‘What bet?’

‘You can’t wriggle out of it now!’ said Shiva.

‘Seriously, what bet?’

‘That we will have a daughter.’

‘I had forgotten about that,’ smiled Sati. ‘But I have a strong feeling it will be a son.’

‘Nah!’ laughed Shiva.

Sati laughed along and rested her face against Shiva’s hand.

Shiva broke a piece of the roti, wrapped some vegetables in it and held out the morsel for Sati. ‘Is the salt all right?’

‘Are there really past life sins?’ asked Shiva.

The Neelkanth was in the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Seated in front of him was a Vasudev pandit. The setting sun shone through the spaces between the temple pillars. The red sandstone shone even brighter, creating an awe-inspiring atmosphere.

‘What do you think?’ asked the Vasudev.

‘I don’t believe anything till I’ve seen the proof. For anything without proof, I think we should believe the theory that gives us peace. It doesn’t matter whether the theory is true or not.’

‘That is a good strategy for a happy life, no doubt.’

Shiva waited for the pandit to say more. When he didn’t, Shiva spoke again. ‘You still haven’t answered my question. Are there really past life sins that we suffer for in this life?’

‘I didn’t answer the question because I don’t have the answer. But if people believe that sins of the past life can impact this life, won’t they at least try to lead a better life this time around?’

Shiva smiled. Are these people just talented wordsmiths or great philosophers?

The Pandit smiled back. Once again, I don’t have the answer!

Shiva burst out laughing. He had forgotten the Pandit could receive his thoughts and that he could, in turn, do the same with the Pandit’s.

‘How does this work? How is it that I can hear your thoughts?’

‘It’s a very simple science really. The science of radio waves.’

‘This is not a theory?’

The Pandit smiled. ‘This is certainly not a theory. This is a fact. Just like light, which helps you see, there are radio waves to help you hear. While all humans can easily use the properties of light to see, most don’t know how to use radio waves to hear. We are dependent on sound waves to hear. Sound waves travel much slower through the air and for much shorter distances. Radio waves travel far and fast, just like light.’

Shiva remembered his uncle, who he always thought could hear his thoughts. In his youth, he had thought it was magic. Now he knew better, that there was a science behind it. ‘That’s interesting. Then why can’t you create a machine to convert radio waves into sound waves?’

‘Aah! That is a tough one. We haven’t succeeded in that as yet. But we have succeeded in training our brains to pick up radio waves. It takes years of practice to do it. That’s why we were shocked that you could do it without any training.’

‘I got lucky, I guess.’

‘There is no luck, great one. You were born special.’

Shiva frowned. ‘I don’t think so. In any case, how is it supposed to work? How do you pick up radio waves? Why can’t I hear everyone’s thoughts?’

‘It takes effort to be able to even transmit your thoughts clearly as radio waves. Many people do it unconsciously, even without training. But picking up radio waves and hearing other people’s thoughts? That is completely different. It is not easy. We have to stay within the range of powerful transmitters.’

‘The temples?’

‘You are exceptionally intelligent, O Neelkanth!’ smiled the Pandit. ‘Yes, the temples work as our transmitters. Therefore the temples we use have to have a height of at least fifty metres. This helps in catching radio waves from other Vasudevs and in turn transmitting my thoughts to them as well.’

You mean other Vasudevs are hearing us all the time, Panditji?

Yes. Whoever chooses to hear our conversation. And very few Vasudevs would choose not to hear the saviour of our times, great Neelkanth.

Shiva frowned. If what the Pandit was saying was true, then he could speak to any Vasudev Pandit at any of their temples across India right now. Then tell me this O Vasudev of the Magadh temple, what did you mean by saying that people are attached to evil?

Shiva heard a loud laugh. It appeared to be coming from a distance. The Vasudev Pandit of the Narsimha temple at Magadh. You are too smart, Lord Neelkanth.

Shiva smiled. I would prefer answers to flattery, great Vasudev.

Silence.

Then Shiva heard the voice from Magadh clearly. I really liked your speech at the Dharmakhet war. Har Har Mahadev. All of us are Mahadevs. There is a god in every single one of us. What a beautiful thought.

What does that have to do with my question? I asked why people should be attached to evil.

It does. It very profoundly does. There is a god in every single one of us. What is the obvious corollary?

That it is the responsibility of every single one of us to discover the god within.

No, my friend. That is the moral. I asked what the corollary was.

I don’t understand, Panditji.

Everything needs balance, Neelkanth. The masculine needs the feminine. The energy requires the mass. So think! Har Har Mahadev. What is the corollary? What balances this statement?

Shiva frowned. A thought occurred to him. He didn’t like it.

The Vasudev of Ayodhya urged Shiva. Don’t stop your thoughts, my friend. Free flow is the only way to discover the truth.

Shiva grimaced. But this cannot be true.

Truth doesn’t have to be liked. It only has to be spoken. Speak it out. The truth may hurt you, but it will set you free.

But I can’t believe this.

The truth doesn’t ask for belief. It just exists. Let me hear what you think. There is a god in every single one of us. What is the obvious corollary?

There is evil in every single one of us.

Exactly. There is a god in every single one of us. And there is evil in every single one of us. The true battle between good and evil is fought within.

And the great evil connects itself to the evil within us. Is that why people get attached to it?

I believe that when you discover the great evil of our times, you will not need any explanation about how it attaches itself so deeply to us.

Shiva stared at the Pandit in front of him. The conversation had shaken him. His task was not just to discover evil. That would probably be easy. How would he get people to give up their attachment to evil?

‘You don’t have to find all the answers now, my friend,’ said the Kashi Vasudev.

Shiva smiled weakly, uneasy. Then he heard the distant voice of someone he didn’t recognise. A commanding voice, a voice that appeared to be used to being powerful. Strong, yet calm.

The medicine...

‘Of course,’ said the Kashi Pandit, as he got up quickly. He was back in no time, with a small silk pouch.

Shiva frowned.

‘Apply this on your wife’s belly, my friend,’ said the Kashi Pandit. ‘Your child will be born healthy and strong.’

‘What is this?’

‘Its identity doesn’t matter. What matters is that it will work.’

Shiva opened the pouch. There was a thick reddish-brown paste inside. Thank you. If this ensures my child’s safety, I will be forever grateful to you.