‘Which path is the right one?’ asked Bhagirath.

‘I will tell you tomorrow morning, when we leave.’

‘How many such clearings are there, Kali?’ asked Shiva.

Kali’s lips drew in a broad smile. ‘There are five such clearings on the way to Panchavati, Shiva.’

‘Lord Ram be merciful,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘That means there is only a one in three thousand chance of marching down the right path to Panchavati!’

‘Yes,’ smiled Kali.

Anandmayi was grinning. ‘Well, we better hope you don’t forget the right path, Your Highness!’

Kali smiled. ‘Trust me, I won’t.’

Kali looked at Shiva, Sati and Nandi riding a little ahead of her. Shiva had just said something which made Sati and Nandi crack up in laughter. Then the Neelkanth turned to Nandi and winked.

Kali turned to Ayurvati. ‘He has the gift.’

They were marching at the centre of the convoy to Panchavati. It had been three months since the march from the Madhumati river. Deep in the Dandak now, the march had been surprisingly uneventful and probably a little tedious. Conversations were the only relief from the boredom.

‘What gift?’ asked Ayurvati.

‘Of bringing peace to people, drawing out their unhappiness,’ said Kali.

‘That he does,’ said Ayurvati. ‘But it is one of his many gifts. Om Namah Shivaiy.’

Kali was surprised. The Meluhan doctor had just corrupted an old mantra. The words Om and Namah were only added to the names of the old gods, never living men.

The Queen of the Nagas turned to gaze at Shiva, riding ahead. And smiled. Sometimes, simple faith could lead to profound peace.

Kali repeated Ayurvati’s line. ‘Om Namah Shivaiy.’

The universe bows to Lord Shiva. I bow to Lord Shiva.

Ayurvati turned towards Kartik riding a little behind. The boy, a few months older than four, looked like a nine-year-old. He presented a disturbing sight. Scars were visible on his arms and face. Two long swords tied in a cross across his back, no sign of a shield. His eyes were focussed beyond the fence, searching for threats.

Kartik had become withdrawn after the day his elder brother had saved him single-handedly from the lions, nearly dying in the process. He rarely spoke, except to his parents, Krittika and Ganesh. He almost never smiled. He always accompanied hunting parties into the jungle. Many a times, he had brought down animals single-handedly. Awed soldiers had given Ayurvati graphic details of Kartik moving in for the kill: Quiet, focussed and ruthless.

Ayurvati sighed.

Kali, who had developed a strong bond with Ayurvati over the months since they had left Kashi, whispered, ‘I think you should be happy he has taken the right lessons from life.’

‘He is a child,’ said Ayurvati. ‘He has many years to go before he grows up.’

‘Who are we to decide when it is time for him to grow up,’ said Kali. ‘The choice belongs to him. He will make all of us proud one day.’

It had been eight months since the march from the banks of the Madhumati. The convoy was only a day away from the Naga capital Panchavati. They were camped near the road, next to a mighty river as big as the Saraswati in its early reaches.

Bhagirath thought that this great river must be the fabled Narmada. The border mandated by Lord Manu that was never to be crossed. They were on the northern side of the river.

‘This must be the Narmada,’ said Bhagirath to Vishwadyumna. ‘I guess we’ll cross over tomorrow. Lord Manu have mercy on us.’

Parvateshwar spoke up. ‘It must be. Narmada is the only river in the southern regions as enormous as the mighty Saraswati.’

Vishwadyumna smiled. They were already far South of the Narmada. ‘My Lords, sometimes the mind makes you believe what you want to believe. Look again. There is no need to cross this river.’

Anandmayi’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘By the great Lord Rudra! This river flows West to East!’

Vishwadyumna nodded. ‘That it does, Your Highness.’

This couldn’t be the Narmada. That river was known to flow East to West.

‘Lord Ram be merciful!’ cried Bhagirath. ‘How can the existence of such a wide river be a secret?’

‘This entire land is a secret, My Lord,’ said Vishwadyumna. ‘This is the Godavari. And you should see how much bigger it gets by the time it reaches the Eastern Sea.’

Parvateshwar stared in awe. He put his hands together and bowed to the flowing waters.

‘The Godavari is not the only one,’ said Vishwadyumna. ‘I have heard rumours of other such giant rivers further South.’

Bhagirath looked at Vishwadyumna wondering what further surprises lay ahead the next day.

‘Ganesh,’ said Nandi.

‘Yes, Major Nandi,’ said Ganesh.

Nandi had slipped back to the end of the caravan to relay a message from Kali to Ganesh. ‘The Naga outposts will follow their standard practice vis-a-vis the convoy, irrespective of the fact that the Queen and the Lord of the People travel with it.’

Queen Kali, ever cautious when it came to the welfare of her people, was indirectly referring to the fact that the progress of the convoy would now be monitored all the way to the Naga capital so that any potential threats could be neutralised.

Ganesh nodded. ‘Thank you, Major.’

Nandi looked back at the small Naga outpost that they had just passed. ‘What security can a hundred men provide, Ganesh? They are isolated, a day’s journey from the city. The outpost is not even fortified properly. Seeing all the elaborate security measures the Nagas have in place, most of them bordering on genius, this one makes no sense.’

Ganesh smiled. He would normally not have trusted any non-Naga with details of their security. But this was Nandi, Shiva’s shadow. Doubting him was like doubting the Neelkanth himself. ‘They cannot offer much protection on the road. But if there is such an attack, they trigger an early warning. Their key task then is to set booby traps along the way to Panchavati as they fall back towards the city.’

Nandi frowned. An outpost just to set booby traps?!

‘But that is not their primary task,’ continued Ganesh, pointing with his finger. ‘Their key function is to protect us from a river attack.’

Nandi looked at the Godavari. Of course! It must meet the Eastern Sea somewhere. An opening that could be exploited. The Nagas truly thought of everything.

The faint light of the full moon, breaking through the dense foliage intermittently, had lulled the creatures of the Dandak into a false sense of security. All was quiet in Shiva’s camp, everyone fast asleep. Most had been awake till late into the night, eagerly discussing the end of their long and surprisingly uneventful journey through the dangerous woods of Sundarban and Dandak. Panchavati was only a day away.

Suddenly, the quiet of the night was broken by the shrill call of a loud conch shell. Actually, many shells.

Kali, at the centre of the huge encampment, was up immediately. As were Shiva, Sati and Kartik.

‘What the hell is that?’ shouted Shiva, over the din.

Kali was looking towards the river, stunned. This had never happened before. She turned back towards Shiva, teeth bared. ‘Your men have betrayed us!’

The entire camp was up as the conch shells kept persistently sounding out their warning.