Shiva looked up, his eyes half shut. He was descending into a strange sleep. He yelled
suddenly, ‘Nandi!’
Nandi came rushing in.
‘Nandi, can you find me a cravat?’
‘Cravat, my Lord?’ asked Nandi.
‘Yes.’
‘Umm. But why, my Lord?’
‘BECAUSE I NEED IT!’ shouted Shiva.
Nandi, shocked at the violence of his Lord’s reply, hurried out. Sati and Ayurvati looked at
Shiva in surprise. Before they could say anything, he suddenly collapsed. Unconscious.
He was running hard, the menacing forest closing in on him. He was desperate to get
beyond the trees before they laid their ravenous claws on him. Suddenly, a loud insistent cry
pierced through the silence.
‘Help! Please help!’
He stopped. No. He wouldn’t run away this time. He would fight that monster. He was the
Mahadev. It was his duty. Shiva turned around slowly, his sword drawn, his shield held high.
‘Jai Shri Ram!’ he yelled, as he raced back to the clearing. The bushy thorns slashed his
legs. Bleeding and terrified, he ran hard.
I will reach her in time.
I will not fail her again.
My blood will wash away my sin.
He sprang through the last clump of shrubs, letting the thorns cut greedily at his flesh, and
leapt into the clearing. His shield held defensively, his sword gripped low to retaliate. But
nobody attacked. It was a strange laughter that finally broke his concentration. He lowered his
shield. Slowly.
‘Oh Lord!’ he shrieked in agony.
The woman lay stricken on the ground, a short sword buried into her heart. The little boy
stood on her side. Stunned. His hand bloodied with the struggle of his kill. The hairy monster sat
on the rocky ledge, pointing at the little boy. Laughing.
‘NO!’ screamed Shiva, as he jerked himself awake.
‘What happened, Shiva?’ asked a worried Sati, darting to hold his hand.
Shiva looked around the room, startled. A worried Parvateshwar and Ayurvati got up too.
‘My Lord?’
‘Shiva, it’s alright. It’s alright,’ whispered Sati, gently running her hand along Shiva’s face.
‘You were poisoned, my Lord,’ said Ayurvati. ‘We think that some of the Chandravanshi
soldiers may have had poisoned weapons. It has affected many others as well.’
Shiva slowly regained his composure. He got off his bed. Sati tried to help him up, but he
insisted on doing it himself. His throat felt excruciatingly parched. He stumbled over to the ewer,
followed closely by Sati. He reached over and gulped down some water.
‘It seems like I have been asleep for many hours,’ said Shiva, finally noticing the lamps and
dark sky beyond.