Chapter 20-The Trial
The court gasped in a collective murmur of shock, at the sight of the prisoner, clad in tattered robes, manacled with chains being ushered into the court. The august assembly of nobles, poets, ministers and scholars, looked on in stunned disbelief, at the man who just a few months ago, had entered in a blaze of victory after Raichur, in regal splendor, adorned with the finest silk tunic and glittering turban. Pemmasani Ramalinga Nayaka, the commander of the Vijayanagara Army, was now chained like an ordinary convict.
The hands that once proudly clasped the sword, were bound in chains, the legs that strode with regal disdain, chained in fetters. The radiant handsome face, turned gaunt, shrunk, covered with a straggly bear, as the piercing eyes that once struck terror in the hearts of enemies, looked lifeless with resignation. Where once he had marched through the streets of Hampi in all glory, he had now been led along the same streets, tied to a pole on a wooden cart, pelted with stones, jeered at by those who had once cheered him.
A deathly silence enveloped the court, that had once echoed with verses of poets and scholars. Where beautiful danseuses enthralled the audience with their graceful moves, was now bereft of radiance. The nobles sat sombre, heads bowed down, at a loss of words, murmuring among themselves. Tenali Ramakrishna otherwise ebullient, regaling the court, with his wit, sat silent, grim, head bowed down. Appaji sat by the side of Rayalavaru’s throne, in a solemn mood, unable to accept the fact that the man whom he adored as his own son, was deemed a traitor.
As Rayalavaru walked in resplendent in his bright multi coloured bejewelled turban, his green and gold tunic and spotless white dhoti, a sudden hush descended, no pomp and splendour, no chants hailing him, as he ascended the steps leading to the throne. The stoic demeanour betrayed the pain and heaviness in his heart, the pain and rage of a sense of betrayal from the very man he had trusted the most. Gandikota an ally he had trusted more than anyone, would turn against him, it was too hard to believe.
But he could not allow his grief, to overcome his responsibility, as he began in a rather slow and measured voice.
“The man I trusted the most, made him the commander of our mighty army, has stabbed me right in the back on this most painful day of life. Gandikota joins hands with the enemy, breaking the long-standing trust we had. Yet as someone who believes in a fair trial, Ramalinga Nayaka shall get an opportunity to defend himself. I do not desire that Hampi shall suffer the fate of Madurai, when it was burnt to ashes by the wrath of Kannagi, for executing her innocent husband. Appaji, as the Prime Minister, I now request you to go ahead with the trial, and I shall expect you to discharge your duties with all the fairness and honesty”.
Even as the pain gnawed away at his insides, deep within Appaji knew Ramalinga could never commit a crime, yet the law never listened to conscience and emotion, it only went by the proof and reason. He had mediated in many a dispute, delivered many a judgement, but on this day, he would have had to deliver the most painful verdict ever in his life. The voice choked as he read out the charges.
"Ramalinga Nayaka, the court finds you guilty of conspiring to murder, treason against Vijayanagara and collaboration with the enemy forces. What do you have to say in your defence?"
Ramalinga stared back defiantly; the fight still not gone out of his eyes.
“All these years I had served Vijayanagara with the utmost loyalty, taking blow upon blow on my chest in every campaign I had fought. My conscience is clear, I have committed no crime, hang me if found guilty, for I do not wish to live besmirched as a traitor”.
"The law needs proof and evidence Ramalinga, not conscience or emotions. Do you have a single piece of evidence to prove your innocence?"
Ramalinga bowed and shook his head in despair, all the evidence seemed to point to his guilt, as he heard Appaji call out, the first witness, the guard of the royal chamber, where he had met his father last.
"You were present when Ramalinga Nayaka, had met the king, before leaving for Hampi, tell us what happened with no fear"
The guard was tentative, fidgeting nervously, as he spoke
"That day when Ramalinga Nayaka met the king, I could not hear clearly, but I could clearly make out, there was some kind of heated argument going on, loud words were heard, and after sometime, I saw him stepping out of the chamber in a rage, walking furiously".
Ramalinga clenched his fists tightly in anger, it was a lie, yet there was nothing he could do to prove otherwise, every one of them had been bought.
The next witness was the guard at the gates.
"I was on my normal duty, when I saw this rather suspicious looking old Muslim man, who claimed to be a carpet seller, seeking entry into the fort. When I tried to prevent his entry, he produced a document claiming to have permission affixed with the royal seal"
Again, a lie, the “carpet seller” was allowed access into the fort, without any checking.
The next witness was the official scribe at Gandikota, who spoke nervously, his hands shaking.
"Ramalinga Nayaka, approached me to write the message inviting Abu Hassan to come over and carry out the action. He even handed me a bag of gold coins to keep silent. I am just an ordinary official; I could not afford to disobey the orders from the top"
Ramalinga looked furiously at the scribe and guards, as they cowered, turning their faces away, sweating profusely.
And finally, Sadashiva Nayaka, the man he had trusted all along, looking at him with an evil smirk on his face.
"The royal chambers at Gandikota, are fully guarded all the time, each guard is assigned a given position, and the king's chamber is secured with the strongest of the guards, who could overpower any intruder within moments. The fact that the assassin, could sneak in at the middle of night, without any resistance, speaks of a top-level collusion, with the security, that could only have been authorized by Ramalinga Nayaka. And he conveniently undertook a trip to Hampi to evade suspicion".
Every testimony, every word, was like a nail being hammered into Ramalinga’s heart, he had no evidence to the contrary, trapped and helpless in a deadly conspiracy. He who had vanquished the most formidable warriors on the battle field, was defeated and trapped, by the enemies within, by men whom he trusted.
“Ramalinga Nayaka, you have sullied the fair name of the Pemmasani clan of Gandikota, by collaborating with the enemy forces for your own selfish purposes. Guilty as charged of collaborating with the enemy, treason, abetment to murder, you shall be imprisoned at the fort of Penukonda, treated like any common convict, and shall be executed on the first day of the coming month"