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unsure of the response to his calling Shiva father .
    ‘My son,’ whispered Shiva. ‘I misjudged you.’
    Ganesh’s eyes moistened.
    ‘Forgive me,’ said Shiva.
    ‘No, baba ,’ exclaimed Ganesh, embarrassed. ‘How can you ask me for forgiveness? You are my father.’
    Brahaspati had told Shiva that he had made Ganesh take an oath of secrecy; nobody was to know that the former Meluhan chief scientist was alive. Brahaspati did not trust anyone and wanted his experiments on the Mesopotamian bacteria to remain secret. Ganesh had kept his word even at the cost of almost losing his beloved mother and of grievously damaging his relationship with Shiva.
    ‘You’re a man of your word,’ said Shiva. ‘You honoured your promise to Brahaspati, without sparing a thought for the price you would be paying.’
    Ganesh remained quiet.
    ‘I’m proud of you my son,’ said Shiva.
    Ganesh smiled.
    Sati looked at Shiva, Kartik and then at Ganesh. Her world had come full circle. Life was as perfect as it could possibly be. She did not need anything else. She could live her life in Panchavati till the end of her days. But she knew that this was not to be. A war was coming; a battle that would require major sacrifices. She knew she had to savour these moments for as long as they lasted.
    ‘What now, baba ?’ asked Kartik seriously.
    ‘We’re going to eat!’ laughed Shiva. ‘And then, hopefully, we will go to sleep.’
    ‘No, no,’ smiled Kartik. ‘You know what I mean. Are we going to proclaim the Somras as the ultimate Evil? Are we going to declare war against all those who continue to use or protect the Somras?’
    Shiva looked at Kartik thoughtfully. ‘There has already been a lot of fighting, Kartik. We will not rush into anything.’ Shiva turned to Ganesh. ‘I’m sorry, my son, but I need to know more. I have to know more.’
    ‘I understand, baba . There are only two groups of people who know all there is to know about this.’
    ‘The Vasudevs and the Vayuputras?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘I’m not sure if the Vayuputra council will help me. But I know the Vasudevs will.’
    ‘I’ll take you to Ujjain, baba . You can speak to their chief directly.’
    ‘Where is Ujjain?’
    ‘It’s up north, beyond the Narmada.’
    Shiva considered it for a bit. ‘That would be along the shorter route to Swadweep and Meluha, right?’
    With the security of Panchavati uppermost in her mind, Kali had led Shiva and his entourage from Kashi to Panchavati via an elaborate route which took a year to traverse. The party had first headed east through Swadweep then south from Branga. They then moved west from Kalinga through the dangerous Dandak forests before they reached the headwaters of the Godavari where Panchavati lay. Shiva realised that there must be a shorter northern route to Meluha and Swadweep, which was impossible to traverse without a Naga guide, because of the impregnable forests that impeded the path.
    ‘Yes, baba . Though mausi is very secretive about this route, I know that she would be happy to share it with the three of you.’
    ‘I understand,’ said Sati. ‘The Nagas have many powerful enemies.’
    ‘Yes, maa ,’ said Ganesh, before turning to Shiva. ‘But that is not the only reason. Let’s be honest. Though the war has not yet begun, we already know that the most powerful emperors in the land are against us. Which side everyone takes, including those waiting in the Panchavati guesthouse colony, will become clear over the next few months. Panchavati is a safe haven. It’s not wise to give away its secrets just as yet.’
    Shiva nodded. ‘Let me figure out what I should do with my convoy. There aren’t too many kings in the Sapt Sindhu I can readily trust at this point of time. Once I’ve made up my mind, we can make plans to leave for Ujjain.’
    Kartik turned to Ganesh. ‘ Dada , there’s one thing I simply don’t understand. The Vayuputras are the tribe left behind by Lord Rudra. They helped the great