Māmānār, ever the strategist, sees an opportunity. She summons Sundari to the inner sanctum of the house, where a small shrine of —the god of love—stands beside the family’s ancestral deity. “My child,” Māmānār says, “the spirits speak in riddles. You have been blessed with the kavadi ’s vigor, but the world also tests you. To stay, you must prove that your love for this household can withstand the fire of destiny.”