After the Lord’s seva, Raja Rao took out a coral necklace and a pearl chain from his wallet and gave them to the poojari to perfuse them with the Holy water, and even as he was chanting appropriate mantras, Raja Rao whispered to his women, ‘Hear him sanctify our union.’
In time, as the poojari handed him the ornaments, Raja Rao adorned Sandhya with the coral necklace and enlaced Roopa’s nape with that pearl chain, all with a feeling of blessedness. As though to demonstrate the weakness for his women did not overshadow his paternal feeling, he went through the same process with Saroja’s gold chain as well.
‘I’ll revere it like my mangalasutram,’ said Roopa touching the pearl chain to her eyelids, ‘blessed by Love and sanctified by God.’
‘It feels like He’s blessing us,’ said Sandhya mystically, and while fondling her pearls, Roopa fondly looked at the deity.
‘Even if we discount the belief of the devout,’ said Raja Rao, ‘that the Lord manifests here, one may still explain the aura of the deity. The faith and reverence of His devotees in His omnipotence could have imparted the power to His Idol.’
At length, as they went round the market place, Sandhya picked up a Nirmal painting, depicting the Lord and His two Consorts, Alivelu Manga and Padmavathi, all dressed up in the nuptial white.
‘I should’ve thought of that myself,’ said Raja Rao.
‘Let it be our inspiration,’ said Sandhya, taking Roopa’s hand, ‘that is spiritually speaking.’
In the end, as they reached their cottage, promising to be back in no time, Raja Rao went out again.
‘Oh! You look lovely in the corals,’ Roopa kissed Sandhya.
‘How the pearls come alive on you!’ Sandhya followed suit.
‘Oh, how he appreciates,’ said Roopa, ‘the variety of his women!’
‘And no less awes,’ said Sandhya, hugging Roopa, ‘with his virility in turns.’
When Raja Rao returned tonsured, Sandhya said teasing, ‘May we know to what avail the vow?’
‘It’s nothing like that,’ he said, fondling his scalp. ‘The custom could be to enable one to experience humility since hair in so many ways symbolizes human vanity.’
After a weeklong romance in their amorous triangle, strengthened by divine sentiment, the threesome, along with their little darling, left Tirupati for Hyderabad that evening.