Free The Third Eye by Mahtab Narsimhan

the part of the saree that was draped over her shoulder. He did it so carefully that Kali did not feel a thing.
    He waited for Tara to catch up to him, his chest heaving with silent laughter. The lizard hung on to the edge of the saree, swaying precariously from side to side. In a blur of movement it shimmied up the remaining cloth and jumped onto the bare patch on Kali’s shoulder. Kali felt the pattering of tiny feet and clapped her hand to her neck. Her heavy hand landed on the lizard’s head and, dazed, it toppled forward into Kali’s ample bosom. She felt it wriggle next to her skin. She gave a deafening shriek and desperately tried to shake the lizard out of her clothes.
    Tara and Suraj had tears running down their faces as they tried to control the hysterical laughter that welled up within them at the sight of that huge mound of flesh, for once, engaging in an activity more strenuous than sitting. After a few minutes of furious groping down the front of her blouse, Kali managed to grab the wretched lizard in her pudgy hand and dump it unceremoniously on the road.
    â€œBloody lizard,” swore Kali.
    She glared at Tara and Suraj, who kept straight faces as they continued walking.
    â€œCome on Kali, it was only a lizard,” said Shiv. “You probably frightened it more than it frightened you.”
    A fresh wave of mirth went through Tara and she had to stuff her knuckle in her mouth to stop from giggling.
    They reached home just as night fell. A cold wind had started up and they all hurried in and shut the door. Shiv lit the lantern while Tara groped her way into the kitchen to start dinner.
    â€œGet all our things into the shed,” Tara whispered to Suraj as she handed him their shoes in the semi-darkness.
    He nodded and ran off.
    â€œCall me as soon as dinner is ready,” snapped a winded Kali, sitting on the cot trying to recover from the lizard encounter.
    Tara got to work. Plans of their escape gave her a sense of hope that no amount of unpleasantness could extinguish.
    When dinner was ready, Tara called everyone into the kitchen. Kali ignored them completely. Their father had gone out for a short while and returned with troubling news, which he shared with Kali and the children as they ate.
    â€œRavi is dead. Zarku could not save him.”
    â€œDid Ravi’s family cremate him?” asked Kali.
    â€œApparently Zarku performed the last rites. He did notwant to upset Ravi’s mother by showing her the deformed body again.”
    â€œThat is odd, Father, isn’t it?” asked Tara. “Only family members are allowed to set fire to the funeral pyre, not some stranger, even if he is the village healer. It is against tradition.”
    Her father frowned at her for interrupting.
    â€œMohon has disappeared. No one knows where he is,” said Shiv as he tossed a ball of dal and rice in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
    â€œProbably gone to the forest to seek out the Vetalas single-handedly, the fool,” said Kali as she slurped her food.
    For some time there was silence. No more was said about the disappearance, but Tara’s stomach churned. Tonight was the last night they would have a roof over their heads. What would they find in the forest? Would she be able to find Prabala and her mother before the Vetalas found them? Her panicked mind darted about like a caged animal. Try as she might, she could not forget Ravi’s mutilated body.
    That night, when all were asleep, Tara and Suraj tiptoed into the kitchen and sat by the glowing embers of the kitchen fire.
    â€œIs everything in the shed?” asked Tara. “I’ve made extra food. I’ll pack it and put it into the bundles with a few more things we’re going to need, especially medicinal herbs.”
    â€œYes, Didi. Can we sleep now?” said Suraj, stifling a yawn.
    â€œPay attention, Suraj, our lives will depend on how well-prepared we are.”
    Chastened, Suraj nodded and