Chapter 40 Deceived Once Again

• Arunava thought for a moment. He wasn't doing it out of vindictiveness, though a man like Upendra had no right to live. He just needed to make his way to answer his call of duty. As he struck Upendra's neck with his sword he ducked right in time. And when he swiped it aiming his legs he jumped high, soared higher and higher till he reached the ceiling of the cave. The man stood in mid air, defying gravity; much to the amazement of Arunava. 'Special powers endowed, being the disciple of Vetaal?' Arunava asked. 'Like God lends powers to his believers, so too the devil, but with a difference'. Upendra was enjoying Arunava's situation. He was playing a game he was highly skilled at, and the result of which he was aware of. 'God gives people the power to decide between the good and the evil - often they get confused and forget to use them - and remain unhappy throughout their lives, blaming the karmas of their previous births; whereas the first condition to become the devil's disciple is to sell away one's soul to him in exchange for the power to keep one away from the confusion. And to remain in eternal bliss forever. There's nothing like good or evil which can be labelled, like in the religious texts. What is good for one is evil for another.
• Every time Arunava turned around to strike, the man evaded him by flying away, sometimes resting against a wall and feigning tiredness only to mock him. But no matter how much Arunava tried his sword wasn't able to touch even a single hair on Upendra's head. 'In your previous birth too you had to rely on God's toys to become a hero, whereas I knew how meek and inconfident you were from inside'. Upendra didn't lose chance to humiliate Arunava now. 'You used to get up at midnight and could hardly bat an eyelid thereafter. I knew the wars which used to rage in your heart regarding your existence and purpose in the world as they do now. It's only father's sympathy which had made him take that decision - for which history would never forgive him. You even couldn't behold an animal sacrifice for a Puja, such sick you used to get at the sight of blood, remember? You could hardly prove yourself to be worthy of taking charge of protection of the people of Ujjain'. When the enemy is powerful there's no harm in resorting to trickery, Arunava knew, even Gods practiced such tactics in bringing to book an undeterred demon who had been lent life powers through a boon. Perhaps the devil copied the same tactics from God. But Arunava was not a man who'd fall into the trap so easily. 'You've been a worthless man in your earlier birth like you're now', Arunava shot back. 'Except some sycophants no single man was happy with your fascist rule in Ujjain. Your sadistic nature would love to watch people suffer - remember how many of your enemies you send to the gallows in your rule on the basis of mere suspicion without giving them any chance to defend themselves? How many men of the royal family you butchered like animals those who differed with your policies? How many huts of poor peasants you set on fire just because they couldn't pay taxes? You never cared about the drought that year and how they would survive without harvest? On your personal front none of our relatives and your friends loved you from the heart - only afraid of you. You couldn't make your queens happier either.'
• Upendra's jaws hardened and an evil grin flashed across his face hearing this. 'You spent your entire life learning and practicing witchcraft and sorcery, dear brother', Arunava continued. 'You didn't learn the art of warfare much which you should've being a khshatriya. That was the reason why your brother Vikram could slay you so easily in your earlier birth. You had learnt to inflict harm on your enemies only sitting at a desolate corner and using black magic. You feared to go for face-to-face mortal combat knowing well that even an ordinary soldier could defeat you easily. And here again you attack like a coward from behind. You conspired with Raghu, sent the masked man to kill your wife and me. You knew I'd go to check up on her for sure. You did everything out of jealousy and suspicion just like in your previous birth. Shivangi had always been with you and performed the duties of a wife diligently, yet you blamed her for not bearing a child, calling her a lunatic, a whore and what other names. You believed she was having an affair with me, whereas there was no such thing between us. You sent her to coma just because of your suspicion. She's pure just like a flower. Whereas you failed miserably as a husband like you did when you were Shankha'.