The crackling sound of fire kept echoing around while villagers stood there till the fire burnt the body and turned it into ashes. Women kept wailing sitting on grass. Ama kept trying to stop the little girl from crying but it kept crying louder and louder. After three hours everyone started returning back with ashes stored in a clay pot.
Everyone gathered under a big stout sacred fig. Ama settled down on rest stop made of stone piled under the tree, and villagers settled around as per their comfort.
"We are going through the roughest period. This can be worse for village than the 82' incident. For now, let's discuss on who is going to keep this child." Ama said calmly while moving the baby girl in a constant motion on her lap.
Everyone remaint silent and kept looking at each others face. A bulging belly took a deep breathe and raised her arm,"Maybe Mata's disciples know the answer." Sati said while supporting her belly with her right arm.
Laxman got up and ran nearby to the Mata's place. After fifteen minutes he returned with disciples alongside. Disciples looked calm and composed whereas Laxman looked lifeless and gloomy. Disciples sat beside Ama and Laxman sat beside Sati in the crowd.
"As you all know, Mata took samadhi in her sleep yesterday night. She went peaceful and that is what she wanted." One of the disciples who looked younger and had a read dot between her eyebrows said.
"But her prophecy came out wrong. What do you have to say about it?" Ama asked.
"It is as shock to you as it is to me. She was a doctor, a fortune teller, a guardian of this village who never missed her mark. And she died on the day her prophecy came wrong," said the elder disciple.
"We are yet to look into the matter and make a sense of it. Maybe it is a sign from beyond," continued the younger disciple.
"Why don't we sacrifice her?" A voice echoed from the crowd.
"So you are telling you don't trust Shiva?" Ama asked raising her eyebrows.
"That is not it. You said it is like the 82' incident or even worse and we have more or less heard how awful it was."
People raised their voice in unison.
"We don't want to take any risk," said another voice from crowd.
"Let us wait for few months and then if things worsen then we will decide," said Ama with her eyes reddening and clenching her teeth.
Sun set and moon rose up with background painted in orange and black. Darkness started to creep in as they were discussing with time passing by faster every second.
"What do Matas have to say on this?" Sati asked.
Ama asked a woman in the crowd to take the baby on side and feed her.
"For now we will keep her with us till someone decides to raise her," younger disciple sets her eyes on to Sati.
Sati tried to avert her eyes and said,"hope this time you are right." A silence followed and everyone just stayed frozen with only breathing noise flowing around.
"What should we call her?" Laxman said breaking the silence.
Ama taking the baby back kept looking at her face and finally uttering,"Durga."
"She will be called Durga," Ama said with a pride on her face.
"Let us end this meeting it is already dark now," said elder disciple.
Everyone got up and started to walk away. Ama handed the little girl to elder disciple and looked one final time at the baby before separating. The disciple walked toward their place with Durga in their arm carefully taking each step.
A new sun rose from behind the mountain but the moon was still lurking behind. With rooster crowing noise travelled a news which sent unrest throughout the village,"Durga is lost. Nowhere to be found."