Varahas Vengeance by Arun Krishnan

Author:Arun Krishnan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: null
Publisher: HarperCollins India
Published: 2024-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Dusk had crept up on them quite suddenly. It had a way of doing so in the forest. Sunlight, which filtered through tree leaves, making the forest a delightful place to travel through during the day, also had a tendency to almost abruptly cease doing so. Or so it seemed to the human beings traipsing through the jungle. There was none of the gradual change from day to night one could see on open land. Instead, there was a sudden dimming of the light as if a number of torches had been collectively extinguished. The hush of the jungle, apart from the occasional call of a rutting deer or a langur warning of predatory danger, was broken by a cacophony of noise from the treetops as the birds returned to their nests.

Torches had already been lit in the camp. There were only a couple of tents that were pitched in the forest and these housed King Srivikrama and Commander Narasimha. All the other soldiers had bivouacked under the trees. Narasimha and Srivikrama were reclining on beds placed on the ground in the king’s tent, drinking some wine and munching on some jamun34 from time to time, spitting out the seeds into a cup placed on the table between their beds.

‘How much longer, Narasimha avare?’

Narasimha sucked on the seed of a jamun for a while and then spat it out into the cup.

‘Another couple of days at the most. We are taking it a little slow so that we don’t get caught in an ambush like last time.’

Srivikrama’s face darkened.

‘Those blackguards! Wiped out an entire regiment,’ he said bitterly, his face scrunching up in anger. ‘I am going to make them pay for that!’

‘That’s why we have sent out scouts to ensure that there are no surprises.’

As they were ruminating on their plans, a soldier entered the tent and saluted them.

‘Your Majesty, there is a messenger from Talakkad.’

Srivikrama inclined his head as the soldier was followed by the messenger, who showed signs of weariness.

The man bowed to the king and the commander.

‘Greetings from Prime Minister Somanna, Sire.’

‘And how are things at Talakkad?’ asked the king.

The messenger paused before replying. ‘Things are getting better, Sire. The prime minister sent me here with some news for you.’

Srivikrama and Narasimha waited for the messenger to go on.

‘Sire, soon after you left, there was a clash at Asanur. Even before our forces could pitch camp outside the fort, a group of soldiers managed to break through and proceeded towards Talakkad.’

‘What?’ yelled Narasimha as both he and the king sat up in their beds.

‘Yes, Sir,’ replied the messenger.

‘Is Talakkad safe? Were our soldiers on alert? Did they manage to intercept this force and decimate them?’

‘Not quite, Sir. You see, the soldiers veered off before Talakkad and entered the forest. They are a couple of days behind us.’

It was now the king’s turn to yell, ‘What?’

‘Yes, Sire. That is why the prime minister tasked me with getting word to you as fast as possible.’

‘But how did the prime minister know about this?’

‘That he did not confide in me, Sire.

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