CHAPTER 3

She Enters His Life

Nandi lay in a semi-conscious state for several hours as the medicines administered by the
doctors worked on his body. Shiva sat by his side, repeatedly changing the wet cloth on his
burning forehead to control the fever. Nandi kept babbling incoherently as he tossed and turned
in his sleep, making Shiva’s task that much more difficult.
‘I’ve been searching... long... so long... a hundred years... never thought I.... find
Neelkanth... Jai Shri Ram...’
Shiva tried to ignore Nandi’s babble as he focussed on keeping the fever down. But his ears
had caught on to something.
He’s been searching for a hundred years?!
Shiva frowned.
The fever’s affecting his bloody brain! He doesn’t look a day older than twenty years!
‘I’ve been searching for a hundred years...,’ continued the oblivious Nandi. ‘...I found...
Neelkanth...’
Shiva stopped for a moment and stared hard at Nandi. Then shaking his head dismissively,
he continued his ministrations.

Shiva had been walking on a paved, signposted road along the River Beas for the better
part of an hour. He had left the rest house to explore the area by himself, much against a
rapidly recovering Nandi’s advice. Nandi was out of danger, but they had to wait for a few days
nevertheless, so that the Captain could be strong enough to travel. There was not much Shiva
could do at the rest house and he had begun to feel resdess. The three soldiers had tried to
shadow Shiva, but he had angrily dismissed them. ‘Will you please stop trying to stick to me like
leeches?’
The rhythmic hymns sung by the gentle waters of the Beas soothed Shiva. A cool tender
breeze teased his thick lock of hair. He rested his hand on the hilt of his scabbard as his mind
swirled with persistent questions.
Is Nandi really more than a hundred years old? But that’s impossible! And what the hell do
these craqy Meluhans need me for anyway? And why in the name of the holy lake is my bloody
throat still feeling so cold?
Lost in his thoughts, Shiva did not realise that he had strayed off the road into a clearing.
Staring him in the face was the most beautiful building he had ever seen. It was built entirely
with white and pink marble. An imposing flight of stairs led up to the top of a high platform,