The Silver Anklet (12 page)

Sweat trickled down Tara's face in rivulets. Her clothes clung to her body like a wet sheath. An agonizing stitch gripped her side in a vice. Her heart thundered in her chest. She had no idea how much longer she could run, but she did not want to be the first one to suggest that they stop.

“Can't … run,” gasped Vayu. He sat down abruptly on the forest floor, coughing.

Everyone stopped and tumbled to the ground. Silently, Tara thanked him. A sliver of moon, hanging silently in the night sky, bathed them in a weak, milky light. Panting, Tara lay on her back, staring at the patches of sky visible through the treetops. This same moon must be shining over Morni, over her mother and father, over home. She felt a pang of guilt for not having told them that she was going to look for Suraj. What if neither of them returned?

Lightning cleaved the sky and thunder rumbled overhead. Fat clouds moved across the face of the thin moon. Rain! At last, some respite from the sticky heat.

“At this rate, we won't last very long,” wheezed Ananth. “We'll have to pace ourselves if we're to survive till tomorrow morning.”

Tara's muscles throbbed in protest. Tomorrow morning? She was ready to give up right now if it meant she could lie still for just a while longer. A persistent cloud of mosquitoes had taken a liking to her once again, and stuck closer than her own shadow. She waved her arms, cursing them. The cloud got thicker and her skin itched with a million tiny bites; she didn't know where to start scratching.

Kabir groaned loudly and Tara sat up immediately.

In their dash for safety they had forgotten he was injured. It was amazing that he kept up without a single word of protest. His face was paler than the moon and slick with sweat. Tara reached out to touch his forehead. Hot!

“Kabir, you have a high fever!”

“I'll be fine,” he said. “I needed a short rest. We can start again soon. Very soon. Just give me a few more minutes.”

“Let me see your back,” said Tara. “Now!”

When Kabir didn't budge, she crawled over to him.

“What are you doing?” said Kabir. “I'm all right.”

“Be quiet,” said Tara. “I just want to have a look.”

She lifted his shirt and heard him moan softly. When she saw his back, she almost moaned, too; the wounds were slightly puffy and had a faint rotting smell.

“I don't like the look of this at all,” said Tara. “If only we had some time, I would have put some herbs on it to slow the infection. Maybe if everyone helps me look for them …”

“Not now, Tara. We'll have to hide soon, very soon,” said Ananth. “I don't think we can outrun Zarku and his hyenas. Not with Kabir in this condition. You can make the medicine for him later.”

“So where are we hiding tonight?” asked Raani. “Any ideas?”

“I can't climb a tree,” said Vayu. “Trees are absolutely out!”

“I don't see any caves or rocks,” said Raani. She circled the spot. “Where in the name of Lord Ganesh can five of us hide safely?” Her voice broke. “He'll find us and kill us!”

“It'll be all right, Raani,” said Ananth. “We'll find a good place, hide, wait till morning, and then it's over.”

If only it were that simple. For the last few moments Tara had been wracking her brains for a spot, searching every dark shadow, every crevice, every tree. “It's got to be unusual. Some place he would never think of looking,” she murmured to herself. “Once we're hidden, he'll never be able to find us tonight. We'll be safe, we'll win. Follow me.”

She got to her feet wearily. Her legs wobbled and she almost fell over as her muscles seized. She hobbled along, stopping every few seconds, searching.

“Here's one,” said Raani. They had just walked past a tree with a large clump of bushes at its base. “In the bushes. He'd never think of looking here and it's right under his nose.”

“You mean these thorny bushes?” said Tara.

“Great! You get in there and show us how it's done and we'll follow.”

Raani caught the sarcasm and glared at her. “I was only trying to help.”

“Don't,” said Tara. “Your idea is terrible.”

“How about climbing a tree?” said Ananth. “We'll be off the ground and well hidden.”

“I thought of that,” said Tara, “but look around you. Most of these branches start way higher than we can reach. By the time we all get high enough to be hidden from view, Zarku will be here. And Vayu just said he can't climb. Weren't any of you listening?”

“Come on, Tara,” said Kabir. “What makes you think you're the best at finding a hiding place? I think we should consider all suggestions. We're a team, remember? Zarku is probably on his way by now.”

“When I played with Suraj, I always won,” said Tara. “Trust me, when I find a hiding place, it'll be really good!”

In the distance a bird shot into the air, squawking.

“He's coming,” said Raani. “Will you hurry up for God's sake? You remember what he said about the hyenas.”

“I'm looking, I'm looking,” said Tara, trying hard not to raise her voice. She ran ahead, ran back, her eyes constantly searching and discarding spots. Her throat was parched and her muscles ached, but she ignored it. There had to be a good place … and
she
had to be the one to locate it. “There!” said Tara, her heart thudding with excitement. “That's the spot.”

They all gazed in the direction she was pointing.

“I thought we agreed, no trees,” said Vayu. “You're pointing at trees!”

“Look carefully,” said Tara. “Just where the branches start, there's another trunk leaning against it.” She dragged Ananth closer. “If you lot couldn't spot it, neither will Zarku. And with this trunk, we'll get to the branches higher up a lot faster. Come on, let's go. It's perfect.”

Tara stared at it for just a second longer; one of the trees had probably been struck by lightning and fallen against the other. It formed a natural ladder they could climb. The bases of both trees were hidden by an overgrowth of bushes and creepers. Only the sharpest eyes, or daylight, could have revealed it. She was
very
satisfied with this place and with herself.

“Come on, we need to climb up to where the two trunks meet. Then we split up and hide in the branches,” said Tara. “I bet Zarku will go right past.” She couldn't suppress the glee in her voice. By tomorrow morning they would be free. Then she'd get Suraj and Sadia back and they'd return to Morni. Once again, she'd have saved the day.

“I'll go first,” said Tara. “Send Kabir up and then the rest of you follow.”

More shrill chatter from birds. Zarku was definitely close by. Tara hopped onto the sloped trunk, took one step, and almost fell off as a large piece of bark along the edge broke off in a cloud of dust. She straddled the trunk, the pounding of her heart deafeningly loud.

“It's rotten,” she said. “I don't know if it'll hold everyone's weight.”

“Now you tell us,” said Raani. “When we barely have any time?”

Ananth came over and ran his hand over the trunk.

He rapped on it. “It doesn't seem hollow. It should hold. Keep going, Tara. We don't have time to look for another place.”

Tara inched her way up the log. More bits showered her friends below, but the trunk did not break as she had feared. Slivers of bark slid into the tender skin of her palm and she itched to pull them out. The musty smell of damp, rotting wood made her want to sneeze. She ignored the discomfort, reached the fork at the top, and stepped onto a broad branch. “Send Kabir.”

Kabir straddled the trunk just as Tara had done.

Sweating and panting, he dragged himself a few feet.

Then stopped.

“Hurry,” said Tara. “Someone help him.”

In the distance they heard Zarku moving through the foliage toward them. The rustling grew louder with each passing second. Now and then they heard a whoop or a giggle. The hairs on the back of Tara's neck rose.

Ananth stepped onto the trunk and pushed Kabir up. “You've got to do this, Kabir. The rest of us can't follow till you're up there. And two of us can't climb this together. Come on, you have to do it!”

Groaning softly, Kabir managed to get up the rest of the way on his own. Tara kept a lookout for Zarku.

“Raani,” said Tara. “You're next. Come on quick.”

While Raani walked up hesitantly, Tara helped Kabir climb up the nearest leafy branch. His skin was hotter than before. What if the fever got too much and he couldn't walk at all? This hiding place had to work. If only they could stay hidden till dawn … they'd be all right. They might even make it to a healer before the fever got worse.

It took a couple of tries before Kabir climbed on. Tara made sure he had a firm grip on it before she moved away, praying he wouldn't fall off.

“Thanks,” mumbled Kabir.

Tara held out her fist. He touched it lightly with his, then closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the branch.

Raani was beside her. “What now?” she asked, pressing her back against the tree trunk. She looked down and squeezed her eyes shut.

You could climb onto my head
, Tara was tempted to say, but she held her tongue. “Climb up to the higher branches. Leave the lower one for Vayu. Go!”

Raani nodded, reached up for a branch and disappeared from view.
Hurry, hurry, hurry
, Tara almost screamed as Ananth nimbly ran up the log and was beside her in seconds. The log creaked and squeaked, shedding a few more bits of bark. It sounded quite loud in the still forest; would Zarku hear them?

Now for the final test— Vayu. His pale, round face was rigid with fear as he looked up at them.

“What are you doing just standing there?” said Ananth. “Come on up.”

“I think I'll hide down here,” said Vayu. “I really don't mind the bushes, a few scratches are nothing —”

“Don't be stupid,” said Tara. “Come up now or I'll drag you up here myself if I have to.”

“What if …”

“Just do it, please?” said Tara. “Zarku's almost here and if you're caught, we're all going to die.” She was being dramatic, but there was no time for coaxing.

“I'm scared,” said Vayu.

“Just look up at us and slide,” said Ananth. “Don't look down.”

The sounds of crunching leaves and snapping twigs were closer now, so close that Zarku would be upon them in moments.

Vayu straddled the log and pulled himself up. The log groaned.

“Ready or not, here I come,” sang Zarku.
Yes, that's
it
, thought Tara.
Keep making a noise so you won't hear
us. Sing louder!

Vayu inched up the remaining few feet. Tara prayed. Ananth stared at Vayu unwaveringly. The log held. Only when Vayu was standing next to them did she breathe again. Once they were all up at the fork, they separated and clambered onto branches. Tara and Ananth climbed higher up while Vayu and Kabir stayed on the lower ones. No one from the ground would be able to spot them, she was sure of that.

Tara peered through the leaves, clutching at a branch to steady herself.

She heard Kali's voice first. “Why did I have to come along?” she whined. “I should have stayed at the temple. You've got three hyenas with you. You don't need me.”

Tara peeked through the leaves. She couldn't see them yet, but heard them quite clearly.

“But you
needed
the exercise,” said Zarku. “You should thank me. I'm always thinking of your well-being.”

Kali snorted.

“You snort at me again and that will be the last time you draw any kind of breath,” snapped Zarku. “You agreed to do everything I said. Don't forget, when I am back in power, you will rule along with me. People will fear you as much as they fear me. Together we will be formidable.”

“Sorry,” said Kali. “But you will keep your promise, too, won't you? Parvati and Shiv are the first two I'll take care of. I'll show them what it is to banish me and take away my child. Then Prabala, then Raka, and then —”

“Enough!” said Zarku. “I've heard you rant so many times that if I hear it one more time, I'll strangle you.

You'll have your revenge on all the people you hate, and anyone else you don't. But for now just shut up and help me find those children.”

Tara almost lost her grip. If Zarku came back to power, he would kill everyone she loved. They could not be found, they had to win.
Win, win, win!
She recited the word like a mantra to the drumbeat of her pounding heart.

Zarku whacked at the bushes with his stick. She saw him then.
That's it, keep looking at ground level and keep
walking. Just don't look up!

Zarku halted a short distance from where they hid.

“Tara passed this way,” he said. “I can feel it.”

Tara hugged the branch. How could he have guessed that? What was it that gave her away?

“How do you know that?” asked Kali.

Yes, how do you know?
thought Tara silently, straining her ears for the answer.

“She has a certain presence,” said Zarku. “I can't describe it. But where would she go from here and in which direction?”

“How would I know?” said Kali.

“I really wasn't talking to you,” said Zarku. “So do shut up.”

Kali muttered something under her breath. Tara was sure she wasn't heaping blessings on his head. She craned her neck and looked up, but the leaves were too thick and she could not spot the others. Good. If she couldn't, then neither would Zarku nor Kali.

Zarku walked, sniffing the air. The sound of his footsteps receded. He stopped. Retraced his steps.

“Go look around,” said Zarku. “Find them!”

If he was putting Kali to work, they had little to worry about. That fat lump would never do any work. But the very next moment a cold hand clutched her heart. The growls of the hyenas were close, too close. Tara could imagine all too clearly their beady eyes, their pointed snouts, and their deadly jaws. Footsteps followed and stopped at the foot of their tree. Tara was sure it was over. He had only to look up and he'd know where they were; her scent would probably give her away. The hyenas circled the base of the tree, growling.