JOURNEY TO THE THRONE by Vani Mahesh

Author:Vani Mahesh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: null
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

42

‘Mother, why didn’t you send word for me? I’d have cut short my journey and returned.’ Chandra was shocked at his father’s deterioration. He’d returned from Kamarupa that evening and gone to visit his father right away. He found that Samudragupta had shrunk significantly. He looked dwarfed by the large bed.

‘Now that you are back, he’ll get better,’ said Dattadevi. Though she smiled, it was not a happy smile. Worry and pain were etched on her face.

‘Your mother is right. With you around, I already feel strong enough for the next battle.’ Samudragupta flexed his arm.

Dattadevi patted his arm down. ‘You’ll only help me take care of the garden with your arms. No more wars.’

‘What happened to you, Father? You were not half as sick when I left,’ asked Chandra worriedly.

Samudragupta managed a weak smile. ‘My cough has become worse. And the sore throat isn’t letting me eat. Enough about me. What happened to your arm? How did you get injured?’

Though he’d come to tell his father about the murder attempts, he decided not to. ‘Something got lodged in my arm while swimming in the rapids. Nothing to worry about. I was treated in Kamarupa.’

The queen asked, ‘Where did you swim? Was it in Kamarupa? How careless of the king to let you!’

Chandra thought her outburst about King Pushyavarma was unfounded. ‘It was on the way somewhere, Mother. Not in Kamarupa,’ he lied.

Samudragupta intervened. ‘We have been waiting to know about our future daughter-in-law. Tell us about her and the engagement.’ Though tired, the king’s eyes twinkled with happiness.

Dattadevi gave a taut smile. Was that disapproval he saw in her eyes? Chandra suddenly felt protective about Pushyavarma and Dhruva.

‘She’s very well-read. She studies the scriptures,’ Chandra said, sounding defensive even to himself. He waited to see his mother’s reaction, but she didn’t say anything.

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. ‘I’d asked Minister Harisena to join us. I want our conquests to be inscribed on a stone pillar in Kaushambi. The minister has kept a log of all the older campaigns. You have to fill in the details of this last one, Chandra.’ Samudragupta looked at Chandra and smiled proudly. ‘The next set of inscriptions on the pillar will be of your conquests, Son.’

‘Why just his? What about Rama?’ Dattadevi’s voice was angry. ‘You seem to forget you have an older son. We should have got him married before Chandra.’

She got up, adjusting the pleats of her heavy silk saree. Chandra held her arm. ‘Of course, Ma. I promise you, I won’t monopolize the pillar.’

Dattadevi smiled ruefully at Chandra. ‘I know you won’t.’ She glared at Samudragupta. ‘It’s your father I’m worried about.’

* * *

As Chandra walked back to his quarters, his eyes were heavy, and he longed for sleep. The journey back from Kamarupa had been rough, with rising storms and heavy winds. The murder attempts on him and the whirlwind engagement had resulted in many sleepless nights.

Though exhausted, sleep eluded him for a long time. As he tossed around, the thoughts of Dhruva and his wedding started to invade him.

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