the immortal of maluha
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all this in her transactions with society wants in return?’<br />
‘Respect,’ answered Shiva.<br />
‘Exactly!’ beamed <strong>the</strong> Pandit. ‘And what do you think you do when you try to protect such a<br />
person?’ ‘Disrespect her.’<br />
‘Absolutely! I know it comes naturally to you to want to protect any good person who<br />
appears in need. But control that feeling in relation to Sati. Respect her. And she will feel<br />
irresistibly drawn towards you. She gets many things from <strong>the</strong> people who love her. What she<br />
doesn’t get is what she craves <strong>the</strong> most — respect.’<br />
Shiva looked at <strong>the</strong> Pandit with a grateful smile. He had found his answer.<br />
Respect.<br />
After two weeks, <strong>the</strong> Neelkanth’s convoy reached <strong>the</strong> city <strong>of</strong> Karachapa at <strong>the</strong> confluence <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Indus into <strong>the</strong> Western Sea. It was a glittering city which had long grown beyond <strong>the</strong> one<br />
platform it was built on. The Dwitiya or second platform, had been erected fifty years ago on<br />
an even grander scale than <strong>the</strong> first. The Dwitiya platform was where <strong>the</strong> Karachapa elite lived.<br />
The Governor, a diminutive Vaishya called Jhooleshwar, had heard <strong>of</strong> and followed <strong>the</strong> new<br />
tradition <strong>of</strong> receiving <strong>the</strong> Neelkanth outside <strong>the</strong> city.<br />
Karachapa, with its hundred thousand citizens, was at its heart a frontier trading city.<br />
Therefore it was an act <strong>of</strong> foresight by Lord Brahmanayak, Emperor Daksha’s fa<strong>the</strong>r, to have<br />
appointed a Vaishya as its governor over a hundred years ago. Jhooleshwar had ruled <strong>the</strong> city<br />
extraordinarily well, gilding its fate in gold and was considered its wisest and most efficient<br />
governor ever. Karachapa had long overtaken Lothal on <strong>the</strong> eastern part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> empire to<br />
become Meluha’s premier city <strong>of</strong> commerce. While foreigners such as Mesopotamians and<br />
Egyptians were allowed into this liberal city, <strong>the</strong>y were not allowed to travel fur<strong>the</strong>r into Meluha<br />
without express royal permission.<br />
Jhooleshwar escorted <strong>the</strong> Neelkanth on an excursion to <strong>the</strong> Western Sea on his very first<br />
day in Karachapa. Shiva had never seen <strong>the</strong> sea and was fascinated by <strong>the</strong> near infinite<br />
expanse <strong>of</strong> water. He spent many hours at <strong>the</strong> port where Jhooleshwar proudly expounded on<br />
<strong>the</strong> various types <strong>of</strong> ships and vessels manufactured at <strong>the</strong> shipyard attached to <strong>the</strong> Karachapa<br />
port. Brahaspati accompanied <strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong> port to check on <strong>the</strong> imports due for him from <strong>the</strong><br />
Mesopotamian merchants.<br />
At <strong>the</strong> evening state dinner organised for Shiva, Jhooleshwar proudly announced that a<br />
jagna, a ceremonial fire sacrifice, was being organised <strong>the</strong> next day in honour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Neelkanth, under <strong>the</strong> auspices <strong>of</strong> Lord Varun and <strong>the</strong> legendary Ashwini Kumar twins. The<br />
Ashwini Kumar twins were celebrated ancient seafarers who had navigated ocean routes from<br />
Meluha to Mesopotamia and beyond. Their maps, guidance and stories were a source <strong>of</strong><br />
inspiration and learning for this city <strong>of</strong> seamen.<br />
After dinner, Shiva visited <strong>the</strong> chambers where Sati and Krittika were housed.<br />
‘I was wondering,’ said Shiva, still careful with Sati since she had gone back to being formal<br />
with him, ‘will you be coming to <strong>the</strong> yagna tomorrow?’<br />
‘I am very sorry, Lord Neelkanth,’ said Sati courteously. ‘But it may not be possible for me to<br />
attend <strong>the</strong> ceremony. I am not allowed to attend such yagnas.’