CHAPTER 48: Mystery Resolved

Foremost, the arrow could be invoked only in such circumstances where I am the victim of a war and not its cause! 

Secondly, it could be used only once.  It was the first condition that had me a little disappointed for that meant I had to wait till Ravichandran attacks me! 

However, noting his character, I knew that it would be only a matter of time before he provokes me to a war.  As time progressed I realized that this was not the case.”

“This should explain why you did not use this boon all this while!  Also you did not make this boon public for you did not want to deter King Ravichandran from attacking you!”  Aryaman stated thoughtfully to which the King agreed.

“Do you have any explanation to offer for the arrow changing its course after you fired it at me?”  Aryaman further asked him.

 “I can only conjecture!  The fact remains that I have always considered Ravichandran my arch enemy.  Even when I was fighting with you, I often exchanged furious glances at him for I strongly felt that he was the cause of this war. 

Or else how could a person who talked of peace just a few days ago suddenly change his stand so dramatically?  I felt that he had incited you with some offer, which you found irresistible! 

Even before releasing the divine arrow, I was cursing him for I felt that it was due to his gameplan that was making me use the boon of the sage at you, which I expected to use against him.

Thus, since I took him to be a greater enemy than you, the arrow may have recognized it owing to its divinity and altered its course.”

Aryaman found this explanation plausible. 

“Did that arrow hit him?”  The King was eager to know.

“No!  It just vanished without causing him any harm!  That’s another mystery I want to resolve!”  

He thanked the King and yet again sought his apologies for the war. 

Asking him to read the contents of the scroll, he flew in the sky and soon reached the spot where Ravichandran was seated inside the well.

He informed both the rulers about his conversation with Chandrashekar.  It was then that Ravichandran provided a suitable elucidation to this intriguing puzzle!

“That arrow has destroyed my ego, self-esteem and selfish aspirations!  I no longer intend to engage in any battle with Chandrashekhar.  Thus, hasn’t the arrow met its purpose just as the sage had predicted?”  The King mused.

It was then that realization dawned on both the father and son.  As he deliberated further, Aryaman could visualize the thought process of Ananya. 

Through his spiritual powers, he must have known that granting this boon would not only benefit Chandrashekar but also his ally Ravichandran in the end.  The sage envisaged that with his condition that Chandrashekhar use the divine arrow only if he is a victim of the war, would dissuade the King’s instincts in waging an armed conflict against anyone. 

However, this was not the case with Ravichandran.  Even if the King of Pallava got a whiff of the boon received by Chandrashekar, nothing stopped him from taking the aid of his neighbors to forcibly lay siege over Amlanagar. 

 Thus, he choose Aryaman to make Ravichandran grasp the essence of maintaining peace and amity.  Ananya may have perceived that even if Aryaman’s attempt failed to make the King see reason and circumstances finally lead to a war-like-situation, the outcome would still be fruitful!