They found a place for themselves. It was not too hot. The wind coming from the direction of the sea brought with it some relief. Asrar told her that he would be going to his village in March and then he would tell his mother about her.

‘What will you tell your mother?’ Hina asked immediately.

‘I’ll tell my mother that a girl has done black magic on me in Mumbai,’ Asrar replied.

‘Black magic?’ Hina repeated the words and laughed.

‘Yes. Black magic.’ He spared Hina a gaze and looked at the sea. ‘The spell of the black magic of Bengal which cannot be broken.’

Hina heard him and then said, ‘Will you tell the truth?’

‘Sure?’ Asrar said.

‘Have you done black magic on me?’ Hina looked meaningfully at Asrar. He could see the mischief in her eyes. He said, ‘I had to do it, or else you would have never looked at me.’

Hina smiled at his answer.

They chatted for the next fifteen minutes.

During this time, the number of couples around them increased.

The twilight spread in the sky. The rays crawled on the water. The sea was sparkling. Some couples were lost in each other’s arms. There were some who were kissing and sharing the sweetness of their love. They were caressing the foreheads and cheeks of their beloved. There were two or three burqa-clad girls too. One of them covered her face and that of her lover’s with her veil so that no one could see them kissing. At a distance, a maulana was kissing his girlfriend but had hidden his skull cap inside his pocket. Either he was very smart or very scared. He sat hidden behind a coconut palm while the woman had her back towards the sea. It was quite possible that the couple might have come from the Juhu Galli area which was near the beach and had a substantial Muslim population. It was also possible that the maulana was involved with a married woman of that area. This was common in Mumbai. Women of the city did not believe in suppressing their emotional or sexual desires.

Hina and Asrar were having a conversation while the number of love birds around them increased. The sun had spread itself on the surface of the sea. There seemed to be colours splashed on the waters. The darkness descended from the wall and moved towards the couples and then proceeded to engulf the sea. Asrar turned his neck in that darkness and saw that a girl was sleeping in the lap of her lover. At that moment, coincidentally, Pashupati came to his mind. With the memory of Pashupati, the story of that night became refreshed in his mind. That night was one of the most memorable nights of his life. He smiled. He folded his legs and took Hina into his arms. He touched her lips.