Free The Third Eye by Mahtab Narsimhan Page A

promptly propped his eyes open with his thumb and forefinger and goggled at her. Tara could not help but smile.
    At long last they finished making the plans. Suraj was half asleep and Tara, too, was tired. They crept into the main room and lay down on the thin mat. Tara’s mind was filled with questions and worries and sleep was a very long time coming.
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    Dawn arrived clad in a shawl of ice. A chilly wind seeped into the huts as the people of Morni snuggled deeper into their blankets. Goats, cows, and pigs huddled together in their shelters, seeking warmth.
    Tara woke especially early, feeling as if she had not slept a wink. Her eyes burned and her head felt as if it was made of lead. The beginning of a massive headache was making its way toward her temples. They had already put on their warm travel clothes the night before. Tara flung her favourite shawl around her shoulders. She was ready.
    It was still quite dark. A pale, pink dawn tiptoed along the edge of the horizon. Tara shook Suraj gently. When he was awake, she put a finger to her lips and gestured in thedirection of the kitchen. He nodded, picked up his shoes, and padded out silently. Tara stood up and went to where her father lay sleeping. She touched his feet lightly.
    â€œI’ll miss you, Father,” she murmured inaudibly. “But we’re going to look for Mother and we will bring her back. We will be a family again.”
    Then, without a backward glance, she crept out to Bela’s shed. Suraj was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
    â€œLet’s go,” Tara said. “The sooner we are out of here, the better.”
    She handed Suraj the smaller of the two bundles and slung the larger one onto her back. She filled an animal skin with water, and put some milk in a glass bottle. Bela nudged Tara with her cold, wet nose and Tara turned back to hug her, tears in her eyes.
    â€œTake care, Bela. We’ll be back soon. With Mother.”
    Brother and sister walked out of the hut as dawn, in a bolder shade of pink, strode out from the horizon to embrace them. They walked east through the deserted village, the quickest route to Morni Hills, beyond which lay the Shivalik Range.
    Within the hour they would be out of the village and away from the home they had known all their lives. The huts thinned out as they neared the green band of forest land that lay at the foot of the hills. It grew darker. The trees blotted out the sky and it became colder. The pukka road disappeared and they stepped onto a rough path that led deep into the forest.
    Suraj stopped at the edge of the forbidding green mass and looked back. The huts, the village, safety, and security lay behind while danger lay ahead. He looked into Tara’s eyes. She nodded, holding his gaze.
    â€œAs long as we’re together, we’ll be all right,” said Tara.
    They plunged into the foliage, keeping a sharp eye out for any movement. Mynas, kingfishers, and koyals twittered in the trees, welcoming the morning as the pair walked deeper and deeper into the forest. The sun came out and golden rays filtered in through the dense canopies, creating freckles of light on the grassy floor. The air was thick with the sickly sweet smell of rotting leaves.
    â€œDidi, I have to stop now, I am really tired,” said Suraj after they had been walking for what seemed like hours. He sank down on a grassy hill. Tara was a few steps ahead. She turned around to chide him and screamed.
    â€œSuraj, don’t move!”
    Suraj froze. The expression on Tara’s face was one of absolute horror. She advanced slowly, her eyes fixed on a spot above his head.
    â€œPython,” she breathed, clutching her throat.
    A large brown and white python was curled around a branch just above Suraj’s head. Its small head swung a hair’s breadth away. It slithered lower. Still lower. Tara could not breathe. Suraj tilted his head back and stared straight into the black