TWENTY
Later that day, Virata entered his city. Surrounded by four Pandavas, he rode up to his palace. Queen Sudeshna and the princess Uttaraa received him on the palace steps with arghya and marked his brow with the crimson tilaka of victory. The king did not see his favorite son. "Where is Uttara Kumara? Why isn't he here to receive me?"
Sudeshna had tears in her eyes. Virata cried, "Tell me! Where is my son?"
Princess Uttaraa said, "The Kurus attacked us from the north when you were away. They also drove away our herd. There was no other man left in the city, so Uttara Kumara rode after them. Brihannala has gone with him as his sarathy."
Her father was aghast. "My little son has ridden alone against Bheeshma and Drona, Kripa, Karna and Duryodhana? With a eunuch for his sarathy! We must go after him at once."
Kanka said, "If Brihannala has gone with the prince we have nothing to fear."
The king frowned. But he trusted his gambler implicitly, especially after the victory against the Trigartas. Virata sat waiting in his apartment with his queen and his daughter; the hours dragged by. Then they heard cowherds' voices outside asking to see the king.
Virata cried, "Let them in! They may have news of my boy."
The cowherds, their faces flushed, were shown in. Their chieftain said, "My lord, we come from near the field of battle. We followed the herd and we saw prince Bhoominjaya's chariot. Brihannala was driving the chariot and she stopped when she saw us."
"The news, man, tell us what news!"
The cowherds began to speak all together, repeating themselves.
"The herd has been rescued!" cried one.
"The prince defeated the Kaurava army by himself."
"Uttara Kumara crushed the Kurus."
"Brihannala said to us, 'Run back to the king and tell him the prince has triumphed. Let the city prepare to receive him.'"
Virata was on his feet. He roared, "Let our city be set out in flowers and arches to receive my son! There is no kshatriya on earth like Bhoominjaya. Did you hear, Sudeshna? Our prince has beaten the Kuru army by himself!"
Kanka the gambler smiled to himself and murmured, "I am not surprised when Brihannala was his sarathy."
The king frowned again, but he was so delighted at the news he made no reply to Kanka. Virata said, "Let our musicians and dancers take to the streets to welcome the hero!" He turned to the cowherds, "How long before they arrive?"
"An hour, my lord."
"I can hardly wait!" Virata saw the sairandhri in the passage, "Malini, fetch the dice-board. I am in the mood for a game, Kanka. Come friend, let us play, I am sure I will beat you today."
"My lord, our minds are excited and one should never gamble when one is not calm."
"Absurd! We are not playing for money, only to pass the time until my son returns."
"It is a dangerous game at the best of times. It cost Yudhishtira everything he had. It robbed him of his reason and he lost his kingdom, his brothers, his wife and even himself. Wine is as nothing compared to dice, to make a man mad. We will play later, my lord, or tomorrow when we are both calmer."
But the king must have his way and the board was set up and the game began.
As they played, Virata said, "Kanka, you have no idea how proud I feel. Not all of us together could have done what my boy did today. I always knew he would be a great kshatriya some day, but he has exceeded my fondest dreams."
Kanka said quietly, "My lord, Brihannala won the day."
Virata's face turned crimson. He cried, "This is the third time I have heard you praise Brihannala for Bhoominjaya's victory. You forget yourself, gambler. My son is a kshatriya prince and your Brihannala a eunuch. How dare you compare them?"
Through clenched teeth Virata said, "I forgive you this time, Kanka, but don't insult my boy again!"
The gambler smiled and said serenely, "My lord, truth is not always pleasant, yet truth must be told. Let me tell you what must have really happened. Your son was Brihannala's sarathy, while the eunuch fought. How could Uttara Kumara face the Kuru army that the Devas themselves would fear?"
The king exploded in anger. "Brahmana wretch! Dare you?" He flung the dice in his hand at Kanka. The heavy thing struck the gambler's forehead. He cried out and clasped his brow. The sharp corner of the ivory had drawn blood and Kanka cupped his palms under the wound, collecting every drop of his blood, not letting a single one spill on to the ground.
With a cry, Malini ran forward with a bowl of water. She mopped Kanka's brow with the sari she wore, stanching the blood. Gently she bathed the wound and Kanka washed his hands in the bowl she held for him. Together they managed to stop the bleeding and no drop of the gambler's blood fell on the ground.
Virata watched this contemptuously. But when the sairandhri used the hem of the silk she wore to wipe the gambler's face, the Matsya king cried, "What are you doing, Malini? The fool deserves what he got!"
The flower girl replied angrily, "For every drop of this man's blood that falls on the ground, your kingdom will go without rain for a year! And there is he who has sworn to kill anyone who spills Kanka's blood. If he sees the gambler bleeding, you shall not live, Virata. I have just saved your kingdom and your life."
The king hardly believed her; he was still furious with Kanka. Just then, a messenger ran in. "My lord, prince Uttara Kumara has returned. I left him at the palace steps. He is on his way here and Brihannala is with him."
Kanka sprang up and before the king could say a word, he drew the messenger aside. "Quick, fellow! Brihannala must not come here. Make sure only the prince comes in first; tell the eunuch that Kanka said so. Run now!"
Not ten paces down the passage outside, the messenger met the prince and Brihannala. He plucked Brihannala by his sleeve, "An urgent message for you from Kanka."
The eunuch stopped at once. "You go on to your father, my prince. Remember to keep our secret!"
When Uttara Kumara had gone, the messenger said, "Kanka says you must not go into the king's chambers yet. He will send for you."
Brihannala nodded and waited outside. Uttara Kumara walked into his father's apartment and Virata embraced him with a cry. "O Kshatriya!"
But the prince had eyes only for Kanka the gambler and the dark sairandhri who wiped the blood from his face. Uttara Kumara whispered, "Who did this to you, noble one?"
Kanka only smiled. Virata said, "The brahmana dared compare you to the eunuch and I threw the dice in his face."
Uttara Kumara gasped. "Father! Beg his pardon at once, lest the Gods curse you for injuring a brahmana."
Virata looked puzzled. But he was so happy to see his son that his rage had left him. He went up to Kanka, took his hand and said gently, "Forgive me, my friend. I owe you a great deal and would not have you angry with me."
Calmly, the gambler said, "It was nothing, my lord. I was only anxious lest my blood fell on the ground."
Virata still looked perplexed. Then, the joy of his son's deed was upon him again and he began to press the prince for every detail of the battle. Kanka signaled to the guard at the door to call Brihannala in.
The eunuch came in, glowing. He bowed to the king. Kanka stood with the side of his face where the dice drew blood turned away from Brihannala. Virata said, "Brihannala, I thank you for being my son's sarathy. I always knew he would be a great kshatriya; today he has surpassed all my expectations."
Brihannala smiled. Uttara Kumara blushed and said quickly, "But, father, it wasn't I who defeated the Kurus!"
The eunuch looked warningly at the prince. Uttara Kumara said, "It was a Devaputra."
The king whispered, "A Devaputra?"
"A Deva's son. He was at the enemy like a host of light."
"Who was he? I want to offer him my kingdom. And my daughter Uttaraa!"
The prince said, "He vanished after the battle, but he has promised to see us very soon."
As the prince spoke Brihannala turned his gaze to Kanka, but the gambler kept his face turned away. Virata said again to Brihannala and now more humbly, "I thank you for bringing my son back to me safely."
Brihannala bowed to the king and to Kanka and left the royal apartment. He went to the princess Uttaraa with the silks and jewels from the battlefield. She hugged him and cried, "Now my dolls will wear Kuru warriors' silks! And one day my sons will wear their jewels."
Brihannala patted her cheek and left her. But he was troubled: he could not fathom why Yudhishtira kept his face turned from him in Virata's apartment. Was he displeased that he had shown himself to the Kauravas?
Brihannala took his anxiety to Ballava. Bheema gave a shout to see his brother and embraced him. "So you routed them! How sweet revenge must have felt. And I am glad you didn't kill any of them, but left that for when I could be there as well."
Arjuna said, "Bheema, why did Yudhishtira turn his face from me in the king's chambers? Is he angry at what I did?"
"I have no idea. He should be as delighted as I am. Let us go and ask him."
When Yudhishtira saw Arjuna in his rooms, the eldest Pandava jumped up with a cry and clasped his brother. "How proud I am of you! Oh Arjuna, our evil days are over."
But Arjuna had seen brother's wound. "What is this?" he cried. Bheema was glowering at it, as well.
"Ah, it's nothing," said Yudhishtira. "I said you must have fought the Kauravas and the king thought I was insulting his son. He threw the dice at me."
"So that was why you kept your face turned from me."
Bheema's eyes were already ablaze. He hissed, "If you hadn't stopped us this Virata would have been dead long ago."
Arjuna said, "Enough of your patience, Yudhishtira. I am going to kill Virata."
He spoke so quietly it was plain he meant every word. Bheema cried, "Let us be lords of Matsya first. Then we can conquer the world from here."
They rose to go, but Yudhishtira said, "Bheema, Virata does not know who I am. Besides, he has been very kind to us this past year. We have been his guests and eaten his food. We must not be ungrateful."
Bheema and Arjuna began to protest, but their brother stopped them. "Hear me out. All I say is that he deserves another chance. Tomorrow we will show Virata who we are: I will go and sit on his throne. If he is still defiant, you can kill him. But if he honors us, we must forgive him."
Arjuna and Bheema exchanged a glance and nodded.