Immortals of Meluha (15 page)

‘The system is simple,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘As we agreed, the best society is when a person’s caste is decided only by his abilities and karma. Not by any other factor. Lord Ram created a practical system that ensured this. All children that are born in Meluha are compulsorily adopted by the empire. To ensure that this is done methodically, a great hospital city called Maika was built deep in the south, just north of the Narmada river. All pregnant women have to travel there for their delivery. Only pregnant women are allowed into the city. Nobody else.’

‘Nobody else? What about her husband, her parents?’ asked Shiva.

‘No, there are no exceptions to this rule except for one. This exception was voted in around three hundred years ago. Husbands and parents of women of noble families were allowed to enter,’ answered Parvateshwar, his expression clearly showing that he violendy disagreed with this corruption of Lord Ram’s system.

‘Then who takes care of the pregnant woman in Maika?’

‘The hospital staff. They are well trained in this,’ continued Parvateshwar. ‘Once the child is born, he or she is kept in Maika for a few weeks for health reasons while the mother travels back to her own city’

‘Without her child?’ asked a clearly surprised Shiva.

‘Yes,’ replied Parvateshwar, with a slight frown as if this was the most obvious fact in the world. ‘The child is then put into the Meluha Gurukul, a massive school created by the empire close to Maika. Every single child receives the benefit of exacdy the same education system. They grow up with all the resources of the empire available to them.’

‘Do they maintain records of the parents and their children?’

‘Of course they do. But the records are kept in utmost secrecy and only with the record-keeper of Maika.’

‘That would mean that in the Gurukul or in the rest of the empire, nobody would know who the child’s birth parents are,’ reasoned Shiva, as he worked out the implications of what he was hearing. ‘So every child, whether born to a Brahmin or a Shudra, would get exacdy the same treatment at the Gurukul?’

‘Yes,’ smiled Parvateshwar. He was clearly proud of the system. ‘As the children enter the age of adolescence, they are all given the Somras. Thus every child has exactly the same opportunity to succeed. At the age of fifteen, when they have reached adulthood, all the children are given a comprehensive examination. The results of this examination decide which varna or caste the child will be allocated to — Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra.’

Kanakhala cut in. ‘And then the children are given one more year’s caste-specific training. They wear their varna colour bands — white for Brahmins, red for Kshatriyas, green for Vaishyas and black for Shudras — and retreat to the respective caste schools to complete their education.’

‘So that’s why your caste system is called the varna system,’ said Shiva. ‘
Varna
means
colour,
right?’

‘Yes my Lord,’ smiled Kanakhala. You are very observant.’

With a withering look at Kanakhala, Parvateshwar added sarcastically, ‘Yes, that was a very difficult conclusion to draw.’

Ignoring the barb, Shiva asked, ‘So what happens after that?’

‘When the children turn sixteen, they are allocated to applicant parents from their caste. For example, if some Brahmin parents had applied to adopt a child, one randomly chosen student from Maika, who had won the Brahmin caste in the examination, will be allotted to them. Then the child grows up with these adopted parents as their own child.’

‘And society is perfect,’ marvelled Shiva, as the simple brilliance of the system enveloped his mind. ‘Each person is given a position in society based only on his own abilities. The efficiency and fairness of this system is astounding!’

‘Over time my Lord,’ interjected Daksha, ‘we found the percentage of higher castes actually going up in the population. Which means that everybody in the world has the ability to excel. All it takes is for a child to be given a fair chance to succeed.’

‘Then the lower castes must have loved Lord Ram for this?’ asked Shiva. ‘He gave them an actual chance to succeed.’

‘Yes they did love him,’ answered Parvateshwar. ‘They were his most loyal followers. Jai Shri Ram!’

‘But I guess not too many mothers would have been happy with this. I can’t imagine a woman willingly giving up her child as soon as he is born with no chance of meeting him ever again.’

‘But it’s for the larger good,’ said Parvateshwar, scowling at the seemingly stupid question. ‘And in any case, every mother who wants an offspring can apply for one and be allocated a child who suits her position and dreams. Nothing can be worse for a mother than having a child who does not measure up to her expectations.’

Shiva frowned at Parvateshwar’s explanation, but let the argument pass. ‘I can also imagine that many of the upper castes like the Brahmins would have been unhappy with Lord Ram. After all, they lost their stranglehold on power.’

‘Yes,’ added Daksha. ‘Many upper castes did oppose Lord Ram’s reforms. Not just Brahmins, but even Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. Lord Ram fought a great battle to defeat them. Those of the vanquished who survived are the Chandravanshis we see today’

‘So your differences go that far back?’

‘Yes,’ said Daksha. ‘The Chandravanshis are corrupt and disgusting people. No morals. No ethics. They are the source of all our problems. Some of us believe that Lord Ram was too kind. He should have completely destroyed them. But he forgave them and let them live. In fact, we have to face the mortification of seeing the Chandravanshis rule over Lord Ram’s birthplace — Ayodhya!’

Before Shiva could react to this information, the bell of the new prahar was rung. Everyone said a quick prayer to welcome the subsequent time chapter. Shiva immediately looked towards the window. A look of expectancy appeared on his face.

Daksha smiled as he observed Shiva’s expression. ‘We could break for lunch now, my Lord. But if you have another engagement you would like to attend, we could continue tomorrow’

Parvateshwar glared at Daksha disapprovingly. He knew exacdy what the emperor was trying to do.

‘That would be nice, your Highness,’ smiled Shiva. ‘Is my face that transparent?’

‘Yes it is my Lord. But that is a gift you have. Nothing is prized more than honesty in Meluha. Why don’t you leave for your engagement and we could convene here again tomorrow morning?’

Thanking Daksha profusely, Shiva left the room with Nandi in tow.

Shiva approached the hedge with excitement and trepidation. The moment he heard the sound of the dhol coming from the garden, he despatched Nandi to have lunch at the guest house. He wanted to be alone. He let out a deep sigh of ecstasy as he crept behind the hedge to find Sati practising under the watchful eye of the Guruji and Krittika.

‘So good to see you again, Shiva,’ said the Guruji as he stood up with a formal namaste.

‘The pleasure is all mine, Guruji,’ said Shiva, as he bent down to touch the Guruji’s feet as a sign of respect.

Sati watched silendy at a distance with her gaze on the floor. Krittika said enthusiastically, ‘I just couldn’t get your dance out of my mind!’

Shiva blushed at the compliment. ‘Oh it wasn’t that good.’

‘Now you’re fishing for compliments,’ teased Krittika.

‘I was wondering if we could start off where we left last time,’ said Shiva, turning towards Sati. ‘I don’t think I have to be your teacher or anything like that. I just wanted to see you dance.’

Sati felt her strange discomfort returning again. What was it about Shiva that made her feel that she was breaking the law in speaking with him? She was allowed to talk to men as long as she kept a respectable distance. Why should she feel guilty?

‘I will try my best,’ said Sati formally. ‘It would be enriching to hear your views on how I can improve myself. I really do respect you for your dancing skills.’

Respect?! Why respect? Why not love?!

Shiva smiled politely. Something inside told him that saying anything at this point of time would spoil the moment.

Sati took a deep breath, girded her angvastram around her waist and committed herself to the Nataraj pose. Shiva smiled as he felt Mother Earth project her shakti, her energy, into Sati.

Energised by the earth she stood upon, Sati began her dance. And she had really improved. The emotions seemed to course through her. She was always good technically, but the passion elevated her dance to the next level. Shiva felt a dreamy sense of unreality overcome him again. Sati radiated a magnetic hold on him as she moved her lithe body into the dance steps. For some moments, Shiva imagined that he was the man that Sati was longing for in her dance. When she finally came to a stop, the audience spontaneously applauded.

‘That was the best I have ever seen you dance,’ said the Guruji with pride.

‘Thank you Guruji,’ said Sati as she bowed. Then she looked expectandy at Shiva.

‘It was fantastic,’ exclaimed Shiva. ‘Absolutely fabulous. Didn’t I tell you that you had it in you?’

‘I thought that I didn’t get it exactly right at the attacking sequence,’ said Sati critically.

‘You’re being too hard on yourself,’ consoled Shiva. ‘That was just a slight error. It happened only because you missed one angle on your elbow. That made your next move a little odd.’ Rising swiftly to his feet, Shiva continued, ‘See, I’ll show you.’

He walked quickly towards Sati and touched her elbow to move it to the correct angle. Sati immediately recoiled in horror as there was a gasp from the Guruji as well as Krittika. Shiva instantly realised that something terrible had happened.

‘I am sorry,’ said Shiva, with a look of sincere regret. ‘I was just trying to show you where your elbow should be.’

Sati continued to stare at Shiva, stunned into immobility.

The Guruji was the first to recover his wits and realised that Shiva must undergo
the purification ceremony
. ‘Go to your Pandit, Shiva. Tell him you need a
shudhikaran
. Go before the day is over.’

‘What? What is a shudhikaran? Why would I need it?’

‘Please go for a shudhikaran, Shiva,’ said Sati, as tears broke through her proud eyes. ‘If something happened to you, I would never be able to forgive myself.’

‘Nothing will happen to me! Look, I am really sorry if I have broken some rule in touching you. I will not do it again. Let’s not make a big deal out of this.’

‘IT IS A BIG DEAL!’ shouted Sati.

The violence of Sati’s reaction threw Shiva off balance.

Why the hell is this simple thing being blown completely out of proportion?

Krittika came close to Sati, careful not to touch her and whispered, ‘We should go back home, my lady’

‘No. No. Please stay,’ pleaded Shiva. ‘I won’t touch you. I promise.’

With a look of hopeless despair, Sati turned to leave, followed by Krittika and Guruji. At the edge of the hedge, she turned around and beseeched Shiva once again, ‘Please go for your shudhikaran before nightfall. Please.’

At the look of uncomprehending mutiny on Shiva’s face, the Guruji advised, ‘Listen to her, Shiva. She speaks for your own good.’

‘What bloody nonsense!’ yelled Shiva as his disturbed thoughts finally broke through his desperate efforts at silent acceptance. He was lying in his bedroom at the royal guest house. He had not undergone the shudhikaran. He had not even bothered to find out what the ceremony was.

Why would I need to be purified for touching Sati? I want to spend all my remainingyears touching her in every possible way. Am I going to keep on undergoing a shudhikaran every day? Ridiculous!

Just then a troubling thought entered Shiva’s mind.

Is it because of me? Am I not allowed to touch her because I am caste-unmarked? An inferior barbarian?

‘No. That can’t be true,’ whispered Shiva to himself. ‘Sati doesn’t think like that. She is a good woman.’

But what if it’s true? Maybe if she knows I am the Neelkanth...