The Legends of Amrapali by Anurag Anand

Author:Anurag Anand [Anand, Anurag]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mobilism
Publisher: Srishti Publishers
Published: 2011-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

‘This is absurd. She doesn’t have any right to make such demands. I suggest we send our troops to drag her back here and punish her for her audacity,’ Manudeva was the first to break the silence. He was fuming and breathing fire, clearly flustered by the unexpected turn of events.

‘No, we must give her what she wants. The money that went into building the palace came from our taxes and it will be well spent in the hands of the Nagarvadhu. If you don’t give her what she wants, we will refuse to pay our taxes,’ shot a young, thick set man from the crowd – clearly a son of one of the influential merchants who too was amongst those smitten by the aura of Amrapali. The king’s well laid out plan to create a craving for Amrapali among the populace so as to enable her smooth election had turned back to bite him in the rear. The craving had soared to such heights that people were willing to scale any lengths to ensure her appointment, even if it meant a rebellion against the state.

Though counter statements to that of the young merchant could be heard from the crowd – ‘She can’t hold the state to ransom’ and ‘We must not give in to blackmail’, they were swallowed by the chants of ‘Nagarvadhu Amrapali’, ‘Nagarvadhu Amrapali’ reverberating from all corners of the palace grounds. The views of the assembled public were clearly divided and the decision that had to be made was now also burdened with the task of maintaining harmony and peace amid the steadily flaring tempers.

‘Silence please,’ Tamra Bhadra got up from his seat to speak for the first time during the proceedings. ‘Whether she had the right or not is a different matter, but the fact we are faced with is that Devi Amrapali has put up her conditions before the assembly and we need to arrive at a decision on the same. And I don’t think we will be able to reach a consensus in this forum. If Maharaj permits, I would like to suggest that the members of the elected council retire to the palace and deliberate on the matter and reach a decision. The outcome will then be shared with other members of the assembly and our esteemed guests before being enacted upon,’ he said in an attempt to bring about order amidst the chaos that was now mounting.

The king nodded in the affirmative and the members of the councils emerged from their seats to recede within the confines of the palace while the others waited in eager anticipation.

‘The law does not have provisions for any such demands. We mustn’t let that girl dictate terms,’ Manudeva was again the first to voice his opinion. He could see that Amrapali’s demands had cast a shadow on his designs and if ceded to, they would place her beyond his reach and sphere of influence. Like a fluttering wick of a drying lamp, he was vociferously

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