Recap: Fortune-teller Valli recounts the past of Taravati’s Maharani Sri Devi Parvadavardini, beginning with Narobha’s birth to Sutasoma and Karnika, and his abandonment, after which he was raised by the robber Karmika.

Chapter 4/26: Dark Inheritance

Part 1/2 of the novella ‘The cursed keris of Taravati’

Valli’s face softened as she continued, “O the one with soft palms resembles lotus petals… Motherhood, that’s what guides humanity. That’s what brought you here, and it’s what drove Kandika, mother of the baby. Hearing that her baby was alive, under the protection of a robber, she rushed to his doorstep without delay.”

Valli sang softly:

Mother is here to feed,
Baby is starved.
A pity thread
Parted them both.
No place to go,
For the poor soul.
She was born somewhere,
She went somewhere.
She rushed somewhere,
All the shackles of motherhood
Will come to an end,
When this cursed universe comes to an end!

“Karmika had developed a bond with the child Narobha by that time. He refused to give him up. It’s the robber’s way – whatever he stole becomes his. Despite Kandika’s repeated attempts, with no husband to support her and no child to nurture, she was overcome with despair. One day, unable to bear her sorrow any longer, she ran towards the Manvi River. The river offered her the embrace that society denied her.”

“Karmika, in turn, was forced to give Narobha away as a slave to settle his debts. He had never managed to prosper from his robberies, either because his hauls were meager or because he spent them lavishly. He was constantly in debt, and the lender began demanding repayment. One day, the lender refused to leave without payment and proposed a deal: Narobha would become his slave.”

“Young Narobha was playing nearby with pebbles, his prized rooster, bred for cockfights, pecking around him. Despite Karmika’s repeated refusals, Narobha wondered how long his foster father could resist. After the lender finally left, Karmika searched for Narobha, but the boy had fled with his rooster, leaving behind only the scattered pebbles.”

“Narobha sought refuge in the forest, constantly moving to evade the lender’s servants. But survival demanded food, and without hunting tools, he subsisted on roots and tubers. Eventually, he reappeared in the villages with his rooster, earning a meager living from cockfights. Gambling became an obsession for Narobha. When he won, he celebrated with palm toddy. When he lost, he often became violent, and these patterns solidified as he grew increasingly impulsive.”

“Over time, he settled on the city’s outskirts and began to use the skills he had learned from Karmika, robbing passersby and sometimes burglarizing homes. “

“One day, he entered a cockfight for the annual trophy. His opponent was a local girl named Neeli. Narobha’s experienced rooster won, along with Neeli’s bird. As he was about to leave, planning a chicken curry with Neeli’s rooster, he noticed her distress. Despite the gambling rules, she approached Narobha and asked for her rooster back, offering something in return. Surprisingly, Narobha not only returned the rooster but also the gold chain he had won as the trophy, placing it around her neck before walking away. This marked the beginning of a strange connection. She would smile at him, but he would pass by without reaction.”

“One day, Narobha lost a game and, deeply embarrassed, hurried back. He stopped at the toddy shop, but the owner’s daughter refused to serve him because he had nothing to offer. Humiliated and unable to sleep that night, he was consumed by anger. Suddenly, he left his home, driven by an uncontrollable impulse. He went to the toddy shop owner’s house, broke down the door, and, despite her resistance, dragged his daughter into the forest and raped her.”

“The next day, the community was outraged. They looted Narobha’s house, beat him severely, and left him badly wounded. He was taken to the local court and tied to a tree.”

Valli paused, then said to the queen, “It happens repeatedly, Your Majesty. Malevolence triumphs over vulnerable women, exploiting gender and power.”

“For a robber, the fear he instills in society is crucial. Without it, he’s no longer a dangerous snake, but merely a worm. Before he could be punished, Neeli rushed to his defense, claiming he had been with her the previous night. The crowd murmured and dispersed, and Neeli untied him.”

“‘Was it painful?’ Neeli asked kindly.

When Narobha didn’t answer, she looked at him, and he asked, ‘Will you marry me, Neeli?’”

The atrocities of Narobha spread to nearby villages and markets. Traders used to complain to the local chieftain of Taravati, Tungabhadra. He was a tyrant. He was reporting to the Another tyrant Mahakala of Durgavati, on the other side of the mountain. Traders found it is so hard to pay hefty taxes. In between, Narobha too damaged them more. 

Valli exclaimed “Revenue is a pillar for a kingdom. Trust of the people is another one. Tungabhadra took the complaint seriously because it is a direct hit on his revenue. He find a way to save his face, which is already getting damaged among the people. A thug is a thug, when he is alone. If a thug is part of the government, he become a police/guard! Tungabhadra asked his guards to hunt for Narobha. Narobha was on the run once again.”

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Note:

• This fiction is a retelling of a mythology.
• Images generated with ImageFx and Imagen of Google Gemini.
• Awkward sentences are removed by AI for a smoother reading experience.