Swami Alokananda walked towards the car waiting for him to take him to Dakhineswar. A delegation of saints had arrived from America for the World Religious Conference of which he was the president.

But he had never wanted to be a monk. His heart was coloured with the colours of Malti’s love, asking for her in his every prayer. But a few days before their marriage, she had disappeared. He thought this was a reflex of his bad karma and became a sanyasi.

He entered the conference room, and asked, ‘Shall we start the session?’

‘We need to wait, Maharaj. Gurumayi will be here any moment.’ Gurumayi was leading the delegation.

He heard a familiar voice from behind.

‘Alok.’

He turned around and saw Gurumayi. He could instantly see his Malti in her saffron robes.

He smiled as he knew that his days of bad karma was over!