A sudden wind picked up, swirling dust particles and leaves lying around her on the ground. Sati gazed at the swirl. The particles appeared to form a figure. She stared hard as Shiva’s image seemed to emerge. She remembered the promise she had made to him; that she would see him when he returned.

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

The wind died down just as suddenly. Sati could feel her vision blurring. Blackness appeared to be taking over. Her vision seemed to recede into a slowly reducing circle, with darkness all around it. The wind burst into life once again. The dust particles and leaves rose in an encore and showed Sati the vision she wanted to die with: the love of her life, her Shiva.

I’ll be waiting for you, my love.

Thinking of her Shiva, Sati let her last breath slip quietly out of her body.

Chapter 46: Lament of the Blue Lord

Chapter 46

Lament of the Blue Lord

To reach the Meluhan capital as quickly as possible, Shiva had commandeered a merchant ship, which docked at Devagiri a little more than a week later.

‘That must be the ship Sati commandeered,’ said Shiva, pointing towards an anchored empty vessel.

‘It means she’s still in Devagiri,’ said Ganesh. ‘Bhoomidevi, be praised.’

Kali clenched her fist. ‘If they’ve imprisoned her and hope to negotiate, I will personally destroy everything that moves in this city.’

‘Let’s not assume the worst, Kali,’ said Shiva. ‘We all know that whatever may be his faults, the Emperor will not harm Sati.’

‘I agree,’ said Kartik.

‘And don’t forget, Queen Kali,’ said Gopal, ‘We have the fearsome Pashupatiastra. Nobody can stand up to it. Nobody. The mere threat of this terrifying weapon would be enough to achieve our purpose.’

Their conversation came to a stop with the sound of the gangplank crashing on the deck.

‘Where is everyone?’ asked Shiva, frowning as he stepped onto the gangplank.

‘How can the port be left abandoned?’ asked a surprised Ayurvati, who had never seen something like this in all the years that she had lived in Meluha.

‘Let’s go,’ said Shiva, unease trickling down his spine.

The entire brigade marched out in step with the Neelkanth. As Shiva’s men stepped out of the port area their eyes fell on the large peace conference building. Inexplicably, a colony of tents had been set up outside the building.

‘This area has been thoroughly cleaned recently,’ said Gopal. ‘Even the grass has been dug out.’

‘Of course, it would be,’ said Shiva, quietening his fears. ‘They would need a pure area for the conference.’

A phalanx of Brahmins was conducting a puja next to the closed door of the peace conference hall.

‘What are they praying for, Panditji?’ asked Shiva.

‘They’re praying for peace,’ said Gopal.

Shiva found nothing amiss in that.