A suspicious jeep crossed her path, as if the driver was hunting for his quarry. Rajjo stepped in the shadows once more. The very thought of what was in store in the near future gave her the shivers. Unable to breathe, she sat in the quiet dark corner and let the shivers pass. She could see the headlights of the jeep again. Suddenly a thought came to her head: It was all going to work out… it was all going to be OK… She told herself over and over again.

Devi was supposed to get in touch with Kesar and Raahat. She hoped they were going to deliver what they needed to. Even though she had not seen them for ages, the bonds were strong enough for her to trust their loyalty. The threads she had woven with Kesar and Raahat were going to stand the test of time.

She went back to the small hotel she had checked into for the day and sat by the window looking at the fireflies playing hide and seek in the darkness till sheer exhaustion made her sleep. She woke up to the first ray of the sun, her hands still clutching the package carrying her camera. Taking stock of her surroundings, Rajjo was ready to face another day in the chilly hill station. She had to wait for the signal that it was clear for her to move out towards the undisclosed location.

Many were looking for her, hunting her down. A massive empire, the future of the trust, her destiny and the faith of millions was at stake. When a giant tree is readying for the fall, the birds flee, the squirrels scamper, the angered snakes coil around the trunk, hissing, wanting to hold on – suffocating it into submission. She could see the signs of her future in the sky; a myriad hue of colours from bloodshot crimson to hazy gold to hopeful turquoise to serene white. The skies were a prophecy of things to come. Many would be looking at it once Durga was to go up in flames.

It was imperative she reach her destination without getting caught. To do that she had to be on the move constantly, she had to blend in. Staying in one hotel room was not advisable at all because she had got word that Rano and a few others knew she was in Manali. They would be moving heaven and earth to hunt her down.

Rajjo changed her SIM card in her cheap phone yet again, burning the one she had used for the last few hours and neatly disposing of the ashes. She was meticulous about her actions. It was imperative to be alert and cautious. This was her only chance to stay alive and die the way she wanted.