‘The exhibition looks great,’ Meera said. Madhav glanced sideways at her, amused that she was still lying.

They entered the premises and found themselves in an inner courtyard bordered by large buildings and slender stairways. Unsure of where to go, she suggested he call up Suresh. Madhav heard the same religious ringtone but not the drawn-out hello. Instead, there was a woman’s pleasant husky voice on the other end. She said hello, in a brisk yet seductive way.

‘Umm, hello,’ he stuttered.

‘Hi, Suresh is in the prayer room. May I know who’s speaking?’

‘My name is Madhav. I’m here for the Art from the Heart exhibition and wanted to know where exactly to go.’

‘Oh! Where are you? I will send someone over to bring you here.’ Everything the woman said was infused with sincerity and warmth.

‘We are at the main gate.’

‘I’ll see you soon.’ Madhav felt a twinge deep in his stomach as she disconnected the call.

They waited for fifteen minutes before a young boy appeared before them. Clad in shorts and a ragged T-shirt, he stood there scratching his head and staring at Meera.

The boy’s eyes shone with innocence and he smiled hesitatingly.

Madhav raised his eyebrows and asked, ‘Are you from Art from the Heart?’

He turned to Meera, slightly bewildered, when the boy didn’t reply. Perhaps he was shy.

‘Are you here to take us somewhere?’ Madhav asked again. The boy nodded this time.

The boy reached for Madhav’s hand and held on to his fingers tightly. It felt odd, but comforting, this tiny hand in his. The boy started walking briskly, practically dragging Madhav along.

‘Hey, slow down! What’s your name, buddy?’ Madhav asked him.

‘Aakash,’ he said, grinning broadly.

Walking through the campus, Meera and Madhav saw several different workshops taking place, creating a din that was both chaotic and calming. Madhav was surprised by his reaction to the boy taking his hand, at how this simple touch seemed to strike some latent chord within him. What he didn’t know was that this gesture was the first part of the therapy.

They arrived at a tall building with colourful walls and origami cranes suspended from the ceiling. As Aakash led them up the stairs, they saw a huge sign that read, ‘The Healthiest Form of Projection is Art’. Five words—faith, trust, love, dream and kindness—marked the last five steps that led to a semi-open terrace. It was a bright space with a huge terrace garden. The place was quiet and Madhav noticed people sitting in a circle holding hands, their eyes closed. In the centre of the prayer circle was a bust of the Buddha flanked by candles.

Aakash looked at Madhav and placed a finger on his lips. They removed their shoes and Aakash placed them along with the others that had been arranged in the shape of a heart.

The space exuded a strange and powerful energy. It almost scared Madhav. He looked for a place to sit while Meera settled into a corner. There was absolute silence in the room even though there were around twenty people in there. Madhav’s gaze fell on a girl and remained fixed on her. She sat cross-legged, her back ramrod straight while she breathed deeply, her eyes closed. Her brown hair flew gently in the breeze.