A Heart of Gold

Chapter 5: Eklavya and Ashwatthama

"Where are we?" Radheya demanded, "We've never been here before, have we?"

"Well no... but- but- " Shon held up a hand majestically as Radheya made to say something particularly caustic, "- but, this is a copse, not even a forest. There are paths here. We just need to find one and go that way" -  he pointed in the general direction of the river - "and lo! We'll be home."

"How optimistic!"

"Do. Not. Fight. " Vrishali enunciated with a vituperative glare even as Vaishali excitedly shrieked, "We're trapped in a forest. Just like a story! Are there tigers here? Will a brave warrior come to save us? Will..."

"Did you know some stories have tragic endings?"

Vrishali, who was following an already scampering Shon, turned around and commanded, "Silence. Vaishali - stop blabbering. Radheya - stop scaring her. This way."

With an eyeroll, a shrug, and a "Yes mother", Radheya grabbed Vaishali and ran after her.

About a third of a prahar later, when their hopes of ever getting out were rapidly declining, they heard a pair of youthful voices. The quartet crept in that direction and came across two boys in a tiny clearing - one older than Radheya and coal black, with an alarmingly mussed up shock of thick raven hair and the other, slightly younger but taller and brown as a tree trunk, with wavy black bangs falling on his forehead, covering a curiously diamond-shaped, white patch - seated on a fallen tree. A wooden bow rested beside them and a dozen arrows lay scattered about. Radheya boldly stepped out into the clearing, ignoring Vrishali's warnings about dangerous Kiratas. The lads looked up as he neared and their eyes narrowed and widened simultaneously, one with suspicion and the other with fear. Bringing his hands together in polite greeting as he had been taught, Radheya smiled disarmingly, "Pranaam. I am Vasusena, son of charioteer Adhirath and his blessed wife Radha, that is my brother Shon, and those, my friends Vrishali and Vaishali " - he pointed to each one of them in turn - " and we are lost. We hail from Champanagari, on the other bank of the Ganga. Perhaps you could be kind enough to direct us towards the river?"

The younger boy with the scar relaxed a little, rose, and mirroring Radheya's greeting said, "Pranaam, son of Radha. I am Ashwatthama, son of the royal Guru Drona, and this is my friend Eklavya, son of King Hiranyadhanush and prince of the Nishadas. I will be returning to Hastinapur soon, you may accompany me. Only, you cannot tell anyone you saw us here."

Radheya bowed, now that he knew this was a Brahmin, "Of course. You have our gratitude."

The Nishada, Eklavya, who had been silent till then, now asked, "How did you turn up here anyway?"

It was Vaishali who answered him, all in one breath, "We came here to collect some fruits and berries and other edibles and then Shon saw a rabbit and we gave chase and lost our way."

"Ah!"

"That is a bow." Ashwatthama said, noticing Radheya's interest in the object.

Radheya bit back an 'I know' and instead commented, "Indeed."

"It's ours." Eklavya added proudly.

"That is wonderful. "

"Do you want to see it?" Ashwatthama asked generously. He was not disappointed, all four of them wanted to see it. Vaishali passed it on after a brief, disinterested glance, Vrishali admired its simple patterns, Shon pulled the string gently, struck a majestic pose and passed it to Radheya. Radheya's long, slim fingers curled around the bridge between the rising curves and abruptly almost unclenched, nearly dropping the bow. It literally thrummed in his hands. The Nishada, Eklavya, squinted suspiciously at him. "What is it?"

The others turned to stare at him. The quivering bow settled in his palm like it belonged there, like it had forever lived there, like it was its home. Feeling rather foolish Radheya muttered, "It's vibrating? "

"In your hand? "

"Umm... yes?"

A series of odd looks raked over him before the scarred boy, Ashwatthama, hefted himself up, stretched luxuriously, smiled and asked, "Did you ever handle one before?"

"No?" It sounded more like a question than a statement.

Ashwatthama exchanged a meaningful glance with Eklavya and then abruptly said, "Well, let's get you home. Farewell today Ek, till next time." And with a jaunty wave at the forest-prince, he plodded through the ground vegetation. The others hastened after him.

All the way back, Radheya thought of the comforting tremor of the wooden bow in his hands. He didn't notice Shon jumping in cadence with the crickets' song, or Ashwatthama describing the attributes of some unimposing shrub to the twins, or his own feet smudging the tracks of snakes. At last, when they saw the Ganga peeping through the trees, almost golden under the light of the setting afternoon sun, Ashwatthama made to say goodbye.

"We must go separately. If someone finds out and tells my father, I'll be in a lot of trouble. I hope you will not speak of this meeting?"

Vrishali formally folded her hands in a Namaskar and bowed, "We are very thankful for your help. We'd probably never have made it home before sundown otherwise. We shall not reveal this incident to anyone. Your secret and rendezvous is safe with us."

Ashwatthama smiled, waved and began walking away. He had already gone a few feet when suddenly Radheya called, "Wait!"

The boy stopped and turned around. Radheya gathered his wits about him. It was now or never. Who knew when he'd meet this boy again? He ran up to him, feeling the nonplussed stares of his companions on his back. Before he could lose his courage, he blurted out, "What's it with the bow?"

"What's with it?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You knew what happened. I saw it in your eyes."

Ashwatthama sighed, "Listen, that's just a piece of wood. What happened was nothing. You shouldn't bother about it."

"Is it?"

"Huh?"

"Just a piece of wood?" Radheya clarified.

Ashwatthama was silent for a while. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, "My father is, as I told you, the teacher of the royal princes. We came here just a few months ago. He once told me that when a weapon recognizes its owner, it feels like what you described. Eklavya, he's a talented archer - a prodigy, talked about this the same way. Prince Arjun spoke similarly when he held a bow, the other princes spoke thus when they first held their favorite weapons. I felt the same when I held mine, though it was a sword. Ergo, you are possibly an archer. Though you are..." here he paused and bit his lip, worrying it with his teeth.

"A suta?"

Ashwatthama flushed maroon. "It's not that - no wait, it is. Look, Nishadas are forest tribes - Kiratas, and even if they are not allowed to learn mainstream military techniques, they're hunters, and they handle weapons often. Now sutas are generally charioteers and bards, though many of them serve as servants in the palace, as aides to royalty. I've hardly heard of any suta warrior except Keechak, son of the king of the suta race in the west. But if you are willing, I'm sure you can be a warrior. So, do you?"

Radheya thoughtfully watched him after this long monologue. Finally, he answered carefully, aware of the trouble he would get into with his father over this, "I would like to. Thank you for telling me this. You are kind."

Ashwatthama laughed boyishly and said, "It's no trouble. I hope you find fulfillment in it. It was very... interesting meeting you."

Realizing that the conversation was coming to a close, Radheya thanked him again, bid him goodbye and joined his friends.

"What was that?" Shon asked.

"Nothing important. " Radheya mumbled, unwilling to reveal much in front of Vaishali, who had a tendency to blab too much. Vrishali gave him a sharp glance but said nothing.

As he went home, he drew strength from the stranger boy's words. He would try to be an archer. Perhaps nothing would come of it. But perhaps, he'd end up being a warrior. Stepping over to the bank, Radheya felt oddly happy. The shrunken quantity of food on his leaf did not bother him. He had a goal. And he would work towards it. For now, that was enough.