The Silver Anklet Read Online Free Page A

mosquitoes.
    â€œI’ll be right back,” said Raani. Without any hesitation, she stepped through the fence of trees and darkness swallowed her.
    Tara looked at Kabir in surprise.
    â€œDon’t worry about her,” he said. “She can see very well in the dark. They call her Raat-ki-Raani in my village.”
    â€œAnanth,” whispered Tara. “We should go look for Suraj and Rohan. I have a very bad feeling about this.”
    â€œYou’re right,” said Ananth “You head back to the Ferris wheel and talk to that boy there. I’ll take a look at the other end. We’ll meet back here in ten minutes.”
    Tara ran as fast as she could, her gaze fixed on the dark sphere imprinted on a blue-black sky. She dodged people, cursing them silently for slowing her down. Vayu was shutting the ride for the night when she reached him.
    â€œVayu,” said Tara, trying to catch her breath and speak at the same time, “where … is my brother … his friend?”
    Vayu stared at her in confusion for a few minutes.
    Tara wanted to grab him and shake him up.
    â€œOh yes, the boy in the yellow shirt and his friend in the white kurta-pajama. You’d asked me to keep an —”
    â€œHave you seen them in the last hour or so?” Tara practically screamed at him.
    â€œNo,” said Vayu. “They finished the ride ages ago and left.”
    â€œDid they say they were coming to look for me?
    Where did they go?”
    â€œI can’t recall,” said Vayu. He frowned. “I’ve seen a few hundred boys today, it’s difficult …”
    He glanced at Tara. “What’s the matter?”
    â€œThey’re both missing. Someone’s just reported a hyena snatching a child. Please help me find them,” said Tara.
    â€œI’m so sorry,” said Vayu. “What are their names again?”
    â€œSuraj and Rohan.”
    â€œWhere will you be?” he asked, securing the chain-link at the entrance. He slung a cloth bag over his shoulder.
    â€œNorth end,” said Tara. “Where the crowd is.”
    â€œI’ll get my friend to make an announcement on the public address system. If they’re on the grounds they will definitely hear it and come to you. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
    â€œThank you,” she stammered. “Thank you so much.”
    â€œTara, wait!” said Vayu. “I just remembered one more thing.”
    â€œYes?” She half-turned toward him, impatient to be off.
    â€œJust as they were leaving the ride, a plump little girl who was with them insisted they come with her, that she had something to show them.”
    The few morsels Tara had eaten climbed in her throat. She stared at Vayu, willing him to laugh, to say he was joking. He looked back at her seriously. “Are you absolutely sure?” said Tara. But she already knew the answer.
    â€œI’m sure,” said Vayu. “I remembered it because the boys were reluctant to go with her, but then she said something about a secret and they followed her.”
    â€œThanks,” Tara managed to whisper.
    She criss-crossed the deserted stalls and closed rides, heading back toward the crowd. Every so often she stopped and called out, “SURAJ! ROHAN!”
    Her ears strained for an answer. Her heart pleaded for one. No answer came.
    When she returned, it looked like most of the fair had gathered at the site of the attack. People argued and expressed opinions at the tops of their voices. Kabir’s mother was surrounded by people bombarding her with questions;
    â€œHow many hyenas did you see?”
    â€œOnly one? How large was it?”
    â€œWas it really a hyena or a dog?”
    â€œWas your daughter alone?”
    And on and on and on.
    Ananth hadn’t returned yet. Kabir paced, stopped, peered into the gloom and paced yet again. They looked at each other and then back toward the forest. There was no sign of