Of course,' said Bharat, quickly tucking the pouch back into his waistband. You are Mantharaji's daughter. Why would you need any money?'

Roshni immediately fell silent. Ram could see that she was hurt. He knew she was uncomfortable about the fabulous wealth that her mother possessed. It pained her that many in her country were mired in poverty. Roshni was known to avoid, if possible, the legendary parties that her mother frequently threw. Nor did she move around with an escort. She gave money and time to many charitable causes, especially the education and health of children, considered the worthiest of all by the great law book, Maitreyi Smriti. She also frequently used her medical skills as a doctor to help the needy.

It's a wonder Bharat Dada allowed you to tie a rakhi, Roshni Didi,' Shatrughan broke the awkward silence even as he teased his elder brother.

Yes,' said Lakshman. Our dear dada certainly loves women, but not necessarily as a brother.'

And, from what I have heard, women love him in return,' said Roshni, as she gazed fondly at Bharat. Haven't you come across any dream lover yet, someone who will sweep you off your feet and make you want to settle down?'

I do have a dream lover,' quipped Bharat. The problem is, she disappears when I wake up.'

Shatrughan, Lakshman and Roshni laughed heartily, but Ram could not bring himself to join in. He knew Bharat was a.s.siduously hiding the pain in his heart with his jest. He had still not gotten over Radhika. Ram hoped his sensitive brother would not pine for her forever.

My turn now,' said Ram, as he stepped forward and held out his right hand.

Lakshman spotted Vashishta walking by in the distance. He immediately scanned the area for possible threats, as he had not completely set aside his suspicions regarding their guru.

I promise to protect you forever, my sister,' said Ram, looking solemnly at the golden rakhi tied to his wrist, and then equally, at Roshni.

Roshni smiled and applied some sandalwood paste on Ram's forehead. She turned around and walked towards a bench to put away the aarti thali.

DADA!' screamed Lakshman, as he lunged forward and pushed Ram aside.

Lakshman's tremendous strength threw Ram back. In the same instant, a heavy branch landed with a loud thud at the very spot that Ram had been standing a moment ago. It had first smashed into Lakshman's shoulder, cracking his collar bone in two. Shards of bone jut out as blood gushed in a horrifying flow.

Lakshman!' screamed his brothers as they rushed towards him.

He'll be all right,' said Roshni, as she stepped out of the operation theatre. Vashishta, Ram, Bharat and Shatrughan stood anxiously in the lobby of the ayuralay. Sumitra sat still on a chair against the wall of the hospital, her eyes clouded with tears. She immediately rose and embraced Roshni.

There will be no permanent damage, Your Highness,' a.s.sured Roshni. His bone has been set. Your son will recover fully. We are very lucky that the branch missed his head.'

We're also lucky that Lakshman is built like a bull,' said Vashishta. A lesser man would not have survived that hit.'

Lakshman opened his eyes in a large room, meant for n.o.bility. His bed was big but not too soft, providing the support needed for his injured shoulder. He couldn't see too well in the dark but he detected a soft sound. Within moments, he found a red-eyed Ram standing by his bedside.

I woke Dada up, thought Lakshman.

Three nurses rushed towards the bed. Lakshman shook his head slowly and they stepped back.

Ram touched Lakshman's head gently. My brother...'

Dada... the tree...'

The branch was rotten, Lakshman. That's why it fell. It was bad luck. You saved my life once again...'

Dada... Guruji...'

You took the hit for me, my brother... You took the hit that fate had meant for me...' said Ram, as he bent over and ran his hand over Lakshman's forehead.

Lakshman felt a tear fall on his face. Dada...'

Don't talk. Try to sleep. Relax,' said Ram, turning his face away.

Roshni entered the ayuralay room with some medicines for the prince. A week had elapsed since the accident. Lakshman was stronger now, and restless.

Where is everyone?'

The nurses are still here,' said Roshni with a smile, mixing the medicines into a paste in a bowl and handing it over to Lakshman. Your brothers have gone to the palace to bathe and change into fresh clothes. They'll be back soon.'

Lakshman's face contorted involuntarily as he ingested the medicine. Yuck!'

The yuckier it is, the more effective the medicine!'

Why do you doctors torture patients like this?'

Thank you,' Roshni smiled as she handed the bowl to a nurse. Turning her attention back to Lakshman, she asked, How are you feeling now?'

There is still a lot of numbness in my left shoulder.'

That's because of the pain-killers.'

I don't need them.'

I know you can tolerate any amount of pain. But, for as long as you are my patient, you won't.'

Lakshman smiled. Spoken like an older sister.'

Spoken like a doctor,' scolded Roshni, as her kindly gaze fell upon the golden rakhi still tied around Lakshman's right wrist. She turned to leave and then stopped.

What is it?' asked Lakshman.

Roshni requested the nurses to leave. She then walked back to his bedside. Your brothers were here for most of the time. Your mother too was here; so were your stepmothers. They came to see you every day, remained here for most of the time and only went back to the palace to sleep. I'd expected that. But you must know that Ram refused to leave for one full week. He slept here in this room. He did a lot of the work that our nurses should have rightfully done.'

I know. He's my dada...'

Roshni smiled. I came in late one night to check on you and I heard him talking in his sleep: "Don't punish my brother for my sins; punish me, punish me".'

He blames himself for everything,' said Lakshman. Everyone has made his life a living h.e.l.l.'

Roshni knew what Lakshman was talking about.

How can anyone blame Dada for our defeat? Dada was just born on that day. We lost to Lanka because they fought better than us.'

Lakshman, you don't have to...'

Inauspicious! Cursed! Unholy! Is there any insult that has not been heaped upon him? And yet, he stands strong and steadfast. He doesn't hate, or even resent, anyone. He could have spent a lifetime being angry with the entire world. But he chooses to live a life of honour. He never lies. Did you know that? He never lies!' Lakshman was crying now. And yet, he lied once, just for me! I was out riding in the night, despite knowing that it wasn't allowed. I fell and hurt myself pretty badly. My mother was so angry. But Dada lied to save me. He said I was in the stable with him and that the horse kicked me. My mother instantly believed him, for Dada never lies. In his mind, he tainted his soul, but he did it to save me from my mother's wrath. And yet, people call him...'

Roshni stepped forward and gently touched Lakshman's face, wiping away some of his tears.

He continued with fervent vigour, tears streaming down his cheeks, There will come a time when the world will know what a great man he is. Dark clouds cannot hide the sun forever. One day, they will clear and true light will shine through. Everyone will know then, how great my dada is.'

I already know that,' said Roshni, softly.

Manthara stood by the window in her office room, built at the far end of the official wing of her palatial residence. The exquisitely symmetrical garden, along with the estate, was appropriately smaller when compared to the emperor's; a conscious choice. It was also perched on a hill, though lower than the one on which the royal palace stood. Her residence adequately reflected her social status.

She was a brilliant businesswoman, no doubt, and she was no fool. The anti-mercantile atmosphere of the Sapt Sindhu accorded her a low stature, notwithstanding her wealth. None had the courage to say it to her face, but she knew what she was called: a profiteering lackey of the foreign-demon Raavan'. Truth was, all businessmen had no choice but to trade with Raavan's Lankan traders as the demon-king held a monopoly over external trade with the Sapt Sindhu. This was not a treaty signed by the Sapt Sindhu traders but their kings. Yet, it was the traders who were reviled for playing by the rules of this agreement. Being the most successful businesswoman, Manthara was the prime recipient of the anti-trader prejudice.

But she had suffered enough abuse in her childhood to inure her from bigotry for many a lifetime. Born into a poor family, she was afflicted with smallpox when young, leaving her pallid face scarred for life. As if that wasn't enough, she contracted polio at the age of eleven. The symptoms gradually abated but her right foot remained partially paralysed, giving her an odd limp. At age twenty, owing to her awkward gait, she slipped from the balcony at a friend's house, leaving her back hideously disfigured. She was teased wretchedly when young, and looked at with disdain even today, except that n.o.body dared to say anything to her face. Her wealth could have easily financed the entire royal expenditure of Kosala, along with a few other kingdoms, without even having to draw on her credit. Needless to say, it brought her immense power and influence.

My Lady, what did you want to talk about?' asked Druhyu, standing deferentially a few feet away from her.

Manthara limped to her desk and sat on the specially designed padded chair. Druhyu stood at the other end of the desk.

She crooked her finger and he immediately shuffled around the desk, going down on his knees as he reached her. They were alone in the office, and no one would have heard a word of what was exchanged between them. The a.s.sistants were on the ground floor in the secretarial annexe. But he understood her silences. And, he didn't dare argue. So he waited.

I know all there is to know,' declared Manthara. My sweet Roshni has unwittingly revealed the character of the princes to me. I've thought hard about this and I've made up my mind. Bharat will be in charge of diplomatic affairs and Ram will look after the city police.'

Druhyu was surprised. I thought you had begun to like Prince Ram, My Lady.'

Diplomatic affairs were a perfect opportunity for an Ayodhyan prince to build relations with other kingdoms; and thus, build his base for a future strong empire. Although Ayodhya was still the overlord of the Sapt Sindhu confederacy, it was nowhere near as powerful as it had once been. Building relations with other kings would prove to be advantageous.

The role of the city police chief, on the other hand, would not serve as a suitable training ground for a prince. Crime rates were high, law and order was abysmal, and most rich people maintained their own personal security set-up. The poor suffered terribly as a result. Simplistic explanations would not do justice to the complex picture, though. The people were, to a fairly large extent, themselves responsible for the chaotic state of affairs. Guru Vashishta had once remarked that it was possible for the system to maintain order if a small percentage of the people disobeyed the law, but no system could prevent upheaval and disruption if practically all the citizens had no respect for the law. And Ayodhyans broke every law with impunity.

If Bharat managed diplomatic relations well, he would be in a strong position to succeed Dashrath eventually, whereas Ram would be left with a thankless job. If he was tough and managed to control crime, people would resent him for his ruthlessness. If he was kind, crime rates would continue to soar and he would be blamed for it. Even if, by some miracle, he managed to control crime and be popular at the same time, then too it would not prove beneficial for him, for the opinion of the people did not matter in the selection of the next king.

Oh, I like Ram,' said Manthara dismissively. I just like profits more. It'll be good for business if we back the right horse. This is not about choosing between Ram and Bharat, but Kaushalya and Kaikeyi. And, rest a.s.sured, Kaikeyi will win. That is a certainty. Ram may well be capable, but he does not have the ability to take on Kaikeyi.'

Yes, My Lady.'

Also, don't forget, the n.o.bility hates Ram. They blame him for the defeat at the Battle of Karachapa. So it would cost us more in bribes to secure a good position for Ram. We won't have to pay that much to the n.o.bility to get them to accept Bharat as the chief of diplomatic affairs.'

Our costs go down as well,' said Druhyu, smiling.

Yes. That too is good for business.'

And, I think, Queen Kaikeyi will be grateful.'

Which will not hurt us either.'

I will take care of it, My Lady. Raj Guru Vashishta is away from Ayodhya, and that will make our task easier. He has been a strong supporter of Prince Ram.'

Druhyu regretted mentioning the raj guru as soon as the words escaped his lips.

You still haven't discovered where Guruji is, have you?' asked an irritated Manthara. Where has he gone for such a long period? When is he returning? You know nothing!'

No, My Lady,' said Druhyu, keeping his head bowed. I'm sorry.'

Sometimes I wonder why I pay you so much.'

Druhyu remained still, afraid of uttering another sound. Manthara dismissed him from her presence with a wave of the hand.

Chapter 11.

You will make an excellent chief of police,' said Roshni, her eyes glittering with childlike excitement. Crime will decrease and that will be good for our beleaguered people.'

Roshni sat in the palace garden with a restrained but disappointed Ram, who'd been hoping for a greater responsibility, like the deputy chief of the army. But he wasn't about to reveal this to her.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle it,' said Ram. A good chief of police needs the support of the people.'

And, you imagine that you don't have it?'

Ram smiled wanly. Roshni, I know you don't lie; do you really think the people will support me? Everyone blames me for the defeat at the hands of Lanka. I am tainted by 7,032.'

Roshni leaned forward and spoke earnestly. You have only interacted with the elite, the ones who were "born-right", people like us. Yes, they do not like you. But there is another Ayodhya, Ram, where people who were "not born-right" exist. There's no love lost between them and the elite. And remember, they will be sympathetic towards anyone the elite ostracise, even one from the n.o.bility itself. The common folk will like you simply because the elite don't like you. They might even follow you for the same reason.'

Ram had lived in the bubble of the royal experience. He was intrigued by this possibility.

People like us don't step out into the real world. We don't know what's going on out there. I have interacted with the common people and I think I understand them to some extent. The elite have done you a favour by hating you. They have made it possible for you to endear yourself to the common man. I'm sure you can make them listen to you. I know you can bring crime under control in this city; dramatically so. You can do a lot of good. Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you, my brother.'

Within a year the reforms that Ram inst.i.tuted began to have a visible effect. He tackled the main problem head on: most people were unaware of the laws. Some did not even know the names of the law books, called Smritis. This was because there were too many of them, containing contradictory laws that had acc.u.mulated over centuries. The Manu Smriti was well known, but most people were unaware that there were versions of it as well, for instance the BrihadManu Smriti. There were other popular ones too - the Yajnavalkya Smriti, Narad Smriti, Aapastamb Smriti, Atri Smriti, Yam Smriti and Vyas Smriti, to name a few. The police applied sections from the law that they were familiar with, in an ad hoc fashion. The court judges were sometimes aware of other Smritis, depending on the communities they were born into. Confusion was exacerbated when the police would arrest under a law of one Smriti, while the judge would base his judgement on a law from another Smriti. The result was almighty chaos. The guilty would escape by exploiting the loopholes and contradictions among the Smritis. Many innocents, however, languished in prisons due to ignorance, leading to horrific overcrowding.

Ram understood that he had to simplify and unify the law. He studied the Smritis and carefully selected laws that he felt were fair, coherent, simple and relevant to the times. Henceforth, this law code would govern Ayodhya; all the other Smritis would be rendered obsolete. The laws were inscribed on stone tablets and put up at all the temples in Ayodhya; the most important among them being engraved at the end: Ignorance of the law is not a legitimate excuse. Town criers were a.s.signed the task of reading the code aloud every morning. It was only a matter of time before the laws were known to all.

Ram was soon given a respectful t.i.tle by the common people: Ram, the Law Giver.

His second reform was even more revolutionary. He gave the police force the power to implement the law without any fear or favour. Ram understood a simple fact: policemen desired respect from society. They hadn't been given the opportunity to earn it earlier. If they unhesitatingly took action against any law-breaker, high and mighty though he may be, they would be feared and respected. Ram himself repeatedly demonstrated that the law applied equally to him.

In an oft-quoted incident, Ram returned to the city after dusk, when the fort gates had been shut. The gatekeeper opened the gates for the prince. Ram upbraided him for breaking the law: the gates were not to be opened for anyone at night time. Ram slept outside the city walls that night and entered the city the next morning. The ordinary people of Ayodhya talked about it for months, though it was studiously ignored by the n.o.bles.

What did get the elite into a tizzy was Ram's intervention in cases where members of the n.o.bility attempted to browbeat the police when the law caught up with them. They were aghast that they were being brought to book, but soon understood there would be no leniency. Their hatred of Ram increased manifold; they began to call him dictatorial and dangerous. But the people loved him more, this eldest prince of Ayodhya. Crime rates collapsed as criminals were either thrown in jail or speedily executed. Innocents were increasingly spared in a city that steadily became safer. Women began to venture out alone at night. Ram was rightfully credited with this dramatic improvement in their lives.

It would be decades before the name of Ram would transform into a splendid legend. But the journey had begun, for among the common folk, a star was slowly sputtering to life.

You are making too many enemies, my son,' said Kaushalya. You should not be so rigid about enforcing the law.'

Kaushalya had finally summoned Ram to her private chamber, having received too many complaints from n.o.bles. She was worried that, in his zeal, her son was losing the few allies he still had in court.

The rule of law cannot be selective, Maa,' said Ram. The same law has to apply to everyone. If the n.o.bles don't like it, they should not break the law.'

I'm not discussing the law, Ram. If you think that penalising one of General Mrigasya's key aides will please your father, you're wrong. He's completely under Kaikeyi's spell.'