Nandana Krishna Soumya was named by her grandmother, who had insisted on all three names. "Nandana" means daughter, the one who brings joy. "Krishna" was for the dark, playful god. "Soumya" meant gentle, soft, and luminous. It was a heavy cargo of meaning for a single child, but Nandana grew into each name like a tree growing into the hollows of a rock.
The bell was still swaying gently when she arrived. In the dim glow of the oil lamp, she saw a boy sitting on the temple step. He was dark as a monsoon cloud, with peacock feathers tucked behind his ear, and he was eating butter from a clay pot with his fingers. nandana krishna soumya
"Who are you?" Nandana whispered.
He nodded. "And you are Nandana. My joyful one. But there’s a third name they gave you. Soumya. Gentle light. Do you know why?" Nandana Krishna Soumya was named by her grandmother,