Free The Deadly Conch by Mahtab Narsimhan

one little bit. I’m going home.” Layla stood up and brushed mud off her large backside.
    â€œIs there nothing I can do to make up for it?” said Tara with great effort.
    Layla was silent for a moment. The chirrup of lizards and the mournful howl of a stray dog were the only sounds that broke the silence of the night. “There is one thing you can do.”
    â€œWhat?” asked Tara, her heart thumping. Maybe Layla’s animosity would stop if she co-operated a bit. And life would return to normal, for her and all of Morni.
    â€œI’ll ask Rakaji to call a meeting tomorrow,” said Layla. “If you can say you’re sorry for having killed my mother in front of the entire village and leave Morni forever, I’ll stop. My mother had to go through this humiliation and so must you.”
    Tara jumped to her feet. Layla was playing with her. The same sort of game Zarku had played. It was now clear that she had no intention of stopping. Not until she had driven Tara out of her own home and destroyed her family.
    â€œIs this your idea or your mother’s?” Tara said. She wanted to grab Layla’s neck and shake her hard.
    â€œWhat does it matter? We both want the same thing — to see you suffer. So will you leave Morni or not?
    â€œNever,” snapped Tara. “And I don’t regret killing Kali at all. Not one bit .”
    â€œIn that case things are going to get a lot worse for you,” said Layla. She waddled away as fast as she could. Tara raced after her and spun her around, her chest heaving.
    â€œI’ll find a way to stop you, Layla. Don’t think for one minute I’ll let you get away with this just because you’re a child. I’ll make sure the villagers see you for the snake you really are!”
    â€œYou?” said Layla and laughed. “There is only one person who can stop me now, Tara. The god of death.”

— seven —

Secrets
    L ord Yama! Why hadn’t she thought of him before now? Impressed by her bravery, he had helped once. Maybe he would help again, especially when she explained to him what a menace Layla was. He would be doing them a huge favour ridding Morni— no, the world — of Layla.
    Tara had kept the pearly, white conch she had used to summon him the last time. She had tucked it safely inside her cupboard a while ago. But was it still there and would it work?
    Tara raced home, flitting through the shadows like a bat. A stray dog chased her for a short distance, snapping at her heels.
    â€œGo away!” she growled suddenly.
    The dog stood still his ears and tail drooping. Tara remembered the other stray; his huge eyes that had lit up at the sight of food and who had been killed shortly after. She felt sorry for being so mean. “I’ll bring food another time,” she whispered and flew on.
    Tara reached the back door of her hut, chanting silently … let it be there … please let it be there . She tiptoed into the kitchen and straight through to the front room. The sound of deep, steady breathing filled the room, punctuated by an occasional snore from her father.
    Tara went straight to the cupboard and opened it an inch at a time. The right door squeaked. Tara held her breath and looked from her father to her mother to Suraj. No one stirred.
    If she could find the conch tonight, she could summon Lord Yama right away. They would be rid of Layla forever and she would be safe and so would Morni. She was sure that with Layla gone, their troubles would be over. Her plan had to work!
    Finally, Tara got the cupboard door open without waking anyone. She rummaged through her clothes in darkness. Deeper and deeper, she reached until her fingertips brushed the back. She realized with a jolt that there was no conch. She examined each and every item of her clothing, feeling their pockets and folds. Nothing. Had she lost it? How could she have been so careless?
    She wanted to wake up her