The Saga of Doury & Youdi – Chapter 8

If honour had to ever honour a soul, Doury would be a frontrunner. I know you would not have heard much of it in media or the stories floating around. It is but a norm, that the vanquished and the dead are either martyrs or villains. And when you are neither, you are still painted to fit as one. When the story involves deceit, treachery, betrayal the vanquished always carry all the evil and the winner all the virtues. If only life and people were so black and white.

Doury’s tales of honour were either buried under the glorification of someone else’s deeds or just remained untold. Buried as anecdotes and index.

Before the blood bath began and the animosities were still under control, Doury had a misadventure. A case of mistaken identity. Doury was caught alone and unawares by the Gandharvyz.

Upon Youdi’s insisting Arzee helped Doury out of the sham. And the over principled Doury, swore to Arzee – he owed him one!

Wars aren’t won by brawn or muscle or might. It is won by intelligence and counterintelligence. The Paendeey’s won the war because Krey harvested every bit of intelligence to the core. Dig out old scores and promises and vanquish enemies, because he knew they would get honour over victory. They brought down Brizm, because of the sheer confidence that Brizm would not let winning get over his principles. Just like Kranz would give away everything to ensure honour. Krey used honour and principles as a weapon, against the same one who wielded it.

The coup-de-grace was however the one they played on Doury.  It was a simple belief – Nothing’s fair in love and war – Doury never believed in it and the Paendeey’s with Krey’s blessings, drove this belief to justify the unjustifiable, to seal victories.

I could never fathom whose side was Shakynz on? If you whisper a lie a thousand times, it manifests as a truth. Shakynz used that ploy to poison Doury. I always believed Shakynz as the enemy within. The cancer that eats you from within, ready to decimate itself in the process.

It’s been said that the grand patriarch was someone no one could conquer. The mention of his mere name was enough to win or thwart many a boardroom battles. Yet Krey brought him down using Brizm’s own principle and honour to get him down.

Doury had approached Brizm to let him know the grapevine and the corridor gossip that was doing the rounds – Brizm wasn’t whole heartedly putting himself in the game. His legacy preceded him. How could the unconquerable not win the battle for Doury? Doury tried to clarify that he was just verbalising the corridor gossip and the words weren’t his. Brizm was way too wise and carried way too many battle scars, to know intent of conversations, without having to listen to the spoken words.

He pulled out five folders. One for each of the Panedeeys. He offered them to Doury telling him these are the five gold arrows that will put the battle to a stop. Each file had enough dope to bring down each of them. It had information and intelligence collated over days and weeks and years. It was venom with no antidote. We just need to put them out!

Brizm asked Doury, if Doury would prefer Brizm to safekeep the penultimate weapons till the time they were put to use.  Perhaps the adrenaline-rush the news gave him, hazed his reasoning. He forgot Brizm was a vault himself, none could take or even try to take any stuff from the mighty Brizm. 

Doury offered to safekeep the files. Brizm handed over the files without a word spoken. “This is a one-time opportunity. It will never ever come back. Remember that…”

Krey had his eyes and ears everywhere. That was the essence of his gameplan. He called in Arzee.

“Time to go and ask for the favour your cousin owes you…”

“Favour? Now? At the time of war, I go seeking old favours?  Krey, are you out of your mind?”

“Convert strengths to weakness. That is how you win wars! Doury will never backdown from a promise he made! Go remind him the favour he owes. Get back Brizm’s 5 golden arrows!  If those 5 files get out, this war is over.”

Arzee called Doury. Reminded him the favour he owed Arzee from the Gandharvyz incident.

Doury responded “I will give you the 5 files. I will not let down my honour even if it means honouring a dishonourable request. No wonder Brizm had offered to safekeep the files.”

Doury handed over the 5 files that would have sealed all their fates.  He let go of his only chance to win a war at one go. For honour!

For the honourable, it is always honour over everything else. Honour ever victory.