A PIRATE'S STORY

[This story is set in a time more than 7 centuries ago.] Doko stood at the helm of his wide bottomed sailboat looking at the shore in the distance. It was his final voyage, goodbye to piracy!  His aide adjusted the sails getting the boat to go ashore. Doko now turned around and looked fondly at the sea which had been the source of his wealth over the years. He was tired of piracy and was bound for his outlaw village on an island - which was almost his own - where he hoped to live the rest of his life in peace. Looking at him one wouldn’t say he looked a pirate extorting pilgrims and others going on sea. He looked a man who was peaceful without even a moustache. He was tall and when he smiled one could see a damaged tooth. The boat anchored at its usual dock, and Doko started walking home.  As he neared his home he saw work on the reconstruction of the old temple to Lord Vishnu in progress. It was expected it would be complete shortly. Doko reached home and had his lunch which was prepared by his teen-aged daughter Kany.

Doko had been a pirate many years. He had once pursued a vessel in the high seas and had raided it. In it was someone carrying a valuable Vishnu’s wheel* and he had seized it. He knew it was ancient and was probably stolen for the gold and the diamonds. He had preserved it as a treasure and released it for installation in the temple he was renovating. He would often say to himself as he looked at the wheel “This was one of my early seizures and brought me luck. So I must expand the temple to Lord Vishnu on my island and install this wheel there.”

Inside the temple, construction was progressing fast. At the end of the day, the architect stood supervising the work of the labour being used. He stood in front of the idol and said to the workman “The axle for Vishnu’s wheel needs to be strengthened. It’s getting late and we cannot fix the wheel this day. Let it remain in the box. We can fix it tomorrow.” All those working there had gone home when the door to the temple was locked by the chief priest who lived next door. Early next morning, the chief priest got up and opened the door of the temple to allow workers access to their work spots. As he walked in he was surprised to see that the box which contained Vishnu’s wheel was open. The box was empty!

The priest alerted the guards who investigated. The back door to the temple had been wrenched open by the thief or thieves who had entered and had got away with the wheel. A couple of days later an inquiry was conducted by a group of people of the neighbourhood and there one of the members said “This is definitely the work of Sokan. We hear he is missing since yesterday.”

Doko was silent but when asked to speak, he said he had employed Sokan but said “I don’t suspect him. I’ve even given away my boat to him as we parted since he had regularly and sincerely sailed with me. I know no more.”

The architect said “The wheel is most important to complete the idol. Without it the renovated temple will be incomplete and the consecration can’t be performed. The wheel was made out of a gold alloy and had 3 large diamonds set in it which would be visible to worshippers. Sokan knew the wheel was a treasure.”

One citizen said “Sokan has probably taken the wheel to Kampuchea from where he hails. Such items are in demand there as Hindu temples are coming up there under king Jayavardhan.”

The chief priest said “That is plausible. Sokan had no roots here. No family. He lived alone in a cottage near the sea. Let us leave the temple unfinished until the stolen items are found or could be replaced. Worshippers can pray to the old idol till then.”

This was agreed to. However popular belief was that Sokan had buried the wheel to be possibly retrieved at some later date. Perhaps he would come back for it.

The temple stood that way for over 3 years when Doko’s daughter Kany announced she would marry the man who would find the wheel. She announced “The chief priest believes the wheel hasn’t left our shores and is probably buried somewhere here. Could be inside a well or in some irrigation channel. The chief priest can be believed.”

Kany was Doko’s only issue and stood to inherit much money. Also she was very beautiful and there were many aspirants to wed her. A couple of months passed without any progress in the matter. Then came a man named Toth who said he had discovered the wheel in his cowshed. It was said that Sokan would sometimes visit Toth’s house to buy milk. When Toth produced the wheel before Kany she said “It’s the wheel alright. But the diamonds are missing. Unless the whole wheel is found I cannot wed the person.”

Toth asked “Suppose some other man finds the diamonds?”

“I must marry him also.”

“Suppose the diamonds are found by a female?”

Kany couldn’t answer and a judge to whom the matter was reported opined “That woman’s husband could marry Kany too.”

Toth was puzzled. He wondered if the diamonds would at all be found. May be Kany was going to die an old maid!

Three more months passed. Then when a part of the roof of a house collapsed, a small package was found among the rafters. It contained the 3 missing diamonds. A man named Villi – a good friend of Doko’s - was the owner of the damaged house. He had rented it out to a young man named Tirat. Besides Villi, Tirat made a claim for Kany’s hand. However Villi claimed that Tirat hadn’t paid rent since the past 3 months and so was disqualified. They approached the judge who ruled that since Villi had allowed Tirat to stay on despite non-payment of rent, Tirat could also be counted as a claimant for Kany’s hand. So Kany had 3 suitors, Toth, Villi and Tirat.

Now came one more problem, Villi had mortgaged his house to Ramba a widow. Ramba now entered the fray. The matter was taken before the judge. The judge studied the case and said “Since Ramba is a widow she cannot contend.”

She asked “Can I not get at least a share in Kany’s property?”

“If you had a husband he could’ve taken Kany as another wife. So you’re out.” The disappointed Ramba pulled out.

Kany said “That means I must have three husbands. That would be impossible.” She thought a little and said “Alright. I’ll accept the three who should each live two months with me. I’ll belong to him who gets me pregnant in that time.”

Now came another problem: Who would be the first to be with her? The judge said “I can’t adjudicate on that. Kany, it’ll now be your decision.”

Now Villi opted out: He had no children despite having two wives and having been married approximately  8 years. That left Toth and Tirat in the field. Now came another problem: Of the two who would be the first with her?

Doko now came into the picture. He said “Since the dispute has started with the restoration of the temple of Vishnu, we should ask Him to choose who should be the first to be with Kany. The names should be put on parchment and cast at the feet of the old Vishnu idol. We can get Ramya to draw the winner. Ramya chose Tirat and he moved in with her. At the end of 2 months. Tirat had failed! Next the judge allocated Toth to be with Kany the next two months. That time passed and Kany showed no indications of progeny. The judge met Kany and asked “What do we do now?”

She said “Leave it to me to decide.”

She was given 2 months to decide and at the end of that time she said to the judge “I’ll accept bothhE as. I found them equally satisfactory judged by their urgency, frequency and persistence in sharing my pillow.”

The judge said “That is going against Lord Vishnu’s decision.”

Kany said “Let them decide on their ardency. I’ll submit.”

At this, Toth kissed Kany on her cheeks ardently whereas Tirat bent and kissed her in a more charming place and really won her hand and the charming place. I won’t speculate!

Actually it can now be told: The retired pirate in his outlaw island had hidden the wheel parts where they were found. It was a prank. He knew he could get the hidden items back safely and reassemble them. His daughter knew about it. She had selected the right man as Tirat was single and handsome and could be Doko’s successor on the island.

END

NOTE: The Hindu god Vishnu has a wheel or discus with many teeth which could slay enemies when He launches it by spinning it. Every idol of Vishnu has in one of His arms the wheel which is His weapon.

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