Yoddha: The Dynasty of Samurdagupta (Sample Chapter: THE SPY)
Chapter-10
THE SPY
Viraj was doing his regular rounds diligently across the perimeter of the palace complex. Tonight, he was inspecting the creepers trailing from the other side towards the inside of the inner walls. His shift was over and he was eager to leave, to be with his wife and his newborn baby girl in their small house near the Shiva temple. In the light of the full moon, something caught his attention. It stood apart from the regular. He pointed his fire torch at the creepers. This is really strange, he thought, unable to decide whether he should leave for the time being and report in the morning or pursue the matter right away. He could clearly make out a rope behind the green leafy creepers, made of hemp with knots which could be used very effectively by a trained intruder. Viraj decided to immediately inform the head of security on the inner wall, the veteran Raghuvar. As he dashed nervously across the palace garden towards Raghuvar’s room he heard a rustling sound behind him. He stopped and looked behind. No one. He hurried along on the royal path leading to the guard’s section and Raghuvar’s workplace. Hastily, he pushed open Raghuvar’s door; Raghuvar was seated on a wooden chair examining some documents on his desk in the light of a small oil lamp. Raghuvar was working till late; he had work to complete before leaving on a long pilgrimage of temples near Mathura and Vrindavan. It was his last year before retirement and Raghuvar was taking it easy at work with frequent long leaves. ‘Mahodaya! There is a situation and I thought I must immediately inform you about it,’ Viraj was panting as he spoke the words. Raghuvar sounded sleepy, ‘What is it that brings you to my desk at this time in the night when you should be patrolling the palace compound?’ ‘Someone has put a rope from across the other side of the inner wall concealed behind the creepers. It has equidistant knots to facilitate foothold and hand grip to the person using it,’ said Viraj. Raghuvar’s expression changed as he pounced up from his chair and went near Viraj, ‘That is worrisome. You mean someone is using this for trespassing into the inner palace complex.’ Viraj nodded and Raghuvar started to think aloud, ‘This kind of arrangement cannot be a one-time trespass; there’s more to it. It is a more regular activity. I think we must inform the seniors immediately, especially Dandanayaka Harishena. This is surely an insider and his intentions are sinister.’ ‘What are the orders for me?’ asked Viraj. ‘Did you hear that sound?’ Viraj replied, ‘No!’ Raghuvar said, ‘I felt as if I heard something on the roof of this room. Nonetheless, you hide behind the hedges of the palace garden in the dark and monitor vigilantly till midnight. If we are lucky, the intruder will use the rope tonight and we will have his identity. If he does not turn up tonight, we will repeat this surveillance tomorrow. Also, for god’s sake this should remain between you, me and Dandanayaka Harishena for the next few days.’ Viraj asked, ‘Why is that? Can’t we inform our palace guard team about this finding?’ ‘No! Firstly, I don’t trust people even within our internal team. Speaking to other people will mean that it will eventually reach the ears of our enemies. Also, we should track down any accomplices who work with the intruders. I want to catch all of them totally unaware and for that this has to remain a secret.’ Closing the door behind him, Viraj left for the palace garden. Raghuvar got ready to ask for an emergency meeting with Harishena. Viraj walked quietly in the cold moonlit night to the palace garden and took up position behind a hedge of tall shrubs. Even though his shift was over he did not refuse Raghuvar’s order to keep watch till midnight. His eyes were fixed on the creepers trailing the wall in front of him. He waited for a long time; it was quiet and peaceful around him. Slowly, his eyes closed and before he knew it, he was fast asleep behind the shrubs, on the frost covered grass. He was woken up by the sound of something rustling through the tall grass in front of him. He sprung up instantly but it was a stray mongoose. Viraj smiled and pressed a hand to his heart; his heart was still pounding. The wait was endless and his eyelids were heavy with sleep. Suddenly, Viraj saw a dark figure appear on top of the wall from the other side. His heart thudding, he watched the dark silhouette that had slid down the rope silently and skillfully till he landed on the ground. The flawless precision and speed would put a trained acrobat to shame. The dark figure stood right in front of the hedge behind which Viraj was hiding. Viraj tried to recognize the intruder’s facial features but his face was turned away from the moon. The dark figure turned around and for a moment the moon lit up his face. One look and Viraj felt as if his heart would break out of his chest. At once the dark figure disappeared into the shrubs behind the pond. Viraj could not breathe. His mouth wide open, he gathered courage and stood up. He sprinted on the royal path in front of the pond then took a sudden detour behind the palace residential block to reach Raghuvar’s room. When he barged in, Raghuvar was still seated at his desk. ‘I saw him Mahodaya. You won’t believe this. The intruder is Vyom, the guard of the outer wall!’ Raghuvar mumbled something which was not audible to Viraj. The room was only partially illuminated by a small lamp on the wooden desk and a fire torch attached to the wall. Viraj could not figure out what Raghuvar was trying to say. As he came nearer he saw Raghuvar’s eyes were red. ‘You look angry or disturbed about something.’ Raghuvar’s eyes were protruding. Confused, Viraj sat down on the wooden chair in front of him. A drop of blood dripped down Raghuvar’s lips and his body started to shudder. Blood drained out of Viraj’s face as he noticed that the cloth Raghuvar used to wrap around his neck due to the cold was now tightly fastened around his neck while the old man was gargling blood. Suddenly a dark figure sprung up from behind Raghuvar’s chair. Amber eyes looked at him and the lips curved into a sly smile. Vyom looked like the angel of the dark.
Viraj slid down on the floor and crawled towards the door. ‘Oh Lord Vishnu!’
THE SPY
Viraj was doing his regular rounds diligently across the perimeter of the palace complex. Tonight, he was inspecting the creepers trailing from the other side towards the inside of the inner walls. His shift was over and he was eager to leave, to be with his wife and his newborn baby girl in their small house near the Shiva temple. In the light of the full moon, something caught his attention. It stood apart from the regular. He pointed his fire torch at the creepers. This is really strange, he thought, unable to decide whether he should leave for the time being and report in the morning or pursue the matter right away. He could clearly make out a rope behind the green leafy creepers, made of hemp with knots which could be used very effectively by a trained intruder. Viraj decided to immediately inform the head of security on the inner wall, the veteran Raghuvar. As he dashed nervously across the palace garden towards Raghuvar’s room he heard a rustling sound behind him. He stopped and looked behind. No one. He hurried along on the royal path leading to the guard’s section and Raghuvar’s workplace. Hastily, he pushed open Raghuvar’s door; Raghuvar was seated on a wooden chair examining some documents on his desk in the light of a small oil lamp. Raghuvar was working till late; he had work to complete before leaving on a long pilgrimage of temples near Mathura and Vrindavan. It was his last year before retirement and Raghuvar was taking it easy at work with frequent long leaves. ‘Mahodaya! There is a situation and I thought I must immediately inform you about it,’ Viraj was panting as he spoke the words. Raghuvar sounded sleepy, ‘What is it that brings you to my desk at this time in the night when you should be patrolling the palace compound?’ ‘Someone has put a rope from across the other side of the inner wall concealed behind the creepers. It has equidistant knots to facilitate foothold and hand grip to the person using it,’ said Viraj. Raghuvar’s expression changed as he pounced up from his chair and went near Viraj, ‘That is worrisome. You mean someone is using this for trespassing into the inner palace complex.’ Viraj nodded and Raghuvar started to think aloud, ‘This kind of arrangement cannot be a one-time trespass; there’s more to it. It is a more regular activity. I think we must inform the seniors immediately, especially Dandanayaka Harishena. This is surely an insider and his intentions are sinister.’ ‘What are the orders for me?’ asked Viraj. ‘Did you hear that sound?’ Viraj replied, ‘No!’ Raghuvar said, ‘I felt as if I heard something on the roof of this room. Nonetheless, you hide behind the hedges of the palace garden in the dark and monitor vigilantly till midnight. If we are lucky, the intruder will use the rope tonight and we will have his identity. If he does not turn up tonight, we will repeat this surveillance tomorrow. Also, for god’s sake this should remain between you, me and Dandanayaka Harishena for the next few days.’ Viraj asked, ‘Why is that? Can’t we inform our palace guard team about this finding?’ ‘No! Firstly, I don’t trust people even within our internal team. Speaking to other people will mean that it will eventually reach the ears of our enemies. Also, we should track down any accomplices who work with the intruders. I want to catch all of them totally unaware and for that this has to remain a secret.’ Closing the door behind him, Viraj left for the palace garden. Raghuvar got ready to ask for an emergency meeting with Harishena. Viraj walked quietly in the cold moonlit night to the palace garden and took up position behind a hedge of tall shrubs. Even though his shift was over he did not refuse Raghuvar’s order to keep watch till midnight. His eyes were fixed on the creepers trailing the wall in front of him. He waited for a long time; it was quiet and peaceful around him. Slowly, his eyes closed and before he knew it, he was fast asleep behind the shrubs, on the frost covered grass. He was woken up by the sound of something rustling through the tall grass in front of him. He sprung up instantly but it was a stray mongoose. Viraj smiled and pressed a hand to his heart; his heart was still pounding. The wait was endless and his eyelids were heavy with sleep. Suddenly, Viraj saw a dark figure appear on top of the wall from the other side. His heart thudding, he watched the dark silhouette that had slid down the rope silently and skillfully till he landed on the ground. The flawless precision and speed would put a trained acrobat to shame. The dark figure stood right in front of the hedge behind which Viraj was hiding. Viraj tried to recognize the intruder’s facial features but his face was turned away from the moon. The dark figure turned around and for a moment the moon lit up his face. One look and Viraj felt as if his heart would break out of his chest. At once the dark figure disappeared into the shrubs behind the pond. Viraj could not breathe. His mouth wide open, he gathered courage and stood up. He sprinted on the royal path in front of the pond then took a sudden detour behind the palace residential block to reach Raghuvar’s room. When he barged in, Raghuvar was still seated at his desk. ‘I saw him Mahodaya. You won’t believe this. The intruder is Vyom, the guard of the outer wall!’ Raghuvar mumbled something which was not audible to Viraj. The room was only partially illuminated by a small lamp on the wooden desk and a fire torch attached to the wall. Viraj could not figure out what Raghuvar was trying to say. As he came nearer he saw Raghuvar’s eyes were red. ‘You look angry or disturbed about something.’ Raghuvar’s eyes were protruding. Confused, Viraj sat down on the wooden chair in front of him. A drop of blood dripped down Raghuvar’s lips and his body started to shudder. Blood drained out of Viraj’s face as he noticed that the cloth Raghuvar used to wrap around his neck due to the cold was now tightly fastened around his neck while the old man was gargling blood. Suddenly a dark figure sprung up from behind Raghuvar’s chair. Amber eyes looked at him and the lips curved into a sly smile. Vyom looked like the angel of the dark.
Viraj slid down on the floor and crawled towards the door. ‘Oh Lord Vishnu!’
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