Ganesh smiled. ‘How many soldiers?’
‘Seventy-five thousand.’
‘Seventy-five thousand?’ asked a surprised Bhagirath. ‘Is Surapadman committing everything? Magadh will be left defenceless.’
‘When are they expected to set sail?’ asked Ganesh.
‘Probably in two weeks’ time,’ said Kartik. ‘At least that’s what the Vasudev pandit surmised.’
‘You should leave in the next few days,’ said Ganesh. ‘Take one hundred thousand men.’
‘Why so many, dada?’ asked Kartik. ‘Don’t you need some men here, with you?’
‘I just need enough to be able to sail ships and shoot fire-arrows,’ said Ganesh. ‘If you do not succeed in holding Surapadman off at the Bal-Atibal Kund, he will just ram into us with his larger ships and drown us all. Our soldiers will be put to better use at your end, not mine.’
‘I’ll prepare to leave right away,’ said Kartik.
A hundred thousand well-motivated soldiers reached the forests near the Bal-Atibal Kund in the early afternoon. The Ayodhyan prince had accompanied the army as the chief advisor to Kartik. King Chandraketu had stayed back with Ganesh to ensure that the Branga soldiers in Kartik’s army would not be confused about the chain of command.
Immediately upon arrival, Kartik ordered the construction of water-proofed coracles which would serve as devil boats to set the Magadh fleet on fire. A thousand soldiers constructed them and then hid them on the eastern banks on the opposite side of the kund. They would destroy the enemy ships from the other side, even as the battle ensued in the area around the kund.
Hidden platforms had been constructed atop the trees to facilitate the relay of information back and forth between the two sides. A simple communication tool had been manufactured for these soldiers: small metallic pipes fitted on top of earthen pots containing anthracite, which burns with a short, but more importantly smokeless flame. The caps on these metallic pipes could be easily lifted open and then shut, allowing light out in a controlled manner. The apertures were small enough to give the impression of a collection of fire flies. For Kartik’s soldiers though, the light signals would carry coded messages from both sides of the river.
Kartik wanted the area around the Bal-Atibal Kund to be left undisturbed. The army was to stay strictly within the forested area.
‘I don’t understand, Kartik. We do want our men on the beach if they’re to serve as bait, don’t we? At least, that is what Ganesh had in mind.’
‘I would hesitate to underestimate Surapadman, Prince Bhagirath. And I daresay, he will not underestimate us either. If he sees a small number of our soldiers casually stationed in an area visible from the river, he may smell a trap. After all, if we were deserting our army, we wouldn’t be stupid enough to camp where we could be seen, would we?’
‘Fair enough. So what do you suggest?’
‘We are on the west bank. Magadh is farther to our south, also on the west bank of the Sarayu. If we were to march along the river, where the forest is not too dense, Magadh would not be more than two or three weeks from here.’
Bhagirath smiled. ‘You want Surapadman to guess our actual strategy, that the Ayodhya siege was a feint to try to draw him out. He will realise that by conquering Magadh, we will have much more effective control over Ayodhyan ships sailing by, as compared to besieging Ayodhya itself.’
‘Exactly. And if he is smart enough to suspect that, as I’m sure he is, he will have scouts looking out towards the forests running along the river. And when he gets reports of our massive army, he will draw the obvious conclusion: that we have marched out to conquer Magadh, while he is wasting his time sailing to Ayodhya.’
‘Leave your home defenceless to conquer another land and you may find your own home getting conquered instead.’
‘You got it,’ said Kartik. ‘Also, it will have credibility in Surapadman’s eyes, for that’s what he would expect a smart enemy to do. I do not see him underestimating us.’
‘But what would stop him from just turning around and sailing back to Magadh?’
‘Turning a large fleet of ships around in a river is easier said than done, especially if one is short of time. But even if Surapadman manages to do so, and speeds down the river to reach Magadh before us, he would know that our army could simply stop marching and not appear at the gates of his city. His own Magadhans may then believe that Surapadman ran away from the battle at Ayodhya using the false pretext of Magadh itself being in danger. A crown prince cannot afford to be perceived as a coward. So he would have no choice but to attack us here itself. What do you think?’
‘I like the plan,’ said Bhagirath. ‘It should work with a good general like Surapadman, for he will have scouts riding along the river banks to keep him informed of what’s going on. We have to be sure to attack those scouts but allow some of them to escape with information about the size of our army. Also, our camp in the forest stretches up to two kilometres. When their ships pass our position, we should have soldiers disturb the birds on top of the trees at the beginning of our camp. Also, we could have some fires left “carelessly” aflame towards the end of our camp. Judging the vast distance between these two signals, Surapadman would assume that there is a massive enemy army marching south along the river bank. He would be forced to attack.’
‘Right.’
‘Let’s have some devil boats on the western bank as well.’
‘But the battle will be fought here on the west bank,’ said Kartik, frowning. ‘Their men would engage in battle here and our fire coracles would be clearly visible. Devil boats can set fire to ships only when they have an element of surprise. If they are visible then they can be easily sunk. That’s why I have set up the devil boats on the eastern banks.’
‘The fighting would happen on our side,’ said Bhagirath. ‘But Surapadman would be forced to land his men on the sands of the Bal-Atibal Kund, and nowhere else on the western side. It’s almost impossible to land men in large numbers in the dense forest which runs along the river farther north. So if we keep our coracles up north, they would remain hidden from enemy eyes. As soon as his ships anchor to investigate our position, we’ll attack them at the north end of his convoy.’
‘Good point. I’ll issue those orders.’
Kartik’s army was ready and poised for action as they heard the sounds of a massive navy rowing up the Sarayu. Judging by the dull drum-beats of the timekeepers and the faint sound of the oars negotiating the waters, it was fair to assume that the Magadhan ships would reach the Bal-Atibal Kund within the next hour or two.
Soldiers were immediately ordered to take battle positions. Weapons were checked, defences were tested.
Kartik walked up to the edge of the forest and surveyed the sands of the Bal-Atibal Kund as well as the river beyond. A crescent moon had failed to lift the darkness of the late hour of the night, which suited his strategy. A light seasonal fog had begun to spread along the river. Perfect! With a practiced eye he checked whether the communication pots were still visible in the fog and was pleased with what he saw.
Kartik turned to Bhagirath, and then looked farther ahead towards Divodas and the other commanders of the Branga army.
‘My friends,’ said Kartik. ‘Unlike my father, I’m not good with words. So I will keep this short. The Magadhans will be fighting only for conquest and glory. Those are weak motivations. You are fighting for vengeance and retribution. For your families and for the soul of your nation. You are fighting to stop the Somras that has killed your children and crippled your people. You are fighting to stop the scourge of this Evil. You have to fight to the end; until they are finished. I don’t want prisoners. I want them dead. If anyone takes the side of Evil, they forfeit the right to live. Remember! Remember the pain of your children!’
The Branga commanders roared together. ‘Death to the Magadhans!’
‘This land that we stand upon,’ continued Kartik, ‘has been blessed by the feet of Lord Ram. We shall honour him
today with blood. Jai Shri Ram!’
‘Jai Shri Ram!’
‘To your positions!’ ordered Kartik.
The Branga commanders hurried away. As soon as the men were out of earshot, Bhagirath spoke, ‘Kartik, why do you want them all dead?’
‘Prince Bhagirath, if there are too many Magadhan prisoners, we will have to leave behind a large force to keep watch over them. Our eventual purpose is to get as many soldiers as possible to Meluha. If the Magadhan army is decimated, we will not need to keep too many of our own soldiers in Magadh. Just a few thousand of them would be enough to control the city. Also, the killing of all the Magadhans would send a message to Ayodhya. It might make them reconsider their alliance with Meluha.’
Bhagirath was forced to accept Kartik’s brutal but effective line of thought.
Chapter 23
Battle of Bal-Atibal Kund
The lead ship of the Magadhan navy passed the Bal-Atibal Kund. Kartik’s army had heard the low monotonous sounds of rowing and the drumbeats of the timekeepers long before they had sighted the Magadhan ships.
Kartik motioned for a signal to be relayed by hand over a line of men who had been positioned for this purpose, till the message reached the southern end of the camp, more than a kilometre away. A group of soldiers pulled a rope quietly, releasing a net that had been tightly cast over a flock of birds. The birds took off suddenly, startled by their unexpected freedom. Kartik detected some movement in the Magadhan ships. They had clearly heard the birds.
Kartik strained his eyes. The Magadhan soldiers had their eyes pinned towards the top of the main masts.
‘Shit!’ whispered Bhagirath, as he realised the implications.
A small wry smile of appreciation for a worthy enemy flickered on Kartik’s face. He turned to Divodas who stood right behind him. ‘Divodas, send messages to our tree-top soldiers that the Magadhans have lookouts stationed on their crow’s nests. Our soldiers should remain low to avoid detection.’
A crow’s nest is built on top of the main masthead of the ship, where sailors would be stationed as lookouts to survey far and wide so as to report to the captain below on deck. This was a common practice on sea-faring ships, but was rarely used in river ships. Surapadman was obviously a cautious man for he had built crow’s nests on his ships. Divodas left quietly to carry out Kartik’s orders.
‘The ships are pulling back their oars,’ said Bhagirath, pointing forward.
As they were sailing against the natural flow of the river current, the Magadhan ships slowed down quickly. The sails were re-adjusted to bring the ships to a halt. Their earlier speed was such though, that at least ten ships passed the area where Kartik stood before Surapadman’s fleet came to a standstill. The soldiers on the ships stared hard into the dense forests on the western banks.
‘Now we wait,’ said Kartik.
Bhagirath leaned over to Kartik. ‘Their scout is a short distance behind us, close to the water’s edge.’
Kartik stretched his arms in an exaggerated manner and then spoke to Divodas, loud enough for the Magadhan scout to hear. ‘Check if their ships have started moving up ahead.’
Divodas moved towards the river, making the scout fall back silently. He returned almost instantaneously. ‘Lord Kartik, their scout is swimming back to the ship.’
Kartik immediately rose and crept to the edge of the forest. He could see the Magadhan scout swimming noiselessly away.
‘I expect the attack soon,’ said Bhagirath. ‘We should fall back to our positions.’
‘Let’s wait a few moments,’ said Kartik. ‘I want to see which ship he boards. It’ll tell us where Surapadman is.’
‘It’s been almost half an hour,’ said Bhagirath. ‘What is he waiting for?’
Kartik and his army remained behind the forest line. They wanted to give Surapadman the impression that the Brangas did not wish to engage in a battle. They hoped he would be lulled into believing that he could launch a surprise attack.
Kartik suddenly exclaimed, ‘Son of a bitch!’
‘Lord Kartik?’ asked Divodas.
‘Send a message to our lookouts,’ said Kartik. ‘Tell them to communicate with those on the other side. I want to know what is happening there.’
Bhagirath slapped his forehead. ‘Oh my God! We’d asked our lookouts to stay low!’
Divodas rushed off and messages were soon relayed across the Sarayu using light signals. He was back in no time with worrying news. ‘They’re mobilising on the other side, hidden by their massive vessels. Row boats are being lowered quietly into the river and soldiers are boarding it even as we speak. It looks like they’re preparing to row downriver.’
‘That cunning son of a flea-bitten dog!’ said Bhagirath. ‘He intends to row downriver, hidden by his own ships, and attack us from the south.’
‘What do we do, Lord Kartik?’ asked Divodas.
‘Ask our lookouts if the Magadhans are disembarking from their tenth ship. That is where Surapadman is.’ Turning to Bhagirath, Kartik continued. ‘Prince Bhagirath, I suspect he will launch a two-pronged attack. There will be one at Bal-Atibal Kund. Surapadman would want to keep us busy here. In the meantime, another contingent of Magadhans would row down south, flank our southern side and aim to enter our camp from behind. We would be sandwiched between two sections of his army.’
‘Which means we need to break up,’ said Bhagirath. ‘One of us will stay here at the Bal-Atibal Kund, and the other will ride out to meet their southern force.’
‘Exactly,’ said Kartik.
Meanwhile, Divodas returned. ‘Lord Kartik, they are disembarking from Surapadman’s ship.’
‘Prince Bhagirath,’ said Kartik, ‘You will lead our main force here. We have to ensure the Magadhans don’t get past Bal-Atibal. I want this to be a death trap for them.’
‘It’ll be so, Kartik, I assure you. But do not leave too many from our forces with me. You will need a large number of soldiers to battle Surapadman in the south.’
‘No I won’t,’ said Kartik. ‘He’s rowing downriver. He will not have any horses. I will.’
Bhagirath understood immediately. A single mounted cavalry warrior was equal to ten foot soldiers. He had the advantage of height as well as his horse’s fearsome kicks. ‘All right.’
Kartik snapped orders to Divodas even as he rose. ‘Ride down south. Inform our forces to expect a Magadhan charge soon. You will be leading them. I’m going to ride out with two thousand cavalrymen in a giant arc from the west. I intend to attack Surapadman’s forces from behind. Between my horses and your troops, we will crush them.’
Divodas smiled. ‘That we will!’
‘You bet!’ said Kartik. ‘Har Har Mahadev!’
‘Har Har Mahadev!’ said Divodas.
Divodas ran to his horse, swung onto the saddle and rode away.
Kartik appeared to be running over the instructions in his mind, not wanting to miss out a single detail.
‘I have fought many battles, Kartik,’ said Bhagirath with an amused look. ‘Go fight yours. Let me take care of mine.’
Kartik smiled. ‘We’ll gift my father a famous victory.’
‘That we shall,’ said Bhagirath.
Kartik walked up to his horse, stretched up to put his left foot into the stirrup, for he was still quite short, and swung his right leg over to the other side, mounting his horse. Bhagirath, who had followed Kartik, saw the same steely look in the boy’s eyes that he had seen many times during the animal hunts. A familiar sense of fear and fascination entered Bhagirath’s heart. He smiled nervously and whispered, ‘God have mercy on Surapadman...’
Kartik heard the remark and chuckled softly. ‘He will have to be the one, for I won’t.’
The son of the Neelkanth turned his horse and galloped away into the dark.
The slender moon was now cloaked in clouds, its faint light hidden in the mist. Bhagirath could barely make out the lines of men in the wood beside him. He sensed them now by the sound of their
breath rasping in the darkness. The metallic smell of sweat hung heavy in the air. Bhagirath could feel the perspiration beading on his upper lip, trickling into the corner of his mouth. Whispers came floating back to his ears from up and down the line – ‘Har Har Mahadev... Har Har Mahadev...’ – like a prayer as the men braced to face Surapadman’s army.
Suddenly the moon burst through the clouds and Bhagirath could see men running up and down the length of the enemy ships carrying fire torches. They were lighting the arrows for the archers.
‘Shields up!’ screamed Bhagirath.
Bhagirath’s soldiers, primarily Brangas, immediately prepared for the volley of arrows that would soon descend upon them. The sky lit up as the archers shot their fire arrows. They flew out in a great arc before descending into the jungle. Bhagirath had kept his men strictly within the forest line, so the trees worked as their first line of defence. The few that got through were easily blocked by the raised shields.
The Magadhans had hoped that their fire arrows would set the forest aflame, causing chaos and confusion amongst the Brangas. But mist and the cold of the night had ensured dew formation on the leaves. The trees simply did not catch fire.
As the arrows stopped, Bhagirath roared loudly. ‘Har Har Mahadev!’
His soldiers followed him as their cry rent the air, ‘Har Har Mahadev!’
The Magadhans quickly lit another line of arrows and shot. Once again, the trees and the Branga shields ensured that Bhagirath’s soldiers suffered no casualties.
The Brangas put their shields aside and let out their war cry, taunting their enemies. ‘Har Har Mahadev!’
Bhagirath could see the rowboats being lowered from the ships. The attack was about to begin. The fire arrows were just a cover. As he watched the arrows being loaded again, he turned to his men. ‘Shields!’
The Brangas effortlessly defended themselves against another volley of fire arrows.
‘Send a message to our men on the other side to launch their fire coracles! Now!’