Nestled in the valley of the mountains, the Himalaya, the king of mountains, Hemavat, had his kingdom. He was a devout Shaivist; his wife, Menaka, also known as Menavati, was often referred to in the previous life as a nymph and a friend to Devi Sati. After her children had left the nest, the lonely Menaka wished she had a daughter. She prayed to the gods. Little did she know, the gods were as eager as she was for the birth of her child, Parvati, the daughter of Parvat Raj Himalaya. Menaka lovingly started calling her Gauri, for her complexion was fair, like that of the people of the mountains. As she nurtured her child, little did the queen know that the princess was born to fulfil the story that remained unfinished in her previous life. She did not remember how, once in jest, she had expressed her desire to be mother to Sati when she was in Kailash. While she braided the Devi's hair, Menaka expressed her loneliness, and Sati had promised to be her daughter in her next life. Sati...