His client, a young man hoping for a wonderful prediction of success and riches from the astrologer, indulged the old man's whims and allowed the conversation to stray from his own life.
‘I heard not only that Ambhi is encouraging Buddhists to neutralise the power of the Brahmins, but also that Sasigupta has sent him an ultimatum asking him to restore the balance of power,’ said the accountant, still gazing at his own palm, which lay in the hands of the whimsical palmist.
‘Hah!’ blurted the man half-dozing under the pipal tree, which was temporary respite from the noonday sun for all of them. Neither the astrologer nor the accountant knew him. He seemed to be a stranger in these parts.
‘Where are you from, my friend? Do you know something that we don't?’ asked the accountant, looking over. The comatose onlooker let out a little burp, an acknowledgement of the betel nut that had just helped his digestion.
‘I'm Ashvamadhak, a horse-trainer from the Sindh, here to sell my fine steeds. I'm familiar with the one you call the great Sasigupta, but do you know that Sasigupta demolished a Kubera temple to make space for a chariotway?
‘He willingly allows temples to be razed?’ asked the appalled astrologer. ‘How can such a man be the defender of Brahmins?’
‘In statecraft, as in medicine, words are sometimes the most powerful drugs we can use. The power of propaganda should never be discounted,’ said Chanakya as he moved the pawn in front of his queen forward by two spaces. To Mehir it seemed like a move that would leave Chanakya's queen in a vulnerable position. He smiled and made his countermove. Effortlessly, Chanakya moved his bishop diagonally three spaces. After Mehir's next move, he zipped his queen diagonally two spaces and let her sit in front of the pawn. The third man in the room watched the game in boredom, dozing off between moves.
Chanakya laughed. It didn't matter what Mehir's next move was. Chanakya would be able to rush his queen straight up to his opponents's pawn, capture it and place the king in checkmate. The king would not be able to capture the queen because Chanakya's bishop would be in the way. He could not move away from the queen, as he would be blocked by his own pieces. Mehir grunted in despair as he realised the futility of his position. It was no fun playing chess with the acharya. He always seemed to get inside Mehir's head and predict his every move.
‘Mehir, my dear boy, it's hard to let go of key pieces in this game, but to win you sometimes have to sacrifice strategic pieces. If your opponent is in a tight spot you need to let go of bait simply to get him to move. Just ensure that the sacrifice you make gets you what you want!’ advised Chanakya as they wrapped up the game. The observer of the game between Chanakya and Mehir was Sharangrao—ace student and undercover operative of the black Brahmin. He listened to the conversation intently and burped—an acknowledgment of the wisdom that he had just digested.
Mehir sulked as Chanakya rubbed it in. ‘There are no points for losing!’ chuckled Chanakya.
‘So we simply sit here, playing chess, while Sasigupta overruns Gandhar?’ asked Mehir, visibly irritated at having lost yet again.
‘Mehir, he may succeed in capturing Gandhar, but he'll be bled dry by the Brahmin guerrilla forces which have been substantially financed by us. It shall be death by a thousand cuts. Guerrilla warfare is an economical method of unconventional armed struggle. Our small group of combatants can cause irreparable harm to a much mightier foe by using mobile tactics such as ambushes and raids. Sasigupta's invasion of Gandhar will drain him of his resources, make his rule over Ashvakans and Sindh less stable, and turn him into the sworn enemy of the most powerful segment of Gandhar citizenry— the Brahmins. That's the moment when Chandragupta shall effortlessly run a hot knife through the butter. I don't plan to merely get Gandhar for Chandragupta. I shall also get Ashvakans and Sindh—Sasigupta's own provinces—for him. Let Sasigupta be the first mouse... the trap will kill him. Chandragupta shall be the second mouse. The early bird catches the worm but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese!’
‘Why is it that you're getting laid while I'm getting screwed?’ asked Bhadrashala. Jeevasiddhi looked up, tearing himself away from the ganika that lay in his arms. She giggled, and attempted to pull him back for further frolicking but he admonished her. She got up and left the room, pouting, while Bhadrashala sat down. Jeevasiddhi adjusted his turban and his clothes, then picked up his goblet and drained the prasanna from it. He wiped his moustache and said jokingly, ‘This prasanna is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy! Why are you so fucking glum?’
Bhadrashala was quiet. Jeevasiddhi probed, ‘Did you get the cabinet to agree to allow our forces to enter Magadha without resistance until they reach Pataliputra?’
Bhadrashala nodded. ‘They shall face no resistance at all. But you should be prepared for a bloody battle once you reach Pataliputra.’ Bhadrashala took another swallow and allowed the alcohol to slowly numb his senses.
‘What gives you the impression that we'll fight for Pataliputra?’ asked Jeevasiddhi innocently.
‘O hear ye, hear ye, and hear ye. The court of the wise and benevolent Maharaj Chandragupta Maurya, Emperor of Gandhar, Ashvakans, Sindh, Simphapura and overlord of Mallavrajya, Kshudraka, Saindhava, Alor, Brahmasthala, Patala and Maha Urdha, is now in session. Come and be heard!’ droned the crier as Chandragupta entered the council hall. Only Magadha remained to be added to the list. Chandragupta was reminded of his childhood when his friends would utter the very same words as part of the juvenile theatrics of their imaginary world. He was saddened to realise that his father, the senapati, would not get to see his son anointed king.
Ambhi was dead, having been killed on the battlefield by Sasigupta. Sasigupta was dead, having been murdered by a Brahmin guerrilla set on him by Mehir. Chanakya had succeeded in killing two birds with one stone. Chandragupta had simply walked in and taken over Gandhar. The local population had welcomed him with open arms. Chandragupta was now more powerful than the king of Kalinga, as powerful as Paurus, but slightly less powerful than Dhanananda. That would soon change.
Before he reached his throne, he took a short detour to the right where Chanakya stood. He bent down and touched his guru's feet reverentially. Chanakya blessed him. ‘May you be ever meritorious, victorious and glorious!’ he intoned. Chandragupta rose and walked over to an empty seat upon which sat a pair of ordinary sandals. They were his father's. He bowed down before the chair and received blessings from the spirit world before he reached his mother. The simple and frail woman had tears in her eyes as he bent to touch her feet. She placed her hand on his head and said, ‘May your world be beautiful, your actions dutiful, your nature merciful and your kingdom bountiful, my son.’
Chandragupta wore royal garments made from fine cinamsuka—imported from China through the silk route. His antariya dhoti was pale gold, his uttariya vermillionred, and his kayabandh girdle was creamy white. Around his neck hung a necklace with a pear-shaped diamond of about seventy-five carats at its centre. Around his upper arms were bajubandhs studded with flawless blue diamonds, six carats each. Each armband was embellished with a forty-carat heart-shaped Burma ruby. On his head he sported a golden turban ornamented with a hundred and fifty carats worth of pure emeralds. He looked every inch the emperor of the world.
Chanakya stepped up to the throne and said to a seated Chandragupta, ‘Do you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of this kingdom of Gandhar, Ashvakans, Sindh, Simphapura, Mallavrajya, Kshudraka, Saindhava, Alor, Brahmasthala, Patala and Maha Urdha and the dominions thereto belonging, according to the laws of kingship as handed down by our ancestors through the Vedas?’
Chandragupta folded his hands in prayer, closed his eyed and said, ‘I solemnly promise to do so.’
Chanakya asked, ‘Will you ensure that law, justice and mercy shall prevail in all your judgements?’
‘I will,’ replied Chandragupta.
‘Will you, to the utmost of your power, maintain the laws of God, the honour of your Kshatriya blood, the prot
ection of Brahmins, the defence of the downtrodden, and will you preserve unto the ministers and officers committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall vest to them?’ asked Chanakya.
Chandragupta answered solemnly, ‘All this I promise to do.’ Then laying his right hand upon a stack of the sacred Vedas he said, ‘The things which I have promised, I will perform and keep, so help me God,’ as the great hall erupted in cheers.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Present Day
‘I'm unable to understand what's going on here. R&SAviation is part of the Rungta & Somany empire. Why would they want Chandini out of the way? They're on the same side as us!’ said Menon.
‘Look beyond the obvious, Menon. Everything is not what it seems,’ said Gangasagar as he made a gesture for Menon to allow the next visitor in.
Agrawalji walked in, dressed in a fresh starched dhoti and kurta. He nodded to both men and sat down opposite Gangasagar. ‘Is Chandini alright?’ he asked.
Gangasagar nodded grimly. ‘She's a fighter. She's not frightened. I seem to be more fearful for her life than she is for her own!’
‘What can I do to help?’ asked Agrawalji.
‘The dispute between the R&S partners,’ began Gangasagar. ‘We need to understand what's happening a little better. I also need to understand Ikram's role in this entire matter—without him knowing it.’
‘But it's obvious, sir. Hameed wanted money. When he didn't get it from us, he went to Ikrambhai and told him how we arranged things with the magistrate. Ikram got him to try and have Chandiniji eliminated in revenge,’ explained Menon.
‘I'm not sure, Menon. Let's not jump to hasty conclusions about Ikram. He adopted Chandini, for God's sake. Something else confuses me, though,’ said Gangasagar, scratching his head.
‘What?’ asked Menon.
‘Rungta & Somany came to Uttar Pradesh to set up a global scale steel plant with our political blessings. One partner agreed to pay higher compensation to the farmers while the other disagreed and managed to get me to offer a sales-tax concession.’
‘So?’ asked Agrawalji.
‘The pattern repeated itself when you nominated Rungta to take over the World Bank-funded roadways project. The junior partner—Somany—came along and complained that he had been cheated out of his share by Rungta. In the process he succeeced in getting an armaments contract cleared by us. Now that I think about it, the whole damn episode stinks!’ said Gangasagar, cracking his knuckles.
Gangasagar paused. He stared at Agrawalji for a moment and then resumed. ‘One partner—Somany— supported the defence minister in his bid for the prime minister's job. The other—Rungta—supported the finance minister. Both knew that irrespective of the outcome, one of their men would hold the top job.’
‘I don't understand what it is that you're complaining about, Gangasagar! The rivalry between the two partners brought this present government—along with Chandini and nine other ABNS ministers—into power. Why are you tying yourself up in knots over this?’
‘If it looks like shit, smells like shit, and feels like shit, it's probably shit! We've been had—I know it,’ said Gangasagar as he got up from his chair.
‘You've had business dealings with R&S, right?’ asked Gangasagar over lunch. He had calmed down.
‘Yes. I transferred my interest in the roadways project that you gifted me to Rungta, remember?’ said Agrawalji as he scooped up the remaining rice and lentils on his plate with his hand and slurped approvingly.
‘I need you to put one of your finance hounds on their trail,’ said Gangasagar, as he passed a bowl of fresh yoghurt to Agrawalji.
‘What do you want done?’ asked Agrawalji.
‘I need each and every share purchased in R&S companies to be analysed. Who bought? Who sold? When? And I want it correlated with their public statements!’ growled Gangasagar, wagging his spoon in a disciplinary gesture.
‘What do you hope to find, Ganga?’ asked Agrawalji.
‘I don't hope. I only go out looking when I already know what I shall find.’
‘Which is?’
‘A pattern that shows these two partners as being in cahoots with each other—using their display of hostility to wangle more business out of the government. Most importantly, timing their public quarrels to coincide with buying of their company stocks, and their cooling off to coincide with selling. They are milking us and the public like we were cows!’
‘But why would R&S team up with Ikram to try to bump off Chandini?’ asked Agrawalji as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.
‘Possibly because R&S are happy with the ABNS supporting the government in New Delhi but do not want the ABNS leading the government in New Delhi. Chandini is now seen as the only real contender for the top job, and that must hurt Ikram too,’ said Gangasagar.
‘They also know that Chandini comes as a package deal along with Gangasagar, a terrifying prospect,’ joked Agrawalji.
‘Agrawalji's chartered accountant has done his homework. Share prices of R&S Infrastructure crashed from 1,178 to 900 rupees in a single day when the partners made public statements about going to court over the World Bank project. The very same day, both partners bought huge blocks of shares through known investment companies. A week later, they announced that they had reached an out-of-court settlement and sold the shares at 1,250 rupees!’ said Menon, leafing through the reams of analysis provided by Agrawalji's team.
‘If they think they can come in the way of Chandini and the ABNS, they'll soon see that Pandit Gangasagar Mishra is not to be messed with. How many employees work in R&S?’ asked Gangasagar.
‘Around a hundred thousand, as far as I can recall,’ replied Menon.
‘And how many of those workers are members of ABNS-affiliated labour unions?’ asked the Pandit.
‘I found out for you, sir. Our Lucknow University Students’ Union president—Upendra Kashyap—had gone on to head the ABNKU—our trade union arm. He says that around twenty thousand workers of R&S are card-carrying members of the ABNKU.’
‘And the balance eighty thousand workers at R&S?’
‘According to Kashyap, they are split equally between two unions. The ABNKU is the smallest chunk—only twenty per cent. The other two unions are around forty per cent each.’
‘Which are the other two unions?’
‘The CPUK—headed by Vikram Singh Tyagi, and the INWF—headed by Lalji Garg.’
‘Menon, I need you to take down two dictations please.’
‘Yes sir?’
‘Dear Comrade. As you know, the CPUK has been working tirelessly to help the employees of R&S. The problem is that your leader, Lalji Garg, President of INWF, has betrayed you. Garg, who claims to represent your interest, has sold out your interests to Mr Rungta. Increases in emoluments will now be linked to unattainable productivity targets. This allows for higher notional increases in the salary agreement whereas increases in real wages remain insignificant. As a friend and well-wisher of each one of you, I urge you to ditch the INWF and join the CPUK instead. We are the only true voice of the workers of R&S. I look forward to seeing you at our weekly meeting next Friday. With best wishes. Vikram Singh Tyagi, President, CPUK.’
‘And the other dictation?’ asked Menon, looking up from his shorthand notes.
‘Fellow Worker. The INWF has worked diligently to negotiate an increased wage settlement with the management of R&S. The obstacle in this effort has been the president of your union, Vikram Singh Tyagi of CPUK, who has done everything possible to derail the negotiations. His secret pact with Mr Somany entitles him to a large personal payoff for preventing the new salary agreement from being implemented. The time has come for CPUK members to ditch their betraying and corrupt union and join an organisation that speaks up for you first. Join the INWF. I look forward to meeting you at our weekly meeting on Tuesday. Yours sincerely. Lalji Garg, President, INWF.’
‘To whom do I have to send these?’
‘Tell the
president of the ABNKU—Upendra Kashyap—to have letterheads of both the CPUK and INWF printed privately. Send him these two drafts and ask him to have them cyclostyled in huge numbers. The CPUK letter should be sent to INWF members and the INWF letter to CPUK members.’
‘But we're letting the two unions meddle in the affairs of the two partners. Is that wise?’ asked Menon.
‘The partners wanted to put up a façade of battle, where none exists. They used the façade to pull down governments, resurrect new ones, clear contracts, and now they want to use their devious methods to pull down Chandini and the ABNS. If they want a fight, by God, I shall give them one!’ thundered Gangasagar.
‘But this could lead to inter-union rivalry! It could get violent,’ exclaimed Menon.
‘When two elephants fight, the grass will suffer, Menon.’
Riot control police, wearing protective helmets and carrying shields and gas masks, cordoned off the thin dividing line between the two warring unions. The line had been declared off-limits to both sides and armoured police vehicles and mobile storage tanks that supplied pressurised water to the cannons had been placed along it. The policemen were equipped for all eventualities— carrying shotguns, tear gas canisters, pepper sprays, lathis and tasers. On either side of the divider demarcated by the police stood thousands of union workers, waving red and black flags and carrying banners in support of their respective organisations. Both sides’ vociferous leaders used megaphones to exhort their members to vanquish and destroy the other side, besides destroying the management—the capitalist pigs! The scene was repeated at virtually all locations of the R&S empire— R&S Steel, R&S Agro, R&S Cement, R&S Telecom, R&S Petroleum, R&S Infrastructure, R&S Textiles, R&S Pharma and R&S Aviation.