‘We will kill the Evil that took her life.’ Shiva held his son quietly while he sobbed. He closed his eyes and pulled Ganesh in tighter, and whispered hoarsely, ‘Whatever the cost.’

Veerbhadra and Krittika had come to the Rajat platform. Krittika had lived in Devagiri for a long time and knew most people, so she had been trying to speak to those who were choosing to stay back, trying to convince them to leave.

‘Veerbhadra, I need to talk to you.’

Veerbhadra turned around to see Kali and Parshuram standing behind him.

‘Yes, Your Highness,’ said Veerbhadra.

‘In private,’ said Kali.

‘Of course,’ said Veerbhadra, touching Krittika lightly before walking away.

‘Vidyunmali?’ spat out Veerbhadra, his face hardening with fury.

‘He’s the main conspirator,’ said Kali. ‘He’s hidden in the city, badly injured from some recent skirmish.’

Parshuram touched Veerbhadra’s shoulder. ‘We have to enter the city in a small group and locate him.’

Kali touched her knife, a serrated blade that delivered particularly painful wounds. ‘We need to encourage him to talk. We need to know the identity of the assassins who escaped.’

‘That son of a bitch deserves a slow, painful death,’ growled Veerbhadra.

‘That he does,’ said Kali. ‘But not before we’ve made him talk.’

Parshuram stretched his hand out, palm facing the ground. ‘For the Lord Neelkanth.’

Veerbhadra placed his hand on Parshuram’s. ‘For Shiva.’

Kali placed her hand on top. ‘For Sati.’

Chapter 51: Live On, Do Your Karma

Chapter 51

Live On, Do Your Karma

‘You want to enter Devagiri?’ screeched Krittika. ‘Are you mad?’

‘I will be back soon, Krittika,’ argued Veerbhadra. ‘There is no lawlessness in the city. You’ve seen the way the Meluhans are behaving.’

‘That may be so. But Vidyunmali’s men will surely be prowling the streets. What do you think they’re going to do? Welcome you with flowers?’

‘They will not notice me, Krittika.’

‘Nonsense! Most people in Devagiri recognise you as the Lord Neelkanth’s friend.’

‘They will recognise me only if they see me. It’s late at night. I’m going to be hidden from view. Nobody will notice me.’

‘Why can’t you send someone else?’

‘Because this is the least I can do for my friend. We need to find out who Princess Sati’s actual killers are. Vidyunmali knows. He is the one who organised and implemented this peace farce.’

‘But we are destroying the entire city. All the conspirators will be dead in any case!’

‘Krittika, many of the killers got away,’ said Veerbhadra. ‘Except for Vidyunmali, nobody knows who they are. If we don’t get to know their identities now, we will never know.’

Krittika looked away, having run out of arguments but still deeply troubled. ‘I’m as angry as you are about Princess Sati’s death. But the killing has to stop some time.’

‘I have to go, Krittika.’