Rajjo passed many villages towns and cities. Colourful Bollywood posters adorned the busy market streets like baubles on a Christmas tree. Sitting on the bus, midway through the journey, her heart raced. She could smell the oncoming clouds. Monsoon was finally here!

As they travelled for a couple more hours, Rajjo could not feel her legs anymore, but she dared not get off lest she lost her seat or missed the bus. She did not trust God, providence or fate. She was going to stay put. The pain in her limbs and the bilious attack left her queasy. As her eyes teared up, she felt the first droplet of water trickle down her face…and then some more.

The smell of the first rain shower engulfed her. Rajjo was drunk on it. She hungrily devoured the raindrops and welcomed them on her parched lips. Some of her fellow passengers huddled to cover themselves with cloths and plastic sheets, a colourful botryoidal cluster covering the top of the bus. But Rajjo just turned her face to the skies. It was a sign, the wait had ended and they could sow the fields again. The cycle had begun.

The unexpected rain unleashed another torrent to carry her through the last leg of the journey. Finally they arrived at the destination. Tired, cantankerous passengers alighted from the bus. Some were deep in consultation with the bus driver and conductor, figuring out their onward journeys. Some just sat on the sidewalk catching their breath. Some stretched after the long ride. Rajjo walked through them all, deliberate and confident, towards the gate of the new ashram. It was a black metal gate just like the one in the previous ashram. The board had Shradha Swami printed on it. She shivered because of the wet clothes sticking to her body. Triumphant, she stood outside the gate. Gingerly she opened the gate and entered the compound. It was even bigger than her previous ashram and a different set of sewadars walked about. This one, like all the other ashrams, had a beautiful mango orchard surrounding the walls.

Rajjo walked to the middle of the compound and stood there for two minutes before she spotted Kuljeet and Arjan in a conversation, the same time they turned to catch her looking at them. Arjan was surprised and happy to see Rajjo, whereas Kuljeet threw her a censorious look as Rajjo walked up to them smiling.

‘Whatever pleases God’s will, comes to pass.’ Rajjo mocked Kuljeet, savouring her velvety moment of victory.

Kuljeet recovered soon enough from Rajjo’s unexpected arrival, curtly instructing her to help the others cart the luggage, and also informing her that she would be sharing a room with another sewadar as they had not expected her here. Arjan could sense something between them as he gave Rajjo a warm welcoming smile, noticing her shivering through her wet clothes.

Before he could offer her to use his room to change, Rajjo was already helping the others lug the suitcases and other luggage from the van and the bus.