‘It’s settled then,’ said a visibly content Daksha. Turning to Parvateshwar, he said, ‘Parvateshwar, please ensure that the Arishtanemi escort are broken up into two groups for the return journey.’

‘My Lord, I don’t think that is wise,’ said Parvateshwar. ‘A large part of the Arishtanemi are still in Devagiri preparing for the material transfer. Also, the standing contingent in Mount Mandar cannot be reduced under any circumstances. We may not have enough soldiers for two caravans. Perhaps, we could all travel together day after tomorrow’

‘I am sure there won’t be a problem,’ said Daksha. ‘And don’t you always say that each Arishtanemi is equal to fifty enemy soldiers? It’s settled. The Lord Neelkanth, Veerini and Sati will leave tomorrow morning. Please make all the arrangements.’

Parvateshwar went unhappily back to his thoughts as Shiva and Sati started whispering to each other again.

‘You did go for a shudhikaran, didn’t you?’ asked Sati seriously.

‘Yes,’ said Shiva. He wasn’t lying. He had gone for a purification ceremony on his last night at Devagiri. He didn’t believe he needed it. However, he knew that Sati would ask him the next time they met. And he didn’t want to lie to her.

‘Though I think the concept of doing a shudhikaran is completely absurd,’ whispered Shiva. ‘In fact, the entire concept of the vikarma is ridiculous. I think that is one of the few things in Meluha that is not fair and should be changed.’

Sati looked up suddenly at Shiva, her face devoid of any expression. Shiva stared hard into her eyes, trying to gauge some of the thoughts running through her mind. But he hit a blank wall.

It was the beginning of the second prahar the next day when Shiva, Veerini, Sati and Nandi departed for Devagiri along with a hundred Arishtanemi. Daksha, Parvateshwar and Kanakhala stood outside the guest house to see them off. Brahaspati had been detained by some scheduled experiments.

The entourage had to sit in the same carriage as there were guidelines that a minimum of four carriages had to be kept aside for any caravan that carried the Emperor. Since the royal procession had come in five carriages, that left only one carriage for this caravan. Parvateshwar was deeply unhappy about the unorthodox way in which members of the royal family had to travel without any dummy carriages, but his objections were overruled by Daksha.

Sitting on one of the comfortable sofas inside the carriage, Sati noticed that Shiva was wearing his cravat again. ‘Why do you cover your throat all the time?’

‘I am uncomfortable with the attention that comes when anyone sees the blue throat,’ replied Shiva.

‘But you will have to get used to it. The blue throat is not going to disappear.’

‘True,’ answered Shiva with a smile. ‘But till I get used to it, the cravat is my shield.’

As the caravan left, Parvateshwar and Kanakhala came up to Daksha.

‘Why do you have so much faith in that man, my Lord?’ asked Parvateshwar of Daksha. ‘He has done nothing to deserve respect. How can he lead us to victory when he has not even been trained for it? The entire concept of the Neelkanth goes against our rules. In Meluha a person is supposed to be given a task only if he is found capable of it and trained by the system.’

‘We are in a state of war, Parvateshwar,’ replied Daksha. ‘An undeclared one, but a state of war all the same. We face a terrorist attack every other week. These cowardly Chandravanshis don’t even attack from the front so that we can fight them. And our army is too small to attack their territory openly. Our “rules” are not working. We need a miracle. And the first rule of serendipity is that miracles come when we forget rational laws and have faith. I have faith in the Neelkanth. And so do my people.’

‘But Shiva has no faith in himself. How can you force him to be our saviour when he himself doesn’t want to do it?’

‘Sati will change that.’

‘My Lord, you are going to use your own daughter as bait?’ asked a horrified Parvateshwar. And do you really want a saviour who decides to help us just because of his lust!’

‘IT IS NOT LUST!’

Parvateshwar and Kanakhala kept quiet, shocked by Daksha’s reaction.

‘What kind of a father do you think I am?’ asked Daksha. You think I will use my daughter so? She just may find comfort and happiness with the Lord. She has suffered enough already. I want her to be happy. And if in doing so, I help my country as well, what is the harm?’

Parvateshwar was about to say something, but thought the better of it.

‘We need to destroy the Chandravanshi ideology,’ continued Daksha. ‘And the only way we can do that is if we can give the benefits of our lifestyle to the people of Swadweep. The common Swadweepans will be grateful for this, but their Chandravanshi rulers will try everything in their power to stop us. They may be able to resist us, but try as they might, they cannot stop a people led by the Neelkanth. And if Sati is with the Neelkanth, there is no way he would refuse to lead us against the Chandravanshis.’

‘But your Highness, do you really think the Lord would come to our side just because he is in love with your daughter?’ asked Kanakhala.

‘You have missed the point. The Lord does not need to be convinced to be on our side,’ said Daksha. ‘He already is. We are a great civilisation. Maybe not perfect, but great all the same. One has to be blind to not see that. What the Neelkanth needs is the motivation and belief in himself to lead us. That belief in himself will assert itself when he moves closer to Sati.’

‘And how is that going to happen, your Highness?’ asked Parvateshwar, frowning slightly.

‘You know what is the most powerful force in a man’s life?’ asked Daksha.

Kanakhala and Parvateshwar looked at Daksha nonplussed.

‘It is his intense desire to impress the person he loves most,’ expounded Daksha. ‘Look at me. I have always loved my father. My desire to impress him is what is driving me even today. Even after his death, I still want to make him proud of me. It is driving me to my destiny as the King who will re-establish the pure Suryavanshi way of life across India. And when the Neelkanth develops a deep desire to make Sati proud of him, he will rise to fulfil his destiny.’

Parvateshwar frowned, not quite agreeing with the logic, but kept quiet all the same.

‘But what if Sati seeks something different?’ asked Kanakhala. ‘Like a husband who spends all his time with her.’

‘I know my daughter,’ replied Daksha confidendy. ‘I know what it takes to impress her.’

‘That’s an interesting point of view, my Lord,’ smiled Kanakhala. ‘Just out of curiosity, what do you think is the most powerful force in a woman’s life?’

Daksha laughed out loud. ‘Why do you ask? Don’t you know?’

‘Well the most powerful force in my life is the desire to get out of the house before my mother-in-law wakes up!’

Both Daksha and Kanakhala guffawed loudly.

Parvateshwar didn’t seem to find it funny. ‘I am sorry but that is no way to speak about your mother-in-law.’

‘Oh relax, Parvateshwar,’ said Kanakhala. ‘You take everything too seriously’

‘I think,’ said Daksha smiling, ‘the most powerful force in a woman’s life is the need to be appreciated, loved and cherished for what she is.’