War Is Raw

Madhusudan Rahane was a shrewd man, but with his heart in the right place. He had made up his mind right in the initial days, when he joined the Gaekwad house, that Mrityunjay was the man to back. For, although Milind had all the qualities to become a leader of the Swaraj party, he had one big shortcoming; he would never disobey his mother. It was fair to say that every move Milind made, was carefully calculated by Godha and her dubious guru.... that Swamy Brihannala.

What Madhusudan would also never forget, was the way they alienated Mrityunjay from the Gaekwad household, step by step. But the young Mrityunjay had nerves of steel it seemed. He never lost his patience or crumbled under what his step-mother kept doing to him. He always rose above the situation, never feeling bitter for her and her ways.

Even in the current elections, if Mrityunjay had wanted, he could have broken away from the Swaraj party and started a party of his own. The party cadres would have voluntarily gone with him. Yet, he did no such thing, putting his might behind his step brother, doing everything he could for Milind's victory.

But Madhusudan knew it was only a matter of time. Already the cadre were restless. They had had enough of Godha and her dictatorship. They would demand change and Mrityunjay would be that change. Although Mrityunjay refused to see what was bound to happen, Madhusudan was waiting for the opportune time.

And it seemed, that time was coming.

The party in power had got whiff of a huge scandal involving Swamy Brihannala. Although, exactly what information they had, no one knew. But knowing that they were about to lose, with just eleven months to elections, the ruling party was accumulating a lot of information about Brihannala and the whispers were getting louder and louder in the corridors of power, that the government had a watertight case on Brihannala.

Madhusudan or Madhu Bhau as he was called, entered Mrityunjay's cottage while he was busy painting. He came in slowly, on tip toes, so as not to disturb him. As he came in from behind, he could see what Mrityunjay was painting. On the empty canvas, against a white backdrop, were a pair of eyes. He had painted them with such perfection, that it felt as though someone was looking at him from the canvas. The eyes were wide, like lotus petal and doe coloured.

Mrityunjay was standing with his back to Madhu Bhau.

"My God!" the words escaped Madhu Bhau's lips which made Mrityunjay turn around with a jerk. He quickly put a cover on his painting.

"Who is she?"enquired Madhu Bhau, looking at Mrityunjay from the corner of his eyes.

"Who?" evaded Mrityunjay, acting ignorant.

Madhu Bhau walked upto the painting and opened the cover. "She!" he said, pointing at the painting.

"

Kalpana," responded Mrityunjay, his eyes moving to the canvas.

"Where did you meet her?" asked Bhau inquisitively, his eyes gleaming with interest.

Mrityunjay gave an exasperated look and replied sarcastically, "My imagination..... Kalpana? I met her in my head.”

Madhu Bhau turned to look at the painting and back at Mrityunjay again. "Are you sure or are you hiding something from me?" he ascertained, perturbed that someone's imagination could be so vivid, so real.

"What's wrong with all of you? There daddu and now you have started here. Why can't you guys let me be? I am very happy the way I am," announced Mrityunjay, irritated by the constant questioning he was being subjected to these

"You have no idea what happiness means, son. But I must say, this time, you have outdone yourself. It looks very real," he commented, studying Mrityunjay.

Mrityunjay's eyes went to the canvas and he studied the pair of eyes staring back at him. He felt a warmth around his heart, that he had never felt before. "I know...... I don't know how it happened..... but its as if I had to paint her,

couldn't help it," he confessed.