The lions turned towards her, surprised, forgetting about the cleaner and his family. Then the liger registered Sati. He roared loudly. And, his pride charged.

The Kashi soldiers jumped onto the ground after Sati, inspired by the sheer bravery displayed by their leader. But inspiration is no substitute for skill.

Sati swung as she neared a massive lioness, turning smoothly with the movement, slicing through the nose and eye of the beast. As the lioness retreated, howling, Sati turned in the same smooth motion to attack a lion in front of her. Another lioness charged her from the right. A brave Kashi soldier jumped in front. The lioness grabbed the unfortunate soldier from his throat, shaking him like a rag doll. The soldier, however, had managed to lodge his sword deep into the lioness’ chest. As he died, so did the lioness. Kaavas was frantically battling a lioness that had sunk her teeth into his leg, gouging his flesh. He was swinging down with his sword, hitting her on her shoulder again and again with ineffective strikes.

The Kashi men were fighting desperately. Bravely. But it was clearly a matter of time before they would be overwhelmed. They didn’t have the training or the skill to battle this well coordinated pride. Sati knew it was but a matter of time before they would succumb.

Lord Ram, let me die with honour!

Then, a resounding yell rose above the mayhem. A hundred soldiers broke through the tree-line, rushing into the melee. One of them was blowing a conch shell. The fierce call of a Naga attack!

A stunned Sati continued fighting the lioness in front of her, but her thoughts were distracted, wondering why these soldiers had come to the village, to their aid.

The tide of the battle turned immediately. The new soldiers, clearly more skilled than their Kashi counterparts, charged at the lions viciously.

Sati killed the lioness in front of her and turned to see numerous lion carcasses around her. She perceived a movement to her left. The liger had sprung high at her. From nowhere, a massive hooded figure emerged. He caught hold of the liger and flung the animal off. The liger’s claws struck at the hooded figure, tearing deep through his shoulder. As the liger regained balance and swung to face this new threat, the hooded figure stood protectively in front of Sati, his sword drawn.

Sati looked at the back of her fearless protector.

Who is this man?

The hooded figure charged at the liger. Just then another lioness charged at Sati. She bent low and struck her sword up brutally through the lioness’ chest, deep into the beast’s heart. The lioness fell on Sati, dead. She tried to push the lioness off, her head turned to the right. She could see the hooded figure battling the gargantuan liger on his own. Then she screamed, ‘Watch out!’

Another lioness charged from the right towards the hooded figure, grabbing his leg viciously. The hooded figure fell but not before stabbing deep through the eyes of the lioness mauling his leg. The liger jumped once again on the hooded figure.

‘No!’ screamed Sati, desperately trying to push the lioness off her.

Then she saw various soldiers rushing at the liger, swinging their swords at the same time. The liger, overwhelmed, turned and ran. Only three of the pride of thirty beasts were able to escape. The rest lay on the village grounds, dead. Along with them were the bodies of ten brave Kashi soldiers.

A soldier came to assist Sati, pushing the lioness’ carcass off her. She immediately got up and ran towards the hooded figure, who was being helped to his feet.

Then she stopped. Stunned.

The hooded figure’s mask had slipped off.

Naga!

The Naga’s forehead was ridiculously broad, his eyes placed on the side, almost facing different directions. His nose was abnormally long, stretching out like the trunk of an elephant. Two buck teeth struck out of the mouth, one of them broken. The legacy of an old injury, perhaps. The ears were floppy and large, shaking of their own accord. It almost seemed like the head of an elephant had been placed on the body of this unfortunate soul.

The Naga was standing with his fists clenched tight, fingers boring into his palms. He had dreamt of this moment for ages. Emotions were raging through his soul. Anger. Betrayal. Fear. Love.

‘Ugly, aren’t I?’ whispered the Naga, his eyes wet, teeth gritted.

‘What? No!’ cried Sati, controlling her shock at seeing a Naga. How could she insult the man who had saved her life? ‘I’m sorry. It’s just that I...’

‘Is that why you abandoned me?’ whispered the Naga, ignoring what Sati had said. His body was shaking, his fists clenched tight.

‘What?’

‘Is that why you abandoned me?’ Soft tears were rolling down the Naga’s cheeks. ‘Because you couldn’t even bear to look at me?’

Sati stared at the Naga, confused. ‘Who are you?’

‘Stop playing innocent, you daddy’s spoilt little girl!’ shrieked a strong feminine voice from behind.

Sati turned and gasped.

Standing a little to her left was the Naga Queen. Her entire torso had an exoskeleton covering it, hard as bone. There were small balls of bone which ran from her shoulders down to her stomach, almost like a garland of skulls. On top of her shoulders were two small extra appendages, serving as a third and fourth arm. One was holding a knife, clearly itching to fling it at Sati. But it was the face that disturbed Sati the most. The colour was jet black, but the Naga Queen’s face was almost an exact replica of Sati’s.

‘Who are you people?’ asked a stunned Sati.

‘Let me put this phony out of her misery, my child.’ The Naga Queen’s hand holding the knife was shaking. ‘She will never acknowledge the truth. She is just like her treacherous father!’

‘No, Mausi.’

Sati turned to the Naga again, before returning her gaze to the Naga Queen. ‘Who are you?’

‘Bullshit! You expect me to believe that you don’t know?!’

Sati continued to stare at the Naga Queen, confused.

‘Mausi...,’ whispered the Naga. He was on his knees, crying desperately.

‘My child!’ cried the Naga Queen as she sprinted towards him. She tried to hand him her knife. ‘Kill her! Kill her! That is the only way to find peace!’

The Naga was trembling, shaking his head, tears streaking down his face. Vishwadyumna and the Brangas were holding the Kashi soldiers at a distance.

Sati asked once again. ‘Who are you people?’

‘I’ve had enough of this!’ screamed the Naga Queen, raising the knife.

‘No Mausi,’ whispered the Naga through his tears. ‘She doesn’t know. She doesn’t know.’

Sati stared at the Naga Queen. ‘I swear I don’t know. Who are you?’

The Naga Queen shut her eyes, took a deep breath and spoke with all the sarcasm at her command. ‘Then listen, oh exalted Princess. I am your twin sister, Kali. The one whom your two-faced father abandoned!’

Sati stared at Kali, mouth half-open, too shocked to react.

I have a sister?

‘And this sad soul,’ said Kali, pointing at the Lord of the People, ‘is the son you abandoned, Ganesh.’

Sati gasped in shock.

My son is alive?

She stared at Ganesh.

My son!

Angry tears were flooding down Ganesh’s face. His body was shaking with misery.

My son...

Sati’s heart was crying in pain.