The Dreaded Conspiracy - 16

Biksham continued even as the King and the Queen looked at him in awe, “…Vikrant, or should I say, Chiranjeev, told me that after his father lost his job in the palace, he was unable to find employment anywhere. 

Word had spread about the fraud he had indulged in and therefore no one wanted to take the risk of employing his services.  Vikrant’s mother often fell ill and therefore was unfit to do any work. 

Finally, the stress as to how he could manage to make ends meet in his family, had a toll on Shailendra’s health and he breathed his last!  Unable to bear the death of her husband, Vikrant’s mother too died in a few days time thereby rendering him an orphan. 

Vikrant decided that he would not stay in this village which brought him no happiness.  He wanted to start a new life, which he did, in another village under a new name by which we now know him.   He taught ganit to children and earned his livelihood.  He had learnt ganit from his father who had a good grasp of the subject.” 

Biksham paused and then continued, “Now I will come to my assumptions.  Vikrant told me that his father always maintained that he was innocent.  Therefore, it is possible that Vikrant developed an animosity towards you for the tiring circumstances, which he and his family went through.  He held you responsible for the financial mess of his family and also for the untimely death of his parents. 

A feeling of vengeance brewed in his heart against you.  He only wanted an opportunity to seek revenge on you, which he got when you employed him here for work.  Here, I will point out, Maharaj, that working with you Vikrant could have seen your generosity.  He could have realised that a noble King like you would never cause injustice to anyone. 

But the fact remains that when one is blinded with anger and vengeance, he sees no good and loses his sense of reasoning, which is, what happened to Vikrant.  He made arrangements to give that green paste to Chandrika for endangering your life.  He knew that this move would either kill you or cause you grievous injuries.  That is exactly what he wanted. 

Vikrant wanted to give you pain and affliction, Maharaj!  I agree that he could have executed this plan when you used to go for riding alone in the evening.  It could be that this plan struck him only when you started riding with Vijaya. 

Thus, I feel that in this plan of his, Vijaya just happened to come in the way.  His main target was you, O King!  Fortunately, this conspiracy failed!  After Vikrant learnt about the secret passage, another idea crossed his mind. 

If he succeeds in taking Vijaya from you by taking him through this passage and kill him at the Kameshti jungle, it would shatter your life thereby causing you untold grief and sorrow which is what his vengeful mind desired.  Since you had never told him about the secret passage, he felt that there was no way you would ever suspect him. 

The one aspect, which I am unable to fathom, is as to how he learnt about this passage, Maharaj!  This is one query which Vikrant alone can answer!  That’s it!  Now tell me about you feel about all this!  Does this make any sense to you?” 

The King and the Queen looked at each other.  Then they told Biksham that what he had thought made sense to them!  Thereafter, Vikrant was thoroughly grilled.  After much resistance, Vikrant agreed that initially he was very infuriated at the King! 

However, after working with the King, Vikrant’s anger had turned into reverence for Raghunathan.  He hid the truth of his father from the King owing to the fear of losing his job.  He denied having any hand in the two conspiracies hatched against him. 

However, Raghunathan did not believe him as he had lost the trust he had reposed in him and decided to put an end to this matter once and for all.  He called a Durbar, which was attended by his ministers and subjects.  He made the secret passage of his chamber public and explained in detail all that had happened.  He promulgated that Vedant, the horse keeper, would remain in captive for five years!  He held Vikrant’s punishment in abeyance till the time he did not confess to his wrongdoing and explained as to how he had learnt about the secret passage.

The King acquitted Sukhram on the basis that he, atleast, displayed the grace to admit to his culpability.  He also decided to shut the secret passage in his chamber so that no one ever misused it ever in the future.  Raghunathan also showered praises on Biksham and gifted him with money for his efforts in this case.

A few days passed by after the Durbar meeting.  One evening, the King and the Queen were seeing their son play alone in the gallery. 

“Padmavati, the night before our son went missing, we were discussing about finding a suitable guru for him.”  The King reminded the Queen.

 “Yes, O Maharaj!  To whom do we send him for getting education?” the Queen pondered. 

“Padmavati, this incident where Vijaya was taken to the Kameshti jungle to be killed has completely shaken me.  Now, the moment I see him away from my eyes, I get this dreadful feeling that his life is in danger! 

Therefore, I do not want to send him away to a gurukul for getting education.  Let him be educated near our palace compound!” the King expressed his desire to which the Queen gladly agreed.  But she had a query, “Maharaj, who would teach our son near our palace?” 

“I have someone in mind, O Queen!”  Padmavati looked at the King in anticipation even as he announced his name!

                                                                                        (To Continue)