They were about to start climbing the mountain when an abrupt bustling in a hedge close by halted them in their tracks. The three of them exchanged looks, unsure if they should proceed. Someone leapt out into the path ahead of them and stood in the shadow of the steps that zigzagged to the top of Kalanag. Idhika and Ujal dispersed instantly, but Aman was slow to react; he crouched down in the middle of the road with his hands over his head, bracing himself for the worst. Idhika had to rush out and pull him into the set of brambles where she hid. Near them, Ujal stealthily readied his teer-kaman and pointed it towards the shadow.

Aman thought his rapidly beating heart would give away their hiding post. No one is supposed to be outside their huts at this hour, he thought. A thorn dug into his bare back, but he bit down on the pain.

The figure finally stepped out of the shadow. ‘Eleven?’ It was Fayza. She walked closer to them with a glance that was both enterprising and veiled. ‘You wouldn’t sneak out without me?’

‘We’re only going to the Temple of Indra,’ Idhika said, stepping out of the bushes. Ujal put away his bow.

‘No, we’re not,’ Aman corrected Idhika, who instantly made a face at him.

‘I know you guys are going to Pataan; I saw that narcissist and her gang leave with his sister,’ Fayza said, tilting her head towards Ujal. ‘And I have business there too. Guru Amrav of the temple on top had mentioned Pataan earlier. But he’s been missing for a few days, and it is vital that I find him.’

Being left with no option but to let her accompany them, Idhika filled Fayza in on the plan, and the group of four began climbing Kalanag. Not too far from the Temple of Indra, just when the path dipped down towards the jungle outside, they encountered a barrier. A twelve-foot wall snaked around the Seven Hills of Vanyasa.

‘Now?’ Aman asked.

‘Aarti found a way,’ Ujal remarked, eyeing Idhika, hoping she would rise to the bait. Idhika knew Vansaya like no other Soul and was aware that everyone else knew this too. She had a reputation to uphold. With practised diligence, she found a loose brick in the otherwise smooth mud wall and pulled it out. Idhika stepped back to gather momentum, then charged forward—placing her right foot into the chink—and lifted her body up. Her fingers barely caught the top of the wall, but she managed to pull herself up.

The others followed, and with Idhika’s help made it over the wall to the other side, where a less dense, less green landscape greeted them. The air was discernibly thicker, and the increased temperature felt like a stark change after Vanyasa. Aman felt his mood change instantly; his feet felt heavier and his mind lazy, unfocused, less intent on helping Ujal.

As they walked down the steep outer slopes of Kalanag, Aman spotted a cave a few feet below with bright orange streaks of light shooting out of it. The murmurs intensified as he jogged down the slippery, mossy steps as if hypnotized.