Samsāra

Chapter Fifteen

But it seemed this evening they were actually going to play the game. The pieces were set on the ashtapada and a game was in motion but that wasn't what gave Bhalla a pause. There was a man playing a game with his father and they were chatting like old friends, another sycophant maybe? Bhalla was well aware that the sycophants were for his benefit, it was no secret that his father was campaigning to have him crowned raja of his great kingdom and so gathered supports from powerful members of the courtiers, so far a little below majority of them belonged to the beloved Bahu. The fact irked his father and often drove him to fits of rage.

Bijjaladeva looked up, his beady eyes glittering. 'Ah! My son, the future maharaja!' he chuckled. 'Come join us, you know my son is an expert at this game,' he said to the man. His face was flushed, Bhalla noted. Bijjaladeva was deep in his cup.

The man stood up to bow to Bhalla and then spoke. 'I am truly honoured to be in the presence of a great chaturanga player.'

Bhalla's eyes narrowed in suspicion. The man's voice sounded familiar but he had trouble placing it.

'And who are you?' he demanded rather harshly.

'I am Chandra,' the man replied still low in his bow

'He is a merchant,' Bijjaladeva piped up from his cushion. 'A well-travelled one, he has been to Macedonia, Greece, Cina and even the land beyond. He recently returned to his motherland with exotic goods, some caught my eye and he is a good storyteller as well. Wait till he tells you of his exploits.' Bijjaladeva chuckled to himself once more.

Bhalla said nothing, he didn't have a clue as to why but his suspicion was deepening.

Bijjaladeva continued. 'He is an adept player himself but it would be no problem for you.'

'I'm afraid that would have to wait till another time father,' Bhalla inclined his head. 'If I may be excused.'

With his father's permission, Bhalla swept out of the chambers thoughts reeling in his head. Without thinking, his feet carried him towards the garden while his mind was still occupied puzzling out where he knew the man and why he instantly disliked him. A voice jerked him out of his thoughts; he looked up a bit dazed and saw Ajiona lying at the edge of a pool talking to the monkey curled up on her belly. At least he thought she was talking to the monkey, since she was alone. Bhalla wondered what to do, should he leave and pretend he did not see her or should he approach and attempt to converse in a cordial manner? They hadn't truly had a conversation since that time in the pavilion.

'I know who you are,' she was saying, one arm was flung over her face. 'You did this to me you know, the headache and everything for the last seven months. My world has been turned upside down because of you and now you lay on my stomach and refuse to move. My stomach is not a bed you know?'

The monkey gave no reply but he raised his head slightly as Bhalla padded towards them. In the Prince's mind, he went through conversational starters and most sounded stupid to him or accusing.

'I don't mean to intrude,' he began, his voice sounded husky to his hearing and he cringed.

Ajiona reacted in an almost languid manner. Her arms slowly moved from her face like someone rousing like slumber, she blinked up at him and like always Bhalla felt her eyes were probing into his soul, searching for flaws.

'Yuvaraju,' she said in a low voice and sat up. The monkey, Rudra, made some protesting noise and scampered away.

'He'll be back,' she told him with a small smile. 'He has been doing that for a while now, he'll return with more offerings,' she gestured with a small wave of her hand towards a small pile of berries and nuts near her. She squinted up at him. 'You are so tall,' she commented. 'I feel tiny.'