Page 53 of The Love Position

‘Are you going to try and pick some up in town on our day off?’

‘Sure thing. And maybe some garlic. The food here is so bland.’

‘I read in the manual that onions and garlic are considered too stimulating and stop us from having calm minds.’

‘For real? Jeez. They really are trying to turn us into sheep. I wanted to learn how to teach yoga, not join a cult.’ Jessica glanced at her watch. ‘We’ve got twenty minutes before slave labour—sorry, karma yoga starts. Whaddya wanna do?’

‘Can you show me the best spot for a signal? I messaged my parents when I got to the airport telling them I’d arrived safe and sound, but I want to let them know everything’s still okay and that we’re not really allowed to use our phones.’

‘Sure thing. And I’ll act as a lookout so the yoga police don’t spot you.’

‘Oh no, are you okay?’

Sophia closed the dormitory door behind her and went to Fearne’s side. The young woman was sitting on her bed, gulping in breaths as tears streamed down her pretty face.

‘H-how are we meant to keep these clean when there’s only two washing machines?’ she sobbed, gesturing to her white trousers streaked with dirt. ‘And they’re both being used at the moment!’

Sophia looked down at her own clothes, the knees muddy from the wet toilet floor. ‘I’m not sure. Maybe we’ll have to roll them up?’

‘And Anisha shouted at me and split me up from Tyger. It’s not my fault I’ve never cleaned a toilet before and that Mohan fancies me. I’ve been to other ashrams before, and they never made us do work like this.’

The door banged open, and Jessica entered. ‘Only two freaking washers! Oh shit, what’s happened?’

Sophia glanced up. ‘Fearne’s also wondering how we’re going to keep our uniforms clean. And Anisha made her scrub a different block to Tyger.’

‘Course she did. Page one of Cult Leadership for Dummies—separate y’all so you can’t talk, and no free time so you can’t think.’

Sophia looked around the room. The other women’s dirty trousers and t-shirts were already draped over the ends of their beds.

‘I think the others have already been and gone.’ She turned back to Fearne. ‘Do you want me to say you’re ill? We’ve got to go now or we’ll be late for class.’

Fearne shook her head. ‘I’ll be okay. Thank you.’

‘And Fearne,’ Jessica said. ‘Don’t worry about the clothes. Just dry them out, then give them to me. I’ve got a plan.’

The women quickly changed, then ran back to the same asana hall they’d been in earlier. At the entrance stood Miriam with a clipboard, ticking everyone off as they arrived. Whilst it was the easiest job to have been given, she looked awkward in her role, and Sophia, Jessica, and Fearne were late.

Next to Anisha, sitting on a pile of cushions at one end of the hall, her long orange robes draped around her, was Swami Saraswati, the leader of the ashram. She was French, in her seventies, with long grey hair tied back in a neat braid. Her thin lips pursed with disapproval and Sophia had a brief thought that she must love sucking the lemons Jessica coveted.

The staff at the ashram seemed in awe of their leader, but she appeared to have as much warmth as an arctic winter, and her presence made Sophia miss her mum.

‘Turn to page one hundred and eighty-nine of your manuals,’ she began. ‘Here you will find the opening chant. You will sing this with your teacher at the start of every asana class and are expected to memorise it for your final exam at the end of the course.’

Sophia ran her eyes down the page of text. The long Sanskrit words bore no resemblance to English or any Latin-based language. She knew she was intelligent and used to studying, but this would have to be learnt by rote. Luckily, she was used to hearing Isaac singing it, so she hoped there was some part of her brain that had started to assimilate the words.

At the end of the hour, another of the students, Ellie, stood at the exit and checked off everyone’s names again.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Jessica muttered. ‘We’re not in kindergarten.’

‘Cinq minutes!’ Swami Saraswati called from behind them. ‘Five minutes until the main lecture of the day.’

Jessica was glancing between her water bottle and the nearest toilets, which were in the opposite direction from the drinking water tap.

Sophia took the bottle from her. ‘I’ll do it. I don’t need the loo.’

‘Thanks. See you in a bit.’ Jessica dashed off.

‘No running in the ashram!’ Anisha shouted.

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