01 Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi

Author:Amish Tripathi [Tripathi, Amish]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Brahaspati and Sati entered Shiva’s chambers as soon as he was alone. Shiva’s smile

at seeing his two favourite people in the world disappeared

on hearing Sati’s voice, ‘You

must get a shudhikaran done.’

He looked at her and answered simply, ‘No.’

‘No? What do you mean no?’

‘I mean No. Nahin. Nako,’ said Shiva, adding the words for ‘no’ in the Kashmiri and the

Kotdwaar dialect, for good measure.

‘Shiva,’ said Brahaspati,

keeping his composure. ‘This is no laughing matter. I agree

with Sati. The governor too was worried about your safety and has arranged

for a

pandit. He waits outside as we speak. Get the ceremony done now.’

‘But I just said I don’t want to.’

‘Shiva,’ said Sati, reverting to her usual tone. ‘I respect you immensely.

Your valour.

Your intelligence.

Your talent. But you are not above the law. You have touched a

vikarma. You have to get a shudhikaran. That is the law.’

‘Well if the law says that my touching that poor blind man is illegal, then the law is

wrong!’

Sati was stunned into silence by Shiva’s attitude.

‘Shiva, listen to me,’ argued Brahaspati.

‘Not doing a shudhikaran

can be harmful to

you. You are meant for bigger things. You are important to the future of India. Don’t put

your own person at risk out of obstinacy.’

‘It’s not obstinacy. You tell me, honestly, how can it harm me if I happened to touch a

wronged man, who I might add, still loves his country despite the way he has been

ostracised and ill-treated?’

‘He may be a good man Shiva, but the sins of his previous birth will contaminate your

fate,’ said Brahaspati.

‘Then let them! If the weight on that man’s shoulders lessens, I will feel blessed.’

‘What are you saying Shiva?’ asked Sati. ‘Why should you carry the punishment of

someone else’s sins?’

‘Firstly, I don’t believe in the nonsense that he was punished for the sins of his previous birth. He was just infected by a disease, plain and simple. Secondly, if it is my choice to carry the weight of someone else’s so called sins, why should it matter to anyone?’

‘It matters because we care about you!’ cried Brahaspati.

‘Come on Sati,’ said Shiva. ‘Don’t tell me you believe in this rubbish.’

‘It is not rubbish.’

‘Look, don’t you want me to fight for you? Stop this unfairness that your society has

subjected you to.’

‘Is that what this is about? Me?’ asked Sati, outraged.

‘No,’ retorted Shiva immediately, then added. ‘Actually yes. This is also about you. It is about the vikarma and the unfairness that they have to face. I want to save them from

leading the life of an outcast.’

‘I DON’T NEED YOUR PROTECTION! I CANNOT BE SAVED!’ shouted Sati, before

storming out of the room.

Shiva glared at her retreating form in irritation. ‘What the hell is it with this woman?!’

‘She’s right Shiva,’ advised Brahaspati. ‘Don’t go there.’

‘You agree with her on this vikarma business?

Answer with your heart, Brahaspati.

Don’t you think it is unfair?’

‘I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about Sati.’

Shiva continued to glare at Brahaspati defiantly. Everything in his mind, body and soul

told him that he should pursue Sati. That his life would be meaningless

without her.

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