‘I’m sorry about your Dad, Maya,’ he said, conscious that he had yet to express his condolences to her. ‘I . . .’ words failed him again. Did Maya know about Shukra? About the background of her father’s murder? Did she know what had happened in Allahabad?
‘Ratan told me why you left Delhi.’ Maya tried to change the topic quickly. She couldn’t bear to think of her father, not just yet. She tried to calm her internal conflict. Whatever had happened in the past, Arjun’s life was in very real danger. She wondered if he even knew the full extent of the danger at hand.
There was an uncomfortable, awkward silence as both of them grappled with their emotions.
Arjun nodded dolefully. ‘Shukra’s after me. I know. I was just told. I’m scared, Maya. What’s going to happen if he finds me?’ A shadow fell across his face.
Maya could see the terror in his eyes. She forgot her own thoughts. Before her, stood her oldest friend, scared and being hunted by a powerful Rishi whose ruthlessness she had witnessed. Her heart went out to him. She reached for his hand and pressed it comfortingly.
Arjun looked up at her gratefully. ‘We’re going to the Gurukul,’ he said, now immersed completely in thoughts of his imminent fate. ‘Uncle and Mom tell me we’ll be safe there. I’ll be safe there.’ He shook his head. ‘I am not so sure. God knows how anyone can stop Shukra.’
The bitterness swept through Maya again, without warning. The last time Shukra had tried to kill Arjun, her father had stopped him.
This time, her father was not there. He was dead. Killed by Shukra for protecting Arjun.
The emotions Maya had repressed briefly came flooding back. Tiwari’s words still echoed in her head, explaining what Dhruv had done in Allahabad to ensure Arjun’s safety. Maya had spent the entire journey trying to tell herself that Arjun himself was blameless. He was only a baby back then, unaware of what had been going on. It was her father with whom she was really angry, not Arjun. But try as she might, she couldn’t get it out of her mind that Arjun was alive because of her father’s sacrifice.
‘Come on, you two, let’s move it.’ Virendra’s voice, grim and hard-edged, floated out to them. Both he and Tiwari had stood with Pramila, to one side, conversing in low tones, glancing occasionally to the west, to where the sun was rapidly sinking below the horizon. ‘We need to reach the Gurukul fast.’
Virendra pushed the gates open, while Maya and Arjun clambered into Tiwari’s car.
‘Right,’ Tiwari said, slipping into the driver’s seat and shifting gears, ‘here we go.’ He smiled at Maya and winked at Arjun in the rear view mirror.
Meanwhile, Virendra, too, had started the Land Cruiser, which took the lead and rumbled through the gates into the park. Tiwari, followed the bigger car inside, but stopped briefly to hop out and run to the gates. He was back in a couple of minutes.
‘Can’t leave the gates open,’ he grinned at the children. ‘Don’t want the rangers to know that we went in after closing hours.’
The two cars sped through the park, on the narrow tarmac road that led into the forest from the entrance.
New Delhi
SP Raman Kapoor was in a foul mood. All the leads had dried up. Everyone connected with the case seemed to have disappeared without a trace—Upadhyay’s daughter, Virendra and his family, the stranger who was the prime suspect. Not one of them had left any tracks. And he wasn’t even counting the mysterious Vishwaraj, who Trivedi had met minutes prior to his murder, if Upadhyay was to be believed. Where could they all have disappeared?
As much as he hated it, Kapoor had to admit that he was stumped. And he didn’t like it. It only strengthened his resolve to keep going, to find more leads. He had never given up before. And he wasn’t about to make this his first unsolved case.
His phone rang, and he grabbed at it, a lifeline in the ocean of uncertainty that this case had rapidly developed into.
‘Yes, Harish,’ he barked into the phone as Harish greeted him. ‘Tell me that you have some information.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Harish sounded tentative and strained. ‘They re-appeared a short while ago. I followed them to the gates of Panna National Park. A second car was already standing there. A man and a girl got out of the other car. They stood talking for a short while and then got back into the cars and drove into the park. I don’t know how they got in but they locked the gate after them. I am breaking open the lock and following them inside. Just wanted to report this to you.’
Kapoor nodded. ‘Go ahead. I’ll handle any objections. But be careful. It is going to be dark pretty soon. There won’t be any lights in the park, and there are sure to be animals around. Tigers and stuff. Watch your back.’
‘I will, sir.’ Harish signed off.
Kapoor stared at the phone.
Just what was Virendra Singh up to?
And the girl in the second car . . . . Could it be Upadhyay’s daughter? If she was, then how had she reached Panna? And who was the man with her? Had Virendra known about Upadhyay’s death? Had he arranged for the girl to be brought to Panna by the other, unknown man? Or had Upadhyay’s daughter been kidnapped? Somehow that was not the impression Harish’s account gave him.
There was another possibility he had not considered. Was Virendra Singh behind all of this?
And what were all of them doing inside the park?
Chapter Thirty-four
Driving in the Park
Panna National Park
Madhya Pradesh
As they drove through the park, Arjun excitedly told Maya about the Gandharvas, the secret entrance into their valley and his meeting with Visvavasu. Maya listened quietly, not commenting or interrupting. Somehow, she just couldn’t share his excitement and exuberance. She felt like this was Arjun’s adventure and she had been dragged into it against her will. At this point, she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts.
‘What’s happened?’ Arjun said to no one in particular, as Tiwari suddenly braked. The Land Cruiser in front of them had halted without warning.
Virendra alighted from the big SUV and strode towards their car. Tiwari looked up at him enquiringly.
‘It’s better if we all pile into one car,’ Virendra told Tiwari. ‘We’ll move faster.’
Tiwari nodded and gestured to Maya and Arjun to change cars. Both of them complied, hurrying to the Land Cruiser, urged along by Virendra. From the back seat of the Land Cruiser, they watched curiously as Tiwari drove away, down a dirt path that led deeper into the forest, towards a rocky outcrop a short distance away.
Virendra drummed impatiently on the steering wheel of the SUV as they waited, casting occasional glances at the sinking sun as it hung over the treetops. Anxiety was writ large on his face.
Outside, the shadows began to deepen as the sun sank below the horizon. The last streaks of orange and pink against the blue canvas of the sky, put there as if by the random strokes of a broad brush, the last surge of brightness and colour to liven up the sky before darkness swallowed up the heavens, began to fade.
Tiwari came running out of the murky gloom within the forest and swung open the door, jumping into the car. Virendra accelerated even before Tiwari could slam the door shut and they sped away. Maya and Arjun looked at each other in wonder.
What was the rush?
‘We’re late,’ Virendra grumbled.
‘We have to take our chances,’ Tiwari replied. ‘There’s no other way.’
Virendra grunted in response. Apparently he, too, realized that there was no choice but to go on, late or not.
The lights of the Land Cruiser came on, slicing through the darkness that enveloped the road ahead.
‘Hang on tight,’ Virendra warned them abruptly, a split second before the car lurched to the right as it turned off the tarmac road, and onto one of the dirt paths leading into the forest, without slowing down. The big SUV wobbled on its suspension, then stabilized and began dealing with the job of tackling the rough and bumpy forest path while racing ahead at top speed.
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br /> Trees, lining the path on either side, flashed past as they raced ahead, surrounded by huge plumes of dust thrown up by the wheels of the Land Cruiser. Dust particles danced in the twin beams of the headlights, but that did not deter Virendra, who kept the speed constant.
Inside the car, the occupants tried their best to hang onto anything they could to prevent being jolted around. It was clear that Virendra was going to keep up this pace until they reached the Gurukul.
‘Is everyone wearing their amulets?’ Tiwari asked suddenly, his voice breaking as he bounced around on the back seat, trying not to land on either of the children.
There was a chorus of confirmations.
‘We stopped off at Noida,’ Arjun told Maya, in jerks. ‘Uncle picked them up from a friend who lives there.’ He reached inside his shirt and pulled out a golden amulet, identical to the one given to Maya by her father.
Everyone seemed to think these amulets were a big deal, thought Maya. Even Virendra, whom she had always taken to be a logical and rational man, had asserted that she owed her life to the amulet she wore. She seemed to be the only one who had no faith in these amulets. Even now, while she wore the amulet her father had given her, she wasn’t so sure. How could a little piece of metal protect them? Especially against someone as powerful as Shukra?
‘Kanak!’ Tiwari’s voice was strained and thin. ‘They’re here! You were right!’
‘Damn!’ Virendra responded through gritted teeth. ‘I was hoping to make it to the river before they showed up.’
Her thoughts interrupted, Maya looked out of the window, wondering what Tiwari was talking about.
But there was nothing outside.
Just the darkness. And the dust. The trees sprinting past them in the opposite direction.
What were they so worried about?
Then, without warning, it appeared at her window.
Maya screamed.
Chapter Thirty-five
Terror in the Park
Panna National Park
Madhya Pradesh
Maya screamed again.
The dull, lifeless eyes staring at her out of a desiccated face, the thin limbs, the frail-looking blackened trunk with ribs clearly visible, and the distended stomach — this was the same creature that she had encountered in Arjun’s house in Delhi. Or, another one just like it.
The face at the window didn’t move an inch after its sudden appearance. It was almost like it was stuck to the glass, even though Maya knew that wasn’t possible. Somehow, the creature was keeping pace with the car, despite its speed.
But this was not all that horrified her. Beyond the creature, in the darkness that was momentarily lit up by the headlights of the car as they raced through the forest, Maya had caught a horrifying glimpse.
That fleeting glimpse had shown her hundreds of the same creatures swirling around in the darkness that surrounded the car. It was like the car was enveloped in a black shroud made up of the creatures.
They’re all around us!’ Arjun shrieked, as terror-stricken as Maya. His face had gone white as he gazed into the stretch of the path before them, illuminated by the headlamps. ‘What are they?’ he cried.
‘Arjun, get a grip on yourself.’ Virendra’s voice was curt. ‘You are a Kshatriya, a warrior. You cannot be afraid of immaterial beings like these. They have no substance. They lack the power to harm us.’
‘What?’ Arjun’s disbelief was obvious. ‘Can’t you see? Shukra has sent them to kill me!’
‘It’s okay, Arjun. We are all here.’ Pramila’s comforting voice came from the passenger seat. ‘Have faith.’
Arjun looked wild-eyed from one window to the next. He knew his mother wouldn’t lie to him. But how could he overcome the terror that chilled him to his core?
‘These are pretas ,’ Tiwari explained, gently. ‘Spirits of people who have died a sudden, unnatural death. They have no material form.’
‘Then why are they here?’ Arjun demanded.
‘Probably sent by Shukra,’ Tiwari admitted. ‘But they can’t touch us.’
‘They can’t get inside the car?’ Arjun asked hopefully.
‘The car has no power to stop these creatures. They do not have a material body like ours, so no physical obstacle can stop them. They can very easily pass through the metal frame and glass windows and enter the car. What’s holding them back are the amulets we are wearing. These amulets contain a very powerful mantra called the Narsimha mantra. As long as we wear the amulets, they cannot touch us. Don’t worry, they will keep a safe distance from us.’
Maya did not look convinced. ‘If we are safe from these . . . pretas ,’ she shuddered at using the word for these disgusting creatures whom she had met before, ‘then why are you guys so troubled to see them show up? Surely we can still make it to the river?’
Tiwari sighed. There was much that these children had to learn about. ‘We aren’t worried about the pretas ,’ he replied, patiently. ‘Or, for that matter, the bhutas — spirits of the dead who have not yet been allowed to rebirth in another body — who are doubtless also circling around us in the darkness, unseen. Shukra would assume that we have some sort of protection against them. What we’re afraid of is something else.’
Virendra took up the explanation, his eyes still firmly fixed on the dusty path ahead of them, ignoring the masses of spirits outside. ‘These are pure spirits, unencumbered by a physical body. As a result, they are able to travel in an instant to wherever they wish to go. Nothing can come in their way. That makes them very useful as spies. By now, they would have reported back to Shukra and his minions that they have located and identified us.’
‘How would they have identified us?’ Arjun interrupted.
‘That’s difficult to explain,’ Tiwari said. ‘They would, just . . . know.’
‘You mean,’ Maya said slowly, ‘that Shukra now knows where we are? He is going to hunt us down?’ Her mind fought back the terror that slowly crept back as the memory of Shukra pinning her father mid-air, and his agonized cries as she fled the house, came back to her.
A deathly silence descended in the cabin of the speeding SUV.
Maya’s blood ran cold. Her worst fears were going to come true. She couldn’t stand the thought of having to face that monster again. Involuntarily, she tightened her grasp on her father’s diary, till her hands hurt.
Finally, Virendra spoke. ‘We have to get to the Gurukul. We don’t have too much time.’
Beside Maya, Arjun sniffed. She looked at her friend, worried. After all, it was him that Shukra was after and wanted dead. If Shukra turned up now, with a determination to complete what he had failed to do fourteen years ago in Allahabad, how could anyone protect Arjun?
Despite all her misgivings and resentment, Maya melted. Her heart went out to her friend. She reached out and clasped Arjun’s hand. It was trembling. The boy was terrified. He gratefully held her hand, squeezing it, welcoming the comfort.
The car rushed on, cutting through the darkness and the ghouls floating around it.
Were they going to make it to the sanctuary of the Gurukul?
In another part of the park
Harish drove slowly, cautiously along the forest path. By the time he had broken the padlock that secured the chain around the park gates, both cars had disappeared. As the sun sank in the west, he fervently hoped that the cars had stayed on this road and that he would catch up with them somewhere ahead. If they had turned off the road into the forest, how was he going to track them down in the dark? He couldn’t possibly switch on the headlights without giving himself away.
He had still not figured out where Virendra and the others had vanished to for the entire day, emerging only at sundown. He was just grateful for their reappearance. Now, though, he wondered if the timing of their reappearance and entry into the park was planned. At this time, there was no one around to watch them. And, though he doubted that they suspected his presence here, the growing darkness would make it nearly impossible for a
nyone to follow them to wherever they were headed.
Which raised the question — where were they headed?
He cursed as he suddenly noticed that he had passed a trail leading off the road and into the forest. He could not afford to get distracted. There was no point on focusing on questions which had no answers. He had to concentrate on the job at hand, which was following his quarry and finding out why they were here.
Harish reversed slowly until he reached the junction of the forest path and the road. He shook his head in frustration. It was quite dark now and there was no way to make out the tracks unless he switched the headlights on.
There was no way out. He had to do it.
With a tightening of his gut, he reversed the car a bit more and then got out to examine the road and the dirt path in the light of the car headlamps.
There were visible tracks here. But only one set, left by a single car, which had driven off the tarmac and onto the dirt path. He looked closely at the tracks and gathered that they belonged to the smaller car that he had seen at the gates along with the SUV. The one carrying the unidentified man and the young girl.
Had the two cars split up? If so, which one should he follow?
Harish arrived at a quick decision. The SUV was his primary quarry. He was not going to waste time searching for the smaller car.
There was no time to lose. The longer he took, the further away the SUV would get.
He got back into his car, switched the lights off, and drove ahead slowly.
Another dirt path came into sight, leading off the tarmac, to his right, into the forest.
Harish alighted once more and examined the road.
A car appeared to have turned into the path from the road at high speed. The tyre marks clearly belonged to the SUV.
He walked up the road, beyond the junction of the paths, and examined the ground carefully. The hard tarmac made it difficult to make out any tracks. It seemed to him that his conclusion was correct. The two cars had gone their separate ways. He couldn’t understand why, but this was the only possibility he could think of.
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