‘The Meluhan state is supremely efficient, my friend. The notices were taken down within the first three days, at least in all the major cities. They were replaced by a Meluhan royal order stating that they had been put up by a fraud Neelkanth.’

‘And the people believed it?’

‘The Meluhans have learnt to trust their government completely over many generations, Shiva,’ said Sati. ‘They will always believe everything that their government tells them.’

‘Also,’ said Gopal, ‘you have been missing from Meluha for many years, my friend. There are some who are genuinely beginning to wonder if the Neelkanth has forgotten Meluha.’

Shiva shook his head. ‘It looks like a war is inevitable.’

‘Daksha, and more importantly Lord Bhrigu, will ensure that,’ said Gopal. ‘But at least our message has reached most Meluhans. Hopefully some of them will start asking questions.’

Shiva looked at the ships of the Brangas, Vasudevs and the Nagas anchored on the Ganga. ‘We set sail in two days.’

‘No, no!’ Shiva shook his head in dismay. ‘You’ve got it all wrong!’

Light and shadows from the bonfire danced on the faces of Brahaspati, Veerbhadra, Nandi and Parshuram as they looked at Shiva, suitably chastened. It was a moonless night and a cold wind swept in from the river. The Ganga’s waters shimmered in the reflected light of the torches from the Branga fleet.

In keeping with ancient tradition, the Gunas sang paeans to the five holy elements ahead of major war campaigns, to invoke their protection and as a mark of manhood in the face of danger. The friends of the great Guna, Shiva, had gathered to honour this custom. For they would set sail at the crack of dawn tomorrow.

Shiva passed his chillum to Parshuram and decided to teach his friends the fine art of singing.

‘The real trick is in here,’ said Shiva, pointing towards his diaphragm.

‘I thought it was in here,’ said Veerbhadra playfully, pointing to his throat.

Shiva shook his head. ‘Bhadra! The vocal chords are basically a wind instrument. Your skill depends on the control over your breath, which means, essentially, the lungs. And lungs can be regulated through the diaphragm. Try to sing from here and you will find that you can project and modulate your voice with much greater ease.’

Nandi sang a note and then asked, ‘Am I doing it right, My Lord?’

‘Yes,’ said Shiva, looking at Nandi’s immense stomach. ‘If you can feel the pressure of your diaphragm on your stomach, then you’re doing it right. The other thing is to know when to take a breath. If you time it right, you will not have to struggle towards the end of the line. And if you don’t struggle, then you will be able to finish your tune without having to rush through the last few notes at the end.’

Brahaspati, Parshuram and Nandi listened with rapt attention.