Parvateshwar turned towards Nandi in surprise. Nandi blabbered, ‘My Lord, she doesn’t
want just a glass, but fifty litres of milk. We can’t allow that with our rations.’
‘You are going to drink fifty litres of milk?’ cried Parvateshwar, his eyes wide in
astonishment.
‘I need it for my beauty bath, General!’ glowered Anandmayi. ‘You are going to take us on a
long march from tomorrow. I cannot go unprepared.’
‘I will try and see what I can do,’ said Parvateshwar.
‘Don’t try, General. Do it,’ admonished Anandmayi.
Shiva couldn’t control himself any longer. He burst out laughing.
‘What the hell do you think you are laughing at?’ glared Anandmayi, turning towards Shiva.
‘You will speak to the Lord with respect, Princess,’ yelled Parvateshwar.
‘The Lord?’ grinned Anandmayi. ‘So he is the one in charge? The one Daksha was allegedly
showing off?’
She turned back towards Shiva. ‘What did you say to trouble my father so much that he isn’t
even talking anymore? You don’t look that threatening to me.’
‘Be careful about what you say, Princess,’ advised Parvateshwar fiercely. ‘You don’t know
whom you are speaking with.’
Shiva raised his hand at Parvateshwar, signalling him to calm down. But Anandmayi was the
one who required soothing.
‘Whoever you are, you will all be smashed when our Lord comes. When he descends to
Swadweep and destroys the evil of your kind.’
What?!
‘Take her out of here, Nandi,’ yelled Parvateshwar.
‘No wait,’ said Shiva. Turning towards Anandmayi, he asked, ‘What did you mean by saying
“when your Lord will descend to Swadweep and destroy the evil of our kind”?’
‘Why should I answer you, Parvateshwar’s Lord?’
Parvateshwar moved rapidly, drawing his sword and pointing it close to Anandmayi’s neck.
‘When the Lord asks something, you will answer!’
‘Do you always move that fast?’ asked Anandmayi, her eyebrows raised saucily. ‘Or can
you take it slow sometimes?’
Bringing his sword threateningly closer, Parvateshwar repeated, ‘Answer the Lord,
Princess.’
Shaking her head, Anandmayi turned towards Shiva. ‘We wait for our Lord who will come to
Swadweep and destroy the evil Suryavanshis.’
Strong lines of worry began creasing Shiva’s handsome face. ‘Who is your Lord?’
‘I don’t know. He hasn’t shown himself as yet.’
An unfathomable foreboding sunk deep into Shiva’s heart. He was profoundly afraid of his
next question. But something inside told him that he had to ask it. ‘How will you know he is your
Lord?’
‘Why are you so interested in this?’
‘I need to know!’ snarled Shiva.
Anandmayi frowned at Shiva as if he was mad. ‘He will not be from the Sapt-Sindhu. Neither
a Suryavanshi nor a Chandravanshi. But when he comes, he will come on our side.’
Shiva’s inner voice whispered miserably that there was more. Clutching the armrest of his
chair, he asked, ‘And?’
singke
(singke)
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