‘At the rate we’re sailing, just a few more days. The winds have been kind.’

‘Hmmm... have you ever been to Lothal or Maika, Krittika?’

Krittika shook her head. ‘It’s difficult for me to get pregnant, Shiva. And that is the only way that an outsider can enter Maika.’

Shiva winced. He had touched a raw nerve. Veerbhadra did not care that Krittika couldn’t conceive, but it still distressed her.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Shiva.

‘No, no,’ smiled Krittika. ‘Veerbhadra has convinced me that we are good enough for each other. We don’t need a child to complete us.’

Shiva patted Veerbhadra’s back. ‘Sometimes we barbarians can surprise even ourselves with our good sense.’

Krittika laughed softly. ‘But I have visited the older Lothal.’

‘Older Lothal?’

‘Didn’t I tell you?’ asked Sati. ‘The seaport of Lothal is actually a new city. The older Lothal was a river port on the Saraswati. But when the Saraswati stopped reaching the sea, there was no water around the old city, ending its vibrancy. The locals decided to recreate their hometown next to the sea. The new Lothal is exactly like the old city, except that it’s a sea port.’

‘Interesting,’ said Shiva. ‘So what happened to old Lothal?’

‘It’s practically abandoned, but a few people continue to live there.’

‘So why didn’t they give the new city a different name? Why call it Lothal?’

‘The old citizens were very attached to their city. It was one of the greatest cities of the empire. They didn’t want the name to disappear in the sands of time. They also assumed most people would forget old Lothal.’

Shiva looked towards the sea. ‘New Lothal, here we come!’

The sun had risen high over Bal-Atibal Kund. It was the third hour of the second prahar. The bodies of the fallen Magadhans and Brangas were being removed to a cleared area in the forest where, to the drone of ritual chanting, their mortal remains were being cremated. Considering the massive number of Magadhan dead, this was back-breaking work. But Kartik had been insistent. Valour begot respect, whether in life or in the aftermath of death.

‘Has Surapadman not been found yet?’ asked Bhagirath, his eyes scanning the sands of the kund. Yesterday they were pristine white. Today they were a pale shade of pink, discoloured by massive quantities of blood.

‘Not as yet,’ said Kartik. ‘Initially I thought he was fighting on the southern front. We were unable to find him there so I assumed he would be here.’

Maatali, the Vaishali king, had proved his naval acumen by destroying the rearguard of the Magadhan fleet. Having heard of Kartik’s valour and ferocity, he now viewed him with newfound respect. Gone were the last traces of indulgence for the son of the Neelkanth.

‘How far is my brother’s fleet, King Maatali?’ asked Kartik.