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Hello and welcome back. The story that was left unsaid previously picked its pace to show how swiftly the color red is seeping through the lush green of Dravidgam.
History has it when two factions of power collide with these power factions being both rigid and diametrically opposite the end to one is always the outcome. Today that end was envisaged and laid in motion.
War is an art of deception. Aacharya Chanakya had said that use of chicanery is but an art that most people are unable to deploy; but those who are history remembers them as victors. And chicanery begins when your enemy is the sole reason why you breathe. Today when Varundev proposed that they needed to intimate themselves with their enemy he began his long tryst with the subtle but lethal art of deception. I have said this before that he is but a pawn who has been Queened to become the most powerful player in this game of power. He might take decision as the Sabhasad but his heart always thumps like a soldier -- vigilant and alert to tackle any problem that they might encounter. This makes his deception, his artifice almost terminal for the Dravidians. He is slowly discovering who he truly is. He was always meant to be the leader. And while his sense of identity is now mixed with the one distributed to him as an Aryan, he is slowly charting a course for him and him alone.
So his proposal to send a spy troupe to mainland of Dravidians is accepted but is overtaken by an arrogant Abruk, who believes his successful missions of espionage in the past makes him the best candidate to undertake a mission in the present. He makes it known to Varundev that he thinks not positive of him still and will always be a better Aryaveer than what Varundev is and will be. He takes Ulooka as one of the beast of burdens to further insult the man and perturb Varundev.
They set out to the Dravidian mainland to know who these people actually are. They know they are among the greatest civilization on the earth and to beat the best you need to become the best. And that can happen only when the key weakness is out in the open.
Meanwhile unknown the chathe in air of the surroundings Devsena sets out to practice her craft. Craft of becoming better than what she was yesterday as a warrior. She sees the opportunity and sets out to attack and defeat and conquer. Her eye catches a new set of spears. One that are crafted brilliantly and can boast of damage to the one in line of fire. What she doesn't know is that that it's a deadly trap laid out by her aunt Dayalini and Senanayika Thangam to kill her. The feathers that decorate the spear houses poison to kill the holder of the same. It is the friend of the enemy and murderer of the commander. We see that Devsena meets her first deception but she is unable to recognise the same. While her enemy on the other side is creating a path meandering around the very art, she is unable to detect the stench of the same. This makes her prone to both betrayal and defeat. Hahuma having sensed the change creeping into their world asks Devsena for a difficult feat. To not touch her weapons for next 30 days. The weapons that define Devsena are snatched from her. And Devsena complies.
Here we see a different facet of this young woman. She is not new to making sacrifices even if that years her heart into two. For the betterment of her society and her empire she carries the ultimate bone in her delectable body that of sacrifice. Initially we were introduced to a young girl who was unsure of whom to chose. Her legacy or her heart. Today we have a young woman who is ready to stab her heart and let it bleed if that means strengthening her legacy and the empire that is rightly been addressed as of the greatest.
Dayalini tries to instigate her into breaking her oath by inviting her to a hunt of man-eater tiger. She almost gives in but is timely stopped by Arvamudan. This opens a new loop. Arvamudan is perceptive. He can see and understand the undercurrents that threaten to merge in a wave and wash them away. While he in a subtle manner makes Devsena stand firm on her oath, he doesn't let her know of the art to detect deciet. He is a political creature who knows what to do and when to do the same. But he fails to pass on the same to his daughter who is in dire need of the same. Devsena is no creature of politics. She is the creature of ethics. And while her enemy Varundev is shaping himself to suit the the shift of power of politics she isn't preparing herself for the same.
Nonetheless the tale flows and Abruk along with troupe comprising Ulooka lands in Dravidgam. But his arrogance or his eagerness to belittle Ulooka lands him and his men in the dark alleys if Dravidian dungeons. Ulooka uses his brains and switches position with Abruk to save him and dies at the hand of Thangam who spares no instance to torture him. Abruk is mightily displeased at the turns of events and repents at his actions to Indra. Here the glimpse of Aryan code of conduct and honour is on display. They don't let innocent suffer for their folly. They don't shy away from making ultimate sacrifices and they most certainly don't abandon their will of Aryavart no matter the consequences. Abruk escapes while his men perish.
He returns to Varundev and keeps his promise of guiding him that he gave to Ulooka. Varundev pledges vengeance and making of Aryavart. And it is here that the colour red comes into play. The Aryans and their code of conduct and honour is something that takes me by surprise. Even in fight they want to remain fair. Even in an act of usurping what's not theirs they want to remain just. A paradoxical thought if you ask me but suits them in every sense of the word. They dire and bitter need of survival hasn't turned them into Barbarians, instead it has strengthened their morality and their sense of ethics. Prosperity on the other hand has made Dravidians stagnated with their morality in pieces. Thangam could have employed other tactics to get the truth out of Ulooka but she chose to torture him to a point that he dies. Dayalini could have claimed the throne by proving herself better but she resorted to killing her own niece.
It shows how swiftly and steadily the two clans are evolving and devolving. One has taken adversity to pull itself to a pedestal while the other has allowed the prosperity to hollow their thinking. Amid this the prime representatives of the very opposite thinking -- Devsena and Varundev are struggling to hold it all. Varundev with all his righteousness is engaging in counterfeit while Devsena with all the stagnation of wealth still holds to the thread of righteousness. It won't be long before the two finally fall prey to their own burdens of keeping alive their thoughts and idealogies of their civilization. If previously it was an Aarambh of an impending doom, today it was Aarambh of the clash that would lead to that doom.
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