Raja Gandharvasena ruled over Malwa Union for many years more assisted by his able sons. Bhartrihari did not disappoint him as the crown prince. He turned out to be extremely loyal son, able administrator and a loving brother. He could trust Vikramaditya with his own life and the younger one could never ever betray the trust of Bhartrihari. The elder one created opportunities for Vikramaditya to help him exercise his skills in specialised fields. The selfess affection and faith between the brothers for each other delighted the aging Raja Gandharvasena. He was truly proud of them. The age was catching up on him.
Now Gandharvasena had become very old. He was getting the vibes that his end was near. The flesh was losing battle against time. The subjects were happy and the union of Malwa was prosperous. No enemy dared cast an evil eye on it. The loyalty of Bhartrihari and the valour of Vikramaditya guaranteed its security and well being.
The king was mentally happy due to his sons but his body was too old to hold on. It was groaning with old age niggles. Even moving around was a diffcult exercise. So, Raja Gandharvasena remained on the sick bed most of the time. An army of maids and the servants attended to him but only comfort came to him at seeing his sons fussing over him.
Gandharvasena moaned, “My dearest sons! My days are numbered. Any time my end would arrive. I can feel it. But I am proud that my life was not a wasted opportunity. I have great achievements to my credit.”
“Who can deny that, my father!” Bhartrihari held the right hand of his sire and put it against his forehead. “You have been an illustrious ruler and a benevolent king protective of the subjects the history has few examples of.”
Vikramaditya held the left hand of the sire and put it to his chest saying.” You have been a wonderful human being, an intrepid warrior and illustrious king. The death won’t take you away from us. You will get well soon.”
“The best achievement of my life has been in begetting worthy sons like you two brothers,” Raja Gandharvasena muttered. “The rest does not matter. I can’t even remember other things clearly. You two are the only two fruits and sum total of my life. Always stand by each other…always.”
“Don’t worry on that score father. Nothing can separate us. Nothing can sour our relationship,” Bhartrihari promised. “We just want you to get well as soon as possible.”
“Brother Bhartrihari is right, father. Do not think negatively. For a long time you will keep guiding us.”
Raja shook his head weakly. He could hear the death knocking at his door. His body was shaking and shuddering while he softly moaned. The two brothers looked at each other in concern.
The royal physician drew closer and he examined the body of the king and felt his pulse with a grim face. He shook his head hopelessly. Suddenly with a great heave Raja Gandharvasena breathed his last. His body became still. The physician announced that the king was dead.
The princes fell over the body of their father and wailed. The ministers gently pulled them away as the queens were running in to mourn the death of their husband. The palace was plunged in grief. The capital too was shocked when the news spread. Then entire state fell in mournful mood which continued for thirteen days. The king was cremated according to the royal traditions.
Even after the mourning period the princes could not come out of the dark mood. Young Vikramaditya was more grieving. His brother Bhartrihari tried his best to console his younger brother to get him back into the normal world. He did not want his brother in sullen mood as the courtiers were pressing that immediately after the end of the state mourning of a deceased king his successor needed to be coronated as per tradition. Vikramaditya too realised his duty and recovered himself from the mourning in reasonable time before coronation.
A grand royal ceremony was held with all regal pomp and show in which Bhartrihari was crowned as the new king of Malwa Union. The coronation was celebrated by entire populace as was the tradition. The women folk sang auspicious strains and the men folks danced to the tunes of drum beats to express their joy. The other kinds of festivities were also indulged in as the subjects got in expensive mood.
King Bhartrihari took charge of his state duties very enthusiastically. He showed initial zeal and good competence to the delight of the people. Everything fell in place and state functioned efficiently as before. The new king and the ministers discharged their duties with perfection. No one had anything to complain about. It delighted Vikramaditya to see his brother in total control and things working smoothly. He always underplayed his own constructive role in it.
The smooth functioning of the state made king Bhartrihari a bit cereless and lax. Pleased with himself he thought he had earned the right to pamper himself with some indulgences. The initial entertainment exercises soon degenerated into full time music, dance and carnal pleasure exercises. Raja Bhartrihari lost himself completely to such indulgences. It now worried Vikramaditya.
Vikramaditya was now taking care of the entire affairs of the state for his brother. He loved his brother too much to get upset over his acts of indulgence. For him it was alright if his brother found happiness in those exercise. He would not mind controlling the damage, if any. All the problem that arose Vikramaditya would solve abviating any need to be taken it to king Bhartrihari. Thus, the king was facing no challenge or problem. He was becoming more carefree and indulgent. He thought his very existence as the king was working as a magic that solved all problems. But his subconscious mind knew the name of the magic, it was ‘Vikramaditya’. On his own Raja Bhartrihari had relinquished his duties to his brother Vikramaditya who was functioning as a de-facto ruler without any greed for power but as a duty to his trusting brother and the state.
The love and trust between the brothers was not allowing any unseeming situation to crop up. To the people the two brothers were working as a team for the people irrespective of what each of them did in individual role. Thus, everything looked proper and fine. Inspite of his indulgences Raja Bhartrihari continued to be sweet on his brother as if Vikramaditya were his own son.
Anangasena was the name of the queen of Raja Bhartrihari. She was a woman of great beauty and feminine charms. She was the beloved one of the king. Infact, she was the one who kept Bhartrihari away from his duties trapped in her love. Raja loved her as his own life and could do anything for her. He never felt satisfied as much love he may make to her. She was like a honey trap to which Bhartrihari had got stuck helplessly. Sometimes the helpless state of Raja aroused pity in Anangasena because she was not destroying him willfully. Often she would advise him to pay attention to other things of life besides her because the love was not everything in life.
It made little difference to Bhartrihari. The very sight of Anangasena made him lust for her. She had become his greatest weakness.
He would say, “Ananga darling! Do not try to get rid of me. I just can’t stay away from you. I will suffocate to death without the sweet smell of your body scenting my nostrils. It is my life force.”
“My king,” Anangasena cast a coquettish glance at him and said,” What woman would not like her man to be beside her always? But that is not practical. A man has to be away on manly duties of outside world. The separation makes the love grow stronger. A man always fawning over and crawling around a woman loses her respect. A woman likes to respect her beloved man. He must make her feel proud of him. I suspect even while in court your heart and mind is in my thighs. That’s no good, my lord.”
“Don’t tease me, my Ananga,” Bhartrihari beseeched her and added, “I will go on loving you even if you don’t respect me. I don’t care. I am your slave and I can proclaim it from the roof the palace to the world!”
Anangasena felt pity for him.
“Look, I am no more a moon in the sky. I am your queen who is always available to you. Generally a person with available thing gets satiated with very soon and weans himself away. Master mine! Why you are still so infatuated with me even after so much amorous indulgence?” asked Queen Anangsena.
Bhartrihari sighed, “Dearest mine! There are some exceptions. My case is one such. I am being consumed by an undying love for you. I can’t help it. Infact, more I have you the more I feel in love with you. In the vortex of your beauty I keep falling deeper and deeper. Let us not waste time in useless debate and do sweeter things.”
“Master, sweeter things are not getting away. They always stay with us. But the time to learn lessons to extract the philosophy of life may go away. At the end we have to see what we really made of our lives? We should have some intellectual and spiritual assets built up to give meaning to our lives. Otherwise there will be no difference between us human beings and animals.”
“Oh…ho!” Bhartrihari exclaimed mockingly. “My dear Anangasena is talking of high philosophy of life and spiritualism. Don’t tell me you are thinking of renouncing the world to become a nun breaking off all worldly relationships. I will die pining for you.”
“Master! You are not taking me seriously. I love you and wish to continue to be in love with you. For that I need a breathing space. Give me time to pine for you. Let intermittant periods of separation make our love stronger and wish to have one another more fondly. Let me feel proud of being your queen by creating news of you doing great works for our people or gaining victory in battlefield against enemy. I want to see crowds hailing you from my window. Won’t you fulfil my wish, O lord mine?” The queen looked challengingly at Raja Bhartrihari.
He said in a trembling tone, “My darling! Do not wish me to be away from you. My heaven lies in remaining by your side peeping into your ocean deep eyes and caressing your velvet cheeks. Your red lips are bowers of nectar. I can’t stay away from you for any longer time for any mighty reason. Please don’t talk philosophical things with me. In your presence my mind does not work. Only my heart beats for you. Put your ear to my chest and listen.” Bhartrihari pulled the queen close to him and pressed her head against his chest. He sighed.
Anangsena also sighed and frowned. How hopelessly the man was in love with her!
Bhartrihari kissed her forhead holding her hand and moaned, “My dearest! Tell me you will always be mine. Immortal is our love.”
“Of course, I will always be yours,” the queen spoke without enthusiasm or feeling. She wished him to behave like a man instead of her slave. She felt like crying.
Thus, the time passed by. The life continued in that way.