Chanakya still remembered that freezing wintry night when he
had foreseen this moment. He was sitting under a tree, while young Chandragupta
was sleeping, laying his head on his mentor’s lap. The wintry night became
crueller as the cold breezes of North became frequent. The night was so quiet
that Chanakya could even hear the flowing water of Ganga. And he could see the
hazy silhouette of Patliputra across the river. Capital of Magadh. Young
Chandragupta shivered in his lap, battling against the cold. Chanakya knew how
much that young boy had worked today. He deserved a good sleep at least. For
what he was going to achieve one day, he would give sleepless nights to his
enemies. But at this moment, he needed a quiet and restful sleep. Without
thinking for a moment, he took off his own shawl and lay it on Chandragupta to
keep him warm enough. Shivabhatta, who was sleeping a little far from them, was
watching all these. He had always wondered why his lord, Chanakya, was so
careful for this young boy. What does he see in him that made him so close to
that boy? Why does he care for him as if he is his own child? He wondered.
Chanakya caressed his fingers through the young boy’s hair
and gently raised the latter’s head and himself moved away, letting the boy
rest alone. Chanakya quietly stood up to his feet and walked toward the bank of
Ganga. Shivabhatta also followed him quietly. Chanakya stood near the bank,
gazing across the river and took deep breaths.
“Come here, Shivabhatta!” Chanakya said. “I know you’re
awake.”
Shivabhatta joined Chanakya in no time. Even though he didn’t
utter a single word, Chanakya could sense the questions emerging in his mind.
“What is bugging you?” Chanakya himself asked.
“The boy, my lord,” Shivabhatta said. “What is in him that
made you so sure that he is the one? Why do you care for him as if he is your
own child?”
Chanakya smiled softly and glanced at Shivabhatta. “The boy
you’re talking about, Shivabhatta, is no ordinary boy. I’ve seen many princes
during my life at Takshshila. Some of them were able to become the great
monarchs. I could see that in their eyes. But this boy… he has a different
spark in his eyes. Something that I have never seen in any prince before. Mark
my words, Shivabhatta! One day this boy is going to become the greatest emperor
the history has ever seen. And there will never be as great monarch as him till
the eternity. His roar will echo through the eternity. His glory would spread
infinitely. And why am I so sure about it? Because I’ve seen that spark in only
one man’s eyes other than this boy. Alexander. And if we’re to protect our
motherland, our faith, our culture from foreign invaders, we need a monarch who
could make them kneel. And Chandragupta is destined to be the greatest ruler of
all time. The establisher of one of the greatest empires on earth. Yes, I see
him as my own child. Because he needs someone to lean upon. And if I’m the only
one to become his backbone, I’ll give my every breath to this boy.”
