SATYAN3
-13. Chitralekha Accuses Vasudev

When Bharat learnt of these events, he got the perfect opportunity to give full vent to the jealousy that was brewing in his heart.
“You will have to live with this, my friend! This is a perennial problem of the position that you are going to occupy! It is the greed to have more and more power! It is hard to escape this pernicious quality! That is the reason as to why even those rulers who are otherwise considered noble and conscientious attack their neighbours with the sole intention of grabbing power! Are they not aware about the destructive ramifications of their actions? So many die only to satiate this one desire of those in the corridors of power!” Bharat continued with his mind at his crooked best.
“Sometimes I do feel that the life of a hermit is better than a ruler! Although he leads a tough life of severe austerity and penance, he enjoys a pure heart! Finally, that is what matters! Right, my friend?”
Vasu did not answer but just looked at Bharat thoughtfully.
Later, Bharat left for his kingdom that same evening. Vasu’s parents and Vasudev were happy at the arrival of his friend for they felt this may help in diverting his mind from the sad story of Maitreya. If they only knew what had transpired in the friends’ meeting!
The next morning, just when Vasudev had woken up, Bharadwaj came to see him. The King looked completely shaken and crestfallen.
“What’s the matter, Maharaj?” Vasudev asked alarmed.
Without saying anything, Bharadwaj handed over a red scroll to Vasudev who unrolled it and read it’s contents: “Dear Parents and Vasudev uncle,
I no longer aspire to be the ruler of this kingdom. I am renouncing everything and going far away from here to lead the life of my choice. Please do not search for me. I deeply regret the sorrow that my decision will cause you.”
Vasudev was shocked at the decision of the Prince. He looked at the King and his tender heart broke as he saw tears in the eyes of Bharadwaj. Holding his hands tightly, Vasudev implored the King, “No, O Maharaj! Please do not shed tears! As long as I am there, you need not worry about anything! I will set out immediately and bring our Prince. If you lose heart thus, who will provide solace to the Queen? How’s she, Maharaj?”
“O Vasudev! Have I lost my son?” Bharadwaj bemoaned. It was as if the King had not even heard Vasudev enquiring about Chitralekha. He was so disturbed mentally.
“No, Maharaj! I will bring him back! Why would you ever lose him? Tell me about the Queen, Maharaj!” Vasudev insisted.
“She’s surviving!”  Bharadwaj finally gave a proper reply in a choked voice.
“Please be with the Queen, Maharaj. I shall go and get the Prince. Tell me, did anyone see him go outside the palace last night?” Vasudev queried.
“The guards saw him move out well past midnight! They did not dare question him.” Bharadwaj replied and then went on to inform Vasudev that he had already sent his men in lookout for the Prince in ashrams and the jungles. “I have asked my associates to be very careful in their search for Vasu. I do not want his disappearance to be made public atleast for now. Let not a message be spread in the kingdom and subsequently to the outside world that there is panic and unrest in the palace of Somnapur. It might alert our enemies! For that matter, I want you to stay back here and wait for the return of my aides. Let both of us provide moral support to Chitra!”
Vasudev grasped the King’s reasoning. They went to the Queen’s chamber and tried to raise her spirits by speaking positively of the Prince’s return. Chitralekha did not respond much except shedding silent tears.
As all of them sat in the Queen’s chamber sunk in gloom, King Bharadwaj spoke up, “It is hard to believe that Vasu took such an extreme step only on learning Maitreya’s tragedy! There is something more to this that we are not able to decipher now.”
Vasudev agreed. “The last proper conversation he had yesterday was with his friend Bharat. It could be that the Prince shared his thoughts with him. After all they are friends and the Prince might have found it more convenient to speak his mind with Bharat than with us.” Vasudev reasoned.
“You could be right, Satya! After all I did not tell him to not disclose this matter with any outsider. If my men do not bring any news about Vasu, I will send them to his friend’s kingdom and disclose the truth about his disappearance to him. Let us see if Bharat can shed any light on his whereabouts.”
Vasudev agreed.
Later Bharadwaj left Vasudev alone with the Queen to look after the administrative affairs. Those who asked about the Prince were told by the King that he had gone out to attend to some personal work.
Meanwhile, with the King not around, Queen Chitralekha took this opportunity to express her anguish against Vasudev!
“I feel that things would have never come to such a pass had you tactfully handled the situation when my son asked you about Maitreya’s painting! You could have just told him that you are not aware of this issue.”
Vasudev did not say anything but just looked at the Queen glumly.
Chitralekha continued, “I know that you have pledged to lead an honest life. But what is the harm if you speak a lie for the benefit of others? Your own Lord Krishna prompted the eldest Pandava, Yudhisthira to tell a lie in the great Mahabharata war to save the army from the onslaught of Dronacharya. Thus, why couldn’t you do it, Vasudev?”
The ruler of Chandrapur looked at the ground for a few moments. He, then, looked at the Queen and spoke very softly, “My conscience did not permit me to go against my principles, O Queen!”
“Vasudev, I know the various sacrifices you have done in your life for the sake of others. Still, I feel that you would have acted differently in this matter had Vasu been your own son!”
The Queen’s words struck the tender heart of Vasudev. He managed to restrain his emotions and sought his apology if his actions had hurt her. The Queen turned her face away and thereafter did not exchange any word with him.