The Third Eye Read Online Free PDF Page A

chores. Tara turned to her task, her anger not yet forgotten.
Why, Lord Ganesh? Why are you letting this happen to us?
    She could handle the abuse that Kali put them through, but her heart went out to her little brother. Day by torturous day she could see his animated spirit being subdued by this spiteful woman. His laughter was less frequent, his silent spells longer.
    We have to escape
, she thought as she savagely uprooted plants and weeds alike and threw them into a straw basket.
    There was a time when she believed her father would stand up to her stepmother, but she no longer had faith inhim. Kali’s intolerable cruelty had chipped away at their happiness and confidence. “Stand up for yourself. Fight for what you believe in,” her mother had always said.
    Tara remembered the one time when she had tried to stand up to Kali. After a hard slap and having to miss meals for a whole day, she never tried again.
    Escape to another village far away was their only hope. She would have to plan it well. Winter in the Kalesar forest would be harsh. The dangers were many: wild beasts, the intense cold, and other “things” that inhabited the forest.
    Rumours abounded in Morni about strange monsters that attacked people in the forest. Someone had called them “Vetalas” (meaning “ghosts”), and the name had spread like wildfire to all the surrounding villages. They would have to escape as soon as possible and find a safe and dry place to spend the winter while they decided where they could go. She knew of a number of villages nestled on the other side of the hills.
    If only they could cross the hills, they would be safe.

C HAPTER 3
K HEER TO D IE F OR !
    â€œPeople of Morni, the Panchayat have an announcement. Come now.”
    The announcer ran past Tara’s hut. She immediately abandoned the weeds and stood up. Suraj was already by her side. Hand in hand, they followed the crowd to the banyan tree in the village centre to be closer to the Panchayat. Tara had a feeling this was going to be a very important announcement. “Kamlaji,” Tara addressed her neighbour respectfully, “do you know what’s going on?”
    â€œNo,” said the lady, quickening her step before Tara could ask another question.
    Tara looked at the receding back with an ache in her heart. Kamlaji had been a lot friendlier when her mother had been around. Once again her lips moved involuntarily, in prayer for her mother’s return.
    They reached the banyan tree and sat down close to the raised platform that encircled it.
    Raka and the four elders that made up the village Panchayat were already seated in a semi-circle, looking grim. As soon as everyone had settled down, Raka began without any preamble.
    â€œI saw the mor this morning. The bird came at dawn and danced for a long time before it disappeared.”
    â€œAre you sure?” asked a wizened old man who appeared to be a hundred years old.
    Raka nodded.
    â€œWhat does this mean, seeing a peacock?” asked a villager. “I thought seeing a peacock was a thing of joy. It’s a beautiful bird, no?”
    â€œNot in this case,” answered Raka. “Our village is named after the peacock for a reason. As legend goes, whenever Morni is in danger, a peacock comes to the village and warns us. It has been so long since Morni has been in danger that the legend was forgotten ... until today!
    â€œYou’ve seen a peacock’s tail, haven’t you?” asked Raka.
    The villager nodded, looking perplexed. “Have you noticed that the circles on its tail resemble eyes?”
    The villager raised his eyebrows. “I never thought of it that way.”
    â€œThe mor is called ‘the bird of a hundred eyes,’” said Kartik, one of the Panchayat.
    â€œAnd this is a warning that we have to keep our eyes open. Danger is approaching ... or already here,” said Raka.“I have heard that the Vetalas have been