The Silver Anklet (20 page)

He laughed long and hard. The hyenas outside the room laughed, too. Kali walked into the room and joined them, giggling like an overgrown schoolgirl.

“What are you laughing at?” said Zarku, frowning at Kali. “Do you know what the joke is, you moron?”

Kali immediately shut up and shook her head. “Tell me. I'm sure I'll appreciate it.”

“Shut up!” said Zarku. “You think I have time to stand here and tell you jokes? What is it?”

“I've finished packing,” she said sullenly. “We're ready to go.”

“I'll be back in a few moments,” he said to Tara. “I had better double-check everything. She cannot be trusted.”

Kali turned white and Tara smiled. It was heartening to see this bully finally meeting her match. Kali gave her a parting glare and followed Zarku out of the room.

Tara looked up at the window. Dawn had arrived though the sky was obscured by a thick, grey curtain of water. The others would have reached a village by now and might even be telling someone about her and Zarku at this very moment. But until they got here she was alone with that monster and she still hadn't seen Sadia.

He's not a monster, Tara
.

Tara jerked convulsively. She wasn't mad … someone was playing games with her. The voice only spoke when she was thinking of Zarku. Maybe this was one of the tortures that he had dreamed up for her. She ran to the doorway. The corridor was deserted except for dried leaves skittering across the floor, swept along by a gust of wind.

She stepped back into the room and walked along the periphery, running her palms over the walls. Vines clung tenaciously to the cracks with their strong roots. But there was no crevasse deep enough to hide someone. She was alone.

“Please,” she whispered backing into the middle of room. “Stop playing games. Show yourself.”

No one came forward.

She looked all around her, the walls, the ceiling, even the floor. “Hello?” said Tara “And hello to you, too,” said Zarku stepping into the room. “I can see that you are becoming more polite every minute. I'm almost starting to become fond of you, Tara.”

“Is there anyone else you're holding captive besides Sadia and me?”

“Captive is a very strong word,” said Zarku, his voice suddenly cold. “Why, you can walk out of here this very moment if you like. I won't stop you.”

They both knew she wouldn't. Couldn't. Was held to this bargain by the thing she could only think of as love.

“I heard someone, a woman's voice, just a moment ago. Are you sure you don't have someone else in here?

Maybe in the next room?”

“Hmmm, hearing voices,” said Zarku. “That's not a good sign at all. You're not going to go mad or die on me, are you?”

Tara said nothing. Maybe this was Sadia speaking from somewhere close by, the next room, perhaps. And the voice was coming in through some crack. But how did that explain hearing the voice in the forest? She was grasping at straws and she knew it.

“I'd like to see Sadia, please. Can you take me to her?”

“My, oh my,” said Zarku. “How very well-behaved you are all of a sudden. I always reward good behaviour.

Come with me.”

He swivelled on his heel and skipped out the door eagerly, like a child about to show off a new toy. Tara ran behind him. He led her out into the main corridor and then swerved into another passageway. Water dripped steadily from the cracks overhead. Occasionally a cold drop landed on her head. Rain had pooled in puddles along the way, soaking her shoes as she ran to keep up with Zarku.

Zarku stopped suddenly and Tara almost bumped into him. He flung open the wooden doors of a small room. Someone coughed from within.

“Go in and stay with her,” said Zarku. “Kali will be along to fetch you both shortly.”

Tara stepped inside, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the gloom. This room did not have a window and the only light came in from the corridor. And there she was, curled up on a stone bench hollowed out within the wall.

“Sadia?” said Tara, rushing to her side.

Immediately the coughing stopped. Sadia struggled to sit up. She barely managed to prop herself up on her elbow before she fell back on the stone bench, a wet cough wracking her thin body. Tara hugged her and was instantly worried; Sadia was burning up with fever.

“Who … are … you?” Sadia managed to say.

The instant Sadia spoke, Tara knew the voice she'd been hearing was not hers; she had known it all along. So then, who was it? She pushed the thought aside and ran to the door.

“Don't leave me,” Sadia shrieked. There was such terror in that cry that Tara returned to her side.

“It's all right, Sadia. I'm Tara, a friend of your brother, Kabir. Don't you remember, we met at the fair? I've come to help you.”

Sadia sat up with a huge effort. She clung to Tara, sobbing as if her heart would break. Tara wanted to bawl, too. How had Sadia survived these last few days, alone in this small dark room? She heard footsteps and stood up. She needed to brew some medicine for Sadia and was willing to grovel if need be.

“Follow me,” said Kali. She stood in the doorway, blocking out much of the light and beckoned to them.

“Kali, wait,” said Tara. “Sadia is very ill. She needs medicine or she won't survive.”

“Good,” snapped Kali. “One less burden to carry around.”

Curses for Kali rose unbidden to Tara's lips. It was wrong to wish ill on anyone, her mother had always said.

But Kali was not anyone. She was the worst and most inhuman being Tara had ever known. After Zarku.

“Up, GET UP!” said Kali. “I haven't all day.”

“Sadia, can you walk?” asked Tara.

Sadia mumbled and sat up, coughing. She got to her feet and immediately crumpled to the ground. Tara scooped her up, feeling her small, hot body settle heavily in her arms and walked up to Kali. “I'll need help. Sadia is too ill to walk on her own.”

“The hyenas are just outside. Toss her to them and they'll take care of the problem.”

The room took on a reddish tinge. Tara focused on adjusting Sadia in her arms to be able to carry her comfortably. If she hadn't been preoccupied with that, she would have strangled Kali. How could she be so hard-hearted? She was a mother, after all.

Tara followed Kali's ample bottom, wondering what it would take to persuade the hyenas to reduce it by a few kilos or maybe even devour her. No one in the world would miss her except Layla. Anger pulsed anew at the thought of Layla; the evil child of an evil mother. In spite of being separated from Kali, she had shown her true colours and betrayed Suraj and his friend. How had she done it? How had they communicated with each other without being discovered? If she ever survived this, it would be the first thing she would investigate.

Tara followed Kali through the labyrinth once again. Sadia was getting heavier with each step. How had Vayu carried Raani for so many hours under the burning sun, without pause or complaint? She was barely able to manage a small child.

Kali turned a corner and there was the entrance. The gray day dampened Tara's spirits further. Her arms ached and her legs trembled. They hadn't even left the temple yet and who knew how far Zarku would make her walk.

Zarku stood in the rain, arms folded across his chest— exactly as Suraj did when he was annoyed. The familiar gesture tugged at her heart. She focused on the hardness in his eyes. The tug vanished, replaced by hatred.

“Took you long enough,” said Zarku. Beside him was a bundle covered in an oilskin.

“Sadia is ill,” said Tara. “She can barely walk.”

“So? I see you found the solution already,” he said.

“Good girl.”

“I can't carry her all the way,” said Tara. “She's too heavy.”

“Feel free to drop her at any time,” said Zarku. “The hyenas haven't eaten today. And you,” said Zarku snapping his fingers at Kali and pointing. “Pick up the bundle.”

On cue, the hyenas swirled around her legs sniffing, gibbering.

Tara took a deep breath. She would drop dead before she dropped Sadia. She hoisted the little girl higher. Squaring her shoulders, Tara walked out into the pouring rain.

— eighteen —
The Voice of Madness

T
he rain stopped at midday. The sun came out and with it the ubiquitous mosquitoes with their constant buzzing. Within the hour, the forest became warmer, like a slowly heating oven. The earth steamed gently under Tara's feet. Now and then a breeze dislodged drops of rain from the leaves, showering her with a welcome coolness.

Sadia moaned and hot breath fanned the base of her throat. Tara wanted to moan, too; she couldn't feel her arms. Her face was drenched with sweat, blinding her at times because she was unable to wipe it away. All she wanted to do was sit down and never get up. She forced herself to keep going, left foot, right foot, left … right … Tara licked her parched lips. “Please, can we stop for a short while?”

Zarku ignored her.

“Please,” said Tara, hating herself for the whining tone.

“No!”

“If I collapse and die, you won't be able to carry out your grand plan. Ever thought of that?”

Zarku stopped and turned round, a squiggle of worry on his forehead. Tara trembled with the realization that finally she had something that would make him listen to her. Something she could use to blackmail him. If she died or did not reach the cave, he would not be able to carry out his plan.

“All right,” he said. “Ten minutes only. But don't think you can use this excuse with me all the time. I can still carry out my plan with you barely alive. Remember that.”

Tara sank to the ground, still holding Sadia, too tired to understand or even care about what he meant by that.

She took deep, shuddering breaths wondering if she would have the strength to stand up again after ten minutes.

“Water,” mumbled Sadia.

“Give me some water, Kali,” said Tara.

“No!” she snapped. “There's none to spare.”

Tara turned to Zarku. “If anything happens to Sadia, you can be certain I won't let your plan succeed. You'll have to spend the rest of your life in Suraj's body, forget about all that glory and power.”

Tara winced as she said it, praying he would not see through the bluff. She couldn't let Suraj live the rest of his life possessed by Zarku. She would kill him first.

How exactly she would accomplish that did not bear thinking about right now.

“Give her the water,” said Zarku. He stood to one side, deep in thought.

“Here,” said Kali. She thrust a bottle of water in Tara's hand.

Tara unclasped Sadia's thin little arms from around her neck and laid her on the ground. She was so very still, her face flushed and red in the afternoon heat, her lips cracked and dry.

“Sadia, here's some water,” said Tara. “Open your mouth.”

There was no response from the little girl.

Tara propped her up and poured a few drops into her mouth. The water trickled out the side and Sadia's head lolled. Tara shook her gently. “Sadia, listen to me, wake up. I'm taking you back home. To Kabir.”

Sadia mumbled under her breath, but did not open her eyes. Painstakingly, Tara poured some more water into her mouth, feeling Kali's eyes on them, counting every drop. Only when she thought Sadia had had enough did she take a deep gulp. Kali snatched the bottle away before she could take another.

“Enough!” said Kali. She put the stopper back on. “We have to ration it.”

They glared at each other in silence.

“If both of you have finished with the loving looks, let's go,” said Zarku.

It would be so easy to just give up, lay down here and let him kill her and Sadia. Tara leaned her head back against a tree and closed her eyes. The battle at the banyan tree flashed through her mind; all those villagers turned into Vetalas with Zarku rousing them to a mad frenzy. She sat up with a jerk. If she did not stop him, this would be their fate all over again. It was in her hands now and she had no idea where to start.

Zarku was looking at her curiously. “Get up, now!”

“Just a few moments more.”

Zarku snapped his fingers and a hyena rushed forward and nipped her. Her shoulder throbbed and blood blossomed on her kurta. Tara jumped to her feet. The hyena backed away, laughing.
You watch
, she thought, staring straight at the ugly beast.
I'll have the
last laugh
.

Zarku and Kali were on their feet, staring at her impatiently. The thought of having to hoist Sadia in her aching arms made her quail. For a brief moment she felt resentment. Why was
she
latched with this burden? It would be so easy to walk away. Leave Sadia and save herself.

Sadia muttered unintelligibly, deep in the throes of fever. Tara caught only one word,
Kabir
, and was instantly ashamed. How could she even think of abandoning this child after she had promised Kabir she would bring her back? What if this had been Suraj? Such an ugly thought would never have crossed her mind!

“Looks like you both need a bit of help,” said Zarku, snapping his fingers. Both hyenas converged on Sadia, sniffing greedily, licking her face. One of them nipped her nose, drawing a bit of blood.

Sadia's eyes snapped open. “Don't let him eat me, Didi.” She crawled over to Tara and wrapped her thin arms around her, rubbing her nose and howling.

“Call them off!” screamed Tara.

“You can't blame them for taking a sniff at lunch.” Zarku laughed. It was a thin, brittle sound that sliced through hope, leaving only despair. “Next time they won't be so polite.”

Tara lifted Sadia, every muscle in her body crying with fatigue. Her arms automatically locked in place under Sadia's small bottom. She followed Zarku's feet, mesmerized by the way he lifted his feet, put them down, up and down again accompanied by the sounds of crackling leaves and twigs. On and on and on.