The Silver Anklet (10 page)

Suraj gripped her hand tighter. Tara glared at Vayu.

Trust him to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Suraj was already dealing with so much. She knelt and gazed into his face. Suraj's face was blank. Had he deliberately forgotten about his friend because it was too painful?

Had he seen Rohan die?

Before Tara could reassure him, Suraj looked around the room and frowned. “Weren't there five of you?” he asked.

“How did you know?” asked Tara. She met Ananth's gaze. He looked troubled.

“Er — Kali told me,” replied Suraj. “So, where is he?” he said. Suraj's voice was a bit sharper.

“Don't worry about that now, Suraj,” said Tara. “Is there anything else you want to talk about?” Her voice was gentle, soothing.

“Tell me about your fifth friend,” said Suraj. He looked around the room and then up at the window.

“Where is he?”

“He's gone for help,” said Tara.

“No!” yelled Ananth.

“Wha-what did I say?” asked Tara, looking at him in utter confusion.

But it was too late.

“Kali!” roared Suraj.

Tara stared at Suraj, aghast. Kali came running into the room instantly; she must have been right outside their door.

“Send the hyenas to hunt for their companion and bring him back, dead or alive. He escaped from up there.” Suraj jerked his head toward the barred window.

Kali nodded and almost tripped, running off to carry out the command.

“Suraj, stop it,” said Tara. She shook him hard. “Have you gone mad? Kabir's gone for help. For us!”

She looked into his eyes and stopped. Something was different; his forehead had a small crease. Her skin prickled, crawled, as realization hit her with the force of a slap. It was where the burn on Rohan's forehead had been. She let go of his shoulders and stepped back.

There was something very wrong with her brother.

As Suraj stared back at her, his face changed. Not in its features — the eyes and nose and chin were still his. But he wore a look of utter, devastating contempt.

“Suraj, oh Suraj,” he mocked her in a high- pitched squeak. “You stupid fool,” he said. This time his voice was harsh, yet terribly familiar.

“Zarku …” she breathed. Suraj's face swam before her eyes and then room went completely dark.

When she came round, Suraj was gone. In the dim light of the lantern he had left behind, three faces peered at her anxiously. “Are you okay?” asked Ananth. “You
fainted
. That's the second time!” The question had a slight accusatory tone. As if she was incapable of fainting.

Tara sat up and retched. The others jumped out of the way. Holding her aching head, she vomited till there was nothing left inside; not food, not panic, not even revulsion. Sadness crept in to fill the void. She had hugged that monster Zarku. And
kissed
him! And now he was in her brother's body. How did he get in and how was she going to get him
out
?

“So now we know he's not in the urn anymore,” said Ananth. “Looks like he's learned how to possess a body.”

Tara shivered. Not just
any
body. That evil spirit was inside her Suraj. This was so much harder than facing the Vetalas. Here the evil resided within and she would have to remind herself to go beyond the exterior.

“But how do we get him out?” asked Raani. “If we kill him …” She saw Tara's pale face and her hand flew to her mouth. “I'm sorry — I didn't mean to say that. I only meant —”

Tara hugged her knees to her chest. “I thought of it myself,” she said in a dull voice.

“We can't hurt Zarku without harming the body he's in. If he dies, Suraj dies. Ananth, what are we going to do?”

Vayu held Tara's hand tightly in his. Oddly, it was more comforting than any words he could have said to her. She looked up at him, her eyes streaming.

“I'm beginning to wonder how Rohan died,” said Raani. “If he had that burn on his forehead then maybe Zarku tried to possess him and failed?”

“You may be right,” said Ananth, “but it's no use thinking about that now. We have to think of a way to rescue Sadia and get Zarku out of Suraj's body.”

“This is so much worse than I thought. How do we deal with this?” said Tara. She shook her head. “If only grandfather were here, he'd know what to do. We haven't even told anyone where we are!”

“We'll think of a way, Tara,” said Ananth. “Five — no four — of us should be able to come up with something.”

“I only hope Kabir reaches a village safely. He has to … we need help.”

No sooner had she spoken than they heard yelling and scuffling. They rushed to the door, which was still ajar. A hyena got to his feet, growling. The yelling grew louder. Tara ran for the lamp and held it aloft.

Another hyena came into view, dragging a struggling Kabir behind him. He was scratched and bleeding, but at least he wasn't unconscious. Behind him were Kali and then Suraj. For a moment her heart leaped and then she shuddered. This was not her little brother anymore. It was Zarku. Zarku! She must
never
forget that.

The hyena dragged Kabir up to the door and released him. He stumbled and fell to the ground at their feet, his shirt in tatters, more red than white. Immediately Raani and Tara stooped to help him up. They led him inside and propped him against the wall.

“I'm sorry,” muttered Kabir. He closed his eyes, breathing raggedly.

“Shhhh,” said Tara. “We'll talk later.”

Zarku walked into the room, followed by Kali.

“Ahhhh, it's so nice to see all five of you, together again.”

“Why are you doing this, Zarku?” said Tara. “What have we done to you? What has my brother done to you?

Leave him alone and get out of his body immediately.”

“I'd gladly rip you out of his body,” said Ananth.

“One chance and I'd put an arrow through that black heart of yours.”

“Shut up!” said Zarku. His voice was soft, but so full of menace that it silenced them all. “That's much better,” he said. “I hate it when children act uncivilized.”

He sat cross-legged on the floor. “Sit down, all of you. We have so much to talk about. Please.” When no one moved, he barked, “Sit!”

They sat down facing him.

“I envy you,” said Zarku. “Good friends having fun together. I never had friends when I was a child. The horrible eye on my forehead made me the laughingstock of my class. I had to stand on the sidelines watching others play. How I
wished
I could join in the games.

How I
wished
someone would pick me for their team.

But no one ever did. No one
ever
played with me.”

Zarku's voice sounded soft and faraway, as he reminisced about his childhood. It was torture to listen to him speak, to have to grapple with the fact that this was not her brother, but a monster who had killed many and would do so again if he wasn't stopped.

“Hide-and-seek was my favourite game of all,” said Zarku with a deep sigh. “Except it's no fun when you're playing by yourself.”

“What do you want?” asked Ananth. “Surely you did not bring us here to listen to your stupid childhood memories.”

Zarku leaned back, staring at Ananth as if he were a cockroach. “You have all the time in the world, Ananth, or how shall I put it, all the time
I
decide to give you! You will do
exactly
as I say.”

Tara closed her eyes. How could this have happened?

“If you're going to kill us, why don't you just do it?” asked Vayu quietly. “Why all this unnecessary talk?”

“Kill you?” said Zarku. “Who said anything about killing you? I just want to play with you!”

Play with us the way a cat plays with a mouse
, thought Tara. And they were about to find out just how bad it was going to be. She paid attention, still unable to reconcile that beloved face to the evil that was spewing out of his mouth. She looked at him and saw Suraj with his mop of unruly hair, his sweet smile, and his deep black eyes that almost always sparkled with mischief.

She looked away and heard that evil voice that had haunted her nightmares for a long time.

“A game of hide-and-seek, yes?” His eyes glittered with excitement, a broad smile spread across his face.

“You've gone mad,” said Tara. “At a time like this, you think we want to play hide-and-seek?”

“
Tch tch
, name-calling again?” said Zarku. “Looks like someone did not teach you any manners. I might have to do it myself.”

“Are you serious?” asked Ananth.

“Of course,” said Zarku. “You will hide and I will seek you.” He rubbed his hands together. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“Never,” snapped Raani. “You think you can tell us to play a game and we'll listen to you?”

“What if we decide not to play?” asked Ananth.

Zarku frowned. “Not play? Don't you like games?

All children like games.”

He looked away, a confused, dejected look on his face.

“Now what can I do to convince you all. Hmmmm?”

A tiny squeak broke the silence. Zarku's hand shot out and closed over a rat that had the misfortune of running past at that very moment. They all jumped.

Zarku brought the rat close up to his face, clutching it tighter and tighter. Its squeal reached an agonizing crescendo before he twisted its neck. Once again, the room was quiet.

Zarku tossed the rat aside. Five pairs of eyes followed it. It lay in the corner, its pink toes up in the air, as if it were sleeping peacefully.

“I have so many options,” said Zarku. “There is Sadia and then this body of Suraj's —”

“Nooo,” groaned Kabir. “We'll … we'll do as you say. But can I see Sadia, just once?”

“Win the game and you can take her with you,” said Zarku. “Until then, the answer is no.”

Kabir stared at Zarku, his eyes glistening.

“All I'm asking for is a game and all I hear are moans and groans,” said Zarku. “Not nice. You remind me of my classmates.”

His gaze swept over them and he pouted. “But you haven't heard the best part.”

No one said a word. His reactions were so unpredictable that Tara was glad no one attempted anything. When Zarku had everyone's attention, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

“I will give you all a head start. You have to hide from me for one night, just
one
! If I have not caught you by dawn you are all free to go, and yes,” he said, looking straight at Tara, “that includes Suraj — I can easily find another body. You will have your brother back. So, what do you say?”

“And if we're caught?” asked Ananth.

He had voiced the question that was uppermost in all their minds.

“Let's not think about that right now,” said Zarku. “How can five children not come up with interesting hiding places, in a forest? Say yes. Oh please say yes!”

He looked so normal, thought Tara, so harmless, until she looked into his eyes and saw the madness nestled there, the ruthlessness that would erupt in an instant if he did not get his way. In this form he was he was even more dangerous than he had ever been before.

“Give us a moment,” said Ananth. He jerked his head and they all moved away to huddle beside Kabir.

“What do you all think,” said Anath. “Do we say yes?”

Kabir looked at them, his face shiny with sweat and streaked with his own blood. “I don't like it one bit, but we don't have a choice. I want to see Sadia.”

“It's a trap!” said Raani. “We shouldn't agree.”

“Let's go for it,” said Tara. “Our chances are better out there in the forest than in here. And you never know — we might get lucky and win! And Zarku might even keep his word if we play his game.”

“All right,” said Ananth. “Let's do it.”

“We're ready,” he said to Zarku, who had been watching them carefully.

“Wonderful! I knew you'd see things my way,” said Zarku. He stood up and brushed the mud from his pajamas. “You can leave whenever you are ready. Playing in the dark is so much more fun, don't you think?”

No one replied. There was nothing to say.

“Kali,” said Zarku. “Serve my friends some good food.

I wouldn't expect anyone to play on an empty stomach.

I must go now and prepare. I'm soooo excited.”

Zarku skipped out of the room humming Suraj's favourite tune. “Whoops! Almost forgot one important thing,” he said. He stopped just outside the door and turned around.

Tara's stomach lurched.

“The hyenas will be helping me. Please,
please
, don't get caught! They haven't eaten in two days.”

— eight —
The Final Feast

Z
arku was gone, but he left behind a deeper gloom and a bitter taste of fear. A pale-faced Kabir lolled weakly against the wall, wincing each time Raani dabbed at a wound with her dupatta.