The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

by Nizrana Farook

  Wide stone steps dipped down into a dark building. Even the stairs had guards on either end. This was going to be tough. Chaya bit into one of the jambu fruits from her bag, savouring its sweetness.

  “Come on,” said Father, taking her arm. “Have you changed your mind? We could just go home.”

  “No,” said Chaya. “I was just looking. I didn’t know about this place.”

  “It’s not very pleasant,” said Father. “But we won’t be staying long.”

  She crunched another jambu while going down the stairs. All the guards appeared to be looking straight ahead but she could feel their eyes following her and Father as they passed.

  The building was dark after the brightness outside, and smelled of sweat and damp rags. A guard at the doorway checked the document again. He called out to a scrawny young man. “Take them to the jewel thief.”

  Chaya bristled at that. Neel had a name. She glared at the guard as she crunched her jambu and followed the young man inside.

  He unlocked a large iron-grille door, and it clanged open. A bare corridor lay ahead, tiny windows set in the walls on one side. On the other side were the cells. As they walked down Chaya looked straight in front. It seemed wrong to look at the prisoners, as if they were on display. Even so she could sense them staring at her through iron bars. Right at the end the guard unlocked a cell gate and pushed it open. “Go on,” he said.

  Neel was sitting on the floor of the tiny cell. He looked red-eyed and worn, but got up and greeted Father with his palms together as soon as he saw them. He smiled at Chaya, his pastel-blue shirt now brown, and a gash running across one cheek. A stab of anger sliced through Chaya.

  “Neelan.” Father’s voice was gentle. “How are you doing, boy?”

  Neel nodded. “Thank you for coming. Nice to see you too, Chaya.” He sounded like he had a bad cold.

  “Hi, Neel,” she said. Her eyes swept over the cell. It was only about six feet by six, no windows, but there was one directly outside the bars in the corridor.

  “Are those for me?” Neel was pointing to the bag in her hand.

  “Oh, yes,” she said, pushing the jambu at him. The window was too small for her. Wasn’t it? She squinted at it.

  “Thanks,” he said, looking into the bag. “Even though you’ve eaten most of them.”

  “What?” Chaya frowned. “Oh. Sorry, I was distracted.” She shook her head. “There’s still loads at the bottom.” She gave him a meaningful look, but he seemed bewildered.

  Father patted Neel. “Has your family been again, Neelan?”

  “No, sir. They were allowed yesterday, but not any more.”

  “That’s not right. I’ll see what I can do, OK?” Father looked at Neel kindly, but seemed unsure about what to say. “They must want to be with you at this time.”

  “It’s all right, sir. It’s better this way.”

  The guards were everywhere. How on earth would she get in here to get Neel out?

  “But about my family, sir,” said Neel. “Without my wages…”

  “I understand, Neelan,” said Father. “Don’t worry about that at all. They will be taken care of, I’ll make sure of that. I couldn’t help you, boy,” Father’s voice broke slightly, “but I won’t let your family down.”

  There was only one entrance into the hall with the cells. And the windows… Even if she could get in, could Neel get out through one?

  “Thank you, sir. That means a lot.”

  Chaya gripped the cold iron bars of the cell. She had about twenty hours till Neel was taken away to his death.

  “I wish I could do more. For you.” Father cleared his throat, and looked at Chaya. “Right. We’d better go before they come and ask us to. I’ll be here tomorrow, Neelan.”

  “Bye, Neel.” Chaya strode out ahead of Father. What was at the back of the cell block anyway? It would be useful to know what was beyond the wall of Neel’s cell. Maybe if they wandered that way she might find out.

  But when they got to the area outside the cell block the young man was waiting for them. Without a word he ushered them out the same way they came in.

  “What was all that about?” Father stared at Chaya.

  “What?” Chaya squinted up at the canopy of trees. Sometimes trees were useful. People never looked upwards.

  “After all that, you hardly said a word to Neelan! What was all that looking around everywhere except at him?”

  Chaya shrugged. “People grieve in different ways.” She watched Father’s face to see if he had any clue what she was planning, but he seemed quite sure it was over for Neel.

  Father squeezed her hand. “I am so sorry about all this. For you. Neel. His family.”

  She squeezed his hand back. If only she could tell him she had no intention of letting Neel go to his death.

  His tools, which she’d hidden at the bottom of the bag of jambu fruits, would be useful to him, but she wasn’t counting on just that.

  No, this job was mostly Chaya’s.

  Dew drops spattered on Chaya’s skin as she brushed through the shrubbery. Dawn was a good time to be doing this. Nights were the worst. People were tense and waiting for trouble. But early morning, the night having passed, and people were in a good mood – not at all expecting a thief to strike. At least, that’s how it worked for robberies, so Chaya hoped stealing prisoners was much the same.

  The first hurdle was getting into the royal complex. There were guards at the entrance and on high posts at various points along the outer walls, not to mention the ones dotted along the top of the inner palace compound with a view of the grounds.

  Chaya leaned against an ironwood tree and considered her options. She was safe here, this patch of wilderness away from the palace where she could see without being seen. But how to proceed?

  There was a rustling behind her, and a red-clad figure emerged.

  “You!” Chaya pushed herself off the tree. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?”

  “N-no,” said Nour, panting slightly and adjusting her head covering. “I was … going for a walk.”

  “At this time of the morning? A likely story.”

  “I heard your friend, the boy…” Nour looked down and scuffed the ground with a beaded shoe.

  Chaya sighed. “I don’t know what you expect me to say. Thank you for your interest. Now, please go away.”

  “That thing you said the other day?” said Nour, looking up. Chaya was beginning to wonder if she was deaf. “What did you mean when you said you’re going to break in somewhere and steal something?”

  “Listen, I’m touched by your concern. But I’m kind of busy at the moment. I don’t have time to chat, OK?”

  Nour looked from Chaya to the palace complex in the distance, the lion statue pale and faded as it rose up against the dawn mist. “Are you going to rescue the boy?”

  “Will you—”

  “I can help you.”

  “You?” Chaya had a sudden urge to laugh.

  “I figured out how to open the box, didn’t I?”

  Chaya ignored that. “You, the daughter of Cassim the merchant, who wears silk dresses and fancy shoes as everyday clothes. Who can be spotted a mile off in your sequinned finery?”

  Nour scowled. “What’s wrong with that?”

  The girl obviously lived on another planet.

  “Nothing,” said Chaya. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Just leave me alone.” She darted away and sped off into the wilderness adjoining the east side of the royal complex. There was no point engaging with Nour. She’d done enough damage already.

  Chaya took the long way round, ducking behind the palace and emerging on the other side. This was the western end of the complex, next to the temple where she had her lessons on a Wednesday. The temple’s white pinnacle towered up, piercing the now milky early morning sky.

  There it was. The temple. Her gateway into the palace, and Neel.

  The temple even shared a wall with the palace. On Sundays and full-moon da
ys the monks went into the Queen’s prayer hall through a pathway connecting the two. And from there, it would be just a matter of Chaya sneaking into the underground prison.

  All she needed was to get into the temple. That was the first hurdle.

  Chaya hesitated by the low boundary wall. Why would she be going in today, a Thursday, when she had no lessons? What if one of the monks asked her? Her teacher, the old monk Mahanama, might be there for all she knew.

  She turned away and squinted into the empty road. A red shape was moving slowly ahead, towards the city gates.

  Chaya sighed. There was no other way. Nour was her ticket into the temple.

  She hurried up the road, running along the length of dazzling-white scalloped walls. “Hey,” she called out.

  Nour turned around, a startled look on her face.

  “You said you wanted to help.” Chaya slowed down as she reached Nour.

  Nour eyed her suspiciously. “I did.”

  “Well, come with me to the temple.”

  “To pray for the boy? You do know I pray to a different god?”

  “No, not to pray. To rescue him.”

  Nour cocked her head. “Why go to the temple then?”

  “You’ll see. Come on.”

  Chaya hurried back down the road, checking to see if Nour was following. They passed the usually bustling entry into the city, the pale morning glow bouncing off the white brickwork as their footsteps echoed in the deserted road. Nour caught up with Chaya and walked beside her, silent but pink-faced with excitement.

  Chaya stopped at the entrance to the temple. The sparkling-white dome towered mountainous in front of them. At the foot of it a line of child monks in their saffron-coloured robes walked to their morning lessons. A quiver of excitement was beginning to tingle in Chaya as they went into the compound.

  “OK, so this is what I want you to do,” she said. “I’m going to show you around.”

  Nour frowned. “Why?”

  They followed the path, Nour staring at the heart-shaped leaves of the peepul tree on the side.

  “Well, I’m not really. That’s what I’m pretending to do. You’re a foreigner, you want to see things. I need an excuse to be here.”

  “Do you study here or something?”

  A monk nodded at Chaya and Nour as he swept leaves off the grounds, the ekels of his broom rasping on the stonework.

  Chaya put her palms together in greeting and smiled at him as they passed. “Yes, but I don’t have lessons today,” she said to Nour. “Anyway, don’t ask questions. Leave your shoes here.”

  Nour looked like she was about to protest, but complied. Her heavily beaded shoes looked out of place beside the few straggly sandals already there.

  Chaya looked around the compound as she tugged off her shoes. No one was within earshot. The monk in the compound stamped the broom on the ground and went round to the back. “So I go in with you. If anyone asks, you know why we’re here. Me, I’m going to sort of disappear.”

  They stepped into the temple. It was dark inside, the stone floor cold under their feet and the smell of coconut oil in the tiny clay lamps lingering in the air.

  “What does ‘sort of disappear’ even mean?” said Nour. “Either you disappear or you don’t.”

  “Fine, I’m going to disappear.”

  “Where to?”

  “That,” said Chaya, making for an arched passage, “is none of your business.”

  “In that case,” Nour started back towards the entrance, “you’re on your own.”

  “Hey!” Chaya ran up behind Nour, her voice echoing through the passage. “What’s wrong with you? You said you wanted to help.”

  “I do. But you want to do everything your own way.”

  Chaya was confused. “So?”

  “So you can’t expect people to help if you don’t tell them things.”

  “Why not? Once I disappear, your part’s over.” Chaya made a slashing action with her hand to emphasise the over. “I only need you as a reason to be in the temple. Once I’m gone, you can leave.”

  “Leave?”

  “Yeah. Go home. Go for a walk. Eat those sugary sweets on your sideboard. Whatever.”

  Nour scowled. “I’m not going to—”

  “Chaya?” Soft footsteps padded down the curving passage and her teacher Mahanama shuffled into view. “Is that you, dear?”

  Chaya glared at Nour. This would never have happened if Nour had just done as she was told and not argued. “Yes, Master.”

  “What are you doing here so early? It’s not Friday, is it?” He peered at Nour, readjusting his robe over one stooping shoulder. “Who is your friend?”

  Chaya shuddered at friend. “This is Nour, Master. Her father is the merchant, Cassim. I’ve brought her to see our temple.”

  Nour smiled at him awkwardly. She didn’t bow to Mahanama, but he didn’t look offended.

  “Ah, so you come from the land of deserts. Welcome, Nour. You are free to look around any time. I will ask Gnana to unlock the shrine room for you as well.”

  “That’d be excellent, Master,” said Chaya. This was going better than she could have hoped. The shrine room was right by the passageway to the palace!

  “Thank you,” said Nour. “I’ve never seen a temple before. Where I come from, we have mosques. They’re very different.”

  Mahanama inclined his head. “I have seen pictures. In fact, I have read many translations of books by your people. We have a few works of science and poetry here as well, brought from the great library in the north. I would love to hear more about your land, my dear. The deserts, the cities. And your journey here by sea. I think you would have many stories to tell.”

  Chaya nearly choked with annoyance. “It’s nothing you wouldn’t know already, Master.”

  Now it was Nour’s turn to glare at her.

  “I doubt that, Chaya,” said Mahanama. “We all have so much to learn from each other. There’s a great big world outside this island.”

  Nour smiled. “I’d love to come and talk to you. I could tell you about my country, and all the places I visited on the voyage here.”

  “Come back when you’ve finished looking around if you have time,” said Mahanama. “And maybe, if you like, you can attend lessons here once a week like Chaya?”

  “I would love that,” said Nour, brightening up considerably. “But I don’t know what my father would say.” She seemed to droop a little at the thought.

  Chaya stared at the two of them. Nour? Learn Sanskrit and the sciences at the temple like she did? Nour wasn’t even in normal school, so why should she get to have these extras?

  “We have to go,” she snapped at Nour. “Master, I’ll show her around and then we’ll leave. We won’t take long.”

  “Oh, that’s all right, my dear. Take your time.” Mahanama nodded at Nour, then moved off shakily using his stick. He stopped and looked at Chaya. “You’re a fair person always, Chaya. Remember to also be a kind person.”

  “Yes, Master.” As soon as Mahanama was out of sight she tugged at Nour’s arm. “Come on.”

  Nour followed her up the passage.

  “What are you playing at?” said Chaya. “You’re just here as a cover. What was that whole sweet-as-jaggery act just now?”

  “What act?” said Nour. “Some people are just naturally nice, you know.”

  Chaya was saved from replying by a passing monk, who smiled and nodded at her. “Early lesson today, miss?” he asked.

  “No, we’re just looking around,” said Chaya. She wished these monks didn’t start their day so early. She’d seen so many of them already.

  He was back a few moments later with a large iron key. “Master Mahanama asked me to open the shrine room for you, miss.” He bustled in front, up a narrow passage to a thick, ancient-looking door.

  He jiggled the key in the lock and pushed open the door with a loud grating noise. “Take your time looking around. I’ll come by and lock up later.”

  No
ur stared at the dozens of statues built along the wall.

  “They’re very old,” Chaya said to Nour, for the benefit of the monk who was leaving. “Made in … er … a very long time ago.”

  Chaya went to the door and peeped out into the passage. The monk was gone. She turned back to Nour. “OK, your part ends here. Walk around a bit and then leave in fifteen minutes.” She darted off towards the open door at the end of the passage that led to the temple grounds, where she could see a reposing statue nestled in the greenery outside. She stopped and turned back to Nour in the shrine room. “Thank you. You’ve … been a great help.”

  She scurried off, her bare feet slapping on the gritty stone floor. Outside, wilted frangipani flowers lay at the foot of a giant statue near the palace entryway.

  Next to it was the steep flight of steps to the threshold to the palace complex. She ran nimbly up it.

  “Miss Chaya?” A surprised voice rang out.

  She whipped round at the top of the stairs.

  It was the temple keeper, staring up at her puzzled. “What are you doing up there? Are you trying to get into the palace?”

  Chaya looked around and touched her chest. “Who, me?”

  The temple keeper frowned. “Yes, you. Who else?”

  “I, er…” He was staring at her now, and it wasn’t a very friendly stare. She tried to think of an excuse. “Are we not allowed to be up here then?”

  “No, and I’m sure you know that.” He came up the steps towards her slowly. “And who are we?”

  “It’s my friend, Nour. I was just showing her around the temple.”

  “And? Where is she?”

  “She…” Chaya gulped. An idea struck her. “That’s what I’m wondering! I’ve been searching all over for her.”

  The keeper stopped and laughed. “Couldn’t you have told me that, silly girl? Here I was wondering if you were up to some mischief.”

  “What, me?” Chaya laughed, trying not to overdo it. “Never.”

  “Well, I’ve got to go back to my tasks. If I see your little friend wandering about I’ll tell her you were looking for her.”