Recap:

Valli recounts the aftermath of Tungabhadra’s assassination, highlighting Narobha’s ascent to power through treachery. The council debates the future, and a pregnant Parvata Vardini yearns for escape. Encounters with the enigmatic Sivappi and gossiping townswomen reveal the kingdom’s shifting dynamics and the queen’s inner turmoil.

Chapter 15/26: Overture of Acceptance

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

It was after dinner. Valli and Queen Parvata Vardini were inside the war room, and Valli’s tone was happy then.

“You started smiling after the birth of your first son, Vallabhan Pasupati, son of Tungabhadra, didn’t you? You were in heaven when Bharatan Parameswara was born to Narobha (a) Narasingha Sudan. Unlike the past, both kids were fond of their mother and made you happy. You enjoyed their childhood as mother Yasodha raised Srikrishna, and Parvati raised Kartikeya who is the son-in-law of our klang. They grew from toddlers to boys, and from boys to youth. Still, their love for you did not diminish. You and Narobha decided not to tell Pasupati that he is the son of Tungabhadra. So, all the kids treated Narobha as their father.”

“Narobha took care of politics, while you became compassionate towards the citizens. He built up the military force. You built temples, monasteries, and anna-chatra-s. Both of you ruled this country not as a king and queen, but as father and mother,” Valli continued.

But the emperor Maha Kala, the emperor on the other side of the Mount Ranadhira, was unhappy about Narobha after the murder of his trusted lieutenant Tungabhadra, the previous king assassinated by Narobha. In addition, Narobha did not want to pay tax. Maha Kala sent his diplomats a couple of times. As Narobha’s response was poor, he dispatched a provoking letter.

“To the king of Taravati – since your assumption of power, the tax collection from Taravati is pending. Taravati is a vassal of Durgavati; you are to send the tax in wooden boxes carried by eight chariots pulled by fourteen horses each, within next 2 weeks. If not, abandon your kingdom and flee into the forest. Upon failure to comply with this letter, the King of Durgavati will come, chop off your head, and seize all your possessions as war booty. Your palace will be destroyed, and your queen will become his concubine.”

The impulsive Narobha slapped his hand on the armrest and shouted at his army chief, “Prepare chariots, elephants and horses, not with tax, but with our soldiers!”

In no time, both forces met at Valanaadu plains. It was a tough war. But Narobha’s actions were cruel. He avoided fighting with Maha Kaala directly. Instead, each day, he fought with Maha Kaala’s sons and killed them one by one. By the end of the fourth day, Maha Kaala had lost all his sons and was mentally broken. On the fifth day, it was not difficult for Narobha to defeat Maha Kaala. With his axe, Narobha disarmed Maha Kaala. As Narobha approached him, Maha Kaala took his short sword from his hip, cut his own throat, and collapsed from the elephant’s back.

Since that moment, Narobha became the sole king of both countries, and he became an emperor. The news reached Parvata Vardini. After two days, the forces entered the city of Taravati with a great roar. With people hailing their king, the procession reached the doorsteps of the Taravati palace.

Holding a thalam – the welcoming plate with an oil lamp and another with auspicious items like flowers and betel leaves – Parvata Vardini awaited her victorious warrior-husband. As the king descended from his chariot, she greeted him with “Welcome, Maha Kala-Bhairava!” – the one who killed Maha Kala – presenting the lamp and applying a thilak, the victory mark, to his forehead. The crowd erupted in a resounding cheer of “Jai Shri Maha Kala Bhairava!” announcing the title she had bestowed upon him. Parvata Vardini watched their enthusiastic response with pride and joy.

Before the excitement subsided, Narobha turned back towards his chariot and said, “Come…”

Parvata Vardini was confused when a woman accompanied by a young man, looked to be her son, got up from the chariot, stepped down, and stood with him. The crowd stopped roaring, and Parvata Vardini was shocked.

“She is…” Narobha began to introduce. Parvata Vardini gave the thalam to one of her attendants and went inside the palace.

“The male mind is a monkey mind, dear queen! It will grab something out of curiosity. Before it is satisfied, it will grab something else. Narobha is a typical male: impulsive, hungry for power, and prone to dalliances with women,” Valli said with displeasure.

It was Neeli, Narobha’s childhood sweetheart and secret wife, was a cockfight gambler. She was the one who saved Narobha when villagers attacked him for burglary. The boy with them was Jeyasinghan, their son. Parvata Vardini was deeply depressed by what Narobha had done. While such things were not uncommon for kings, one thing Parvata Vardini could not accept was that Narobha had hidden this marriage from her, and she felt utterly deceived.

Over time, Neeli’s sphere of influence increased. She brought her own people for her and her son’s safety. A new residence was built for her on the northern side of the city, near the port. She started rumors about Pasupati and Parameswara, the sons of Parvata Vardini, saying Jeyasinghan was the elder of the three and was more stubborn, skillful, and capable of fighting wars.

Wherever Narobha and Parvata Vardini went, like temples, fields, or public meetings, Neeli deliberately went there and stood beside Narobha. People were not happy about her. Wherever she went, she was treated as a concubine of the king, not as his queen. So, Neeli brought a few more people from her village and made them residents of Taravati city to execute her agenda.

Neeli’s people mingled with the public and started spreading favorable stories about Neeli while spreading rumors about Pasupati and Parameswara as being impotent.

Narobha, though he knew, did not react much. Parvata Vardini managed to survive because of her sons and the single banyan tree on the bank of Manvi, where she used to sit to burst her stress.

The river Manvi flowed with quiet peace, a stark contrast to Parvata Vardini’s bustling thoughts.

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Note:

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

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