‘If that were the case, I wouldn’t be walking away from the Assi Ghat, Your Highness.’

‘Have you met Maharishi Bhrigu?’ asked Ganesh.

Parvateshwar never lied. ‘Yes.’

Kali sucked in a sharp breath, reaching for her sword.

‘Mausi,’ said Ganesh, pleading with the Naga queen to keep her temper in check. ‘Where is the Maharishi, General?’

‘He’s back on a boat,’ said Parvateshwar, ‘probably on his way to Meluha.’

‘You know what comes next, don’t you?’ asked Kali.

‘Do I get a soldier’s death?’ asked Parvateshwar. ‘Will you all attack me one by one so I have the pleasure of killing a few of you? Or will you just pounce on me like a pack of cowardly hyenas?’

‘Nobody is getting killed, General,’ said Ganesh. ‘We Nagas have a justice system. Your treachery will be proven in court and then you will be punished.’

‘No Naga is going to judge me,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘I recognise only two courts: the one sanctioned by the laws of Meluha and the other of the Lord Neelkanth.’

‘Then you shall receive justice from the Neelkanth when he returns,’ said Kali, before turning towards the soldiers. ‘Arrest the General.’

Parvateshwar didn’t argue. He stretched out his hands as he looked at the crestfallen face of the man handcuffing him. It was Nandi.

Shiva, Sati and Gopal were dining in the Neelkanth’s chamber at Magadh.

‘The captain of the ship met me in the evening,’ said Sati. ‘All the weapons have been loaded. We can sail for Kashi tomorrow morning.’

‘Good,’ said Shiva. ‘We can begin our campaign within a few weeks.’

Gopal had anticipated this. ‘I have already sent a message to the pandit of the Narsimha temple in Magadh. He will relay it to King Chandraketu, who will then set sail with an armada and await further instructions at the port of Vaishali.’

‘Bhagirath, Ganesh and Kartik will travel with them to Ayodhya,’ said Shiva. ‘Ganesh will lead the Eastern Command.’

‘A wise choice,’ said Gopal.

‘The Western Army, comprising the Vasudevs, the Nagas and those Brangas who have been assigned to the Nagas, will attack Meluha under my command. We will set sail along with Kali and Parvateshwar within a week of reaching Kashi.’

‘I have already sent a message to Ujjain,’ said Gopal. ‘The army has marched out with dismantled sections of our ships which will be reassembled on the Narmada. We will sail together to the Western Sea and farther up the coast, to Lothal.’

‘What about your war elephants, Panditji?’ asked Sati. ‘How will they reach Meluha?’

‘Our elephant corps will set out from Ujjain through the jungles, and meet us at Lothal,’ answered Gopal.

‘Gopalji, can the Narsimha temple pandit send out a message to Suparna in Panchavati as well?’ asked Shiva. ‘Kali has appointed her the commander of the Naga army in her absence. They should join us at the Narmada.’

‘I shall do that, Neelkanth,’ said Gopal.

Chapter 17: Honour Imprisoned

Chapter 17