this is a warning that we have to keep our eyes open. Danger is approaching ... or already here,” said Raka. “I have heard that the Vetalas have been sighted at Ropar, not too far from us. Be very careful when going to the forest. Don’t venture there alone and never go after dark. Is that clear? Now, go back to your chores.”
Everyone looked worried. There was a moment of silence. The villagers dispersed while the Panchayat continued chatting. Tara was slow to get up and heard one of the men say, “It was good of you to warn the villagers about the Vetalas, Raka.”
“What have we decided about Zarku?” asked another member of the Panchayat.
The word “Zarku” made Tara’s skin crawl. She gave Suraj a little push.
“Go on home, Suraj. I have something important to take care of,” she whispered.
Suraj opened his mouth to say something, but Tara’s expression shut him up.
“Yes, Didi,” he said and ran off.
Tara circled the tree to the spot directly behind the Panchayat and squatted below the platform so that she could hear them unseen.
“It is odd that he turns up from nowhere and knows the affairs of our village so accurately,” said Varun.
“It seems like he has an informer inside Morni,” said Raka. “Have Dushta bring Zarku here.”
Kartik called out to a passing villager, asking him to convey the message to Dushta. The villager returned with Dushta — a short man with oily black hair parted down the middle. His eyes had a shrewd look in them as if constantly searching for the opportunity to make money. His hand alternated between stroking his pot belly and rubbing his thumb and forefinger together.
“What are you doing here?” snapped Raka. “We asked Zarku to present himself.”
“My respected elders,” said Dushta, folding his pudgy hands. “Zarku wishes to speak with Raka, after which he will present himself in front of the Panchayat.”
Raka looked annoyed at being counter-summoned. He got off the platform and strode off in the direction of Dushta’s hut. Dushta sat down on his haunches next to the others to wait. A long time passed and the remaining members of the Panchayat were starting to get restless.
“What is happening?” one of them said. “Why is Raka taking so long? We should investigate.”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth when they saw Raka striding back. He reached the group and announced, “I have had a long chat with Zarku. I believe that he is an accomplished healer and much better than Prabala.”
Everyone gaped at him. Tara felt a jolt in her chest at the words. Morni was going to replace her grandfather. She had to bring him back.
“Raka, are you sure?” asked one of them.
“I am sure,” he said in an expressionless voice. “I want no further discussion or argument.”
“In that case, we should give him Prabala’s hut and make a formal announcement to the village,” said Kartik.
“Yes, we should do that as soon as possible. Send messengers throughout the village and let them rejoice that Morni has a new, more powerful healer,” said Raka.
They all dispersed and, a few seconds later, Tara crept away.
•••
As soon as Tara got back, she continued with weeding the vegetable patch. Suraj was nowhere to be seen. Raka’s words echoed in her mind. Morni was in danger and Prabala was gone. Now Zarku would replace him. It was not fair. Her grandfather had done so much for the villagers. The least they could do was wait for him to come back or send someone to find him. He was alive and so was her mother. She knew it in her heart.
Two thin arms encircled her neck.
“Didi, I worked really hard and made all the vessels gleam, so Mother told me I could go and play till lunchtime, so I came to help you,” Suraj said, all in one breath.
Tara stood up and hugged Suraj, feeling her throat tighten.
“Thank you, Suraj. If you finish weeding this patch, I’ll wash the clothes in the back. Then we can leave a bit earlier to feed Father.”
Suraj squatted on his haunches immediately, his small, brown hands tugging at the weeds. With a last look at him, Tara went to the back of the house, collecting a pile of dirty clothes along the way.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Tara scrubbed and beat the clothes into cleanliness and hung them to dry on a string in the backyard. The water was all used up but she was too tired to get some more. A cot resting against the backyard wall beckoned to her but she knew rest was impossible. It was time to take father his lunch. She decided to pack a few extra chappatis so they could all eat together.
“Didi, I’m done,” sang Suraj, skipping toward her.
“Shhhh! If Mother hears you, we’ll both get more chores,” said Tara. “Fill a pot with water to take, and wait for me.”
Suraj pinched his lips shut and did as he was told. Tara tiptoed into the kitchen. Kali was in the front room, gossiping with a neighbour and sipping a cup of tea. Noisy slurping and hushed voices reached her ears. Layla was nowhere around. She grabbed a few chappatis and packed them into a steel plate with some leftover vegetables and dabs of mango pickle. She covered the meal with extra plates, tied a clean cloth around the package, and crept out stealthily.
Suraj was waiting for her in the backyard. Sneaking backward glances, they raced toward the banyan tree. Their father’s fields were on the far side of it.
As they reached the clearing, they saw a group of people standing and talking in hushed voices. A woman stood to one side, sobbing. Tara slowed down.
The woman’s sobs grew louder. Keeping her head down, Tara walked past as slowly as she could. She gestured to Suraj to slow down as well. He stuck his tongue out at her but did as he was told.
“Shakti, oh my dear husband Shakti,” wailed the woman, sitting on the ground, beating her chest with the palms of her hands. A couple of women passing by stopped to comfort her.
“He went out yesterday to catch hares for our dinner,” she sobbed. “He has still not returned. Someone please bring my husband back to me.”
The men walked out of earshot of the women. Tara followed them, straining her ears.
“What happened? When did he disappear?” asked one villager.
“Yesterday,” replied another. He frowned and raised his head, staring into the distance. All the men followed his gaze to the Shivalik Hills. The dense forest that covered their slopes came right up to the edge of their village.
“Did Raka send a search party?”
“Yes. All they found were his slippers and his lantern. There seemed to be some black liquid and a bit of blood on the ground near the peepul tree not too far from here.”
“Sister, don’t cry,” said one of the men returning to the sobbing
