Chapter 34 The Darkness of Justice
Prakashgadh The day of the royal court
The morning sun streamed through the tall glass windows of the royal court and formed golden frames on the marble floor Nirag was seated on the throne but his posture lacked the ease that once used to be there His back was straight but his shoulders were slightly raised as if an invisible burden weighed upon them His fingers rested on the golden armrests of the throne but they did not seem relaxed Rather they pressed into them and his nails had turned faintly white
Just then a voice came from afar A broken panting voice that bounced through the corridor and entered the court
Maharaj Maharaj
A farmer appeared at the door His clothes were torn The edge of his garment was dirty and had become a hanging rag There was a turban on his head but tangled hair was escaping from it stuck together with dust and sweat His feet were bare and his soles bore deep cuts from rocks Some fresh and red and some old and black
He stumbled forward and then collapsed onto his knees in the center of the court The sound of his knees hitting the marble was a faint echoing thud
Mercy Maharaj Mercy His voice was filled with weeping and a sob was hidden between each word Have mercy on this old man
Nirag leaned forward from his throne and looked His brows furrowed slightly and a faint wrinkle appeared near his nose
What happened uncle Nirag voice was flat with a formal sympathy that held no warmth Get up first Sit down
The farmer tried to get up but his legs were trembling He remained on his knees with his hands folded
Maharaj The moneylender He seized my land The farmer voice broke His eyes were red and two streams of tears made wet paths down his dirty cheeks as they descended I have nothing left now My wife Children Are hungry
He began to cry again A deep suffocating sob that shook his entire body His back hunched and his head began touching the ground
Nirag fist closed
Slowly Without haste His fingers pressed into his palm and his nails began digging into the skin leaving small crescent shaped marks The veins on his arm stood out and tensed
Soldier Nirag voice suddenly changed It was no longer soft but cold and sharp like metal Bring that moneylender here Now
The sound of the soldiers boots echoed in the corridor A fast disciplined pace Within moments they returned dragging a fat tall man between them
The moneylender clothes were expensive A silk tunic with gold embroidery gleaming on it There was a thick belt around his waist from which bundles of papers were visible He was trying to free himself from the soldiers and his brows were furrowed
As soon as he entered the court his gaze fell first upon the farmer
For a moment an expression appeared on his face Hatred Disgust Then it vanished immediately turning into a flattering smile
Maharaj The moneylender bowed with folded hands but his eyes were reading Nirag face You have summoned me This is my fortune
Nirag cut him off His voice was now even colder
This farmer says that you seized his land
The moneylender eyes widened Dramatically He shook his head and raised his hands in the air
Oh no Maharaj He is lying I am an honest merchant He took a loan and according to the agreement
One rule Nirag spoke and his voice held a strange echo As if two voices were speaking at once You will not make
Saying this he raised his hand and struck the armrest of the throne hard
Thud
The sound of wood and metal echoed And then a second sound A light shattering spark like sound
The Raksha Sutra slipped from Nirag wrist
It fell to the ground drawing a golden line Then suddenly its glow faded As if a lamp had been extinguished The thread of the sacred cord loosened and a faint smoke rose from it
And just then
The air of the court turned cold The flames of the lamps on the walls began to flicker creating long crooked shadows The sunlight coming from the window behind Nirag dimmed As if a cloud had covered the sun
A black smoke No not smoke Something else Emerged in the air It was deep black but had a gleam A purple poisonous gleam It moved towards Nirag undulating in the air
Nirag watched it His eyes widened For a moment fear appeared Then that fear vanished turning into an empty void expression
The black figure entered Nirag chest
Nirag body writhed A sharp violent jolt His eyes rolled upwards and only the whites were visible Then slowly he returned to normal
But when he opened his eyes they were black
Completely black No pupil No white Two voids
Farmer Nirag spoke and his voice had now changed It was Nirag voice but a deep echoing tone was mixed into it As if someone was speaking from a cave Tell me What happened to you
The farmer was trembling He had seen all of that The black smoke The change in Nirag eye color His tongue had gone dry
Maharaj He stammered I took some money on loan from the moneylender By mortgaging my land
He paused and took a deep breath Tears came again
The agreement was If I could not return a hundred coins in five months Then the land would be his His voice broke But I returned the hundred coins according to the condition In four months and twenty nine days
A rage emerged in his voice The rage born of pain
But he refused to take it He said I had donated those coins to you I returned home happily But the very next day He came with his servants And forcibly took my thumb impression on the land papers And transferred the land to his name
The moneylender screamed Lie He is lying
But Nirag did not even look at him His black eyes were fixed on the farmer
The moneylender face turned pale He looked Nirag eyes He understood that this was not Nirag It was something else
He suddenly dropped to his knees
Maharaj His voice trembled Maharaj I have made a very big mistake
His hands were folded and his fingers had turned white
Forgive me Forgive me He bowed his head and his forehead began touching the marble floor I will return all his land to him And double the compensation
A ray of hope flashed across the farmer face His eyes lit up and the corners of his lips began to rise
Just then Nirag screamed
Get up
The voice was so loud and harsh that the walls of the court trembled The soldiers stepped back and their hands went to the hilts of their swords
Get up and stand on your feet Nirag voice held a venomous mockery
The moneylender stood up trembling His legs were stumbling
A mysterious smile appeared on Nirag face This smile was strange On one side it was like Nirag normal smile but on the other side there was a distortion as if wearing a mask
Why are you trembling Nirag asked and his voice held a false tenderness You did the right thing By seizing this farmer land After all he returned your money just one day late
The farmer senses fled His breath stopped and his eyes widened The hope on his face turned into a terrible astonishment
The moneylender eyes lit up He began to smile A greedy victorious smile
Victory to the King He screamed raising his hands Victory to the King You are truly great Maharaj
Nirag kept smiling Then he spoke and his voice suddenly changed into a command
Soldiers Arrest this farmer And throw him into the dungeon
Silence fell over the court
The farmer collapsed at their feet He could not understand His head touched the ground in a mute broken posture
Maharaj His voice was a whisper What are you saying You were a lover of justice You cannot do injustice to me You cannot throw me into the dungeon
Nirag raised his hand towards the farmer in anger
A flame of fire emerged from his palm Small but intense It moved towards the farmer forming a red orange orb in the air
The farmer was drenched in sweat Sweat stains began appearing on the back of his tunic He screamed
Put me in the dungeon But do not burn me Maharaj do not burn me
Nirag began to laugh
This laughter was hollow and echoing As if coming from an empty cave He lowered his hand and the fire extinguished
Soldiers He said again and his voice held an irritation Arrest this farmer
The soldiers looked at Nirag in astonishment They did not move
Nirag angrily picked up a clay pot kept beside him and hurled it with force It struck the wall and shattered into pieces
Did you not hear what I said
The soldiers panicked and grabbed the farmer dragging him outside The farmer did not resist He just wept a dull broken sob
The moneylender began to laugh A loud tuneless laugh
Victory to the King He screamed Victory to the King You are very just Maharaj
Nirag smiled Go And enjoy
The moneylender began walking away and his steps held a new arrogant swagger
Just then Agni appeared before him
The moneylender stopped upon seeing Agni His smile vanished and his eyes widened
Agni had gripped his sword Jwala tightly His grip was so strong that the veins of his hand stood out like ropes The sword was not yet drawn but a faint red glow was emanating from its hilt Like an ember smoldering
Nirag Agni voice was hoarse but held a suppressed pain What are you doing
Nirag looked at Agni and smiled
Agni looked at the moneylender in anger His eyes Red like fire Seemed to burn the moneylender face
Suddenly Agni gripped his sword so hard that Jwala transformed into a whip A flexible whip of flames that lashed through the air with a whistle
He struck the moneylender with one lash
Crack
The sound was sharp and piercing Of burning leather The moneylender flew and fell down and the cloth on his back burned revealing red blistered skin beneath
Ahhh The moneylender screamed and his hands went towards his back but could not touch it
Agni went to him His face was hard like a stone statue
Get up Agni thundered
The moneylender tried to get up but his body had gone numb from the pain
Agni struck another lash This time on his leg
The moneylender screamed and then stood up with folded hands His face was soaked in tears and sweat
Forgive me Maharaj Forgive me I will return everything I will return the farmer his land I will give double compensation
Agni screamed in anger Nirag
Nirag suddenly stepped back
Agni said What were you about to do You were about to punish an innocent
Nirag composed himself His black eyes blinked for a moment and then returned to normal Red and blue
Tauji His voice was broken Punishing an innocent
He held his head as if struggling with some pain
Punishing an innocent He whispered
The moneylender screamed Forgive me Tauji I do not know how I made such a big mistake
Nirag said Soldiers Release the farmer And throw the moneylender into the dungeon So that no one makes the mistake of doing such a thing ever again
The soldiers quickly brought the farmer outside with respect The farmer eyes were still full but now they held relief
Nirag looked at the farmer and said Forgive me uncle I do not know how I punished you
The farmer said No Maharaj Do not apologize Just do this much for me Get my land returned to me
Nirag looked at the moneylender You will get your jail And this moneylender will get his punishment
The soldiers arrested the moneylender and took him away A mixture of fear astonishment and remorse was visible on the moneylender face All three emotions together strangely prominent on his large face
Nirag came to Agni and said Tauji Forgive me I made a very big mistake
Just then Neer arrived there
What mistake Neer voice was calm but held a sharpness Like the edge of ice
Nirag Agni and Neer looked at each other And fell silent
In the court only the lamp flames on the walls flickered creating long shadows As if they too wanted to say something in this silence but could not
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