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THE WAY OF LIFE
vow of celibacy. All the subjects had a great respect for the Chief Minister who was practising celibacy. The King believed that even such a noble and austere man was immoral. For all that misunderstanding, the cause was a garment. The King had seen the garment with the Queen Lilavati. It did not occur to the King in his excitement even to find out how the Queen was cured of her fever. He had great love for Lilavati but now he believed that she was an immoral woman. This is how things happen in your worldly life. Attachments and hatred change in a moment. Within a moment, attachment becomes hatred and hatred becomes changed to attachment. Neither attachment nor hatred is permanent and unchanging. The King's mind was full of hatred for Lilavati. He decided to banish Queen Lilavati as well as the Chief Minister, Pethad Shah and to punish them severely but he did not have the courage to impose such a punishment on the Chief Minister. The entire country had been influenced by the Chief Minister. The King was only the nominal head while the entire administration was being carried on by Pethad Shah. Torturing the weak is the custom of the world. Nobody dares to torture a strong person. In the eyes of the King the Chief Minister was strong and powerful while the Queen was weak. So, he sent for Queen Lilavati and announced his sentence on her. "You must get out of my country. I do not like to see your face." But the King made this announcement in the presence of the Chief Minister. The King thought that since the Chief Minister loved the Queen, he too would go away with her. In what strange ways, do the thoughts of men range? Did the King really know the truth about the Chief Minister's character? When the King passed the sentence of banishment upon the Queen, the Chief Minister remained mute and said nothing.
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THE CHIEF MINISTER IS CALM AND COOL
Lilavati's attendant, Chatura came to know everything. The rumours relating to the supposed love-affair between the Chief Minister and Lilavati were emanating from Kadamba's chambers. Chatura, at once, took the garment of the Chief Minister, went to Pathamini and gave it to her. She also narrated to her the sad occurrences that had taken place in the palace. Chatura
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