Page 51 of Twisted Sins

A frown marred her forehead at the thought of how the demon might have gathered his experience. Did he have mistresses in the Kabali clan or elsewhere?

Why do you care?

Pushing away her unruly thoughts, she focused on the task at hand.

“I would like to meet the seer again,” she informed Uma.

Uma looked surprised.

After meeting the seer a few days ago, Nandini had steered away from the seer’s tent. The old woman’s words had unsettled her. But Nandini knew the old seer was conservative and most likely a follower of tradition. So, she wanted to meet the old woman again.

“All right. I’ll take you to the seer.”

Finishing breakfast, Nandini joined Uma to meet the seer.

The seer was meditating inside the tent with closed eyes. But when they entered the tent, the seer’s eyes opened, and her gaze fell right on Nandini.

The seer looked at her for a long, unsettling moment before she began to say something.

“The seer says you still haven’t accepted Rudra as your husband.”

Nandini nodded.

The seer said something that made Uma frown with a concerned look.

“What is she saying?” Nandini asked.

“She is saying that danger is getting closer and that you must accept Rudra as your husband.”

Nandini nodded again. “I… do want to accept him as my husband, but I want to do it in the right way. I want to accept him in the holy land as per the tradition. That’s how it has been for my three brothers when they got married.”

Uma translated the words to which the seer stared at Nandini for a long while. Once again, Nandini felt unsettled.

The seer said something again.

“The seer says that yours and Rudra’s child will be conceived in the holy land.”

Nandini’s heart jerked at the words.

“Please tell Rudra that he must follow tradition,” she said, hoping the message would be conveyed to him by the seer.

Considering the old woman was a part of the encampment filled with just the Kabali men and their wives, there must be some amount of respect and say given to her by the Kabali clan.

Nandini watched as the old woman took a tray of ash and drew symbols on it with a small twig. The seer looked at Nandini and asked her to lean forward. When Nandini leaned forward, the old woman smeared ash on Nandini’s forehead and chanted before declaring something.

Nandini folded her palms and thanked the old seer before getting up and leaving the tent.

“What did she say?” Nandini asked Uma as they stepped into the encampment.

“She said, may you achieve your heart’s wish and go to the holy lands.”

***

Nandini’s heart wish was easier said than done.

That evening, she didn’t remain with the clan. She stayed inside the tent, waiting for the demon.

Yet again, she was pacing inside the tent anxiously. Her eyes fell on the meal she had finished earlier in the tent. Even though it was a vegetarian option, she couldn’t finish as her stomach knotted anxiously, thinking of the upcoming night.

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