The Deadly Conch Read Free

race. “Just like you threw my mother out.”
    Layla pushed through the crowds and stood in front of Raka.
    Tara’s guts twisted into a painful knot. “Don’t you dare compare Gayatri-ma to your evil mother, Layla,” she said. “Your mother deliberately hurt others and enjoyed it. She should never have been born . I’m happy she’s gone forever!”
    Layla stared at her and Tara took a step back, shocked at the venom in the eyes of a child barely nine years old. Layla was the same age as Suraj and yet she looked years older. And capable of causing a lot of harm.
    â€œThat’s enough, you two,” said Gayatri in a surprisingly firm voice. “This is all because of me. I’m sorry to have spoiled your evening, Tara. I’ll go.”
    â€œI’ll go with you,” said Ananth. He threw a last look at Tara and turned away. Tara’s heart ached. Why was he angry with her ? She’d tried to talk to Rakaji, but it hadn’t worked. Did he not see that? She wanted to say something more, but the words had dried up under Ananth’s angry gaze.
    Once again, the crowd parted. Tara watched Ananth’s stiff back and made up her mind to talk to him as soon as she could. She hated these silly traditions, too! Within seconds, Gayatri and Ananth melted away into the shadows beyond the circle of revellers.
    Raka spoke again. “The food’s getting cold. Let’s eat and rejoice.”
    Instantly, Gayatri was forgotten as chatter and laughter swept through the crowds again. They all made their way toward the large, steaming pots of food prepared by the women of Morni. Banana leaves had been laid out on the ground in rows and the men and children sat crosslegged before each leaf-plate, waiting to be served.
    Tara had been hungry earlier, but witnessing Gayatri-ma’s humiliation had caused her to lose her appetite. Vayu, Kabir, and Raani were already sitting, awaiting their meal. Vayu’s eyes were fixed on a woman coming down the line with a basket of pooris.
    â€œAren’t you joining us, Tara?” asked Raani. She patted a spot beside her. “We have to eat and then head back home. We’ll have to start out as soon as possible.”
    Tara shook her head. “You all eat, I’ll be back soon with Ananth.”
    Tara hurried down the line toward the woman with the pooris.
    â€œWant one, Tara?” said the woman. “They’re hot and fresh.”
    Up close, the fragrance of the fried bread tickled her nose and her stomach growled again.
    â€œYes, please,” said Tara.
    The woman picked out the biggest golden orb and handed it to her. Tara thanked her and hurried on, munching on the poori while searching for Ananth.
    Something warm brushed against Tara’s leg. A stray dog was looking up at her, his enormous eyes riveted to the food in her hand. He whined and wagged his stump of a tail.
    â€œI’m hungry, too,” said Tara taking another large bite of the fried bread.“You’ll just have to wait till the feast is over. I’m sure there’ll be lots of leftovers. You’ll eat like a king tonight.”
    â€œOi, Tara,” a women called out. “Don’t feed that stray. They’re getting to be too much of a nuisance.”
    Tara looked down at the dog again. His tail fanned the air vigorously and his eyes pleaded silently. She backed away. He limped toward her, uttering small pitiful squeaks. Large patches of brown fur were missing and the outline of his ribs was clearly visible, like a serrated bowl covered with skin. Tara couldn’t resist him anymore. She broke the poori in half and held it out. The dog lunged forward and snatched the food from her hand, his teeth grazing her knuckles.
    â€œOwww,” she said, glaring at the stray and rubbing her hand. “You sure have that pitiful performance down pat until you get the food!”
    In reply, the dog jumped again, surprisingly