Ayurvati assumed that Sati was worried about the long recovery time and the possible impact on her ability to participate in the next battle. ‘But it is a very simple procedure, Sati. You will recover in a couple of weeks. We seem to be in for a good monsoon this year. This means there will be no warfare for a few months. You will not miss any battle.’

‘Nothing would keep me away from the next battle.’

‘Then why don’t you want to do this surgery, my child? I’m sure it would make the Lord Neelkanth happy.’

A hint of a smile escaped her solemn demeanour. ‘Shiva keeps telling me I’m as beautiful as ever, scar or no scar. I know I look horrendous. He’s lying because he loves me. But I choose to believe it.’

‘Why are you doing this?’ asked an anguished Ayurvati. ‘It won’t hurt you at all; not that you are scared of pain...’

‘No, Ayurvatiji.’

‘But why? You have to give me a reason.’

‘Because, I need this scar,’ said Sati grimly.

Ayurvati paused for a moment. ‘Why?’

‘It constantly reminds me of my failure. I will not rest till I have set it right and recovered the ground that I lost for my army.’

‘Sati! It wasn’t your fault that...’

‘Ayurvatiji,’ said Sati, interrupting the former chief surgeon of Meluha. ‘You of all people should not tell me a white lie. I was the Commanding Officer and my army was defeated. It was my fault.’

‘Sati...’

‘This scar stays with me. Every time I look at my reflection, it will remind me that I have work to do. Let me win a battle for my army, and then we can do the surgery.’

‘Dada,’ whispered Kartik, gently placing his hand on his angry brother’s arm.

Ganesh’s army had just arrived at Lothal. They too had avoided Mrittikavati as advised by a Vasudev pandit. Just like Shiva, Ganesh had ensured that all his ships were destroyed on the Saraswati before his army marched south to Lothal.

They were received at the gates of Lothal by Governor Chenardhwaj. Ganesh and Kartik had wanted to meet their parents immediately, but were informed by Chenardhwaj that Shiva wanted to meet them beforehand. Shiva wanted to prepare them for their first meeting with their mother after her defeat at the Battle of Devagiri.