In April 1999, she was desperate to become the Prime Minister claiming the support of '272' MPs. She failed to get that many then. Five years and one month later, in May 2004, she got the support of more MPs, as many as 330-plus. But, Sonia abruptly U-turned and claimed that her inner voice had directed her to renounce the office of Prime Minister.

Many thought that was the end of it. But that was not to be.

A brief flashback is worthwhile. When she announced she had renounced, the entire herd of Congress MPs fell at her feet to the full view of the world on free-to-air telecast. Thus she renounced, not silently, but thunderously. She announced this on Tuesday, May 18, late evening.

Just two days earlier, on Saturday, she had got elected as the leader of the party. On Sunday she got her allies to sign in her favour. On Tuesday noon, she even met the President to stake her claim.

Obviously she must have heard her 'inner voice' some time after she met the President at noon on Tuesday. The renouncement became a fait accompli on Wednesday.

The media first called it a drama, went wild with admiration as it turned true. 'Gandhi, the Mahatma', 'Saint Sonia', 'Vedantic' renunciation' - the media turned hysterical thus.

But why did the media suspect her first? Her past behaviour drove them to suspect her.

Recall what happened four years ago when Sharad Pawar and Sangma advised her to remain Congress president, and not insist on becoming PM. She threw her resignation on the worthies in the Congress, left Akbar Road, the party office and went back to 10, Janpath, her home.

She forced the entire party to hold her feet for days, precisely as she did in May 2004.

She relented, but only after ensuring that the party and after everyone in it was totally humiliated. The media thought she was re-enacting the same show this time around too. But when she stuck to her decision, shocked, they went haywire.

Now, move on and see what happened in the next three weeks. Another turn unfolded, but well calibrated. Things moved subtly so that her sainthood remained intact.

Manmohan Singh was sworn in on Saturday. For three days after that he could not finalise the portfolios of the Ministers already sworn in. In three days, May 20, 21 and 22, he went to 10 Janpath 14 times. Yes, 14 times. This proved where Manmohan stood in comparison to her.

Later, even she must have felt so shy that she went to Manmohan's place a couple of times and got the newspapers to highlight it, to restore some honour of the PM.

Soon she became the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance. One week later she was appointed as the head of the National Advisory Council, a new body created to position her above the PM. She was given a Cabinet rank. She would get an office in Vigyan Bhavan, the best building in the Capital. Three days back the Law Minister announced that she could call for any file. This virtually made her the Super PM, almost officially.

When Arun Jaitley screamed that it transgressed the Official Secrets Act, again she, yes Sonia, 'directed' a minion to clarify. The clarification was that the Minister had said "she would call for 'reports', not files."

She also accepted to visit Pakistan. Yes, from Sonia the renouncer in the third week of May to Sonia the head of the UPA, chairperson of National Advisory Council, with Cabinet rank, with office in the best building in the Capital and finally with the authority to call for files in the first week of June.

It now looks that 'Our Lady Renunciation', as some one called her, has bowled a googly.

The nation, the media and all who called her the Mahatma and the Buddha included. But their mouth is shut by having proclaimed her as a saint!

If she renounced despite pressure the office of the PM, could she ever be bent to head the UPA or to chair the National Advisory Council or to occupy a Cabinet post or to have her office at Vigyan Bhavan or to ask for the secret files or to accept invitation from abroad? Never.

These cannot happen unless she does want it. And obviously she does. The truth is she is gradually taking back what she abruptly gave up. It has not taken years. Just three weeks. A U-turn, a gradual one, again: from Sonia the abrupt renouncer to Sonia the gradual usurper?