Rajjo brushed her bodice and turned towards the mirror. She was ready to be prepped up. The sash was puffed up. Hurried hands sprayed hair and makeup on her. She was ready to face it all once again.

The door opened and Rajjo’s old and frail mother Saroj walked in with a deep motherly concern, snow-white hair, aged face, beautiful tired eyes. She saw her daughter looking tired, exhausted and troubled. Devi moved swiftly to offer her a chair and offered some fruits and water to the old woman. But she wanted none of that. All she wanted was to wipe out the grief from her daughter’s face.

Saroj and Devi exchanged a knowing look; Rajjo at the helm of such a big empire carrying a bleeding heart. Saroj hoped it was not going to bleed to death. She hoped her daughter would find her way before she was completely lost. As the drumming of the AC and the soothing chant filled the room, Saroj placed her tired hand on her daughter in a comforting manner. ‘What is the point of all this wealth and riches? You need to have the real thing. If you don’t have faith, you are barren. If you find your faith, they say the fire does not burn it, and the wind does not blow it away; thieves cannot get near it. Accumulate the wealth of the Lord’s name; that wealth does not go anywhere.’ Her words echoed in the room.

Rano rolled her eyes. All they needed in this drama was her mother mouthing lines from the holy book to dissuade Rajjo from continuing the business and find faith. Mother had definitely gone senile and she had become worse than their feisty grandmother. She needed to get her out for now!

‘The temperature, it’s too hot…I want the AC on.’ Rajjo muttered in response to her mother. She took deep breaths as the others shivered in the cold blast.

Saroj was panicking for her daugher, ‘Rajjo, it’s never too late. Just leave all this and go get some rest. You have done enough for the day. Everyone should go home now!’

‘Leave the room, mother, we will come and see you later.’ Rano instructed her mother – her tone did not invite a discussion. Saroj faded into the shadows. She looked at her daughter sitting in front of the mirror. A TV channel played her sermon in the background. Rajjo as Maa Durga. She was telling people about the Lord. There was a pitiful expression on her face.