The Two Kings.

Maharaj Vikram Singh knew his days were numbered. He faced a dilemma in the twilight of his life. He had two sons, the elder son was Prithvi Singh and the younger one Harshvardhan Singh. The two brothers had very different nature and temperaments. Prithvi was more ambitious and wanted to expand his empire way beyond the existing boundaries. Harshvardhan was more concerned about the welfare of his people. While Prithvi believed more should be spent on arms and war, Harshvardhan believed more should be spent on welfare of the people.

Maharaj Vikram Singh had two conflicting thoughts. Either make Prithvi the king after him and let Harshvardhan be his deputy or split the empire into two are make the two sons kings of their respective empires. Maharaj called his wise advisor, Mahendra, to advise him on the subject. After several hours of discussion they came to the conclusion to split the empire. Accordingly, the next few days were spent in finalising the boundary that would split the empire and the other necessary formalities. Being elder, Prithvi was given first choice to choose which of the two sections he wanted. Being ambitious, he chose the one where he could expand his empire in all directions. Harshvardhan got the empire which had a mountain range on one side and his brother's empire to the other but that did not matter to him, his priorities were different.

A few days after the partition, Maharaj passed away. The coronation of Prithvi and Harshvardhan took place on the same day in their respective empires. Amongst the main men, Prithvi demanded that their army's supreme general, Amar Rathore, stay with him while his brother Harshvardhan was more than happy to have his father's wise advisor, Mahendra, with him. A few days into being king Prithvi summoned his general, Amar Rathore, to an emergency meeting. "Amar, I hope you are ready with the action plan and strategy. It's high time we began expanding our boundaries. Too long have we stayed within these old ones", said Prithvi. "Maharaj, to the west is the kingdom of Maharaj Harshvardhan, so that is out of question. Of the other three, the kingdom of Maharaj Bhagwant to the north should be easiest to annex", replied Amar. "Good work. Assemble your army and send word to Maharaj Bhagwant, in ten days we go to war", said Prithvi. "Maharaj, my apologies, I speak out of place but this was never our revered Maharaj Vikram's way of ruling. He would...", before he could complete Prithvi interrupted in anger, "You do speak out of place, you are now the general of Maharaj Prithvi's empire, not Maharaj Vikram". "Sorry your highness. I will do as you say", said Amar and left.

At the same time that Prithvi was planning his attack, Harshvardhan was also having his own meetings with his advisor, Mahendra. "Mahendra Ji, I would like to know my empire, it's people and the hardships they face. I want to know what they expect from their King. I wish to make this empire a place where people are happy and prosperous. There should law, order cleanliness and equal rights for all men and women. This should be a truly progressive empire", said Maharaj Harshvardhan. "That is a noble thought indeed", said Mahendra with a smile and continued, "in you, Maharaj, is see your father. You speak just like him, your vision is just like his. He must be proud looking at you from the heaven above. Now for your vision, I say we must tour our empire. Meet the people, understand their grievances and look for solutions for improvement. I can appoint a committee of distinguished men, who will tour the empire, Maharaj". "Yes Mahendra Ji, you are right. But I will be a part of the party that goes on tour. I want to personally meet my people", said Harshvardhan. "A noble thought Maharaj. I will do the needful", said Mahendra and left.

So began the journey of Prithvi and Harshvardhan and their two empires. Prithvi went all out in expanding his empire and Harshvardhan went all in, all into his empire to understand it's people. Prithvi was a great warrior and accompanied by an even greater warrior in Amar Rathore, his general. Together they won battle after battle and his kingdom spread far in the north, the east and the south. He quickly got notorious and other kings feared his might. He commanded respect that was born out of fear. To the outside world Prithvi's empire seemed successful, but it's people were unhappy, there was unrest within. Harshvardhan on the other hand toured his own empire. He ordered the construction of proper houses for the poor, the construction of bridges, making irrigation canals, construction of reservoirs and many such facilities that improved the life of his people. He toured the mountains to meet the tribes that resided there, who had often been ignored . He ordered the construction of roads from the mountains to facilitate the mountain folk to travel to the towns and cities for business and work.

"Maharaj, your vision is truly great. But it requires great resources as well. Where will we get the money from? Should we tax the people?" asked Mahendra to Harshvardhan on a beautiful morning. "No Mahendra Ji, the people are just beginning to prosper. They are seeing good and happy days. I want to see my people smile, always. Please use the king's treasury. My money, is my people's money", replied Harshvardhan. "You truly are the greatest, Maharaj", said Mahendra with a smile. Word spread quickly across the empire and beyond, about the kind and merciful nature of Maharaj Harshvardhan. It sometimes bothered his bother Prithvi, when he heard praises for his brother. Prithvi was envious and his bloated ego would make him feel hurt. "Whatever he is, he is in his little kingdom. I am the Maharaj of a truly great and mighty empire", Prithvi said to himself, satisfying his ego, while looking in the mirror as he prepared for another battle.

While Prithvi continued to wage war all around, Harshvardhan took his next step. "Mahendra Ji, we can not prosper on our own. We need friends and allies. Our neighbours hold the key. They are good people, they have resources we can use, they have people who can come work for us and we have resources to give to them. Why don't we extend an arm of friendship towards them and open our borders up for trade and culture", said Harshvardhan. "Yes Maharaj, that would benefit us all. I will prepare a list and schedule to meet with the kings of neighboring kingdoms. May I suggest Maharaj that we invite them to our palace as well. As a good will gesture", said Mahendra. "Yes, do it soon. Let us build friendships across borders", said Harshvardhan. The next few months he visited various kingdoms and hosted many kings as well. He drafted and signed various trade agreements that were fair to all parties. Word spread of a truly legendary king who had won hearts of kings and ordinary people alike. His idea of progressing together as brothers had won over people everywhere. Words of his generosity and care were spreading like wild fire. "They call him Maharaj Harshvardhan, the Maharaj of harsh (King of happiness)", said a soldiers in the army of Prithvi with a smile on his face. Prithvi heard this as he was passing by and that did not go down well with him.

Prithvi summoned Amar Rathore to an emergency meeting. "What is this about Harshvardhan, everyone everywhere is praising him and not a word about me? I am king of the greatest empire, not him! Then why do they praise him?" asked Prithvi with a frown. "Maharaj Harshvardhan is a truly great king. He is loving and generous. He cares... And..". "Stop!!" Amar was interrupted by a loud scream by Prithvi who stood up from his throne. "My own men praise him, not me. My own men love him, not me. What black magic has he done. I will not let him succeed. I will destroy him and his empire. Amar, send a messenger right away. Tell him, in seven days, prepare for war and bring me that soldier who was praising Harshvardhan, I will have him executed, to teach them a lesson", said Prithvi in a fit of rage. "Don't be so hasty Maharaj. He is your little brother after all. Please reconsider your order", said Amar. "You are right Amar. He is my brother. In that case, I will not send a messenger there. Infact, you my general and twenty of your best warriors, will personally deliver the message to him. Ha ha ha, tell him in seven days either we meet in battle in which case his entire kingdom will be destroyed or in seven days he can take his family and leave the empire forever, in which case I shall spare the people of his kingdom. Am I not merciful Amar?" asked Prithvi with a wicked smile.

Having no other option, early next morning Amar and his twenty men left to meet Maharaj Harshvardhan. They passed through the empire and couldn't help but notice how happy the people in the empire were. Their kings good nature and generosity had rubbed onto them. They offered Amar and his company food and water as they crossed paths. The empire was ripe with positivity and prosperity, quite opposite to Prithvi's empire. General Amar and company reached Maharaj Harshvardhan's palace at noon. Palace guards quickly took their horses to the stable and some guards escorted them to meet the Maharaj. "Welcome Amar Ji", said Harshvardhan as he greeted the general with a warm embrace. "It's so good to see you, my guru who taught me to wield the sword", said Harshvardhan. "And I'm glad to see you and proud of what you have become", replied Amar. "Thank you. Come wash your hands, lunch is ready", said Harshvardhan to the company. While they washed Amar met Mahendra, old friends who had been split with the empire. "Mahendra I feel embarrassed to eat. I bring bad news for Maharaj. How can I eat here? Harshvardhan will be mad at me when he knows why I am here", said Amar. Mahendra just smiled. "My friend, Maharaj Harshvardhan knows why you are here", said Mahendra. All the men stopped what they were doing and looked at Mahendra with gaping mouth and blank looking eyes. "Yet he welcomes us Mahendra?" asked Amar. "Athiti devo bhava (the guest is God) is what he believes, plus he does consider you his guru", replied Mahendra. The hearts of these toughest of men had begun to melt. They all proceeded to the dining area. They were all served cool water and hot food. Maharaj Harshvardhan personally came up to Amar and offered him some chapatis. "How can you have such a big heart Maharaj?" asked Amar with teary eyes. "Sshhh, Amar Ji. We will talk later, finish your meal first", said Harshvardhan with a smile. All the other men observed this and were deeply touched by Harshvardhan's kindness.

After they finished their meal, Amar walked to Maharaj Harshvardhan again to start a conversation. "Amar Ji", said Harshvardhan, "you must be tired. Rest for sometime we will talk in the evening. We have beds ready for you and your men. The attendants will show you to your rooms". "But Maharaj...", said Amar, but was stopped by Harshvardhan. "Later Amar Ji, rest now", he instructed. The attendants showed them their rooms where they rested for a while, unable to sleep, thinking about how to convey the unpleasant news. In the evening Amar walked upto Harshvardhan sternly. "Maharaj you must listen to me", he said in a firm tone. "I know Amar Ji what you wish to convey. Tell my brother, what is the need for war? Why shed the blood of the innocent? Why plunge our kingdoms into poverty and destruction? Let peace prevail, let love prevail", said Harshvardhan. "Maharaj, your brother anticipated this from you. So he has given you another option. Take your family and go into exile. Live in the mountains and never return", said Amar with his head bowed down in shame. "What rubbish are you speaking Amar", shouted Mahendra in anger. "I'm sorry Maharaj, I'm sorry Mahendra Ji, but I am only a messenger at the moment", said Amar. Sadness and embarrassment showed on the faces of Amar and his men. "You need not worry. You have delivered the message you came to deliver. Now I insist you sleep here at night and return tomorrow morning", said Harshvardhan. Not being able to say no, Amar and his men accepted his offer, though none were able to sleep that night.

At night there was a meeting of Maharaj Harshvardhan, Mahendra Ji and their top army officials. "I can not risk destruction to my kingdom, the lives of my people and their property. After much thought, I have made my decision. My wife, my children and me will go into exile. We will leave in two days, send word to my brother through Amar ji when he leaves tomorrow morning", said Harshvardhan. "No my lord we will not allow that. You have done so much for us, we live because of you and we are ready to die fighting for you", said his army general. "Yes Maharaj, we can not allow you to go. We will fight a strategic war. We have seven days, we will prepare ourselves", said Mahendra Ji. After much persuasion, Harshvardhan agreed on one condition that the gates of the city be guarded by his best men, for protection of his people, should they be run over. Amar was listening to the conversation from outside. He went back to his room with tears in his eyes, knowing what a great man they were to attack in a week's time.

The next morning their response was conveyed to Amar and they were respectfully sent off with gifts for Maharaj Prithvi and his family. Amar and his men reached their homeland by evening. They were immediately summoned by Prithvi. Amar walked into the palace with his men holding the gifts. "These are some gifts Maharaj Harshvardhan sends for you and your family", he paused for a few seconds and continued, "they have chosen to fight. They will meet us in battle in seven days", said Amar. Prithvi got up from his throne and walked down to see the gifts. In a fit of rage he threw down all the gifts. "So my brother has chosen death. Prepare our army, they will not know what struck them. Before they know it, they will all be dead", said Prithvi and walked away. Having to obey his king, Amar prepared for battle. Many, including his wife, tried to convince Prithvi not to go to war against his brother, but he would not budge. His ego had inflated beyond limits, his brother accepting to fight had made a dent on his ego. Maharaj Harshvardhan also prepared for the battle, knowing his army was almost one tenth the size of his brother's. Harshvardhan's men were not scared, they were prepared for any eventuality.

The day of battle had arrived. On the battleground, south of Harshvardhan's kingdom, beside the mountains, the two armies stood face to face. Two brothers facing each other, one expecting a miracle and the other expecting a massacre. Just when they were about to fight, a huge crowd came running, from Maharaj Harshvardhan's empire towards the battleground. Harshvardhan was surprised to see the peasants, artisans, blacksmiths, wood cutters and the women folk had all come. They were all holding whatever they thought could be used as weapons, from shovels to axes to kitchen knives. "What is this? What are you people doing?" asked Maharaj Harshvardhan angrily. "We come to fight for you my king", said one of the men in the crowd. "This is no place for you. I cannot risk your lives, please return to the safety of the city", pleaded Maharaj Harshvardhan. "No my king, we are what we are today because of you. You gave us a life of happiness and prosperity. We cannot let you die for us now. They will have to ride over our dead bodies to get to you", said a woman angrily wielding her knife. Maharaj was deeply touched and allowed them to fight knowing they would not take no for an answer.

Maharaj Prithvi was stunned at the love Harshvardhan's people had for him. Yet he did not budge. "Ha ha ha", he laughed, "this makes it easier now. We finish them all here. Draw your swords and sound the charge", he yelled out to his men. Before they could sound the charge, they heard another war horn. The sound came from the mountains. They all looked and saw a legion of horsemen, bearing flags of various empires riding towards the battleground. The armies of kingdoms beyond the mountains arrived to join the battle, using the very path that Maharaj Harshvardhan had paved for trade. Kings and generals of four kingdoms, all of who were friends of Maharaj Harshvardhan came to fight on his side. 'How is this possible?" asked a surprised Maharaj Harshvardhan. "You have been a friend and an ally, we come to honor that allegiance", said one of the kings. Maharaj Harshvardhan turned around and looked at Mahendra Ji. "You have done this Mahendra Ji?" asked Harshvardhan. "I merely spread the word about the battle Maharaj. It is your love that has brought them here", replied Mahendra. Soon they were joined by more armies from other regions, even the tribesmen from the mountains joined. An army that was one tenth the army of Prithvi's, had swelled to nearly three times the size of Maharaj Prithvi's army. Maharaj Prithvi was shell shocked, neither had  he ever seen anything like this nor had he anticipated something like this in his wildest imagination. Amar Rathore had a smile on his face, for now he knew that even if they fight, it would be a fair battle.

Maharaj Harshvardhan was a peace loving king. Even though he was more powerful now, he decided to go talk to his brother. So Maharaj, accompanied by ten other kings and generals, including Mahendra rode upto Maharaj Prithvi's army. Their swords were sheathed, they waved a peace flag as they rode. "My brother", said Maharaj Harshvardhan, "why do we need to fight? Why the bloodshed? Why kill innocent people? Let us spread peace instead of war. Let our people prosper, let there be happiness, let there be love. See what power love has. We are now more numerous and more powerful than you but still I come to make peace. Let go of your ego, let us embrace each other and end this madness here. Come my brother, even father would not have wanted this", said Maharaj Harshvardhan with open arms. "You... You... You think you are too smart. But you cannot fool me with this talk of love. I will not fall for it, I will have your head severed right here right now. Amar, men draw your swords. Kill them all now", commanded Maharaj Prithvi. "No", yelled Amar, "no one will draw their sword. Keep your swords sheathed". Amar went up to his king. "Maharaj you have been blinded by your ego, you cannot see an avatar of God in front of you. We will not kill or fight against this great king", Amar said to Prithvi. Maharaj Prithvi was stunned into silence, he had a blank look on his face. His own men had fallen for the love of his brother. Amar went upto Maharaj Harshvardhan, folded his hands and bowed to him in respect, his hands trembled as thoughts of Maharaj Harshvardhan's hospitality flashed through his mind. Prithvi's entire army bowed to Maharaj Harshvardhan. Maharaj Prithvi could not stand this sight and in embarrassment rode away from the battleground. Amar ordered his army to retreat. The sight of Maharaj Prithvi's army turning back sparked a celebration in Maharaj Harshvardhan's camp. Drums and trumpets were played, men and women all danced in joy. "Maharaj Harsh ki vijay ho (may our king be victorious) , Maharaj Harsh amar rahe (long live our king)", they chanted. Their beloved king had once again safeguarded them, their families and their belongings. Maharaj Harshvardhan and his company turned back to return to their men. The other kings, generals and Mahendra rode back and formed a guard of honour for Maharaj Harshvardhan. Maharaj's horse walked through the guard of honour as the people showered him with flowers and petals, for here was a great king, who had won the biggest and greatest war in history, without shedding a single drop of blood. That day, love won and hate lost.