voice of experience speaking.”, thought Parvathi as she replied: “Yes, which is why I asked them to make a lot of noise to appear as if they were a bigger convoy. That worked well for us!”

    Bhaskara’s body tensed. Govinda who was watching him closely realised that Bhaskara was under pressure. “What’s happening here? My king appears stressed. I should give him some time to recover.”, thought Govinda. “While the king prepares to finalise his announcement, let us celebrate the defeat of the bandits and ask the captain of the convoy to describe the campaign also.”, said Govinda. Bhaskara shot a glance of relief at Govinda. He recognised that Govinda was doing this to give him a few minutes to recover. The captain of the convoy bowed and narrated his version, which confirmed what Parvathi and Vikrama had narrated. Even as he neared the end of the narration, Bhaskara nodded slightly to Govinda. Govinda understood that this was a sign to say that Bhaskara was ready to make the announcement.

    After the captain concluded, Govinda said: “My king, on behalf of the court, I request you to announce your successor.” The king stood up from his throne and advanced: “This is an unusual move. It is unheard of in the history of our kingdom that a king willingly gives up his throne. I have explained my reasons: the loss of the queen has affected me. I want to spend some time recalling her deeds. Some of us in the court will feel that this is a selfish decision. I have no argument against this comment: I myself have struggled to judge whether this is the right decision to take. One major factor for me is that I want to see for myself how Chandranagara will be ruled. This is possible only if I stand aside. The other factor is that this is not completely unknown. Haven’t we heard about how Bheeshma managed Hastinapura when Dhritharashtra and Pandu were children? Now I am no Bheeshma, but I do believe that it will be good for younger rulers of the kingdom to have a senior member to advise and guide them.”

    Bhaskara continued: “Now the question or decision to be made is who will be the successor. There are two alternatives: my daughter, the princess Parvathi and second, my nephew, the prince Vikrama. It has always been a male who is chosen to rule the kingdom simply because of the greater strength. Therefore, Vikrama is the logical choice as the successor.”

    A commotion broke out and shouts of “Victory to prince Vikrama” could be heard in the court. Bhaskara silenced the court by raising his hand. At the same time, he looked at Vikrama and Parvathi. He saw that the cousins were looking at each other, bewildered. “Ruling a kingdom requires physical strength for sure. However, there are other capabilities required for a leader. It is my assessment that these capabilities are present in princess Parvathi. Let it be announced tomorrow that princess Parvathi will be the next ruler of Chandranagara!”, declared Bhaskara with conviction.

    For a few seconds, there was silence. Then shouts of “Victory to princess Parvathi” were heard. Bhaskara looked around the court and saw surprise and uneasiness on many faces. This was what he had expected, irrespective of what the decision was. The difference was that the number of such faces with surprise was more. Bhaskara addressed the court chronicler: “Let the announcement be made across the kingdom that Chandranagara’s next ruler shall be prince Parvathi in accordance with the wishes of the king. Let it also be declared that I shall guide her along with the other ministers and administrators. Does anybody in this court have any questions or comments?” Govinda spoke up: “My king, I cannot challenge your decision. However, did you consider how our people will react to a woman ruling our kingdom?” Bhaskara looked at him approvingly: “I appreciate the question, Govinda. The truth is that I do not know the answer. It is quite possible that there may be a rebellion or unrest due to my decision. My reply is this: it is possible that there will be discontent in the kingdom due to my decision. If I had not taken this decision, I am sure that the opportunity for progress and development would have been lesser! I stand by my decision. If there are questions or protests from the people, I shall answer them.” The session ended soon.

    Parvathi went to her father and said: “My king, you have placed a great responsibility on me.” Bhaskara smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder and said: “Yes, but I know that you will handle it well. Understand your new responsibilities well in the next few weeks and months.”

    Parvathi went from Bhaskara to Vikrama. “Vikrama, what a strange and important day this has been. I am overwhelmed by this decision.”, she said. Vikrama looked pleased. “Sister, you deserve it.”, said Vikrama. “You may be feeling disappointed Vikrama. The king must have looked at how we have captured the bandits to make this decision. That capture was possible because we set such a fast pace in reaching the village. That was entirely your doing. I am unsure why the king felt I was more deserving!”, said Parvathi. “Yes, I did set a fast pace, but it was you who suggested that we should split. You also asked the soldiers from the main road to make a lot of noise when they took the north western road. The king must have considered these facts.”

    Bhaskara and Govinda were discussing the same topic. Govinda said: “My king, the decision you have made is a crucial one. You have changed your mind. Are you sure about this decision? Are you sure that it will be taken up well by our citizens? It is my opinion that Vikrama was probably the better choice.” Bhaskara replied: “I cannot make decisions based on how they are perceived by the people, Govinda. You know this as well as I do. Having a woman rule the kingdom is certainly a huge change, but then so is the fact that a king is stepping down voluntarily. I want Chandranagara to be ruled by a person who can take intelligent decisions. If that person is a woman, then so be it!”

    Govinda said: “My king, there are enemies both outside and inside. You know that Chandranagara has troublesome neighbours. There are also people ready to start rebellions within our kingdom for the smallest of reasons. With a woman leading the kingdom, we will need to be more alert.” Bhaskara smiled and replied: “Govinda, I agree with you. Our enemies whether they are within our kingdom or outside will think that this is the right opportunity to strike. It may be to our advantage if we are prepared and our enemies think that we are weak. Now the key point is that we should not be weak! Here, I am confident that Parvathi will ensure that we are vigilant with the guidance of people like you and me.”

    “I thought that prince Vikrama would have been your successor, my king.”, remarked Govinda. “Vikrama did set a quick pace to reach the bandits and attacked the bandits, but who made the decision to split the convoy? Who decided that the troops should go to the north western road as well? It was princess Parvathi who thought about these ideas. Govinda, it is you who say that strength alone is not the criterion for determining the true test of leadership. Along with strength, the ruler of the kingdom needs to have sharp intelligence, courage, a willingness to take risks, make decisions quickly and the ability to think two steps ahead of a normal person. In the campaign to capture the bandits, we could see these attributes displayed by both our prince Vikrama and princess Parvathi. The ability to take smart decisions quickly was shown by princess Parvathi. Hearing both Parvathi and Vikram describe the campaign, I feel that princess Parvathi is the more suitable successor.”, explained Bhaskara.

  “My king, you have made an important decision. I have been your priest and your friend. I am sure you have considered all points before making this decision. Let us see how the future unfolds.”, said Govinda. Smiling, the two allies walked together into the palace rooms.