Harisha

Harisha (ハリーシャ) is Shakti's nursing mother and a fellow member of a certain Hindu sect. She steals the child from the sect and attempts to use the immense power of the infant to perform a ritual that would rescue her child from an incurable illness.

Background
Harisha and her sister Laksha had been members of a Hindu sect since they were young. Harisha was a nursing mother to the sect's infant priestess Shakti. When the priestess fell ill due to a curse, the sect wanted to use Harisha's child as a substitute. Though she went along with it at first, she later regretted it and wished to undo her mistake. She used her position to abduct Shakti and fled the sect, pursued by her sister. She needed to sacrifice Shakti in a ritual to save her child and in order to do that, came to Academy City to obtain information from Index's mind.

Toaru Majutsu no Index Archives 1 Audio Drama
Harisha first encountered Index when she was with Touma on a shopping trip. She left Shakti in her hands before disappearing, in order to make some preparations.

She met Touma and Index again as they were fleeing from her sister's attack and took a hit from a chakram in order to protect Shakti. After fleeing further into the sewers, Harisha told Touma and Index that she had fled her sect with Shakti, whom she claimed was her child, as the cult had selected her as a shell for their guru's soul, and that she had given the baby away to temporarily avert her pursuer's eyes. After hearing her story, Touma offered to let her stay at his place for the time being. Harisha accepted, thanking him by his family name.

While Touma was out buying ingredients for dinner, Harisha kidnapped Index and took her and Shakti to a building where she had made preparations for the ritual. When Index came to, she apologised for using violent methods and confirmed Index's observations that the mantra engraved into the surroundings was a magical array meant to look into her mind and to break the barrier on Shakti. When asked about her goal, Harisha told her that she just needed the knowledge and would release her afterwards. Index then asked if she wasn't the child's real mother and said about the signs (such as how she mention Touma's family name when it wasn't even mentioned). Harisha asked her why she didn't act if she suspected her, to which Index replied because the child was smiling happily. Harisha confirmed that Shakti wasn't her real child but the fact that she escaped her order to save her child was true. She said she made a mistake which she intended to correct and that she would become an asura to save her child back in her homeland.

As the moon reached the right position, Harisha decided to begin the ceremony. She dismissed Index's questions over whether her kindness was really a lie, how the child trusted her and whether she thought it was OK for her to do this. Touma then arrived, to her surprise. Harisha told him not to get in the way otherwise his blood would be spilled in vain, but as Touma wasn't deterred, set a snake on him. Though she thought it was impossible for him to escape, Touma successfully dispelled the mantra on its head and got free, surprising her.

Harisha asked him why he would do so much for a stranger's baby, calling it foolish. Touma asked her who was the fool and said that she really didn't want to do this. He asked why she covered the child from the chakram despite knowing it was protected by powerful magic, why she saved her without thinking, said that the child was attached to her and that her outcome would make no one happy. Harisha told him to shut up and said about how everything was her fault, how her child was used as a substitute for the curse on the priestess, how she needed to correct her mistake. However, Touma continued to try to convince her to stop, not attacking her. Eventually Harisha gave in and yielded.

The building then began to shake as the ritual had been interrupted and the gathered mana started to go out of control. Realising the building would collapse, Harisha told Touma and Index to escape with Shakti while she supported the power, however Touma, with Index's help, erase the symbol at the centre of the array, causing the mana to withdraw and settle down. Harisha asked Touma he did something so reckless, to which Touma replied that he believed in Index and that he couldn't leave her and run, as the child thinks of her as a real mother. Index gave Shakti to Harisha to hold, telling her to hug her tightly, despite Harisha thinking it was too late for her to do such a thing.

As Harisha said sorry to the child, her sister arrived, intending to take her back and to find another way to cure her daughter. Index then remembered about Harisha's daughter having a magic-related illness and suggested that Touma might be able to help her. Harisha then learnt about Touma's Imagine Breaker, asking if it were true. After Touma said he couldn't be certain but he might be able to help, Laksha dragged him along with them as they left for India.

Abilities
Harisha's magic involves the use of mantras. She specialises in controlling animals using mantras placed on their heads. She is also capable of constructing a magical array by engraving mantras in the surroundings, which was intended for looking inside Index's memory once the moon was at its highest.