The head of the clans nodded and said, ‘Yes, Mother. So be it.’ Brighu paused for dramatic effect. ‘The Curse of Airavata explains the purpose of each of us.’ He stared into the flame, the stick he carried poking the fire. Blue-tailed sparks reached for the heavens and then fell as charcoaled dots. ‘Three thousand years ago, at a time when very few lived in the valley, Airavata, the white elephant, was taking a cold bath in Pandayam Tal when a crocodile, Huhu, swam up from underneath.’

The white elephant was familiar to Aman—it had waylaid his initial entry into Vanyasa—but its mention stirred no one else. Everyone around him looked to the lake on their right; the Seven Hills and the fire were mirrored in the reflection of its unruffled waters.

‘Huhu, the crocodile, bit the elephant with all its might, clutching on with sheer force. Airavata shook in agony, but the crocodile wouldn’t let go. Legend has it that without any help from our ancestors, the elephant wept and trumpeted with all five of its trunks for over a year. For another year after that, he cursed the valley, saying that we too would be unable to move, not be allowed to spread the magic of Atmayog, bound by the Seven Hills—much like he was stuck to his spot in the silty lake. Since then, the secrets of Vanyasa have never left the walls of Vritra. But the story doesn’t end there. When no help arrived for the suffering Airavata, it seemed he let go of his thoughts and offered himself to Death. Bhuts flew in and circled Pandayam Tal for months. Upon his final breath, in a last-ditch plea, the elephant offered a lotus to Indra. You see, Airavata was Lord Indra’s ride. He held the flower high, lifting his trunk towards Svarga, heaven, where his master, the king of the gods, waited for him.’

Lord Indra’s vehicle attacked me? Aman thought.

‘Eventually,’ Chief Brighu continued, ‘the deity answered the elephant’s prayers. Indra struck the lake with his lightning bolt and burnt the crocodile. Airavata was finally free, and he lay prostrate to thank the lord. But you see, it was only after the elephant stopped resisting death that he attained salvation. The muddy waters of Pandayam Tal are like the cycle of Samsara. They keep the soul trapped—by things materialistic and even sinful. These things are represented by Huhu, the crocodile, who will hold one down. Who can tell me what Airavata represents?’

‘A yogi,’ said Fayza from within the crowd.

18

Vritra

As winter dragged on, Aman had almost resigned himself to living with the constant nausea he felt. In stark contrast, Idhika appeared to be thriving—not only was she unaffected by the cold, but she had also started to condition herself to eat smaller meals in order to prepare for the Mahayatra.

‘But that’s over three months away!’ Aman had said when she told him.

‘As the Eka, I have to be ready.’

Aman, Idhika, Fayza and Ujal had been busy the entire winter completing the term of their punishments and were nearing the end. They would finally be free.