Aug 18, 2007

Chapter 38: Robinhood!

Meanwhile, long ago Sahasrarjun, while rowing in boat with loose women having leisurely fun, bumps into Ravana, who was doing tapas in river. In the ensuing fight, Ravana loses but he cannot be killed because he says he is immortal since he has magical powers as he is a demon. So S says that he might not die but as long as he is alive, he will be jailed. Later, Ravana refuses to escape from the prison as a coward when some other prisoners tries to free him during their own escape.

Now, while P leaves to woods, Sahasrarjun is shocked to learn that his army was massacred by P. So S asks Ravan freedom if he kills P. Since Ravan is asura, he would have magical powers that can kill this superman. Ravan says he is the son of a sage and P also is a son of a sage. So he says no deal. Rot here, shouts P and goes away.

Meanwhile, upon hearing the atrocities against P, his colleague Rishi Vasishta provides him with a magical cow called Sushila (which is an offspring of Kamadhenu – a cow which can give anything one desires!) and Vatsa's daughter Anamika (who cannot live without that cow & vice versa) to live with them. The daughter falls in love with P (rather a childhood love exponentiated in youth), but is shocked to see him sent to the woods. She wants to ask him to stay but she cannot. P says dont have any hopes since his mission in life is only to kill S.

P walks all the way to Shiva, now that he has no home and his goal also is not fulfilled. Since Ravana is a great devotee of Shiva, Shiva asks the release of Ravana as his half gurudakshina. P has no difficulty in releasing him and set him free, for which Ravana is very grateful. Ravana asks what he wants. P just says that try not to keep any prisoners in his Lanka. Ravan agrees.

P goes back to Shiva and tells mission accomplished. Shiva says this would be his full gurudakshina. P says no, this would be half only. Then, Shiva says that there is more time for remaining half.

Gradually, P builds a big army from J's disciples. When J comes to know of this, he condemns his son. P’s girlfriend expresses her desire to wed P, who declines to have her as a wife, because his whole embodiment of life is to kill Sahasrarjun. J stops his pupils from visiting P’s fighting classes. Anamika continues to help P. She will go to other hermitages and inform disciples to join P's warfare classes since it is important to fight injustice. During one such absence, J asks her if she was with P and she lies to him that she has married him. Hearing this P is enraged but Anamika tells that she considers him as her hubby anyways - so its not really a lie. He tells her he is just an experiment. She tells him that she is just an inspiration! P is speechless.

P, meanwhile, with the help of his girlfriend, accumulates pupils from all nearby ashrams during the nights and teaches them how to fight and to defend. This new formed Robinhood-army starts looting Kings loots, much to the chagrin of Sahasrarjun. With this growth in P's army, they attack S's army at night and loot valuables in a caravan which was initially looted from hermitages. Being successful, P then orders his students to re-distribute the valuables to respective hermitages.

Hearing that his valuables were looted by P, S orders his chief to go to J's hermitage and ask J where P is. Chief says he is really not at home. S then asks his 4 sons for help. The 4 sons of Sahasrarjun in Brahmin disguise, to wreak havoc, approach the ashram. Renuka finds out that they do not have any janwaaras (thread proving Brahminship) and hence deduces they are not Brahmins. Still, she provides excellent food to the 4 with the help of Sushila cow.

The 4 report it to pop who orders it to be brought to the palace. On the pretext of carrying out the order, the chief approaches the ashram and forces Anamika out of the way, which irks J and hence he himself takes the sword (a kshatriya action for a Brahmin) to protect her. The chief returns empty handed.

J proffers apologies to P after searching P in woods, but still says that weapons are to be used for defense only and not to attack.

Lakshmi is all happy that J said sorry to P. She says that tradition is meant to be changed with time. One should not follow custom for the sake of it - otherwise it will become rigid and conventional and orthodox which will become difficult for mankind's progress. Principles should be flexible and one cannot live life with one set of principles, there are various colors of life, in different circumstances one has to choose different paths. And we have to change as per the era & requirement. Vishnu agrees and says change is the only constant thing - it is immortal and eternal. Change is the secret for mankind's progress.

Looking at the chief empty-handed, S is enraged. So he says he will go to J and get Sushila himself. At J's hermitage, S asks J to hand over the cow which J refuses. Fighting ensues. J gets hurt and falls down. Then Sushila starts sending army to kill S's army from her tummy! S is perplexed. So he threatens Sushila that he will kill J if Sushila doesnt recall her army back. To save J's life, Sushila recalls her army back inside herself despite J pleading not to. S wins, and takes the cow to his palace. The 4 sons are very happy. They ask Sushila to give 4 beautiful girls with whom they can enjoy. Sushila refuses to help since she is pious cow. The sons think it is not the magical cow and J has tricked them. So one of the son goes to kill the cow. P enters the scene and stops the massacre of the cow. He tells that he cannot kill the sons in front of the cow and leaves them alone.

The sons want to take revenge against J for sending the wrong cow. They go to J and kill him while Renuka is nursing J's wounds from J's battle against S. Renuka is shocked. The sons leave while P enters. He sees Renuka beating her chest for 21 times and he gives her a promise that he will kill 21 Kshatriya lineages.

S's sons go to S and tells him what they did for which he shouts at them since now P will wage war sooner than he wanted. He wanted to collect all armies to wage battle against P but now he may not have time. S's wife goes to P and begs mercy. P says he can forgive if S asks for forgiveness with all sages. S refuses. So S's wife asks Shiva to take her life away since she cannot bear to see her sons dead. Shiva immediately takes her life away! S is shocked.

P approaches the sage's Board who agrees for war considering whatever happened with J. Meanwhile J's 21 kings all give him support in the forthcoming war. The news of war goes to S's sons who decide that kidnapping Anamika is the best option to tame down P. Once they get to the hermitage, they ask Renuka to let go of Anamika. Renuka refuses and starts sword fighting only to be wounded. Then the 4 sons approach Anamika, who kills herself so as not to be a burden for P. 4 sons shocked, head back to palace. Once again King shouts at them and says they are all fools. While he is wondering what to do next, some of the kings offer help and suggest to put the sons in different safe houses. King thanks them and goes with that option.

Meanwhile P comes and sees Anamika dead.

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