Chapter 2: Capital

Akshat said, "The entrance to the capital is just 200 

meters away." I nodded and replied, "Okay."

Over the past few days, we've been travelling from 

village to village on our way to the capital. It surprises 

me how exhausting and painful it is to travel in this era. 

We've passed through countless forests and villages, 

each one with its character, much like Keshini's village. 

But what excites me the most is finally reaching the 

capital. I can't wait to experience the vibrancy of life in 

such a grand city.

I asked Akshat, "What is this coin that Bhumika gave 

me?"

Akshat replied, "It's an old coin from the Mauryan 

Empire. That's all I know about it. An old man gave it 

to me along with payment for some tools I made for 

him on a custom order. He mentioned that it might help 

me in the future, but I didn't know how this coin could 

be useful, so I gave it to Bhumika. To me, it's just an 

old tale. I don't care much about the coin."

"Oh!" I responded.

Akshat then added, "Bhumika loves this coin very 

much, and she gave it to you. Maybe she loves you 

more than the coin."

"Perhaps," I said with a small smile on my face.

A few minutes later, Akshat said, "There you go, this is 

the entrance to the capital and the 4th town."

"4th town?" I asked.

Akshat nodded. "I forgot to tell you about the capital. 

It's located right next to the Yamuna River and is 

surrounded by thick stone walls. The capital can only be 

accessed through specific entry points, which also serve 

as gates to seven towns surrounding the castle and the 

king's palace. Different lords govern each of these 

towns."

I asked Akshat, "Are these people chosen to govern, or 

are they part of ruling families?"

Akshat replied, "The governance of the towns is a 

responsibility assigned either by the king or the council, 

or sometimes it's given as a gift," he said with a soft 

smile.

"So, which of the seven towns do you work in?" I 

asked.

Akshat answered, "We're entering the fourth town now, 

and I work there as a blacksmith for the lord himself."

Curious, I inquired, "What is your lord's name?"

Akshat replied, "His full name is Ratan Pal Thakur."

"I'm looking forward to meeting him," I said, offering a 

small smile.

—We enter through the gate—

"Hey Akshat, why did the guards check everyone else 

but not us?" I asked.

Akshat replied, "Because they know I work for Lord 

Ratan Pal, and he's like a friend to me. Don't worry 

about it."

Then Akshat asked, "Tell me, is this your first time in 

the capital?"

"Yes," I replied.

I was shocked by the sights around me—everything 

looked so fascinating. 

"The merchandise they were selling was astounding."

Akshat said, "Of course, our capital is well connected to 

the Silk Road."

I asked Akshat, "Can I take a look at those shops?"

Akshat replied, "Sure, but be careful. If you break 

anything, you'll have to pay for it, and you don't have 

the money to do that."

"Okay," I said.

I strolled through the busy market, taking in all the 

sights and sounds. The stalls were filled with various

goods, from utensils and jewellery to toys and 

entertainment. After checking out almost everything, I 

found myself drawn to a weaponry shop by the glint of 

steel.

"Hey, Akshat," I called out, turning to my friend. "Can 

we go inside?"

Akshat nodded with a slight smile on his face. "Yes, 

you can."

I stepped into the shop, eyes wide with fascination. The 

array of weapons was impressive—swords, spears, and 

shields, each one more magnificent than the last. I 

couldn't resist reaching for a beautifully crafted sword. I 

picked it up and started swinging it through the air to 

feel the weight and balance.

"Hey, boy!" The shopkeeper's voice startled me. "You 

can't do that here! Don't swing that sword around like 

that—you could harm someone, if not yourself."

Startled, I lowered the sword and glanced at Akshat. 

The shopkeeper's eyes flicked to him as well, 

recognition dawned on his face. "Sir Akshat, is this 

boy with you?"

"Yes, he is," Akshat replied calmly.

I put the sword back in its place and turned to Akshat. 

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"Yes," Akshat said, nodding toward the shopkeeper. 

"He works for Lord Ratan Pal as a blacksmith, and I am 

his chief."

"Wow," I said, impressed. "He must like you a lot to 

make you chief blacksmith."

Akshat shook his head, his expression serious. "No, it's 

not about liking. He made me chief because I'm loyal to 

him and I serve him well. And you, too, must prove 

useful to him. If not, I'll have no choice but to leave 

you to fend for yourself."

I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Why so 

serious? Why don't you show me around your 

workplace?"

Akshat agreed, and we made our way through the forge. 

The air was thick with the smell of burning coal and hot 

metal, with the sound of hammers against anvils 

echoing around us. As we walked, something caught 

my eye—a brownish rock on a table. I pointed at it, 

curious. "What's that strange rock over there?"

Akshat corrected me. "First of all, it's not red—it's 

brown. And it's not just a rock; it's metal ore. It's called 

copper."

"Do you use it to make swords?" I asked, intrigued.

Akshat nodded, though his expression turned 

thoughtful. "I tried, but copper alone makes a soft blade 

that breaks easily."

An idea popped into my head. "Then why don't you 

mix it with iron and make a sword from that?"

Akshat looked at me with a mix of surprise and 

approval. "That's very clever of you to think of. I did 

try mixing iron and copper in equal parts, but the result 

was not strong enough. It turned out to be a disaster, 

and I had to cover the loss out of my pocket."

I pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Oh, but 

why don't you try mixing them in different 

proportions?"

Akshat shook his head, a hint of frustration in his voice. 

"I don't have the money to waste on experiments like 

that."

"Then," I proposed, "try grinding both the iron and 

copper into fine, sand-like particles before melting them 

together."

Akshat narrowed his eyes at me, sceptical. "And why 

would I do that? And where am I supposed to find the 

funds to pay for the raw materials?"

I smiled, feeling a spark of excitement. "Because when 

you grind them down, the metals will bond together 

more strongly. And who knows, maybe I'll be the one 

funding your project in the future."

Akshat smirked, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. 

"Yep, who knows."

A few minutes passed as I continued to explore the 

weaponry. The gleam of the weapons and the hum of 

the forge filled the space. Suddenly, Akshat called out 

to me. "Hey, Tushar! I've got something for you."

I turned to him as he handed me a rolled-up map. 

"Here," he said, "it's a map of the capital. Let me 

explain it to you in detail."

I nodded, intrigued. "Okay."

Akshat pointed to various sections of the map. "As I 

told you before, the capital is divided into seven towns, 

with a central area at its heart. We are currently in the 

fourth town, governed by Lord Ratan Pal Thakur. The 

first town is ruled by Ramachandra, the second by 

Gopal Das, and the third by Sunder Rao. The sixth is 

under Ratanlal's control, and the seventh by Bharat 

Kumar. The fifth town, however, is a lawless place, 

overrun by gangs and other unsavoury characters."

He paused, then pointed to the centre of the map. "And 

this," he continued, "is where the royals and the rich 

live. At the very centre is the castle, Lal Kot."

I blinked, trying to absorb all the information. "That's a 

lot to process," I admitted, "but I'll do my best to 

remember it."

Akshat chuckled. "Before we head out to meet Lord 

Ratan Pal, take these." He handed me five silver coins 

and two gold coins. "This is the currency of the Empire. 

One gold coin is equal to twenty-five silver ones, and 

one silver coin equals a hundred broach coins. One 

broach coin can buy you a hundred grams of wheat."

I nodded, slipping the coins into my pocket. "Thanks, 

Akshat. But there's something I wanted to ask you."

"If it's about the money, that's all I can offer," Akshat 

said, his tone almost dismissive.

"No, no, it's not that," I quickly assured him. "I'm 

grateful for the money. I was just wondering... do you 

know of any metal that sparks or burns when exposed to 

fire?"

Akshat's expression darkened with frustration. "Are 

you mad? How can a metal burn? Don't waste my time 

with such foolish questions. I have work to finish. Wait 

here until I'm done."

I nodded, slightly embarrassed, and waited as Akshat 

busied himself with his tasks. Hours later, he returned, 

looking more composed. "Get ready," he said. "I've 

convinced Lord Ratan Pal to grant you an audience."

We made our way to the lord's residence, a grand yet 

austere place. As we approached, I couldn't help but 

comment, "Hey, Akshat, this residence of your lord's 

looks quite... impressive. Is he very wealthy?"

Akshat glanced at me, a hint of pride in his voice. "Not 

only is he rich, but he's also the fourth most influential 

person in this dynasty."

We entered the hall, where Lord Ratan Pal sat on a 

throne-like chair, guards stationed around him. As I 

stood before him, I couldn't help but take in his 

appearance. He was shorter than I expected, maybe 

around 5'6" or even 5'2", with brownish-dark skin. His 

long, oily hair was pulled back, and he wore a dhoti 

with a long skirt wrapped around his upper body. A 

thick, long moustache curled above his lips, giving him 

an air of authority.

Ratan Pal stared at me intently, his eyes narrowing as if 

trying to decipher my very soul. "Tushar, where are you 

from?" he asked, his tone laced with suspicion.

I swallowed hard, the weight of the situation pressing 

down on me. "I'm sorry, my lord, but I truly don't 

remember. I've lost my memory," I lied, desperately 

trying to hold my composure. "The only thing I recall is 

being saved by Akshat's son while I was drowning in 

the Yamuna."

Ratan Pal's expression hardened. He suddenly ordered 

his guards, "Seize him!" The guards quickly moved, 

placing their swords at my throat. The cold steel pressed 

against my skin, and I felt a wave of terror wash over 

me.

Seeing the sharp blades so close, I began to breathe

heavily, panic rising within me. "Please, my lord!" I 

cried out, my voice trembling. "I'll tell you the truth! 

Please, don't kill me! I beg you!"

Ratan Pal raised a hand, signalling the guards to pause. 

"Hold on. Let him speak," he commanded.

Gasping for breath, I blurted out, "I come from a 

thousand years in the future! I come from a time where

buildings stood hundreds of meters tall, where there

were cars, planes, and missiles!"

Ratan Pal burst into laughter, the sound echoing 

through the room. "Buildings hundreds of meters tall? 

From the future? You sound like some storyteller from 

the far west. And your skin... it resembles that of Greek 

merchants."

"My lord, please don't kill me," I pleaded, still 

breathing heavily.

Ratan Pal considered me for a moment, then said, 

"Perhaps I won't, but only on one condition: you will 

work for me as my entertainer."

Relief flooded through me as I hastily agreed. "Yes, my 

lord, I will! I will!"

Ratan Pal nodded to the guards. "Release him," he 

ordered. As the swords were withdrawn, he added, 

"Remember, Tushar, you now belong to me. If you dare 

to escape, I will have you killed."

"I understand, my lord," I replied, my voice barely 

above a whisper.

That night, I lay awake in the darkness, the memory of 

the cold steel at my neck haunting me. Tears streamed 

down my face as I sobbed quietly, the fear still 

lingering. It was the first time in my life that I had been 

threatened like this. I vowed to myself that nothing like 

this would ever happen again. Exhausted and shaken, I 

eventually drifted into a troubled sleep.

Days passed, and I found myself performing in Ratan 

Pal's court. The sound of a veena playing softly in the 

background as I told my stories. One day, I recounted a 

tale of a massive metal dragon that flew directly into 

one of two large buildings, causing a huge explosion—

kaboom!—and just when everyone thought it was over, 

another metal dragon struck the second building—

kaboom!—setting off a chain of events that would lead 

to a great conflict. I didn't finish the story, though, 

leaving the court eagerly awaiting more.

Applause filled the room, and I noticed Ratan Pal 

approaching me. He embraced me, laughing heartily. 

"Tushar, you are a treasure! Such a skilled storyteller 

and entertainer! Thanks to you, my guests are always 

delighted, and they shower me with favours without me 

even having to ask," he said, smiling broadly.

I bowed deeply. "Thank you, my lord. I am honoured to 

serve you."

Ratan Pal's smile faded slightly as he asked, "Tell me, 

Tushar, is this metal dragon of yours real?"

I hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "Why do you keep 

asking me, my lord? Yes, it's real, just like the other 

things I've told you about."

Ratan Pal smirked a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "Why 

don't you make one for me, then?"

I sighed, knowing where this was headed. "It's 

impossible to make such a thing with the materials we 

have in this empire—or even in this world."

Ratan Pal laughed, shaking his head. "Then why don't 

you make something else? Something that can be 

made."

I thought for a moment before replying, "I could, but I 

would need at least a hundred gold coins to fund it."

"Fine," Ratan Pal agreed, still chuckling. "I'll give you 

a hundred gold coins. Let's see what you can do." With 

that, he walked away, laughter still echoing through the 

halls