Mahishi | Re-writing

Chapter 2. In the Land of Mahisha

Mysore, present day Karnataka...

The Asura army stood, with their eyes looking down at the ground they stood on; their legs shivering as Mahishi's silence was a cue for the storm coming in the near future. It was just an hour ago their queen had returned, successfully securing a boon from Lord Brahma.

Anjan twirled his handlebar moustache. "You see, Your Highness, it wasn't like we weren't preparing for war. We had started. But there was an uncertainty."

She asked, calmly, "Uncertainty?"

"When were you going to get the boon? We can prepare for the war but for long? For how many years?"

"I think I had mentioned it to you that it might take somewhere around 10 – 15 years –"

"You wanted us to trust you that you will actually get a boon? Train for a war that may take place in a decade? No one here trusts that Lord Brahma has actually granted you a boon."

Mahishi looked at him with disgust. His lofty frame, his square jaw face adorned with an extravagant gold crown. His almond shaped eyes, the thing she found the best in him, seemed to look down upon her. So did his long sharp nose, sneering down on her. Since he was dressed only in dhoti, his dark muscular body was on display. She remembered that he had achieved this by hours of training in urumi sword fighting.

It was known to all that every asuri wanted Anjan's attention. She was among them too. But she stopped her pursuits once she came to know he was a womanizer. Yet it didn't change the fact that she had a soft corner for him. Training her army in urumi sword fighting could prove fatal for Devas in the upcoming war. Out of the two options she had to train her army, Kaal and Anjan, she had chosen the latter. Even though the former was supported by Mahishasura. It might be better to say, her heart had made the decision.

But not today. There was something in his changed demeanor that her sixth senses were screaming about, constantly warning her to think with her head. With her unsteady voice, she asked, "Commander-in-chief, do you have any more explanations to offer?"

Anjan chuckled, "For an asuri like you, I have given enough reason."

The whole army gasped. Nobody had ever dared to speak to Mahishi in that tone. Their queen was respected because she was an able warrior and Mahishasura's sister. Amongst the front line of the crowd, Kaal breathed furiously and gripped his sword that was sheathed. The same sword his former king had presented him for his exemplary bravery. While receiving it, he had promised himself that he would protect her.

Sensing his agitation, she looked at him and shook her head lightly. I need no one's protection. Kaal released his grip from the sword's handle but his breathing remained the same. She turned towards Anjan and lashed out, "For an asuri like me? Commander-in-chief, I do hope that these ten years of absence didn't make you forget that I am your queen-"

"Queen?" he laughed. "No, Mahishi. I never supported you to become a queen. You will always be King Rambha's spoiled girl."

If I can give you your life, I can take it too. But not before I get answers to my questions. "I might be my father's spoiled girl. Is that why you hate me?"

"So, finally you've realised," he smirked. "I don't like a woman giving me instructions."

"What if that woman is worthy to be your queen?"

He sneered, "But she is still a woman."

"You never spoke to me this way when my brother was a king. Is that the reason why you're talking to me with disrespect?"

"This is totally unexpected. You seem to catch on to things post getting a boon. Did you ask Lord Brahma to give you the ability to think?"

"Your remark didn't answer my question."

"It seems you didn't ask for that boon. Yes, that's the reason I can't respect you."

Mahishi took a deep breath. She had never been humiliated and here was their commander-in-chief doubting her because of her gender. In front of her people. This thought alone shook her body with rage. She turned; her back facing Anjan.

"Will you cry now?" he asked.

She took a step away from him and stretched her neck muscles. He looked at her with surprise as she shifted her body weight to her pointed right foot. Before he could process what had happened, her left leg had left the ground and the next contact was the side of neck. She had made precise calculations to hit him with her left foot at his neck so that he could not take his next breath.

The towering asura fell down with a loud thud. She spat at him and murmured to him, "Your explanation was unsatisfactory."

The common asura soldiers in the front line came to carry away Anjan's body. She gave a curt nod to Kaal who looked at her with pride. He came forward. She looked at her gathered army and announced, "Years back, I made a grave mistake. Today, I am grateful to have got this opportunity to rectify it."

Taking another deep breath, she declared, "I, Queen Mahishi of the banished Asuras, declare Kaal as our new Commander-in-chief. "

Kaal looked at her, his eyes showed his immense respect towards her. She smiled. Had I done the same for Anjan, he wouldn't have given me a tiny bit of respect. Trusting him was the biggest mistake of my life.

"Commander-in-chief, start urumi training for the army from tomorrow. We have wasted enough time."

He nodded. Along with him the whole army bowed as she descended down the black stony stairs. The palace was built by carving the mountain rocks of Chamundeshwari Hills. This included the rooms, the doors, the windows. Since it was built during the tenure of her father, most of the carvings etched on the walls were inspired from buffaloes and Asuras.

The walls were painted with hues of the sacred colour of Asuras, red. As she walked across the passageway, she saw some ministers bowing their heads. The previous ten ministers were killed by Goddess Durga. Except that the remaining ones are useless.

She entered her chamber and walked towards the window. Her eyes fell on the artificial lake that Mahishasura had built, Karanji Lake. When he couldn't see the plight of his people walking long distances for water, he had it built for them.

He cared for his subjects. Yet he was killed mercilessly.

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A/n: Thank you for picking up this work. I had originally written this story in 2016. In 2021, I decided to start re-writing this story. But I picked it up now (2023) to re-write. I was working on a new story and re-writing my other story 'Durga' but sadly both are just 20% completed. Juggling between works sometimes helps me when I have writer's block. But other two works are relatively longer stories. Hence I picked this story first.
My aim would be to update this story weekly.

Thank you for reading.