Gopal looked at Kartik, grateful to have at least one member of the Neelkanth’s family on his side.

‘Justice will be done,’ said Kartik. ‘Maa’s blood will be avenged. But not with the Pashupatiastra. It cannot be done with that terrible weapon.’

‘It must not,’ agreed Gopal immediately. ‘The Neelkanth has given his word to the Vayuputras that he will not use the Pashupatiastra.’

‘If that is the case, then we cannot use it,’ said Bhagirath.

Gopal breathed easy, glad to have pulled at least some of them back from the brink. ‘The question remains, how do we give justice to Princess Sati?’

‘By killing them all!’ roared Kali.

‘But is it fair to kill children who had nothing to do with this?’ asked Bhagirath.

‘You are assuming, Prince Bhagirath,’ said Kali, ‘that Meluhans care for their children.’

‘Your Highness,’ said Bhagirath. ‘Please try to understand that children who had nothing to do with this crime should not be punished.’

‘Fine!’ said Kali. ‘We will let their children out.’

‘And non-combatants as well,’ said Kartik.

‘Particularly the women,’ said Bhagirath. ‘We must let them go. But once they are out, we should destroy the entire city.’

‘Is there anyone else you would like to save?’ asked Kali sarcastically. ‘What about the dogs in Devagiri? Should we lead them out too? Maybe the cockroaches as well?’

Bhagirath did not respond. Anything he said would only inflame Kali further.

Kali cursed. ‘All right! Children and non-combatants will be allowed out. Everyone else will remain prisoner in the city. And they will all be killed.’

‘Agreed,’ said Bhagirath. ‘All I’m saying is that we should be fair.’

‘That is not all there is to it, Prince Bhagirath,’ erupted Kartik. ‘The Somras is not to be destroyed. My father had been very clear about that. It is only supposed to be taken out of the equation. We do have to destroy the Somras factory. But we also have to ensure that the knowledge of the Somras is not lost. We have to save the scientists and take them to a secret location. They will be a part of the tribe that my father will leave behind. These people will keep the knowledge of the Somras alive. Today it is Evil, but there may come a time in the future when the Somras may be Good again.’

Gopal nodded. ‘Kartik has spoken wisely.’

‘This means that even if some of these scientists had something to do with my mother’s death,’ said Kartik, ‘we have to set aside our pain and save them. We have to save them for the sake of India’s future.’

Ganesh glared at Kartik with dagger eyes.

‘Set aside our pain?’

Kartik became silent.

Ganesh was breathing heavily, barely able to keep a hold on his emotions. ‘Don’t you feel any anger about maa’s death? Any rage? Any fury?’

‘Dada, what I was trying to say...’