Chapter 11: Farewell, my friend

Prashant had just come out of the guild offices. After deciding to reward himself, he walked through the main street to a sweet shop. Indians do love sweets after all. The abundance of sweetening ingredients like sugarcane, fruits, honey, and dairy products meant that even in feudal times, one could come across many of the iconic mithai (sweet snacks in modern times). Emperor Akbar had commissioned his imperial cooks to create a fusion of Indian ingredients and Persian aesthetics to invent sweets like Jalebi. 

"Ah, the people sometimes forget that this is India. A land where contradiction creates a mixed culture rather than fueling eternal hate. Mughals made the sweet dishes from Rajput culture into symbols of all-Indian signature dishes. The jalebi is even an almost mandatory snack on national days. Beneath all the bloodshed, Indian society always managed to make something constructive." Prashant mumbled while spotting a milk shop. 

Indians consider the cow a sacred animal, meaning there will be a lot of dairy products in the culture. Things like dahi (curd), lassi (buttermilk) or even direct milk were favourite drinks. The general hot climate meant that these provided much-needed coolness to hardworking peasants during the breaks. They roughly fill the same cultural space as mead, ale, and other alcoholic beverages do in colder countries.

The introduction of tea completed the ensemble perfectly. Even now in modern India, one can find people drinking tea (with milk) all the time, especially the government offices. As if the country does not work on laws, but a cup of tea at the correct moment, for that Nirvana-like feel.

Prashant ordered a lassi with added jaggery for an extra adventurous spirit. Jaggery is a sweet extract from sugarcane. Sugarcane was widely cultivated, so people from all walks of life had easy access to that sweetness in their daily lives. The clan name of lord Ram in mythology was derived from the very same sugarcane. The jaggery itself is brown-coloured, a far cry from the pristine crystal white sugar we're used to in the modern world. The colour doesn't exactly evoke sweetness in instinct.

One thing foreigners might not know, Indian food is actually colour-coded. Red indicates spicy, green is fresh, white is sweet/plain, and so on. Just based on those, while dining, you will be juggling the proportion of things on a platter to get the perfect taste that suits you. Curry too red? Add more rice or curd. That's a shortcut without taking a single bite.

Under the teasing gaze of everyone else, Prashant welcomed the drink. But a single whiff made him realise that sometimes being too out of the ordinary comes with a price. Unbothered by the judging eyes of the waiter, he had it packed for takeaway and ordered a warm basundi (extract of repeatedly boiled milk). After having his fill of warmth, he went to visit Navin. It's better to correct his mistake before the Mason Guild sends someone to conduct an on-site inspection.

"Hello, Navin Brother. Here, I bought you a new drink. I heard it's popular in the region. The store had only a last serving." Prashant dumped the rotten goods without a trace of shame.

"Many thanks, my prince. How were the negotiations with the Sutars?" Navin smiled gently with a characteristic Gujarati Seth (wealthy man). One would have to wonder if their speech is sweeter than the jaggery? 

"It went very well, thanks to your connections. But I'm in a predicament. I saw a goddess asking me about Kaman in Dongarwadi. I don't even know if that was a dream or my hallucination. I had thoughts of building one for the first village I saw in this region. But I'm not one of them, and I don't know if they would like an outsider to meddle in their affairs. Can you help me? I feel like the goddess in that village has some connection with me."

"Really? Well, I had a friend who once ignored a divine message for a seeming hallucination." Navin said in a full nostalgic mood.

"Really, you believed that? ... Cough... I mean, he never believed in a divine message?" Prashant can never control his inner sarcasm.

"He didn't. So he died in an unjust duel. But nobody thought it was wrong. That's how Dharma sometimes works. Just to explain that wrong karma can bite you back, the world will orchestrate a tragic fall at the most inopportune moment. In the worst possible way." Navin shook his head and had a pitying face, but continued, "Let's not talk about the sad things. How do you wish to solve the predicament? If you want, I can make the trip. I, too, have a friend from the same village."

"That would be awesome, Brother. You really have lots of connections. By the way, how was the lassi? If you don't like it, next time I'll let the shopkeeper know." Prashant felt a pang of guilt and did the right thing. Console and deflect blame on someone else.

"Well, it was quite good. I've loved the lassi from childhood. You won't believe it, but I was infamous as a butter thief there in years past. Even now, there would be few who still remember all my misadventures." Navin smiled like a child, his face showed genuine happiness.

"Maybe the waiter made a mix-up," Prashant muttered and left. Noticing Navin had plenty of jaggery on a plate on the counter. "Indians do love sweet little too much. Anyhow, I have finished the tasks for the day. And I feel the basundi was a little too much. Everyone was correct, too much of it makes you feel bloated. Perfect signal for a nap. Better call it a day.

Hmm, wait a minute, I forgot to ask Navin the name of his hometown. If it's a famous trading city, then I could start a business between the two regions. By focusing on boosting mutual trade, I'll quietly become the one who protects it. Without declaring my bid to the game of power." 

Just as Prashant left, a few Rajputs came to Navin and bowed. "Prince, Dwarka (an ancient city in Gujarat) calls for your presence. The city can't be without a Yadav (clan name) for a long time. Please return." They were even more lavishly dressed than the guys spawned by Cheat. They stood in perfect formation, waiting for their master's decision.

Navin, visibly lost in thought, kept quiet for a long time. In the end, he shook his head and looked towards the road Prashant took. He took out a beautiful flute from nearby and started playing a mild melody. The land became quiet as if everyone was obeying the tunes. The devotees in the temple entered a trance-like state, almost as if they had touched the divine grace.

After what seemed like an eternity, Navin spoke to his men. "Let's go, we'll make a stop at a village nearby. A friend requested something from me. It feels like aeons have passed since the last one. I really want to be a free, easygoing, casual young boy. But the world never lets me." Navin took a last sip of lassi, smiled again like a child, and everybody left towards the town gate.