Honour Imprisoned

An underground chamber beneath the royal palace had been converted into a temporary prison for General Parvateshwar. Though the public prisons of peaceful Kashi were humane, it would have been a slight to a man of Parvateshwar’s stature to be imprisoned along with common criminals. The spacious chamber, though luxuriously appointed, was windowless. Not taking any chances, Parvateshwar’s hands and legs had been securely shackled. While a platoon of crack Naga troops guarded the sole exit, two senior officers watched over Parvateshwar at all times. Nandi and Parshuram kept first watch.

‘My apologies, General,’ said Parshuram.

Parvateshwar smiled. ‘You don’t need to apologise, Parshuram. You are following orders. That is your duty.’

Nandi sat opposite Parvateshwar, but kept his face averted.

‘Are you angry with me, Major Nandi?’ asked Parvateshwar.

‘What right do I have to be angry with you, General?’

‘If there’s something about me that’s troubling you, then you have every right to be angry. Lord Ram had asked us to “always be true to ourselves”.’

Nandi remained silent.

Parvateshwar smiled ruefully and then looked away.

Nandi gathered the courage to speak. ‘Are you being true to yourself, General?’

‘Yes, I am.’

‘Forgive me, but you are not. You’re betraying your living God.’

With visible effort, Parvateshwar kept his temper in check. ‘It is only the very unfortunate who must choose between their god and their swadharma.’

‘Are you saying that your personal dharma is leading you away from Good?’

‘I’m saying no such thing, Major Nandi. But my duty towards Meluha is most important to me.’

‘Rebelling against your God is treason.’

‘Some may hold that rebelling against your country is a greater treason.’

‘I disagree. Of course, Meluha is important to me, I would readily die for it. But I wouldn’t fight my living God for the sake of Meluha. That would be completely wrong.’

‘I’m not saying that you’re wrong, Major Nandi.’

‘Then you admit to being wrong yourself.’

‘I didn’t say that either.’

‘How can that be, General?’ asked Nandi. ‘We’re talking about polar opposites. One of us has got to be wrong.’

Parvateshwar smiled. ‘It is such a staunch Suryavanshi belief: the opposite of truth has to be untruth.’

Nandi remained silent.

‘But Anandmayi has taught me something profound,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘There is your truth and there is my truth. As for the universal truth, it does not exist.’

‘The universal truth does exist, though it has always been an enigma to human beings,’ smiled Parshuram. ‘And it will continue to remain an enigma for as long as we are bound to this mortal body.’

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‘What the hell have you done?’ she shouted.

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