The Ujjain Mystery: Full story

 Supratik, the Chief of Police, and the Head of Internal Security of the Gupta Empire hurried along the massive stone corridor that led to the private conference room of the newly constructed palace on the banks of river Shipra. It was late evening, and since the sun would soon be setting, most of the inhabitants of the city had wrapped up their businesses for the day, as a result of the which, the streets had been pretty much deserted when Supratik had made his way to the palace on horseback. He was grateful for the lack of traffic, as he did not want to be late for the meeting with King Chandra.

When he had received the message from the prime minister's office earlier in the day saying that the king had summoned him for an audience, he hadn't helped feeling a little nervous. Why had the king summoned him, he had wondered on and off throughout the day. In the end, he had decided it might have something to do with arranging security for his elder son, Prince Govind, the Governor of Patna, who had come to the Ujjain unannounced just the day before. 

Now, he stood outside the door of the conference hall and took a deep breath before entering the long, narrow chamber, hoping and praying that the king hadn't summoned him to chastise him. Logically, he knew he hadn't done anything wrong. And yet... he hadn't been able to squash the little voice at the back of his head that today would be the day he finally screwed up and lost it all. 

He hadn't been able to believe his luck when he had been promoted just the previous year, and transferred to Ujjain to take over the role of the Head of Internal Security, in addition to his role of Chief of Police. His wife, Revathy, had tried to tell him that luck had nothing to do with his promotion, and it was all his hard work, but even one year later, he still had a difficult time believing that he had actually achieved this prestigious position at only twenty five years of age. Perhaps it was because he had been told throughout his growing up years that he would amount to nothing.

With a slight shake of his head, he forced himself to drive the nervousness away as he stepped inside the conference hall.

The chamber was unguarded, which told him that King Chandra wasn't yet there. However, Prabhukant, the Chief of the king's armed forces, was already present in the conference room, along with the Prime Minister. Supratik greeted the Prime Minister, and gave a curt nod in Prabhukant's direction in lieu of a greeting. Prabhukant barely acknowledged him, just as Supratik had expected. 

Supratik didn't know why the army chief hated him, but he most certainly did. Prabhukant had been curt, bordering on rude, every single time they had met. As far as Supratik could tell, there was simply no reason for Prabhukant, who was much older than Supratik, to behave this way. Even now, he could feel the intense dislike coming off of Prabhukant in waves in the closed confines of the conference room. The Prime Minister was standing near an arched window, busily poring over some scrolls in the rapidly fading daylight, which meant Supratik couldn't make any conversation with the man.

Choosing not to engage with Prabhukant in any manner, Supratik wandered to a large window, and gazed at the elaborately laid gardens outside. The gardens were lush green and beautiful with several flowering shrubs, a multitude of fountains, and soft green grass. It was only fitting that the gardens were so pleasing, given how grand the palace itself was.

Although Supratik had visited the palace several times since its construction, he always found himself being awed by the grandeur of it. His gaze drifted around the conference room, taking in the heavily embroidered rich velvet carpet imported from lands beyond the Sindhu river, laid over the steps leading up to the dais on one end of the long room on which an ornate, bejewelled throne made of gold sat. On either side of the dais, there was a row of chairs carved from sandstone, decked up with decorative pieces of cloths and cushions. Behind the chairs, there were tall sandstone pillars gilded in gold. The many arched windows were only partially covered by silk curtains, ensuring that the room received plenty of light. 

But it would be dark soon, and the wall-mounted sconces held torches, ready to be lit.

Since the torches weren't already lit, Supratik deduced that it would be a short meeting. Just then, the king's arrival was announced by the court herald, and everybody stood at attention near the chairs that had been assigned to them, taking their headgear off. 

The king was awe-inspiring with his tall frame, broad shoulders, and intelligent eyes. Prince Kumar who accompanied the king was the spitting image of King Chandra. It was common knowledge that even though Prince Kumar was the younger son, he was being groomed to be the heir-apparent. Prince Govind was conspicuous by his absence. So the meeting wasn't regarding Prince Govind's security, Supratik thought, as his brain once again went into overdrive about the purpose of the meeting. You will know soon, he told himself as everybody took their seats after the king gestured for them to do so.

"Since everybody is here, let's start the meeting," began the Prime Minister once everybody had made their obeisance to the king and the prince.

"King Chandra has sanctioned funds for a new temple complex to be built along the River Shipra. Prince Kumar will personally be overseeing the project. There will be skilled sculptors coming from Vakataka kingdom and the Kadamba kingdom."

The Prime Minister paused and looked at the king.

"Supratik, I want you to personally ensure that the sculptors are given the highest level of security. I want them to be able to work freely and securely even after sunset if they so wish," the king said, addressing Supratik directly.

Supratik stood and made a deep bow.

"It will be done, Your Majesty."

The king nodded, satisfied. 

"Prabhukant has the list of sculptors who will be crossing our borders some time during the day tomorrow. Please ensure that enough of your men are present at the borders to escort them safely to Ujjain," Prince Kumar said, addressing both Prabhukant and Supratik.

They both bowed.

"The reason we wanted to tell you this personally is because this is not just a project to build temples, but it is a peace-keeping mission of sorts. The Kadambas and the Vakatakas are our allies. We are showing them their people will be welcomed here."

"Understood, Your Majesty. I will ensure that they are provided with the highest level of security."

The king nodded and smiled at Supratik, and Supratik could feel Prabhukant shooting daggers at him with his gaze. Just what was the man's problem?

A short discussion about the security arrangements followed, after which the meeting ended. 

Supratik was aware that since the project would take many months, possibly even years to come to fruition, he would have to put his most dependable men on the job. Leaving the conference room, the nervousness he had felt throughout day ever since he had received the summons disappeared. 

It had been a minor matter after all. This wasn't a job that would keep him awake at night. 

He didn't know how wrong he was!

***

King Chandra stood at the balcony of his newly constructed palace in the city of Ujjain, overlooking the river Shipra. It had been an excellent move, making Ujjain the second capital city of his empire. He had finally succeeded in conquering the country from coast to coast, fulfilling his father’s dream. 

Yet, when Kuberanaga entered their bedroom, his stance and body language reflected not the relaxed manner of someone enjoying the fruits of their labour, but that of an alert wild animal on prowl. He stood erect, hands behind his back, his broad, muscular shoulders tensed. 

“What is the matter, Chandra?” Kuberanaga asked.

King Chandra turned around. “All these years spent in wars and conquests... All the tactful diplomacy... All the lives lost... And it has come to this!”

“What are you talking about, my dear?” Kuberanaga was concerned. She had never seen her husband talk in this manner before.

“Cowards do not understand the language of the brave. It is time to make them understand!” He declared and strode out of the chamber, leaving a confused and worried Kuberanaga behind.

Supratik, the Chief of Police and Internal Security at Ujjain, walked rapidly up to the riverside, just as the body was being fished out. The officer supervising the operation turned around and saluted his commander immediately.

“This is the third one in a fortnight. It’s a female this time,” said Ugradev, the officer assigned to investigate the case. Putrid smell assaulted his senses. Like the other two bodies, this one was badly decomposed as well.

Supratik turned his face upwards, as if urging the divine to put a speedy end to the ordeal. He quickly examined the body, looking for any obvious wounds.

“Hand over the body to the guards. It is impossible to identify the victim. But ask around if a woman has gone missing. See to it that the last rites are performed and the ashes preserved.”

He summoned the unit of guards who were assigned to patrol duty that night, and rode back to the city. His mind was busy examining possibilities. Like the other two bodies, he was sure that this one would go unclaimed too. This could only mean that homeless drifters were being targeted. There were already talks of black magic and human sacrifice and other such superstitious nonsense going around. 

If this continued, he would have no choice but to take the matter to King Chandra, and then the army would be involved. That would be the absolute last resort. Supratik was loath to involve the army in civil matters. Besides, the present Chief of Army, Prabhukant, wasn’t exactly his best buddy. 

Just where he was supposed to direct the additional security, he wondered for the umpteenth time. There was nobody reported missing, the bodies had not been claimed or identified! If only he could find some connection, some pattern, some reason!

It had started a fortnight ago with the chance discovery of the first body by one of the washer-men who routinely used the ghaat. Since the body was badly decomposed, identification had proved impossible. The matter had not even been brought to his notice, since it had been written off as suicide. 

When the second body was discovered within a matter of a week, Supratik had been informed by Ugradev. Again, the body was decomposed beyond recognition. From experience, Supratik knew that for a body to decompose so badly in water, the person had to be dead for at least three days. 

“Sir, are you accompanying us on our patrol duty?” One of the guards enquired.

The question brought Supratik out of his reverie. He pulled on the reins of his steed and brought him to a halt. They had approached the fork in the road from where he usually rode off to his home.

“No, carry on. Keep your eyes and ears open. If there is anything, and I mean anything, I want a messenger sent to my house immediately. Irrespective of what time it is.”

Hoping it would be the last body he would see in a really long time, Supratik headed home. He needed to talk to Revathy, his wife. She was an intelligent woman with an extremely logical mind, and had helped Supratik many a times in the past. 

As expected, Revathy had lit the lamp at the entrance well before dusk. After securing his steed at the stable for the night, Supratik removed his boots and washed his hands and feet with the water that was kept in the earthen pot on the steps of his house. Removing the ornate helmet that identified him as the Chief of Police and Internal Security, he climbed the steps of his house.

Dinner was laid out by Revathy. 

“You seem worried. Have they discovered another body?”

“Yes. It is so strange Revathy. There hasn’t been anything like this before. Just mindless killing... There have been no reports of any missing persons as well... that is what is baffling. Maybe there is some truth in stories going around then. Maybe they are being killed as human sacrifice.”

Revathy was quiet for a while. “I don’t buy it,” she said finally. 

 “But what else could it be?”

“Have you considered the sculptors?” Revathy asked in a low voice.

Supratik sat back, putting the morsel he picked up back on his plate. However unlikely, he had to consider the possibility. The sculptors were skilled immigrant workers specially commissioned by the king to work on the new temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha that was being constructed on the banks of the river. Since they were there on the request on the king, they were accorded the highest level of respect. They were also under the direct protection of the king, and nobody in their right mind would dare harm them. 

“How are they being killed?”

“The bodies are decomposed beyond recognition. But from what we could determine, it looks like they have been stabbed in the heart.”

The truth was Supratik had examined the bodies himself. Though his men would never admit it, they were scared. The stories of black magic and human sacrifice that had been going around had played on their already superstitious nature, and only when he has sternly ordered them had they readied the body for medical examination. 

He marvelled at the speed at which gossip travelled. When important announcements were made in the city square, the people hardly bothered to stop and listen. But whispered untruths found a way to reach every single person in no time.

The first thing he was going to do the next morning was investigate on the valuable tip Revathy had provided. 

Skilled labour was often imported from the southern kingdoms of Kadamba and Vakataka. 

Though Ujjain had plenty of skilled sculptors, King Chandra believed in maintaining peace with his allies not just through matrimony as evidenced by his own marriage to the Naga princess Kuberanaga, and his daughter Prabhavati’s marriage to Rudrasena the Vakataka king, but also by promoting liberal inculcation of their cultures. As a true patron of arts, literature, and science, he respected professionals in these areas without bias.

If indeed it was the immigrant workers, who were being targeted for the human sacrifice, he was in deep trouble

Supratik’s mood was sombre as he drifted off to sleep. He simply had to get to the bottom of these murders.

Kuberanaga was worried. King Chandra had been uncharacteristically distant and non-communicative for the better part of the week. He had hardly visited her in the evenings, as was his custom. Could it be something to do with Govind’s return, she wondered.

Govind and Kumar were the king’s sons from his first wife, Dhruvadevi. Though Govind was the elder son, Kumar was more skilled and worthy of succeeding King Chandra. The brothers shared a strained relationship. King Chandra had tactfully separated them by appointing Govind the governor of Bihar, while getting Kumar along with him to Ujjain. 

But Govind had turned up unannounced at Ujjain about a month ago, which had flared up the tension. 

Though the queen was gazing out of the large balcony, she did not notice the hooded figure stealthily leave the rear gate of the palace, timing his exit perfectly so that he wasn’t noticed by the guards.

“I hope you were not followed,” said the person to a man waiting in the shadows of the huge wall.

“I think not.”

“When are you taking care of the pandit?”

“Soon I hope. It is becoming very difficult with all the increased patrolling!”

“Do it fast! We cannot continue holding him indefinitely!”

Supratik’s worst fears had been confirmed. Three sculptors were missing. Even though there was no conclusive proof that the bodies were of the immigrant workers, he did not delude himself into thinking that others wouldn’t put two and two together quickly.

“Look at the bright side,” Revathy had said when he had shared the news with her. “You now know where to direct your efforts.”

 It was a tight rope he was walking with questioning the other sculptors without raising any alarm. As far as the workers were concerned, the three people had just gone back home. The theory held water as they had been seen packing up their things in a hurry.

“Did they know each other?” Supratik had conducted the questioning himself.

“It seemed like they did. They mostly kept to themselves, did not mix much with the others. Besides, they were from the Kadamba region. We are all from Vakataka”

 “How many sculptors from the Kadamba region?”

“Just those three. It was poor show indeed that they vanished before they finished carving the idols. They had not made much progress at all! They had been specially commissioned to carve the idol in the sanctum sanctorum. Say, are they in trouble? Why all these questions?”

“No trouble, just a routine enquiry.”

Supratik winced at the memory of the lame finish to his questioning as he waited for Ugradev in his chamber. It would only be a matter of time before the workers connected the dots. 

Ugradev entered the chamber and saluted him smartly.

“Listen, Ugradev, we don’t have much time. I need to get to the bottom of this. The only way I see is to lay a trap. I want it known that we have dismissed the case, that the dead bodies were indeed those of homeless tramps. Also make it known that there was a tantrik who had temporarily made Ujjain his home, but he has scooted since we amped up our investigation. Since he has scooted, we are reducing the number of guards on duty at night.”

“It will be done sir.”

“I want our special unit of Black Panthers to patrol the area along the river all day and night. If the murderer is targeting the workers, he will strike as soon as we call off the patrol.”

Black Panthers were a formidable, specially trained unit of the police force, so named for their ability to remain as invisible as the elusive cat.

“Yes sir. But why target the workers? The murders don’t make any sense!”

“The only thing I can think of is that it is political. Somebody wants to embarrass our king publicly for not providing safety to those under his protection.”

“Makes sense sir. Even though Prince Kumar is in-charge of this project, King Chandra will have to face embarrassment.”

Supratik sat back in his chair as if he had seen a ghost. Of course! Prince Kumar was in-charge! And Prince Govind... By Lord Ganesha, he hoped he was wrong!

“Good news, the patrolling is being reduced.”

The two were at their usual rendezvous. 

“Now see to it that all loose ends are taken care of.”

“It will be done tonight.”

The loud, urgent banging on his door woke Supratik up from an uneasy sleep. Years of well-honed instinct had told him that the bait he had dangled would have the desired yield that night. He was up and at the door within seconds.

“Sir, it worked! We have caught the murderer red-handed!” Ugradev was beside himself with excitement.  “He is being escorted to the jail complex as we speak!”

Supratik wasted no time and was at the jail complex in record time. “Where is he?” He demanded as soon as he entered the jail complex.

“In the questioning room sir,” said one of the officers.

Supratik hurried to the questioning room. It was a dark, windowless room with thick walls and a low ceiling. The only source of light was the torch placed near the door. Supratik held up the torch to be better able to see the prisoner’s face... and stopped dead in his tracks! The torch dropped from his hands involuntarily.

Ugradev who was behind him quickly grasped the fallen torch before it reached the wooden door. 

“Sir? Are you alright? Sir?”

Supratik was breathing heavily. There was no way this way true! What was happening?

“I want a messenger sent to the king immediately.”

“At this time of the night sir?” 

Supratik thanked his stars that nobody had recognized the prisoner.

“Move aside!” Supratik roughly shoved Ugradev aside and hurried to the prisoner’s chair. Without ceremony, he undid the prisoner’s hands and legs and held him by his arm. “You’re coming with me,” was all he said before taking the prisoner away.

Supratik had managed to get an audience with King Chandra in the middle of the night. He had insisted that Prabhukant, the Chief of Army be present too.

To say that he had been shocked to find that the prisoner was none other than Prabhukant’s right-hand man was an understatement. Prabhukant was behind all the murders? Or was his right-hand man acting alone? It all seemed so unreal!

 He had narrated the happenings of the fortnight to the king and had concluded by saying how they had caught the prisoner red-handed. He had a vague feeling of unease all the while he was narrating his story, which had only intensified when his story had been met with a stony silence.

Prabhukant was visibly angry. “You fool!” He burst out, unable to control himself. 

Supratik was shocked to see that the anger was directed at him, and not the prisoner!

“Your Majesty! This is uncalled for!” Supratik protested.

King Chandra raised a hand for silence. “What have you done with the man he was trying to kill?”

Supratik was thoroughly nonplussed by the question. “We let him go, Your Majesty!” 

King Chandra sank back into his chair in the manner of a person who has had enough, and glanced at Prabhukant, who nodded, and glaring at Supratik, left the chamber.

Supratik stood next to the prisoner, unsure of what to do. After what seemed like ages, the king finally spoke.

“Should have factored in your dedication and cunning!” To Supratik’s utter disbelief, the King started to laugh!

 “I owe you an explanation. You can let your prisoner go, Supratik.”

Quite reluctantly, he did as he was told, and waited for the king to continue. 

“Those three were killed on my orders,” said King Chandra. Supratik’s mouth fell open! Never in a million years could he have guessed that the king was responsible for the killings!

 “What I tell you next should not reach another living soul. Am I clear?”

Supratik could only nod dumbly.

“As you know, my daughter Prabha was married to the Vakataka king Rudrasena. Unfortunately for her, Rudra died shortly after she gave birth to an heir. She has been acting as the regent and governing the kingdom till her son comes of age. That has not gone down well with Rudra’s brother, Indrasen. But as long as Vakataka is under my protection, he doesn’t dare openly defy Prabha. After many years of scheming, he had finally come to the conclusion that if I were assassinated, my empire would be greatly weakened, especially given the relationship between Govind and Kumar. He expected that they would feud amongst themselves, and he could easily overthrow Prabha. The assassins were sent in the guise of sculptors from Kadamba. Our spies brought the news to me in the nick of time. We easily identified and eliminated the three so-called Kadamba sculptors. But we knew there was a fourth assassin. The only other person who had arrived with the sculptors was the pandit, who was supposed to install the idol upon completion. We captured him alive, and being the coward that he is, he confessed to his crime. Prabhukant’s man was in the process of eliminating the final threat when your men captured him!”

Though the plot was now unfolded, Supratik had more questions than answers.

“If I may ask something, Your Majesty?”

The king nodded.

“Why not have them killed quietly? Why make sure that their bodies were found?”

“Because it was necessary to make a statement! It was necessary that the news reach Indrasen that his plot had been exposed”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty! I let the assassin go!”

“Don’t you worry about that Supratik. Prabhukant had men stationed along the river as well. I’m sure he must have been already captured.”

“My Lord?”

“Yes?”

“What did you mean when you said you should have factored in my dedication and cunning?”

“Well you see, we did not want you to investigate the murders too closely. Hence Prabhukant suggested that we start a rumour of black magic and human sacrifice. Knowing how superstitious the people of Ujjain are, we were sure your men would only pretend to investigate and not look into it too closely. They would simply believe that the people who had been killed were homeless tramps, especially once the bodies stopped turning up. But like I said, we underestimated you! Well done, Supratik!”

“To be honest, my wife Revathy urged me to investigate the immigrant workers. I was hesitant as they are directly under your protection!”

The King laughed heartily again. “You have a wise wife! You will both be rewarded handsomely!”

As Supratik took the king’s leave, he could not help but think that Prabhukant had pulled a fast one over him again!