Page 74 of Tiger's Voyage

“My ebony one, come closer.”

Kishan approached the goddess with a wide grin. She held out a hand for him to kiss. She smiled at him in return, and, for a second, I thought it was more than just a goddess-to-subject kind of smile. “This is for you,” Durga said. She took a thin necklace I hadn’t seen from her neck and placed it around Kishan’s. A nautilus shell was strung on the end.

“What is it?” he asked.

“It’s akamandal. Once dipped into the Ocean of Milk, it will never empty.”

Kishan bowed. “Thank you, my Lady.”

“White tiger, come to me.”

As Ren approached, I moved to the other side of Kishan.

“I have something for you as well.” Another arm materialized from behind her back to hand Ren a golden weapon that looked like one of the Sai knives hanging in Mr. Kadam’s sword collection at home. I heard a click as she turned the knife and separated its wicked blades. After joining them again, Durga twisted the handle until the points rolled and the head rotated.

The staff lengthened and became a trident. She pointed it away and pushed on the end. A long, thin spear shot out of the center tip and buried itself into the stone wall. A replacement spear materialized. She twisted the handle again, and it shrank back to its smaller form. Ren took it from her palm, marveling at the golden weapon.

“This is called atrishula, or ‘trident.’”

“Thank you, goddess.” Ren backed away, saying nothing else.

She studied him thoughtfully for a moment, and then turned to me with a smile. “I would like to speak with my daughter alone now.”

The men all nodded. “We’ll wait for you in the car, Miss Kelsey. We have plenty of time before we need to head back to the boat.”

Ren was the last to leave. Briefly, he looked at the goddess and me, before disappearing down the hall with the others. When I turned back to Durga, she was petting Fanindra and cooing at the snake. I let them visit for a minute, wondering what I would say about the silk offering.

She finally turned her attention back to me and reached out a finger to lift my chin. “Why are you still so sad, dear one? Did I not keep my promise to watch over your tiger?”

“You did. He’s back and safe, but he doesn’t remember me. He’s blocked me out, and he says we aren’t meant to be together.”

“What is meant to be is meant to be. All things in this universe are known, and yet mortals must still seek to discover their own purpose,

their own destiny, and they must make choices that take them on a path of their own choosing. Yes. Your white tiger has made the decision to remove you from his memory.”

“But why?”

“Because he loves you.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Things often don’t when you have your nose pressed against them. Take a step back and try to see the whole picture.” She rubbed the silk cloth between her fingers. “Much sacrifice has been made on your behalf. Many maidens come to this shrine seeking my blessing. They wish for a virtuous husband, and they want to have a good life. Is that what you seek also, Kelsey? Do you wish for an honest, noble young man to be your life’s companion?”

“I … I haven’t really been thinking of marriage, to be honest with you. But yes, I would like my life’s companion to be honest and noble and my friend. I want to love him without regrets.”

She smiled at me. “To have regret is to be disappointed with yourself and your choices. Those who are wise see their lives like stepping stones across a great river. Everyone misses a stone from time to time. No one can cross the river without getting wet. Success is measured by your arrival on the other side, not on how muddy your shoes are. Regrets are felt by those who do not understand life’s purpose. They become so disillusioned that they stand still in the river and do not take the next leap.”

I nodded.

Durga leaned over to stroke my hair. “Do not fear. Hewillbe your friend, your mate in every way. And you will love him more fiercely than you have loved before. You will love him as much as he loves you. You will be happy.”

“But which brother is it?”

She smiled and ignored my question. “I will also consider your sister Nilima. A woman of such devotion needs love too, I should think. Take this.” She handed me her lei of lotus flowers. “It has no special power except that the blooms will not fade, but it will serve a purpose on your voyage. I want you to learn the lesson of the lotus. This flower springs forth from muddy waters. It raises its delicate petals to the sun and perfumes the world while, at the same time, its roots cling to the elemental muck, the very essence of the mortal experience. Without that soil, the flower would wither and die.”

She placed the lei over my neck. “Dig down and grow strong roots, my daughter, for you will stretch forth, break out of the waters, and find peace on the calm surface at last. You will discover that if you hadn’t stretched, you would have drowned in the deep, never to blossom or share your gifts with others.”

I nodded and wiped a tear from my eye. Durga’s limbs started moving and tightening, taking on a golden hue once again. “It’s time to leave me, precious one. Take Fanindra.”