‘You are not eating a single morsel till I ride you, Eklavvya!’ Her hair fell down in a wild cascade to her shoulders. Like Eklavvya, she wore braids bound with crow and bone fetishes. A throwing axe was pushed into the belt that encircled her waist. A coarse robe covered her left shoulder but did nothing to hide her lithe form.

‘Eklavvya despises the night and all the demonic urges it brings in women. Oh, Spirits take me...’

‘The Spirits can take you after I am done with you,’ the woman laughed. She turned towards Shishupal. ‘You have large hands. I could ride you after I am done with him. Or together. Eklavvya cannot handle me alone.’

Eklavvya turned almost pleading eyes towards him. ‘Would Shishupal like to join?’

Shishupal turned a shade of hibiscus, feeling like Surajmukhi, whose legs Kalyavan had been trying to spread apart. What is happening? Suddenly, the roar of warning voices turned them around. A bleary-eyed youth had tottered into the camp, only to be greeted by spears.

The boy could not have made a timelier entry, thought Shishupal, blessing his stars. ‘Eklavvya, that is my squire,’ he said quickly. ‘I would be remiss if some harm were to befall him.’

Eklavvya gave a whistle and the guards let Mayasur through. ‘You have a Rakshasa for a pet?’ Eklavvya asked, crinkling his nose. ‘Mind your throat when you sleep.’

Mayasur walked unsteadily towards them. Seeing Eklavvya, he swallowed whatever he had been about to say. Even Shishupal’s questioning eyes did not elicit an answer from him. Eklavvya looked on amused. Shishupal went up to him and grabbed his shoulders.

‘Ap...apol...apologies, my Lord. Lord Dantavakra has been found,’ Mayasur muttered. ‘Lady Rasha requests you to hurry.’

‘Where?’

‘Uhm…lying in a ditch behind the tavern…’ He cast a nervous glance around the camp. ‘The tavern from where he set out to complete his task.’

‘That l...’ Shishupal fumed but restrained himself before strangers. Turning to Eklavvya with a grunt of frustration, he said, ‘Duty calls, Eklavvya. It was an honour to make your acquaintance. Will you join me for supper on the morrow?’

‘By the time this woman is done with Eklavvya, he will not have enough strength in his legs to trot anywhere.’ Before Eklavvya could complain further, he was dragged away by the Nora woman.

III

As Shishupal was taken back to the carriage upon Mayasur’s mule, he became aware that Lady Rasha was striding towards him, chin stuck out like an anvil.

‘What were you doing with that Valka?’ she demanded in what she erroneously surmised to be a whisper. ‘Have you lost your wits, Commander?’

‘Oh, Lady Rasha, nothing like that. That was Eklavvya, the Contest winner. A Chief, in fact. A noble soul…a kind youth. Speaks funny, though. He is just…’

‘Oh stop, you fool!’ Lady Rasha commanded. Her stern injunction rang out in the silence of the Weeds as her bosom fell and rose like an empire. Those in earshot turned, amused to see a woman scolding a man. ‘I thought you went to attack him!’