Ram stood up, folding his hands together in a Namaste. ‘Greetings, brave Shaktivel.’
Shaktivel returned Ram’s greeting. ‘Namaste, great Prince.’ He pointed to the bundles being carefully laid on the ground by his men. ‘As requested by you, all your weapons have been repaired, shone, polished, and sharpened.’
Ram picked up a sword, examined its edge and smiled. ‘They are as good as new.’
Shaktivel’s chest swelled with pride. ‘Our metalsmiths are among the best in India.’
‘They clearly are,’ said Sita, examining a spear closely.
‘Prince Ram,’ said Shaktivel, coming close, ‘a private word.’
Ram signalled Sita to follow him, as he was pulled aside by Shaktivel.
‘You may need to leave in haste,’ said Shaktivel.
‘Why?’ asked a surprised Sita.
‘Vali.’
‘Someone wanted him dead?’ asked Ram. ‘So, they’re angry with us now?’
‘No, no. Vali is the one who is angry with Princess Sita and you.’
‘What?! We just saved his life.’
Shaktivel sighed. ‘He doesn’t see it that way. According to him, the two of you and Prince Lakshman made him lose his honour. He’d rather have died in the Jallikattu arena than be rescued by someone else.’
Ram looked at Sita, his eyes wide in surprise.
‘It is not in my town’s interest to have royal families fight each other here,’ said Shaktivel, folding his hands together in apology. ‘When two elephants fight, the grass is the first to get trampled.’
Sita smiled. ‘I know that line.’
‘It’s a popular line,’ said Shaktivel. ‘Especially among those who are not from the elite.’
Ram placed his hand on Shaktivel’s shoulder. ‘You have been our host. You have been a friend. We do not want to cause you any trouble. We’ll leave before daybreak. Thank you for your hospitality.’
Ram, Sita, and Lakshman had been in exile for twenty-four months now. The fifteen Malayaputra soldiers accompanied them everywhere.
Each member of the small party had settled into an established routine, as they moved deeper into the forests of Dandak. They were headed in the westward direction, but had not been able to find a suitable enough permanent camp. They usually stayed in one place for a short while before moving on. Standard perimeter and security formations had been agreed upon. Cooking, cleaning, and hunting duties were shared by rotation. Since not everyone in the camp ate meat, hunting wasn’t required often.
On one of these hunting trips, a Malayaputra called Makrant had been gored by a boar while trying to save Sita’s life. The wild boar’s tusk had cut upwards through the upper quadriceps muscles on his thigh, piercing the femoral artery. Fortunately, the other tusk of the boar had hit the hard pelvic bone; thus, it had not pushed through and penetrated deeper where it would have ruptured the intestines. That would have been fatal as the resultant infection would have been impossible to treat in their temporary camp. Makrant had survived, but his recovery had not been ideal. His quadriceps muscles were still weak and the artery had not healed completely, remaining partially collapsed. He still limped a great deal; a condition which could be dangerous for a soldier in the hazardous jungle.
Because of the injury it was impossible for Makrant to move easily through the forest. So, they had not moved camp for some time.
Makrant had been suffering for a few months. Jatayu knew something had to be done. And, he knew the cure as well. He simply had to steel himself for the journey …
‘The waters of Walkeshwar?’ asked Sita.
‘Yes,’ said Jatayu. ‘The holy lake emerges from a natural spring bursting out from deep underground, which means it picks up specific minerals on its way to the surface. Those minerals infuse the waters with their divine goodness. That water will help Makrant’s arteries recover quickly. We can also get some medicinal herbs from the island which will help his partly atrophied muscles to recover fully. He can have the full use of his legs again.’
‘Where is Walkeshwar, Jatayuji?’
‘It’s in a small island called Mumbadevi on the west coast. Specifically, the northern part of the Konkan coast.’
‘Weren’t we supposed to stop at an island close to it for supplies on our way to Agastyakootam? An island called Colaba?’
‘Yes. Our captain had thought it would be a good idea to stop there. I had advised against it.’
‘Yes. I remember.’
‘Mumbadevi is the big island to the northwest of Colaba.’
‘So, Mumbadevi is one of that group of seven islands?’
‘Yes, great Vishnu.’
‘You had advised against stopping there since it is a major sea base for Raavan’s forces.’
‘Yes, great Vishnu.’
Sita smiled. ‘Then, it’s probably not a good idea for Ram and me to accompany you.’
Jatayu didn’t smile at Sita’s wry humour. ‘Yes, great Vishnu.’
‘But the Lankans will not dare hurt a Malayaputra, right?’
Fear flashed momentarily in Jatayu’s eyes, but his voice was even and calm. ‘No, they won’t …’
Sita frowned. ‘Jatayuji, is there something you need to tell me?’
Jatayu shook his head. ‘Everything will be fine. I will take three men with me. The rest of you should stay here. I will be back in two months.’
Instinct kicked in. Sita knew something was wrong. ‘Jatayuji, is there a problem in Mumbadevi?’
Jatayu shook his head. ‘I need to prepare to leave, great Vishnu. You and Prince Ram should remain encamped here.’
It was dark when Jatayu and the three soldiers reached the shoreline of the mainland. Across a narrow strait, they saw the seven islands that abutted the south of the far larger Salsette Island. Torchlights on houses and tall lamp towers on streets and public structures had lit up the central and eastern side of Salsette Island. Clearly, the town had expanded on this, the largest island, in the area. It was ten times bigger than the seven islands to the south put together! It was logical that a fast-growing town had come up here. There were large freshwater lakes in the centre of the island. And enough open area to build a large town. Crossing into the mainland was easy since the creek that separated it was narrow and shallow.
There had been a time when the seven islands to the south of Salsette had been the centre of all civilisation in the area. The island of Mumbadevi had a wonderful harbour on its eastern shores, which worked well for larger ships. The port built at that harbour still existed. And clearly, it was still busy. Jatayu could also see lights on the other four smaller islands on the eastern side: Parel, Mazgaon, Little Colaba, and Colaba. But the western islands of Mahim and Worli were not clearly visible.