Page 130 of The Love Position

‘Guruji,’ Jessica called out. ‘Do you practise asanas for two hours daily?’

There was a collective shocked intake of breath from the group, and Mohan tensed as if waiting for the order to attack.

Swami Vishnu gave Jessica a condescending smile. ‘I do.’

Sophia could almost hear the cogs in everyone’s head whirring as they compared Swami Vishnu’s physique with Mohan’s.

‘I do them in my mind,’ Swami Vishnu continued. ‘When you are as spiritually evolved as I am, it is a more profound way to experience the asanas. They work at a cellular level.’ He closed his eyes. ‘Right now, I am doing sirsasana, the headstand.’

Jessica tapped Sophia’s leg, then made the hand gesture for ‘wanker’.

Sophia bit back a grin as Mohan frowned at them both.

Swami Vishnu opened his eyes, his expression bright as if he’d just stepped up another rung on the ladder to enlightenment.

‘Learn Sanskrit and study the Gita and the Vedas daily, memorising them gradually until you know them by heart.’

‘All ten thousand, seven hundred verses of them?’ Jessica spluttered.

Swami Vishnu winked at the women in front of him. ‘It may take you a while.’

They tittered.

‘Observe mauna for a few hours daily,’ he continued, ‘not making any gesture or noise during this period.’ He eyeballed Jessica. ‘Some of you may need to extend this silence to several hours a day.’

A few people snorted.

His gaze now flicked to Sophia. ‘And remember, you will die.’

Her brain stuttered to a shocked halt as her blood turned to ice.

Swami Vishnu smiled benevolently at everyone else. ‘If we are cognisant that death awaits us at every moment, we will never fail to fulfil our spiritual duties.’

Anisha ran up the steps into the hall. ‘Please excuse me, Guruji.’

‘Yes?’

‘A call has come through for Sophia from her brother. He says it’s important.’

Sophia couldn’t breathe. Had their dad had another heart attack? Died?

Jessica helped her to her feet. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’

‘That will not be necessary,’ Swami Vishnu answered.

Jessica ignored him. ‘What do you want me to do?’

‘It’s okay,’ Sophia stammered. ‘You stay here.’ Leaving her bag with her friend, she followed Anisha out of the hall, her heart thudding and her eyes stinging.

Anisha was silent as she led Sophia to the admin block and a room at the back where a phone lay on a desk.

‘I hope everything is okay,’ she said, her expression sympathetic, then hesitantly reached out to squeeze Sophia’s arm. ‘Take as long as you need. I’ll be out front if you need anything. And don’t worry, I can’t hear you with the door closed so you’ll have privacy.’

‘Thank y-you,’ she stuttered, collapsing into the chair behind the desk.

Anisha left, quietly closing the door behind her.

Sophia picked up the old-fashioned receiver. ‘James?’

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