did in a swift veer. Expecting her left arm to come in, he sliced with his right hand. Sati neatly
pirouetted back. Before a surprised Tarak could react, Sati had leapt to her right and brought
her right hand in brutally onto Tarak’s chest. The knife pierced Tarak’s lung. The shock of the
blow immobilised Tarak. Blood spurted from his mouth. He dropped his knife and staggered
back. Sati ruthlessly maintained the pressure and dug the knife in deeper, right up to the hilt.
Tarak stumbled back and collapsed to the ground, motionless. The entire stadium was
stunned. Sati’s face had the expression of the mother goddess in fury. Eighty-five years of
repressed anger had surfaced in that instant. She pulled the knife out, slowly twisting it to inflict
maximum damage. Blood spewed out from Tarak’s mouth at an alarming rate. She raised the
knife with both her hands. All she had to do was bring it down on his heart and Tarak would
meet his maker. Then suddenly, her expression became calm again. It was almost as if
someone had sucked out all the negative energy inside her. She turned around. Shiva, the
destroyer of evil, sat on his throne, staring at her with a slight smile.
Then she looked at Tarak, and whispered. ‘I forgive you.’
The stadium erupted in joy. Even if Lord Varun had himself scripted the fight, it wouldn’t have
been as perfect. It had everything that the Suryavanshis held dear. Defiant when under
pressure, yet magnanimous in victory.
Sati raised her knife and shouted, ‘Jai Shri Ram!’
The entire stadium repeated, ‘Jai Shri Ram!’
Sati turned towards Shiva and roared once again, ‘Jai Shri Ram!’
‘Jai...,’ Shiva’s words were clogged by the knot in his throat.
The Lord won’t mind this time if I don’t complete the cry.
Shiva glanced away from Sati, lest he show his tears to the woman he loved. Regaining
control of himself, he looked back at her with a radiant smile. Sati continued to stare at Shiva.
Emotions that had been dormant in her for too long rippled through her being as she saw
Shiva’s admiration. When she couldn’t bear it any longer, she shut her eyes.
singke
(singke)
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