Katha people had fought ferociously against Greek army of Alexander. It had shaken him. The soldiers now looked demoralised. Katha was a small state that had a small army. But even woman and children of Katha had fought against the Greeks and inflicted considerable damages. The soldiers wondered how they could carry on battling? Katha was a small state. There were still bigger states in Vaheek region itself. Those states had bigger armies. Still beyond were even greater kingdoms and greater armies. The list of dead, injured and sick Greek soldiers was increasing day by day. The emperor Alexander himself was getting fed up. His soldiers had lost hunger for battles. They were now homesick being away for five years in the alien lands. They badly missed domestic smells and Greek scenes. Alexander no more could afford to punish his soldiers.
The Greek Emperor now understood that human being was not a timeless machine. Every human was subject to severe physical, emotional, tolerance and endurance limitations set by nature. Then there was the biggest enemy called time that ever kept gnawing at one’s capabilities. The time was the real unconquered kingdom, Alexander knew now and it was beyond even his scope.
At last, wisdom prevailed over valour. Emperor Alexander decided to abandon his world conquest mission and return home to cut down losses. The human limitations could only be stretched upto a point.
Before returning to Greece, Alexander decided to hold a grand celebration at Patanprast, his latest conquest to mark his successful campaign in India. He asked all his satraps and ally kings to come to the event with as many girls as possible to marry them with Greek soldiers. Alexander wished to create a new race with fusion of the bloods of India and Greece. The idea was that the new race will carry on Greek culture and civilisation in India. It might evolve its own culture by mixing up customs and traditions of both the countries. Anyway now Greeks and Indians were going to be related by blood.
Seven hundred girls were brought to the venue of the celebration and married to Greek soldiers. A big Greek force was to stay back in India to defend the Indian empire won over by Alexander. Before departing Alexander appointed his Commander Phillip as Supreme Satrap of the lands under Greek control in India.
Phillip made Rajgriha the capital of Kaikya his headquarter with a large force stationed there. It consisted of Greeks, Greek commanders and some native soldiers to make members. From there Phillip ruled the Vaheek region that was now a Greek colonial state in India. All the dreams seen by King Ambhi had ended up in smoke.
Meanwhile Chanakya and Chandragupta were not idling away their time. They had plans to drive the Greeks out of India or eliminate them. They could not tolerate the presence of Greek on their native land. The more time Greek soldiers remained in India the more deep alien culture and civilisation would spread their roots. More soldiers would be made to marry Indian girls and more Greek blood would get mixed into Indian blood. And there would be a new Greeko-Indian race flourishing that may carry alien influence.
One day Chanakya hatched a plan and got Satrap Phillip by surprise.
Chandragupta was transformed into a slave trader and he reached Rajgriha, the headquarter of Greek Satrap. With him were scores of healthy youngmen and young girls apparently for trading. The slave trader went to the palace of Phillip with his human merchandise.
The Greek soldiers saw the slave trader who had a bevy of pretty girls to sell. The sight of the girls titillated the soldiers and they wished to have them for fun and procreation.
The commander of the palace guards came to the slave trader who infact was Chandragupta in disguise. The Commander asked, “Trader, are these boys and girls for sale?”
“Yes, my lord. They are for sale. But I have these special quality items and hope to get good price for them. I have made a big investment in procuring them. Sir, you can see how young and pretty the girls are. I had to travel a long way to reach here because I thought only the Greek men of battle would appreciate them and give me rewarding price.”
“Of course, you shall get a good price but you must give me a special one for my pleasure,’’ the commander whispered to Chandragupta.
“I know, sir. It is part of the business everywhere. Anyone helping me do good business gets something profitable as a gift from me. Don’t worry about that, my commander.”
The commander was smiling.
He said, “You wait here. I will go in and inform Supreme Satrap about your items and help you make a good business.”
“I am waiting, sir,” assured Chanakya. The commander went in. After some time he came out. Satrap Phillip was with him. Out of curiosity he had come out see what the slave trader had got. It appeared the commander had made a good sales pitch on his superior. Phillips eyed the boys and the girls. His eyes lingered at the girls.
At last he spoke, “Very powerful and pretty items you have got here, trader.”
“Governor! They are not only pretty and strong but…,” Chandragupta spoke like a trader and added, “… each one of the girls specialises in some art that can please a master and provide entertainment.”
“I see.” Phillip went around and closely examined every item the trader had brought to sell. He stopped before an incredibly pretty girl and asked,” Tell me what does this one specialise in?”
“Governor, she is a very good singer and a dancer. A very good entertainer, sir. She is trained also in cooking. She is a dish but can prepare other dishes as well.”
Phillips laughed. So did other soldiers.
“Sir, she knows how to please men,” Chandragupta meaningfully winked at the Satrap.
“Can she demonstrate? We wish to see her dance for samples,” Phillip spoke.
“Sure, my lord,” Chandragupta looked at the girl and snapped his fingers.
The girl at once started jigging her feet fast in a very rhythmic movement. Her entire body squirmed in harmony with the feet. The Greeks looked impressed. Chandragupta snapped his fingers again to stop the dance demonstration.
“Governor sir, how did you like it?” the fake trader asked.
“Very good! Interesting. Of course she knows dancing.”
Chandragupta suggested, “Governor, you must see her sword dance to get true idea of her talent. She does it in a fantastic way. If you command I would like to show you a little example of it.”
“You may do it,” Phillip said keenly.
By now the most of the guards, soldiers and the commanders had gathered there. They were all keen to see a slave girl show her sword dance.
Chandragupta borrowed a sword from a soldier and gave it to the dancer girl for her performance. The girl began to dance with the sword in her hand flashing in rhythmatic motions. Her feet moved quickly. Sometimes so fast she moved around, gyrating, leaping and somersaulting that she became a blur lit up by intermittent glints of the sword as the soldiers watched her amazing dance mesmerised.
Most overtaken amongst the spectators was Satrap Phillip. May be, his mind was working out the worth of that slave girl.
The girl now whirled like whirlwind as her ghagra (skirt) fanned out and in tandem the sword kept flashing as it cut smooth patterns in the air in symmetry with the body movements. She had become a fascinating sight. She whirled around a couple of times and on the third she managed to go close to Phillip.
Phillip was delightedly clapping his hands in appreciations. To pay courtesy the girl pivoted on her left leg and whirled around at one spot with her skirt edge seemed to fan the face of the Greek Satrap. Phillip did not mind. It was titillating him as he could get glimpses of the girl’s undergarment as the skirt kept spreading about as an umbrella.
It was so engrossing that everyone stood frozen still, with only the dozens of pairs of eyes moving with the whirling girl.
Then, a shocker came. Suddenly, the girl lowered the sword in horizontal angle and got it swish around in a wide circle with enough force to strike the neck of the bewildered Phillip. The severed head of Phillip fell off his body and fell to the ground spraying blood. Phillip got no time to find out what the girl was upto.
For some time all Greeks stood shell shocked unable to believe what they had just seen. Meanwhile, the so claimed slave youngmen and the slave girls came into their true colours. They were all infact well trained and experienced daredevil soldiers whom today we call commandos. It was infact operation to eliminate the Greek presence in India. Chanakya knew that Alexander had gone dead at Babylon. The removal of the Supreme Satrap would end the Greek story in India. That, proved only partially right.
The youngmen and women had pounced upon the Greek soldiers and snatched away their weapons or killed them with their own hidden weapons. Very soon most of the Greeks had been killed or overpowered by commandos of Chandragupta.
A task forces native of was hiding in the forest nearby. As it received signal from the commando group, the soldiers rushed to the Greek army base that was situated outside town. Greeks had no idea about the happenings at the fort headquarter of Phillip.
The soldiers were resting or entertaining themselves when the task force of Chandragupta struck. It started indiscriminate killing of Greeks. In the very initial phase hundreds of Greek soldiers were killed or injured. Some soldiers tried to rally and fought back. But the damage had been done.
After the mayhem the native force withdrew from the base and disappeared into the forest. Now even if the Greek army got the news of the killing of Phillip and fort based officials it could do little. Chandragupta and his commando group would not face the challenge of the Greek army because it was too busy licking its own wounds. The base commander had decided to vacate the camp and flee to another camp of Greek army which was in Pushkarawati.
Meanwhile, Chandragupta put up his flag on the fort palace of Phillip. It was now under his control. King Puru of Kaikya was also feeling uneasy ever since the death of Alexander. He had pledged loyalty to Greek Emperor Alexander only. To no other Greek he was obliged to. He disliked the overbearing attitutde of Greek commanders.
King Puru also raised a flag of independence from Greek domination as soon as he heard the news of the assassination of Phillip and capture of his fort palace by Chandragupta and destruction of Greek army base.
The rest of the Greek satraps were also facing rebellions. Many of them had died and some of them had fled to home. One by one the native kings and rebel groups were raising the flags of independence from Greek domination. In rebellions a large number of Greek soldiers had lost their lives. The situation was perilous for Greeks.
Kaikya was a free kingdom again. King Puru had become very old. So, his son Parvataka was coronated as the new king in a grand ceremony.
The people of Gandhara were not happy with the acts of king Ambhi. Most of the citizens did not approve of his turning a stooge of the alien invaders. For many he was a traitor who had bargained with the native pride and hurt the patriots. The Greek soldiers merrying native girls also did not go down well with the people. But king Ambhi was facilitating that project of Emperor Alexander. The people said Ambhi had turned a pimp for Greeks.
There was a rebellion against Ambhi but it was brutally crushed down by army and the Greek force. Now the situation had changed. Greeks were getting dethroned and eliminated. The rebel forces rose again. This time the rebellion could not be put down. The rebels burnt down Ambhi’s palace and Greek commanders were done to death. King Ambhi also got killed.
Gandhara became a republic. With the death of Phillip the Indian empire of Greeks totally disintegrated. Only some army bases survived where Greeks were militarily entrenched. Greek civilian domination had become history.
The girl who had sworded Phillip to death was a girl from Katha union whose brother and father had been brutally killed by Greeks during their battle against Katha. Her name was Karbhika and she was sworn to avenge the death of her near and dear ones. Her mother had died long ago. Thus she was in an orphaned state. Guru Chanakya had adopted her as his own daughter. That’s how she happened to be in their group. She was a trained soldier.
Karbhika had become a fan of the bravery and efficiency of Chandragupta. The latter was also impressed by the daredevilry and beauty of the girl. They had unwittingly fallen in love. In the proximity of each other they could feel the chemistry working and it did not remain unexpressed for long. One day Chandragupta revealed his love for her to Karbhika.
Karbhika accepted the romantic advance of Chandragupta but hesitated from committing herself fully. She whispered, ‘‘Prince, I too feel greatly attracted to you but this is no time to open up our hearts to each other. The life around us is still in turmoil. The situations are fluid.”
Chandragupta remarked, “My dear, love does not wait for occasion or favourable situations. It is blind and impatient. True love decides its own course and time stands still.”
“You may be true emotionally but first things first or the love can become a history. I hear on the west bank of Indus river a massive Greek force is camping under a veteran battler Yudhithamus. Anytime he can cross the river and invade our lands. Shouldn’t you be first thinking of dealing with him?” Karbhika had a mild rebuke in her tone.
“That patriotic spirit is what knocks me out, dear heart. I love you.”
Chandragupta held Karbhika by her hand and added, ‘‘You need not worry about alien threat. With your love in my heart I can take on the world. I have already worked out how I am going to pulverise that Greek to earn admiration of a girl I am in love with. Love makes one do amazing things.”
“I see. I think I must get down to write words of high admiration to recite when you wear the crown of victory. That is just great.” Karbhika heaved a sigh of relief.
