Rajjo glanced at a few empty chairs in the yard under the guava trees. A few patrons were leaving post the community lunch, some were mingling with the sewadars, enquiring about Rani Maa’s next visit. The only place left for her to check was the kitchen.

As Rajjo walked across, her heart started to beat faster. Would she let her stay and work? What if she refused, given Rajjo had not lifted a finger in the past few weeks. Even her disinterest in God was quite clear.

The large kitchen crammed with workstations, giant utensils, washing areas, buckets to chop vegetables and food stores welcomed her. Kuljeet was in the middle of it all, ordering around two sewadars who were taking stock of the pulses, oil, wheat and rice. She saw Rajjo entering the kitchen but ignored her. Rajjo stood in one corner waiting for her to finish. Then suddenly, in between her hectic instructions and ordering groceries, she paused and addressed Rajjo. ‘You will need to wear the white salwaar-kameez, like the other sewadars and take on their duties if you want to stay on…’ Kuljeet stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Rajjo, shocked that she did not have to ask, nodded.

‘You will be fine in the kitchen.’ Rajjo nodded again, with a lump forming in her throat.

Kuljeet’s act was neither out of kindness, nor fondness nor curiosity. Yet it was the most significant thing she had done for Rajjo. She’d officially allowed her to join them as a sewadar and stay on in the ashram. And then she heard Kuljeet add, ‘Wisdom, honour and wealth are within the grasp of those whose hearts remain with the Lord.’

Rajjo stole her gaze away like a thief. She was not here to be one with the lord. Thankfully, Kuljeet continued, ‘Anyway, we are short-staffed in the kitchen. Three of my women have moved to other ashrams! Rahat here will give you the overview.’ Rajjo strained to hear every word with her left ear and then she turned towards the boy Kuljeet had pointed at.

Rahat was a teenager, barely five feet in height, with an adolescent stubble and acne on his face. A mop of dry curly hair sat on his head. His eyes were glazed. As if he was high on some drug. He stammered while speaking as he showed Rajjo around the kitchen while Kuljeet and the others moved away to inspect the little storehouse situated in the back of the property.

As she followed Rahat, Rajjo almost chuckled aloud. She was going to be serving people in the name of God!

For the next few weeks the kitchen was her solace. Rajjo would wake up at the crack of dawn to get ready for the chores that awaited her. The others would say their prayers before commencing, but Rajjo would resolutely stare out of her window, taking in the sunrise. The religious readings would start in the prayer room in the compound, the sermons could be heard all the way to the kitchen where Rajjo sat chopping vegetables, filling buckets and buckets of cabbage and cauliflowers each day. From absolute inaction she had gone to a continual state of action.