BENGALURU: ‘Princess Sita!’ screamed a man, possibly the leader of the mob. Their elaborate attire suggested that this crowd was made up of the well-to-do. ‘Enough of protecting these scum from the Bees Quarter! Hand him over!’
‘He will be punished by the law!’ said Sita. ‘Not by you!’
Ram smiled slightly.
‘He is a thief! That’s all we understand. We all know whom your laws favour. Hand him over!’ The man inched closer, breaking away from the crowd. The air was rife with tension; nobody knew what would happen next. It could spiral out of control any moment. Crazed mobs can lend a dangerous courage to even the faint-hearted.
Sita slowly reached for her scabbard, where her knife should have been. Her hand tensed. Ram watched with keen interest: no sudden movements, not a twitch of nervous energy when she realised she carried no weapon.
Sita spoke evenly. ‘The law does not make any distinction. The boy will be punished.
But if you try to interfere, so will you.’
Ram was spellbound. She’s a follower of the law...
Lakshman smiled. He had never thought he would find another as obsessed with the law as his brother.
‘Enough already!’ shouted the man. He looked at the mob and screamed as he swung his hand. ‘She’s just one! There are hundreds of us! Come on!’
‘But she’s a princess!’ Someone from the back tried to reason weakly.
‘No, she’s not!’ shouted the man. ‘She is not King Janak’s real daughter. She’s adopted!’
Sita suddenly pushed the boy out of the way, stepped back and dislodged with her foot an upright bamboo stick that held the awning of a shop in place. It fell to the ground. She flicked the stick with her foot, catching it with her right hand in one fluid motion. She swung the stick expertly in her hand, twirling it around with such fearsome speed that it whipped up a loud, humming sound. The leader of the mob remained stationary, out of reach.
‘Dada,’ whispered Lakshman. ‘We should step in.’
‘She has it under control.’
Sita stopped swinging and held the stick to her side, one end tucked under her armpit, ready to strike. ‘Go back quietly to your houses, nobody will get hurt. The boy will be punished according to the law; nothing more, nothing less.’
The mob leader pulled out a knife and swiftly moved forward. Sita swerved back as he swung the blade wildly. In the same movement, she steadied herself by going back one step and then down on one knee, swinging her stick with both her hands.
The weapon hit the man behind his knee. Even before his knee buckled, she transferred her weight to her other foot and yanked the stick upwards, using his own legs as leverage as his feet went up in the air. His legs flew upwards and he fell hard, flat on his back. Sita instantly rose, held the stick high above her head with both her hands, and struck his chest hard; one brutal strike. Ram heard the sound of the rib cage cracking with the fierce blow.
Sita twirled the stick and held it out, one end tucked under her armpit again; her left hand stretched out, her feet spread wide, offering her the balance she needed to move to either side swiftly. ‘Anyone else?’
About the author
Described as ‘India’s first literary popstar’ by film director Shekhar Kapur, Amish’s unique combination of crackling story-telling, religious symbolism and profound philosophies has made him an overnight publishing phenomenon, with spiritual guru Deepak Chopra hailing Amish’s books as ‘archetypal and stirring’.
Forbes has listed Amish amongst the 100 most influential celebrities in India. He was also selected as an Eisenhower Fellow, a prestigious American programme for outstanding leaders from around the world. Amish is a graduate of IIM-Kolkata and worked for 14 years in the financial services industry before turning to full-time writing.
About the book
Scion of Ikshvaku is a mythological thriller that traces the life of Ram Chandra, depicted in scriptures as the Maryada Purushottam. Just like the Shiva Trilogy (which is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history), the Ram Chandra series is also a combination of Amish’s unique interpretations of myths and history, philosophical thinking and crackling story-telling. Asked to explain the title, Amish said, “Lord Ikshvaku was the founder of the Suryvanshi clan and Lord Ram was a Suryavanshi king, albeit many generations after Lord Ikshvaku. Hence, Lord Ram is the Scion of Ikshvaku.”