“Mother? Is that really you?” she asked, not daring to believe her ears. “Where are you?”
Ananth groped for the matches in the bundle and drew out the box. He lit one and held it up.
“Here,” said the voice, and into the dim light slithered a black cobra. The markings on its hood and shiny scales glistened in the match light.
Tara instinctively drew back. She hated snakes, and cobras most of all.
“It’s me, Tara. Don’t be afraid,” said the cobra, spreading its fan, tasting the air.
Tara stopped and gazed at the snake in amazement. This was the same snake she had seen days ago in their hut in Morni. This snake had kissed Suraj and herself that night.
“Mother, it was you all along. You were close to us and watching over us. You didn’t abandon us after all.”
“Yes, my darling child. But there is no time to talk right now. Your lives are in great danger. Zarku will kill you if he finds you. We have to run.”
Tara scrambled to her feet, ready to bolt out of the cave.
“Not that way, Tara. Zarku is already at the entrance.”
“Then how ...?” asked Tara, looking from Ananth to the cobra in confusion.
“You have to trust me, both of you. I’m going to bite you to transform you into snakes so we can slip away unseen.”
Tara crawled forward, but Ananth stopped her.
“How do we know this is not a trick of Zarku’s to flush us out?”
Tara hesitated. She hadn’t thought of that.
“Trust me, Tara. It is I, your mother. In a few moments it will be too late. You have left so many footprints at the entrance of the cave that Zarku will have no difficulty finding you.”
“Mother, what did you give me the night you disappeared?” asked Tara in a breathless voice.
“The triangular mirror on a golden chain, and I told you to keep it with you, always.”
“It is Mother,” wept Tara in relief. “No one else could have known that.”
She crawled forward and stretched her face toward the black cobra, her eyes squished shut. She felt a pinprick on her throat and gasped. The next instant, a fiery sensation traced a searing path through her veins. She felt her body twisting and shrinking upon itself. She looked down and saw that she had turned into a smaller replica of her mother. Tara raised her hood and looked around. Her eyesight was crisp and clear. Next to her she saw a slightly larger cobra: Ananth.
“Quick, follow me and be absolutely quiet,” said Parvati. “Mushika, come with us.”
She glided out of the crevice but instead of crawling out onto the path, she went up the wall, which was overgrown with vines, and onto the branch of a sal tree. Tara and Ananth followed her into the safety of the leaves. Mushika scampered up behind them, sure-footed and confident. From their perch, they watched silently.
Zarku stood at the entrance, pointing to the footsteps. The rest of the Vetalas stood around him, holding aloft burning torches.
“Both of them are in there. SEIZE THEM NOW,” roared Zarku, his third eye spitting yellow sparks. Two of the thinnest Vetalas came forward and squeezed through the crevice while the others surrounded the entrance.
Tara moved closer to her mother. Needing her touch, she intertwined the tip of her tail with her mother’s tail. Their sleek black bodies blended in with the foliage, making them invisible.
“Hurry up, you morons. What is taking so long?” yelled Zarku. “Drag them out here so that I can have the pleasure of burning them to ashes.”
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