Prithvi and her twin, Ujal, were Bhils from a tribal belt in Madhya Pradesh, perfect Souls of Samsara for an angst-stricken Vanyasa that could definitely do with a few more archers.

The tension of the string tightened around Prithvi’s index finger. The twang of her bow brought her solace, it reminded her of home, of her parents and of Bhavesh—so she let go.

TWISH!

The arrow whirred endlessly and just about missed the falling leaf. Did you take the wind into account? Bhavesh’s words echoed in her head.

SNAP! A twig broke somewhere behind Prithvi. She whipped around. Then she heard leaves crackling under scurrying steps. She ran after the sound, diving through thorny bushes and going past the clearing from where the noise had come. But she only caught sight of their boots before whoever it was hared off.

It was a man wearing shoes . . . like people in the plains! she thought. And why did he run?

That was when she saw the freshly felled tree. When she approached it, her eyes caught the glint of something lying in the grass beside it. An axe.

Her body froze. Although it was her first time in Aranyala, Prithvi knew that cutting trees was against Vanyasa’s laws. She glanced around nervously to make sure no one had seen her. Thinking about the punishment for such a crime, Prithvi stumbled a couple of steps back and began running. Her legs carried her out of Aranyala, on to the Chakkar by Pandayam Tal, and to the huts where she knew she would find her twin brother.

Ujal barged out of his hut and almost bumped into her. He had leathery black skin, and his upper body bore cuts that are the hallmark of an archer. He had a thin frame and wide forearms, and he too was missing his right thumb. The twins’ faces looked similar—with sharp, beak-like noses, black lips and dark circles under their eyes—but they were built differently. While Ujal was big and tall with a mild stubble and an ever-shaved head, Prithvi was small and slender with her long hair tied into a ponytail. The other distinction lay in their abilities—Ujal would never accept it, but his twin was indeed the better archer. ‘Where were you?!’ he asked.

‘I-had-gone-to-practise-but . . .’ She struggled to catch her breath. ‘There was someone and he tried to run away.’ She paused to drink water from the kamandalu. ‘I found an axe and a tree sliced in half. Also, I am telling you this man was wearing rubber shoes on his feet!’

Ujal rolled his eyes. ‘Hah, shoes you say? And let me guess, he was wearing clothes too, like people in cities?’

‘Ujal!’ she snapped at him. ‘I’m serious. I saw him run into the bushes.’

‘Prithvi!’ He tightly grabbed her arm. Baring his teeth, he said, ‘Don’t forget that you are a Bhil.’

She looked deep into his eyes, unwilling to flinch despite the pain. She was used to his intensity and bursts of temper.