Just when he was mulling over the idea of going inside, Rajjo walked out with a look on her face that was difficult to read. Raahat asked her twice, but she did not respond and sat in the rickshaw. They were headed back to the ashram.

After a deep breath she muttered, ‘A high-profile local politician to visit my first congregation. A guaranteed crowd of five hundred people, a medium stature local singer, an advertisement in the local papers that they would be attending Guru Maa Durga for ‘Shani Tod’ Darshan at Dhalipur Ashram Hari Naam… and full cable TV coverage for the entire sermon, that’s what the bastard agreed to give me.’

Raahat screamed with joy. The rickshaw puller stopped on the side road, wondering if someone had burst a blood vessel.

Rajjo had a smile of triumph.

‘You blackmailed him with what…’

‘He can’t afford a scandal. His friend, that monster, is a big minister now, and he is getting a big ticket next year finally. I don’t think he will live that long though.’

‘What about Kesar? You told me there was a boy earlier on…’

‘He is not there, I don’t know where he is, the bloody hag would not tell…’

‘Now I need two things from you, your drugged-out dealer who deals with foreigners and that smoking chimney Neeta Sahni! The reporter! ’

But Raahat’s mind was still reeling with all that Rajjo had told him.

‘What did you blackmail him with?’

‘The clinic that treated me, they filed my report. I told him to call and check. I would be in their records as a patient with enough details and pictures to slap a nasty legal case and destroy his minister friend’s reputation. He also knew I am with Mehtaab now…I told him I was his mistress, and that this was a courtesy call, and that the next one would be from Mehtaab himself.’

‘He will check with the clinic?’

‘Yes, he will, he will check on everything I said. He is an old shark. But I am sure he will not be disappointed, he will get enough information and more to take the threat seriously.’

Rajjo chuckled as she saw the shrivelled old Seth-ji staring back at her. His hawkish eyes alert and calculating. A young girl sat next to him serving tea. Some great old aunt sat on the springy couch with her dentures in a steel bowl of water right next to her. The smell of cold and must, stale and old sat in the house. The first floor had a lot of activity going on, that was where the cable TV set-up was. Rajjo shivered again, glad that she was not there anymore. While she walked out with a deal, she could see the mango tree was infested with worms. The bark was weak and bled in places.