Antyesti means ‘last sacrifice’, and today it shaped itself in the untimely demise of a vulture. Idhika may have suffered the same fate had Acharya Ashwini not intervened.

This was the sacrifice that entailed the magic of Atmayog.

PART II

9

Bazaar

Every day that passed without an Eka seemed to diminish Vanyasa. The leaves had grown a touch yellower, the animals’ gaits were slower, the days somewhat colder. Aman carried out his duties mechanically as one week moved into the next following the Himalayan vulture’s death. He was learning more about the ways of the valley, and perhaps even warming up to the idea of god, but he wouldn’t admit it to himself just yet.

Over the past month or so, Aman had successfully avoided Sanaka, who was often seen walking around Vanyasa, flanked on either side by the towering Alok brothers. Gurukul took place in Maidaan as usual, with a focus on perfecting the recruits’ asanas and yoga poses. After a few lessons, each Soul of Samsara had to choose a weapon that they would use in their training. Aman picked up a sword. Jagrav had been difficult in this regard. ‘Don’t we get cool weapons like the never-ending quiver of Arjuna or maybe a one-of-its-kind spear?’ But these inquiries were met with a disapproving look from the acharya, and he had to settle for an ordinary gada, a mace.

Their meals consisted of simply cooked fruits, vegetables and grains. In Aahaar, the dining hall, Aman often got his favourite: a dish consisting of cottage cheese and red chillies with fried bay leaves and honeyweed rice. He would purposely go at odd hours to avoid being seen sitting by himself. Occasionally, his solitude was broken by Fayza, who would insist on sitting with him and making conversation, filling him in on the social dynamics of the other Souls. Aman rarely responded. He nodded and hummed and ate, but Fayza cared less as she was filled with thoughts that wanted out. Over time, he found himself eating with Fayza more and more. But apart from Fayza, he got along little with the other Souls, and his brush with Aarti, it seemed, had made any hopes of making friends in Vanyasa a fanciful dream.

Fayza told him that Yuvan had rejected Aarti’s offer to join her group, which Prithvi was a part of now. Yuvan kept to himself and spent most Gurukul classes lying lazily in the grass, but Aman, who also sat in the back of the class along with Jagrav, Savitri and Dhara, could sense a carefully concealed restlessness in Yuvan. So he wasn’t surprised to learn that Yuvan had been caught sharpening a knife, and when the weapon was eventually confiscated—like all other possessions the Souls of Samsara had brought from the plains—he ran away. He had managed to cross the wall over the Seven Hills but could get no further, and had collapsed due to hunger. He was found by one of the Vanyasis two days later.