The chief of the ABNS Allahabad district committee had organised the rally. Upon the dais sat Ikram, Gangasagar, the ABNS Lok Sabha candidate for Allahabad, as well as several assorted functionaries. A local band played soul-stirring and patriotic Bollywood songs as local party workers came up on stage one by one and garlanded the bigwigs seated alongside the rostrum. Tens of thousands of supporters had braved the blazing heat and the fear of riots to sit in the open field and hear promises from their beloved representatives—promises that would in all probability be broken.
Across the field, exactly opposite the stage upon which the politicos sat was another stage that had been set up with effigies of the major Opposition leaders. Unbeknownst to the public was the fact that each of the likenesses had been built with firecrackers. Welcoming ceremonies over, Chandini stood up and walked forward to centre stage. An assistant brought her an ornate bow and arrow that she lifted and held up as though she were aiming it at the statues across the field. As she aimed, the pyrotechnics were unleashed and each of the effigies was methodically exploded. The crowd went wild— cheering Chandini and howling with approval as she shouted, ‘Let's direct our energy towards destroying those who would like to divide us. Let's usher in a new era of peace and brotherhood. Let's avoid a quarrel between the past and the present—it can only end up destroying the future!’
Gangasagar glowed with optimism. He winked at Ikram. So much could be achieved with a quart of rum and a pound of beef. And people thought that elections were expensive! He took a deep breath and began chanting softly, ‘Adi Shakti, Namo Namah; Sarab Shakti, Namo Namah; Prithum Bhagvati, Namo Namah; Kundalini Mata Shakti; Mata Shakti, Namo Namah.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
About 2300 years ago
‘With Sinharan on the throne of Mallayrajya, we now have a kingdom in which we can station our soldiers,’ said Chanakya.
‘Yes,’ answered Chandragupta sadly, ‘with my father's passing away in Pipplivan last year, we should now consolidate our forces under Ambhi's former commander.’
Chanakya understood the grief of a son who had lost his father. At least Chanakya had been able to perform the last rites of his own. Chandragupta had not. But Chanakya also knew that they did not have the luxury of grief. ‘Chandragupta, we cannot afford to lose Paurus as an ally. You will need his help to fight Dhanananda,’ he said.
‘But Paurus is angry with us. We've snatched away Mallayrajya, part of his network of vassal states. Why will he discuss any strategic alliance with us?’ asked Chandragupta incredulously.
‘Because he's aristocratic, angry, proud and vain. These are qualities which make it rather easy to manipulate a human being,’ replied Chandragupta's acharya complacently.
‘So we flatter him into an alliance?’ asked Chandragupta.
‘If a man tells a woman she's beautiful, she'll overlook most of his other lies! We simply need to treat Paurus as one would a beautiful woman,’ laughed Chanakya.
‘And what if he doesn't take the bait?’ asked Chandragupta, prodding Chanakya for explanation.
‘We then pander to his ambitions of power, fame and glory—his burning desire to be the most powerful ruler in Bharat.’
‘And how will we do that? We don't have anything of substance to bribe him with,’ observed Chandragupta grimly.
‘Simple. I can offer him the throne of Magadha, instead of offering it to you,’ said Chanakya slyly.
Chandragupta knelt before his teacher and said sombrely, ‘I shall willingly serve you in whatever capacity you deem fit. But I refuse to serve under the vain and petty Paurus!’
Chanakya burst out laughing at this display of principled anguish. ‘I only said that I would offer it to him. I never said that I would give it to him. You should pay more attention to my choice of words, Chandragupta. This is a treaty with Paurus that I shall knowingly break!’ he said.
The utterly perplexed Chandragupta spoke up hesitantly. ‘Wouldn't it be better to be honest with him and tell him that we need his support to take Magadha? We could offer him a few provinces but not the throne.’
‘He sees you as an upstart, O Chandragupta. He will not value you as an ally. It's better to sign a treaty with him and let him build castles in the air, thinking that he shall rule Magadha. Once our goal has been achieved, Paurus will become expendable.’
‘And how will you explain your betrayal to him,’ asked Chandragupta.
‘Remember that it's often easier to get forgiveness rather than permission!’ said Chanakya, a wide grin on his ugly face. ‘I shall speak to my good friend Indradutt, Paurus's prime minister, to intercede on my behalf and convince the great king that it's in his best interest to ally with Chanakya.’
‘Doesn't an alliance with Chanakya mean an alliance with Chandragupta?’ asked the puzzled prince.
‘Ah. We need to change that. You and I shall fight and go our separate ways,’ responded Chanakya.
‘I could never fight with you, acharya. Your wish is my command. Even if you asked me to lay down my life for you, I would. How can I ever dream of going against your wishes?’
‘Relax, Chandragupta. I'm talking about the power of illusion. We must create the illusion that you and I have fallen apart—a difference of opinion. This will allow me to convince Paurus that I truly intend to instal him on the seat of Magadha's power!’
‘And what do I do till such time?’ asked Chandragupta uncomfortably.
‘Stir up a revolt!’ said Chanakya, thumping the ground where he was seated and sending up a little dust storm.
‘Stir up a revolt? Where?’ asked the hapless Chandragupta.
‘The Macedonian provinces—the ones ruled directly by Alexander's satraps.’
‘Which ones?’
‘All of them. As you know, most of northern Bharat is either part of Magadha, Kaikey or Gandhar. But what about the small states that aren't part of these three large blocs? Alexander's satrap Phillipos, who reports to the powerful Seleucus—Alexander's chosen successor in Bharat—directly rules all of them. If Phillipos were to die, their provinces would fall into our laps without effort on our part.’
‘Acharya, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?’ asked the weary and wary Chandragupta. These strategising sessions with his guru sapped him of all his energy.
‘No, no, dear Chandragupta. We shall not kill Phillipos. We shall merely identify his worst enemies and provide them with just cause to assassinate him!’
‘And who is his biggest enemy?’ asked Chandragupta, aware that the question was unnecessary.
‘His biggest friend and ally.’
‘Ambhi?’
‘No.’
‘Paurus?’
‘No.’
‘Then who?’
‘Sasigupta.’
‘Who?’
‘Magadha covers a substantial portion of eastern Bharat. To its west lies Kaikey. Travel further westwards and you reach Gandhar. But who lives beyond Gandhar, to the extreme northwest—beyond the Indus?’ asked Chanakya.
‘The Ashvakans—the tribal horsemen of the Kabul River region.’
‘Correct. They are strong and fierce warriors. Their primary strength lies not only in their innate capacity to carry on a sustained fight with very little food, water or rest, but also in their talent to breed, raise and train the finest ashvas—horses—in the region. Their leader is Sasigupta. Do you remember the day Alexander came to Sage Dandayan's hermitage? Sasigupta was with him—helping him interpret the sage's words.’
‘You want me to go enlist his support?’ asked Chandragupta innocently.
‘No, my brave warrior, no! The Ashvakans are mercenaries. For a price, they will provide thousands of cavalry to anyone, irrespective of their own political beliefs. They fought on behalf of the Persians and subsequently also fought for the Macedonians. They have no permanent loyalty to any one side. Training horses and fighting battles is simply an occupation, nothing more, nothing less.’
‘Which side are they
fighting for presently?’
‘The Macedonian side. But not too long ago they were allied with the Persians. So why should they hesitate to switch sides again?’ asked Chanakya.
‘But what would cause Sasigupta to rebel? As I understand, he was also present at Alexander's Jhelum victory over Paurus. When Ambhi failed to bring Paurus before Alexander after the battle was over, it was Sasigupta who succeeded in doing so.’
‘But on whose orders did Sasigupta fight for Alexander?’ asked Chanakya.
Chandragupta was stumped. Chanakya smiled and resumed. ‘The Ashvakans are fierce warriors but they take their orders from women! Their chief is always a queen. The present one is a stunning beauty called Kalapini. Any danger or threat to her and you'd have thousands of enraged Ashvakans ready to die in a blink!’
‘You want me to kidnap their queen?’ asked Chandragupta, half expecting an affirmative response. He knew that his cunning teacher was capable of almost anything as long as it advanced his aims of installing him on Magadha's throne.
‘More than that! I need you to arrange for her to have an affair with Phillipos, the Macedonian satrap. Nothing will get Ashvakan blood boiling as much as the thought of their queen sleeping with a Macedonian man!’
‘And how do I arrange that? By kidnapping them both and barricading them inside a tent?’ asked an exasperated Chandragupta.
‘Do you want a one-word answer?’
‘That would be nice.’
‘Cornelia.’
Cornelia and Chandragupta were lying on a soft cotton sheet that had been spread under the wide branches of a giant simsapa tree in a corner of a sylvan grove with ashoka, bhavya, champaka and nagara trees in blossom. The ground lay heaped with fragrant flowers that had fallen off the branches. Chandragupta and Cornelia lay side by side. The bodyguards that accompanied Cornelia wherever she went had been offered some cold milk sweetened with honey by Chandragupta's men. The light refreshing drink had been seasoned with crushed hemp for the extra zing. Within minutes, they had passed out under a banyan, snoring peacefully.
‘I simply adore you,’ murmured Chandragupta into her ear as he absentmindedly ran his fingers through her golden hair.
She smiled at him. ‘Liar! You adore being with me so that you can play your naughty games,’ she admonished.
Chandragupta thought about it for a moment, smiled wickedly and said, ‘That too!’ as she playfully slapped his cheek in mock punishment.
‘Darling, I cannot bear to be away from you for even a moment,’ said Cornelia as she reached up to hold him even closer. ‘It worries me that my father will find out about us and will call me back to Babylonia. How will I live without you?’
‘Seleucus is stationed far away, darling. It's hardly likely that he would know about the wanton life of his precious daughter who decided to stay back in Bharat,’ offered Chandragupta comfortingly.
‘I wish to marry you, Chandragupta. There's no man I've loved more. Why must we go through this unbearable secrecy each time to be with one another?’
‘Your father will have no option but to offer your hand in marriage to me—I shall make sure of that. But for that to happen, I must be king of Magadha. You shall be part of a political treaty—the prize that I long for, my sweet Cornelia.’
‘And how will that happen? Besides installing your classmate Sinharan on the throne of a modest kingdom, what else have you and the acharya actually achieved? It may take ages for you to become emperor and by that time you may not even be able to perform!’ she teased.
‘Sweetheart. Let's get married right here, right now!’ said Chandragupta suddenly serious, taking her completely by surprise.
‘How? No fire? No priest? No guests?’ asked an intrigued Cornelia.
‘In our ancient Hindu scriptures there are eight types of marriage. One of them—legally recognised by the scribes—is known as a Gandharva Vivah. It's a simple secret ceremony between man and woman with no third party present. We simply garland each other, exchange vows, kiss, and there you have it. It's done!’
‘But I can't come and live with you, Chandragupta. My father will slay us both. He'll get very angry if I'm seen to be going against his wishes,’ argued Cornelia.
‘I agree. Our marriage should remain secret. You should continue to live your life independently until we get married officially. At least we'll live in the comfort of knowing that we're betrothed,’ said Chandragupta with a twinkle in his eyes. He quickly took off his silken shoulder wrap and efficiently tore from it two thin strips. He began picking up the flowers that lay strewn on the grass and tying them, using small knots to the silk. Cornelia started on the second garland. Within a few minutes they were both holding crude but love-inspired garlands, eagerly waiting to put them around each other's necks.
Both stood up and faced one another. Chandragupta tenderly placed his garland around Cornelia's neck and, holding her face, said, ‘My dearest, sweetest love. I promise to worship you for the rest of my life. I shall protect you with my life and shall always honour and cherish you. From this day onwards you're my wife, before the eyes of God.’ With tears in her eyes at the intensity of the moment, Cornelia placed her garland around Chandragupta and whispered, ‘My husband, my life, my love. Nothing has ever given me more joy than to wed you. I promise to be ever faithful to you and to always respect and obey you. You are, and always shall be, my one and only true love.’
Chandragupta pulled her towards him, took her in his arms and kissed her with ardent passion. He hadn't comprehended that obeying his acharya's wishes would be so much fun. He wondered at what point the acharya's instructions had ended and his love for Cornelia had begun.
As husband and wife embraced under the simsapa tree, Cornelia asked, ‘Now that we're married secretly, what needs to be done to make it official?’
‘A political treaty between Chandragupta and Seleucus,’ replied her husband.
‘Why would my father sign such an alliance with you?’
‘If he saw himself losing his grip on his provinces in Bharat. Better to be friend than foe to the king who's gaining control.’
‘And why would my father lose control over his Bharat dominions?’
‘Because of Ambhi's fear, Paurus's greed and Sasigupta's anger.’
‘Ambhi's fear?’
‘Ambhi lies sandwiched between Sasigupta and Paurus. He will be fearful of another battle.’
‘And Paurus's greed?’
‘His insatiable pride that needs to be fed. His lust for the throne of Magadha shall be his downfall.’
‘And Sasigupta's anger?’
‘Over his betrayal.’
‘Betrayal by who?’
‘Phillipos, the Macedonian governor appointed by your father.’
‘But Phillipos has not betrayed him.’
‘He will though.’
‘Why?’
‘If Phillipos were to fall in love with Kalapini, the Ashvakan queen, the Ashvakans headed by Sasigupta would revolt. They would see it as the ultimate betrayal.’
‘But my darling Chandragupta, how can one make people fall in love? Love simply happens. It can't be forced!’
‘But one can make a start by getting two people to meet each other. I'm told that Phillipos has a roving eye. Get them to meet and let destiny take over!’
‘You want me to get involved in this roguish scheme?’
‘Hah! You're right. I'm using you. But I do need you to help them meet, Cornelia. You know everyone in society. Visit Phillipos and take Kalapini along as a friend. She's supposed to be gorgeous,’ said Chandragupta.
‘I thought that we just took vows that we would be faithful to one another,’ she joked, mildly annoyed to hear another woman being described as beautiful by her own husband.
‘That's why it's better that you organise her engagement so that she becomes unavailable to me,’ quipped Chandragupta.
‘Get out at once! I should never have spent my life trying to tutor you—you're an ungrateful wret
ch!’ shouted Chanakya, smiling broadly at Chandragupta.
‘You've trained me well, O guru. In fact, my training shall now be used for one purpose alone—to bring about your downfall!’ shouted back Chandragupta, trying his best not to laugh.
‘How dare you speak to me like that? I'm your teacher. I have every right to be angry. Sinharan has been like your brother and you have the temerity to question his right over the throne of Mallayrajya?’ shot back Chanakya, gesturing to Chandragupta that he should stick to the prepared script in front of him.
‘You promised me that I would be king. Instead you're busy striking up an alliance between Paurus and Sinharan. Shame on you, acharya! I hadn't realised that you would stoop so low. Is there no limit to the depths you can sink to? You would swindle your own disciple and offer the throne to the haughty Paurus? Damn you, my lord. Curses be upon you!’ roared Chandragupta as he tried to keep pace with the dialogue prepared by his guru.
‘I want you to leave immediately. You have no place here. Forget your dreams about becoming emperor of Magadha. You're unfit, unwise, uncouth and ungrateful. Get out!’ shrieked Chanakya, as he signalled for Chandragupta to leave the room.
Chandragupta stormed out of his teacher's room as the men looked on. The end of a promising partnership, they thought to themselves, as they saw their military leader stomping off and their strategic leader sulking in a corner.
Within minutes, a young man scurried out of Chanakya's camp to meet Abhaya, the intelligence chief of Paurus. This was startling news. He would be paid very well for information of such magnitude. What he couldn't understand was why the acharya had allowed Chandragupta to take with him his entire garrison of soldiers of fortune.