In the Bhokal series of Raj Comics, ‘Gunik’ is such a unique and dangerous villain who, without any superpower, tantra-mantra, or destructive weapon, shook the foundations of the powerful Bhokal and the entire Vikasnagar empire with the help of his ‘sharp intelligence’ and ‘dangerous conspiracies’. Gunik clearly believed, “The edge of the sword can only cut flesh, but the edge of intelligence can bring down an empire.”
Bio-origin and family background
Native Residence: Gunik was originally from Mithilanagari, where his family had been known for scholarship and scriptural knowledge for the last seven generations.
• Family background: Gunik had three sons, Ajit (eldest), Abhay (middle), and Amar (youngest).
• Reason for retaliation (Ajit’s death):
- Gunik’s elder son Ajit succumbed to incurable tuberculosis due to society’s neglect. After losing his mental balance, Ajit hatched a dangerous conspiracy to spread the disease throughout Vikasnagar. He targeted innocent people with infected needles.
- Mahabali Bhokal decapitated Ajit with a single blow of his sword as soon as he came to know about the crime.
- Saddened by the death of his son, Gunik untied the knot of his shikha on Ajit’s dead body and took the vow:
“I’ll give up food until I avenge your murder by killing Bhokal… Sleep on a bed of kusha (thorns)… And I won’t tie my shikha again!”
Post of ‘Vidwan Pramukh’ in Vikasnagar
To take revenge on Bhokal, instead of fighting him directly, Gunik earned a place in the royal court of Vikasnagar with his intelligence. He solved the intellectual puzzle of a difficult lock placed before the kingdom by the eccentric king ‘Sanki Dev’ in a matter of moments.
Impressed by his extraordinary intelligence, Queen Mohini appointed him the ‘Vidwan Pramukh’ (Chief Scholar) of Vikasnagar, bringing him very close to the royal court and the Queen.
Detailed story summary of Gunik
(a) ‘Virtuous’ — Beginning of the conspiracy
In this comic, Gunik appears for the first time and becomes the ‘Vidwan Pramukh’ on the basis of his sharp intelligence. He begins creating a carefully planned atmosphere to damage Bhokal’s justice system and moral image.
(b) ‘Hang Two Bhokals’ — Sacrifice of sons and the maze of treason
Gunik sacrificed both of his surviving sons to bring Bhokal to his death.
• Sacrifice of Abhay: He rendered the guards of the Empress’s secret palace unconscious and sent Abhay inside wearing a mask. Bhokal killed him, mistaking him for an intruder, raising questions about Bhokal’s security arrangements.
• Amar’s sacrifice: Amar deliberately jumped in front of a spear thrown by Bhokal during the kingdom’s celebration. Gunik proved in the royal court that Bhokal had attacked the Queen and that Amar had sacrificed his life to save her. Bhokal was declared the Queen’s attacker and a traitor in the eyes of the people, and the Queen sentenced him to death.
• Attack on Saloni and Rupsi: The prison keys were kept in the chamber of Bhokal’s wife, Saloni. She was sentenced to death by stoning, and Princess Rupsi was accused of espionage.
(c) ‘Jo Jeeta So Hara’ — ‘Swapna Yantra’ and the immortal warrior killer
When Bhokal overcame the difficult test of Yaksha Bhupati and obtained the rare ‘Syamantaka Mani’ and ‘Astramani’, Gunik realized that Bhokal could not be defeated directly while he possessed these divine gems.
- Creation of the ‘Swapna Yantra’: Gunik created a scientific device called the ‘Swapna Yantra’ in his secret basement. This instrument controlled the subconscious mind of the sleeping Bhokal through subtle waves.
- Mental and physical torture of Bhokal: While sleeping, Bhokal dreamed that he was fighting terrible demons from the underworld and mountain ranges. In reality, whenever Bhokal used his powers in those dreams, the ‘Swapna Yantra’ slowly absorbed the divine energy of his gems and his physical strength. Without fighting a real battle, Bhokal grew weaker and mentally exhausted every day.
- Revival of the immortal warrior ‘Marak’: Using the immense energy absorbed from Bhokal, Gunik brought the ancient dead demon warrior ‘Marak’ back to life. Marak could survive only with divine energy. Gunik unleashed this immortal warrior against Bhokal.
• Story essence: Even after winning Yaksha’s test (the one who won), Bhokal gradually started losing because of Gunik’s conspiracy (thus, the one who won eventually lost).
(d) ‘Time Travel’ — Illusion of Parmanu and the conspiracy of history
Gunik’s conspiracy crossed the boundaries of time and reached the future. When the future superhero ‘Parmanu’ accidentally arrived in Vikasnagar through a time mirror, Gunik took full advantage of the situation.
- Misleading Parmanu: Gunik introduced himself to Parmanu as a noble and suffering scholar. He convinced Parmanu with fabricated stories that Bhokal was not a protector but a cruel, tyrannical, and power-drunk warrior who oppressed his people.
- The menace of the fake Parmanu: Gunik, with the help of his secret chemicals and techniques, created a fake Parmanu. Innocent people were killed after this fake Parmanu was sent to terrorize the villages.
- Mahabali vs. Parmanu: When Bhokal learned about the destruction, he blamed the real Parmanu. On the other hand, the real Parmanu, believing Gunik’s lies, considered Bhokal a tyrant and was determined to kill him. Gunik’s goal was to eliminate the greatest heroes of two different eras by making Bhokal and Parmanu fight each other.
Gunik’s end, exposure, and final punishment
Gunik’s biggest weakness was his attachment to his sons. He preserved the bodies of his three sons (Ajit, Abhay, and Amar) in glass coffins inside his secret basement by applying chemicals, so that after Bhokal’s downfall, he could celebrate his victory before their bodies.
• Saloni’s painting: Just before the execution, Bhokal’s wife Saloni removed the beards from the faces of Abhay and Amar in her sketches and compared them with the face of the ‘Vidwan Pramukh’ Gunik. A striking family resemblance became evident among all three faces.
• Evidence and witnesses: Bhokal and Commander Praveen Kumar raided the secret basement of Gunik’s house and recovered the bodies of his three sons. Witnesses were then brought from Mithilanagari, exposing the entire truth about Gunik before everyone.
• Final punishment: Gunik admitted his guilt with a smile after the truth was revealed. His crime was treason, but according to the scriptures, “killing a learned Brahmin was considered a sin.” Therefore, instead of being executed, Queen Mohini exiled him from Vikasnagar forever. Gunik left the kingdom with his head bowed in humiliation.
