Realm of the Goddess Read Online Free PDF Page A

have classes together. Usually I talked to Ben about my crushes, but the last few days, whenever I met up with Ben in our usual place, Shiv would join us and I got the distinct feeling that Ben did not like him. Plus I’d been busy with my extra after school work, so I hadn’t had any time to spend alone with Ben. Either way, I figured he would just get over it. I had misgivings about many of the girls that Ben had dated in the past, and I always managed to keep my most negative thoughts to myself. Things had a way of working themselves out where Ben was concerned.
    I looked at Shiv now, sitting in our living room with his parents. He looked a lot like his dad, Dev. The same dark skin, curly hair and intense brown eyes. His mother, Nina, was a total contrast. She was petite, with delicate features and black hair that hung down her back in a long braid. It was a nice evening. Our parents got along really well and Shiv and I talked about our years in Kolkata. It turned out we had acquaintances in common, but Shiv had been there more recently, so he updated me on some of them. Nina asked to use the washroom, and after I showed her where it was, I went upstairs to grab some old pictures of my school friends in Kolkata. As I was coming back down the stairs I could hear voices floating up. I didn’t pay much attention until I heard my name. I stopped on the third step and listened, not sure what I was eavesdropping on.
    “She has to find out sometime,” Nina was saying. Then I heard Dev’s reply and it chilled me to the bone.
    “She might not make it, Nina. You know what happened to the other girls.”
    I must have shifted my weight from one foot to the other because the stair I was on squeaked and Nina’s head shot out from around the corner.
    “Oh, there you are, dear,” she said, showing no signs that anything strange was going on. “We were wondering where you’d gone off to.”
    “Umm...I was just getting this to show Shiv,” I said, holding out the album and trying hard not to let any panic show on my face.
    “Oh, let me see,” Nina said, taking the album out of my hand. “Are these photos from your school in Kolkata?” She turned to Dev, who was watching me with a strange expression. “Dev, look...maybe Shiv will know some of the kids in here. Such a small world.” I didn’t know how much longer I could stay calm. I just wanted them to leave so I could tell my parents what I’d overheard. I went to the kitchen, where my mom was getting the dessert tray ready.
    “Mom...I need to —” I began, but my mom cut me off.
    “Oh good, Callie, you’re here,” she said without looking up from the dish of rice pudding she was garnishing with raisins and pistachios. “Come help me with the chai .”
    When I didn’t respond, she looked up. Whatever I was feeling must have been on my face, because the next minute she was by my side.
    “Callie, honey, what’s wrong? You look so pale? Are you feeling alright?”
    She looked so worried that I decided not to say anything for the moment. I didn’t want her to start asking too many questions. I didn’t want her to find out about my nightmares either. When I first started having them in Kolkata, my parents had been very stressed about me. I didn’t want them to go through all that again. I hoped that maybe all this was happening because it was a stressful time waiting to hear back about scholarships and university admissions. I was sure the nightmares would go away once I knew what I would be doing after high school. So I lied now and put on a brave face. I would talk to Shiv later and see if I could find out what his parents were talking about.
    “I’m fine, Mom,” I said, smiling and giving her a hug. “I just have a headache, that’s all.” I started putting the teacups my mom had inherited from my grandmother on the silver tray that was part of the set. As a little girl I used to love having pretend tea parties with my cousins, and my grandmother would