‘I want our destination to be kept secret,’ continued Shiva. ‘Victory is assured if our mission succeeds.’

‘What are you planning to do, My Lord?’ asked Bhagirath.

‘Leave that to me, my friend,’ said Shiva cryptically. ‘In my absence, Sati will be in command.’

Everyone nodded in instant agreement. They were unaware though, that Sati had fought this decision. After Devagiri, she didn’t think she deserved this command. But Shiva had insisted. He trusted her the most.

‘Pray to Lord Ram and Lord Rudra that our mission is a success,’ said Gopal.

Shiva stood on the shores of the Mansarovar lake, watching the slow descent of the sun in the evening sky. There was no breeze at all and it was eerily still. A sudden chill enveloped him, and he looked down, surprised to see that he was standing in knee-deep water. He turned around and began wading out of the lake. Thick fog had blanketed the banks of the Mansarovar. He couldn’t see his village at all. As he stepped out of the lake, the mist magically cleared.

‘Sati?’ asked a surprised Shiva.

Sati sat calmly atop a thick pile of wood. Her metal armour had been secured around her torso, carved arm bands glistened in the dusky light, her sword lay by her side and the shield was fastened on her back. She was prepared for war. But why was she wearing a saffron angvastram, the colour of the final journey?

‘Sati,’ said Shiva, walking towards her.

Sati opened her eyes and smiled serenely. It appeared that she was speaking. But Shiva couldn’t hear the words. The sound reached his ears with a delay of a few moments. ‘I’ll be waiting for you...’

‘What? Where are you going?’

Suddenly, a hazy figure appeared bearing a burning torch. Without a moment’s hesitation, he rammed it into the pile of wood that Sati sat upon. It caught fire instantly.

‘SATI!’ screamed a stunned Shiva as he raced towards her.

Sati continued to sit upon the burning pyre, at peace with herself. Her beatific smile presented an eerie contrast to the flames that leapt up around her.

‘SATI!’ shouted Shiva. ‘JUMP OFF!’

But Sati was unmoved. Shiva was just a few metres away from her when a platoon of soldiers jumped in front of him. Shiva drew his sword in a flash, trying to push the soldiers aside. But they battled him relentlessly. The soldiers were huge and unnaturally hairy, like the monster from his dream. Shiva battled them tirelessly but could not push through. Meanwhile, the flames had almost covered his wife, such that he couldn’t even see her clearly. And yet, she continued to sit on the pyre, without attempting to escape.

‘SATI!’