Page 137 of The Love Position

Anisha ran into the temple, and Ganapati froze.

‘I heard shouting,’ she said. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘No, it fucking isn’t,’ Jessica snarled.

‘They attacked me!’ Swami Vishnu moaned, still lying prone on the floor.

Anisha’s eyes bugged out, her gaze going from her guru to the splatter of sick on the white tiles, then to Sophia and Jessica.

‘He, he tried to—’ Sophia began, her teeth chattering.

‘He put her hand on his dick,’ Jessica spat. ‘You need to call the police.’

Anisha’s expression flickered with shock, then indecision.

‘Sophia and Hanuman were intimate,’ Swami Vishnu said. ‘I was counselling her, then she attacked me.’

‘The fuck she did!’ Jessica yelled.

‘They need to be removed from the ashram immediately.’

Ganapati stepped towards them, and Jessica and Sophia stumbled back.

‘I can hold him off,’ Jessica murmured under her breath. ‘You run for our room, lock yourself in the bathroom, and call the cops. Okay?’

Sophia nodded.

‘Ganapati!’ Anisha cried. ‘Stop! There’s no need to threaten them. We can get this sorted out calmly.’

‘Please call the police,’ Sophia managed. ‘Please, Anisha.’

Mohan now entered the temple and took in the tableau. ‘Guruji?’

‘They attacked me. Get them off the island.’

‘Bullshit!’ Jessica snarled. ‘He sexually assaulted Sophia.’

Sophia glanced between Mohan and Ganapati. They were outnumbered, and neither her, nor Jessica had the strength to take them on.

‘I’m afraid you’ll both have to leave the ashram immediately,’ Anisha said, her voice unsteady. ‘We’ll escort you to your room to pack, then Ganapati and Mohan will take you by speedboat to the mainland.’

‘No way,’ Jessica shouted. ‘We paid for a yoga course and qualification, not sexual assault. And how much is it going to cost us to change our flights if you kick us out now?’

‘You’ll both receive certification for the course,’ Anisha said quickly. ‘And…’ Her eyes flicked to Swami Vishnu’s, and he gave a brief nod. ‘A thousand dollars each in cash. Whatever happens, the two of you will leave the ashram in the next hour. It’s your decision what you choose to take away with you.’

Jessica turned her back to them and faced Sophia. The fight seemed to be draining out of her. ‘What do you want to do?’ she whispered.

Sophia gripped her hand. ‘I want to get out of here,’ she replied, her voice wobbling. ‘I want to go home.’

Jessica turned to Anisha. ‘Two thousand dollars each and our certification, and we go quietly. If not, I’m gonna make sure every motherfucker on this island knows what he did.’

Anisha quickly glanced at Swami Vishnu, then nodded. ‘You’ve got fifteen minutes to pack. Mohan and Ganapati will accompany you. I’ll meet you at the boat with the money, your certificates and your passports. Do we have an agreement?’

Sophia nodded. Right now, she was desperate to get away from Swami Vishnu and everyone associated with him.

Isaac’s face suddenly came to mind. She clutched her stomach as another wave of nausea rolled through it. Who would he believe? Her or his guru?

Anisha picked up Sophia’s crutch and handed it over, then stepped back as Sophia and Jessica exited the side door of the temple, Ganapati and Mohan behind them.

---