Chapter 55: Lanka Part:1
Far away in Lanka...
Balaji, the assistant, followed his master Roshan to work for the Vijayanagar Empire. He still remembers the day when he got the opportunity to lead a branch of the secret service separate from the main branch. While all his other colleagues were reluctant, he saw a great opportunity for the future, agreed to the task immediately, And they came to Lanka, the legendary island in the tales of Ramayana.
He first set up his office in a city called Kandy. Apparently, Lanka was ruled by multiple kingdoms. He was in a kingdom called the Kingdom of Kandy, and the city he was in served as the capital of the secret service and the base of his operations. He chose this kingdom because it was the largest in size and stronger than the neighbouring kingdoms. He and His subordinates began by scouting the conditions in the city. When he and his subordinates posed as merchants and went around the city to investigate, They felt like they had entered a brand new world altogether as they walked the streets of the city for the first time.
The architecture of the kingdom was peculiar, featuring a mix of elements, possibly from the Chola Dynasty and Western architecture. Balaji noticed that there were more blonde-haired and blue-eyed people walking the streets than usual. He had never seen so many foreigners in one place, and this made him suspect that something was not right.
His subordinates, like him, also moved around with unusual expressions on their faces. Seeing his subordinates with different expressions, Balaji quickly regained his stoic expression as he warned them to cover up their expressions before they got caught.
Balaji observed a lot of white people being served and catered to by some locals, flattering them every step of the way, almost treating them like kings. If he didn't know any better, he would think they were the nobles of this land.
"Ah, Boss," just as he was taking in all the scenes of the city, he was called by one of his subordinates in a startled tone.
"What?" he asked in a low voice, only to see his subordinate gobsmacked and unable to speak another word.
"What are you doing? Do you want to get us ki—"
Just as he was about to reprimand his subordinate, he followed the direction the subordinate was pointing. His voice trailed off as he witnessed a scene he had never seen in his lifetime. He had seen white men around the harbour, even in the Vijayanagar Empire, many times. But this was the first time he saw a person who looked completely black. It's not like he hadn't seen black people before; most of the millions with pure blood, Tamilians, and Malayalis included, had a darker tone. However, there was something different about this man—his hair, his face, his body—everything was different from what he knew.
Although he looked starved, the lean muscles couldn't be hidden from his sharp gaze, even with the bones sticking out in various places. He was also taller than anyone he had ever seen.
The malnourished black man, who appeared as though he hadn't eaten for days, was pulling a rickshaw with a plump white woman wearing luxurious clothes and wealthy attire seated in it. Balaji quickly regained his composure and warned his subordinates to maintain normal expressions.
After thoroughly inspecting the city and getting a grasp of the environment, he quickly returned to the base to begin recruiting members for the Secret Service.
Galle Harbour, Lanka
Selvan worked as a dockworker at Galle Harbour. He used to own a farm inland on the island, with considerable harvests. Unfortunately, his daughter fell ill with a strange disease. The high taxes imposed by the kingdom in recent years left him with little money for his daughter's medical expenses after paying the taxes. With no other option, he chose to sell his ancestral land at a low price to finally cure his daughter. He managed to treat his daughter with the money he received, but perhaps he had a lot of karma. His world collapsed when he learned that her illness was not cured, only alleviated, and it would return in a few years.
Devastated by the news, he realized his daughter wasn't fully cured. She was the only family he had left, as his wife had died a few years after their daughter was born due to a snake bite.
He had done everything he could for her, but fate seemed to test him relentlessly. Accepting his fate, he moved to Galle Harbour without giving up hope. The harbour was recruiting able-bodied men for labour, and despite knowing the high mortality rate, he joined the workforce, driven by thoughts of his daughter's well-being. Fortunately, God was on his side this time, as he didn't encounter any life-threatening accidents.
"Cluck."
Drenched in sweat, he wiped it off with a towel tied to his waist after unloading the last box of goods. He looked like he had just taken a hot shower recently. Work had been especially tough in recent months due to the influx of supplies from the white man's land. While unloading the goods, he accidentally noticed a lot of shiny metal weapons among the cargo. Shocked at first, he quickly composed himself and continued working as if nothing had happened, knowing that possessing knowledge he shouldn't, would be dangerous.
Today was the day he would receive his monthly payment. The usual monthly salary was 40 ridhi. Usually, 10 ridhi was enough for the food for both him and his daughter's life. But in recent days, taxes have increased exponentially. Now, out of the leftover pay, he paid almost 10 ridhi in taxes. When he moved to Galle Harbour, he couldn't afford to build a house, so he rented from a landlord, which cost him 2 ridhi per month. Fortunately, due to his frugality and savings, he had been able to save at least 10 to 13 ridhi per month over the past few years. The Western doctors were very costly in the kingdom. He initially wanted to get prescribed by an Ayurvedic doctor, but unfortunately, all the shops were closed down after the white man came.
He had collected up to 270 Ridhi, and after today's payment, he would be able to cure his daughter's illness permanently.
"It's all worth it," he said as he looked at his bruised and calloused hands and cracked feet, all the while thinking about his bedridden daughter.
The bell rang, and he stood in line like everyone else to collect his salary. As all the workers were waiting for their pay, the fat supervisor stepped up in front of everyone and stated, "Unfortunately, due to losses incurred in the transportation of goods at sea, with some ships sinking halfway through transit, the business has been bleak. Hence, starting this month, your salary will be reduced to 30 Ridhi." he said in a flat tone as if what he was saying was not outrageous at all.
To be continued...
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