Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck (25)

24

Endings

The next morning, I quickly packed up all my things and waited for Mr. Kadam. I sat in the easy chair, nervously tapping my foot back and forth. Last night had convinced me that I needed to do something about Ren. His presence was overwhelming.

I knew that if I spent any more time with him, he would persuade me to become serious about him, and I absolutely could not allow that.

I would end up crushed. Oh, it would be great for a while. Really, really great. But, it would never last. He was an Adonis, and I was no Helen of Troy. We’d never make it. I had to be realistic and to take control of my life again. I decided that when we got back to the house, he and I would have a woman-to-tiger talk.

Then, if he still wouldn’t give up, I’d just go home as Mr. Kadam had suggested. Maybe distance would help. Maybe Ren just needed time apart from me to realize that a relationship between us would be a mistake. With that resolve, I braced myself to see him again as we left the hotel.

I waited a long time for Mr. Kadam. I was almost ready to call his room, when, finally, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Kadam stood there alone.

‘Are you ready, Miss Kelsey? I’m sorry that we’re getting such a late start.’

‘It’s okay. Mr. Wonderful was probably taking his sweet time, right?’

‘No, it was actually my fault this morning. I was busy with . . . paperwork.’

‘Oh. Well, that’s alright. Don’t worry about it. What kind of paperwork?’

He smiled. ‘Nothing important.’

Mr. Kadam held the door for me, and we walked out into an empty hallway. I was just starting to relax at the elevator doors when I heard a hotel room door close. Ren walked down the hall toward us. He’d purchased new clothes. Of course, he looked wonderful. I took a step back from the elevator and tried to avoid eye contact.

Ren wore a brand new pair of dark-indigo, purposely faded, urban-destruction designer jeans. His shirt was a long-sleeved, buttoned-down, crisp, oxford-style and was obviously of high quality. It was blue with thin white stripes and matched his eyes perfectly. He’d rolled up the sleeves and left his shirt untucked and open at the collar. It was also an athletic cut, so it fit tightly to his muscular torso, which made me suck in an involuntary breath in appreciation of his male splendor.

He looks like a runway model. How in the world am I going to be able to reject that? The world is so unfair. Seriously, it’s like turning Brad Pitt down for a date. The girl who could actually do it should win an award for idiot of the century.

I again quickly ran through my list of reasons for not being with Ren and said a few ‘He’s not for me’s.’ The good thing about seeing his mouthwatering self and watching him walk around like a regular person was that it tightened my resolve. Yes. It would be hard because he was so unbelievably gorgeous, but it was now even more obvious to me that we didn’t belong together.

As he joined us at the elevator, I shook my head and muttered under my breath, ‘Figures. The guy is a tiger for three hundred and fifty years and emerges from his curse with expensive taste and keen fashion sense too. Incredible!’

Mr. Kadam asked, ‘What was that, Miss Kelsey?’

‘Nothing.’

Ren raised an eyebrow and smirked.

He probably heard me. Stupid tiger hearing.

The elevator doors opened. I stepped in and moved to the corner hoping to keep Mr. Kadam between the two of us, but apparently, Mr. Kadam wasn’t receiving the silent thoughts I was projecting furiously toward him and remained by the elevator buttons. Ren moved next to me and stood too close. He looked me up and down slowly and gave me a knowing smile. We rode down the elevator in silence.

When the doors opened, he stopped me, took the backpack off my shoul­der, and threw it over his, leaving me with nothing to carry. He walked ahead next to Mr. Kadam while I trailed along slowly behind, keeping distance between us and a wary eye on his tall frame.

In the car, Mr. Kadam did enough talking for all three of us. He was so excited that Ren could be a man again. It must have been a great relief for him. In a way, Mr. Kadam was just as cursed as Ren and Kishan. He couldn’t have a life of his own. Focusing his time and atten­tion on serving the brothers had become his only purpose in life. He was as much of a slave to the tigers as they were to the curse.

The thought occurred to me that I was in danger of becoming a slave to a tiger as well. Hah! I’d probably like it too. I rolled my eyes at the thought. I disgust myself. I’m so darn weak! I hated the idea that all he’d have to do was crook his finger at me, beckon me to come to him, and I probably would. The fiercely independent side of me flared up. That’s it! No more! I’m going to talk it all out with him when we get back and hope that we can still be friends.

This was pretty much my line of thought for the entire trip home. I’d daydream and then stop, lecture myself, and repeat my stubborn mantra. I tried to read, but I kept re­­­reading the same paragraph over and over. Eventually, I gave up and napped a little.

We finally got back late in the evening. I took one look at Ren’s beautifully lit-up dream home and sighed deeply. It felt like home to me. It would be very hard to leave it when the time came, and I had a sinking feeling that the time would come all too soon.

Even though I had napped some during the ride, I figured that I should try to get some rest. I forced myself to stop agonizing over my choice and brushed my teeth and changed into my pajamas. I carefully took Fanindra out of my backpack. Placing a small pillow on the night-stand, I arranged Fanindra’s hard, coiled body as comfortably as I could with her head facing the view of the pool. If I were a frozen snake, that would be what I’d like to look at.

Next, I took out the gada and the Golden Fruit. Wrapping the Golden Fruit in a soft towel, I put it and the gada in my dresser drawer. Looking at the fruit, I realized that I was hungry. I wanted a midnight snack, but I was too lazy to go downstairs to get one. I tucked the fruit in the drawer. I’d have to remember to ask Mr. Kadam to lock up the Fruit and the gada with Ren’s family Seal, wherever that was. We needed to be sure it was safe.

As I crawled into bed, I noticed a small plate of crackers and cheese with sliced apples on the nightstand next to Fanindra. I hadn’t noticed it before.

Huh. Mr. Kadam must have snuck the plate in when I was in the bathroom.

Grateful for his thoughtfulness, I ate my snack and then turned out the lights. Sleep wouldn’t come. My mind wouldn’t let me rest. I was afraid to face Ren the next day. I was afraid that I couldn’t say what needed to be said. I finally drifted off at about four in the morning and slept till noon.

I took my time getting up, which turned out to be the next afternoon. I knew I was avoiding Ren and our discussion, but I didn’t care. I took my time showering and dressing. By the time I mustered the courage to go downstairs, my stomach was grumbling from hunger pains.

I crept down the stairs and heard someone puttering in the kitchen. Relieved it must be Mr. Kadam, I turned the corner and, to my dismay, found Ren, all alone, trying to make a sandwich. He had sandwich fixings spread all over the kitchen. Every vegetable in the refrigerator and almost every condiment were set out on the counter. He was standing there, deep in thought, trying to figure out if he should use ketchup or chili sauce on his turkey and eggplant sandwich. He had tied on one of Mr. Kadam’s aprons, and it was smeared with mustard. Despite my attempt to be quiet, I giggled.

He smiled but kept his attention on his sandwich. ‘I heard you get up. Took your sweet time coming downstairs. I thought you might be hungry and came down to make you a sandwich.’

I laughed acerbically, ‘Ugh, not one of those. I’ll take a peanut butter.’

‘Okay. Umm, which one of these jars is peanut butter?’

He pointed to a group of condiments. He’d separated all the bottles, placing the ones labeled in English to one side and keeping everything else near him.

Bemused, I approached him. ‘You can’t read English, can you?’

He scowled. ‘No. I can read about fifteen other languages and speak about thirty, but I can’t figure out what these bottles are.’

I smirked at him. ‘If you smelled it, you’d probably figure it out, Tiger Nose.’

He looked up, grinned, then set down both bottles, walked over to me, and kissed me right on the mouth.

‘See? That’s why I need to have you around. I need a smart girlfriend.’

He went back to his sandwich and started opening bottles and smelling them.

I sputtered, ‘Ren! I am not your girlfriend!’

He just grinned at me in response, located the peanut butter, and made me the thickest peanut butter sandwich I’d ever seen. I took one bite and couldn’t open my mouth. ‘Weenn, hobouutssomme mlkk uff datte?’

He laughed. ‘What?’

‘Ilkk, illlkk!’ I mimed drinking something.

‘Oh, milk! Okay, hold on a sec.’

He had to open every cupboard in the kitchen to locate a cup, and, naturally, they were in the last cupboard he chose. He poured me a frothy glass, and I drained half of it immediately to clear the sticky peanut butter out of my mouth. Pulling the slices of bread apart, I chose the one with the least amount of peanut butter, folded it in half, and ate that instead.

Ren sat down across from me with the biggest, strangest looking sandwich on the planet and dug in. I blinked at it and laughed. ‘You’re eating a Dagwood.’

‘What’s a Dagwood?’

‘A giant sandwich named after a comic strip character.’

He grunted and took another big bite. I decided it was a good time to talk when he couldn’t talk back.

‘Umm, Ren? We have something important we need to discuss. Meet me on the veranda at sundown, okay?’

He froze with his sandwich halfway to his mouth. ‘A secret rendezvous? On the veranda? At sundown?’ He arched an eyebrow at me. ‘Why, Kelsey, are you trying to seduce me?’

‘Hardly,’ I dryly muttered.

He laughed, ‘Well, I’m all yours. But be gentle with me tonight, fair maiden. I’m new at this whole being human business.’

Exasperated, I threw out, ‘I am not your fair maiden.’

He ignored my comment and went back to devouring his lunch. He also took the other half of my discarded peanut butter sandwich and ate that too, commenting, ‘Hey! This stuff’s pretty good.’

Finished, I walked over to the kitchen island and began clearing away Ren’s mess. When he was done eating, he stood to help me. We worked well together. It was almost like we knew what the other person was going to do before he or she did it. The kitchen was spotless in no time. Ren took off his apron and threw it into the laundry basket. Then, he came up behind me while I was putting away some glasses and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me up against him.

He smelled my hair, kissed my neck, and murmured softly in my ear, ‘Mmm, definitely peaches and cream, but with a hint of spice. I’ll go be a tiger for a while and take a nap, and then I can save all my hours for you this evening.’

I grimaced. He was probably expecting a make-out session, and I was planning to break up with him. He wanted to spend time with a girlfriend, and my intention was to explain to him how we weren’t meant to be together. Not that we were ever officially together. Still, it felt like a break up.

Why does this have to be so hard?

Ren rocked me and whispered, ‘“How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night, Like soft music to attending ears.”’

I turned around in his arms, shocked. ‘How did you remember that? That’s Romeo and Juliet!’

He shrugged. ‘I paid attention when you were reading it to me. I liked it.’

He kissed my cheek. ‘See you tonight, iadala,’ and left me stand­ing there.

The rest of the afternoon, I couldn’t focus on anything. Nothing held my attention for more than a few minutes. I rehearsed some sen­tences in front of the mirror, but they all sounded pretty lame to me: ‘It’s not you, it’s me,’ ‘There are plenty of other fish in the sea,’ ‘I need to find myself,’ ‘Our differences are too big,’ ‘I’m not the one,’ ‘There’s someone else.’ Heck, I even tried ‘I’m allergic to cats.’

None of the excuses I came up with would work with Ren. I decided the best thing to do was be straightforward with him, and tell him the truth. That’s who I was. I faced things, got on with the hard parts, and moved on with life.

Mr. Kadam was gone all day. The Jeep was missing. I was hoping that he’d be around to distract me a little bit, maybe give me some advice, but he was MIA.

Sundown came too quickly, and I nervously headed upstairs. I walked in the bathroom, took out my braids, and brushed out my hair until it fell down my back in loose waves. I put on some lip gloss and eyeliner and then searched through my closet for something nicer to wear than a T-shirt. Apparently, someone had been adding designer clothing to my wardrobe. I came out with a mulberry, small-scale, plaid, cotton blouse trimmed in black silk, and some slim-leg black pants cropped at the ankles.

The charitable thing to do would be to make myself as homely looking as possible, which would probably make it much easier on him, but I didn’t want his parting memories of me to be that I was a frumpy mess dressed in tomboy clothes.

I do have some feminine pride after all. I still want him to squirm. At least a little.

Satisfied with my appearance, I passed Fanindra, patted her head, and asked her to wish me luck. I slid open the glass door and stepped outside. The air was warm and fragrant with the scent of jasmine and the woodsy aroma of the jungle. I watched the sun dip down below the horizon, leaving the sky carnation pink and clementine orange. The pool and fountain lights clicked on below as I sat back on the cushioned patio loveseat and rocked gently, enjoying the balmy, sweet-smelling breeze as it wafted over my skin.

I sighed and spoke aloud, ‘The only thing missing is one of those fruity, tropical drinks with pineapple, cherries, and an umbrella.’ Some­thing fizzed next to me on a side table. It was a curved, frosty glass containing a cold red-orange fruit drink, complete with umbrella and cherries! I picked it up to see if it was real. It was. I sipped it cautiously, and the bubbly sweet juice was perfect.

Something weird is going on. Nobody else is here, so how did this drink get here?

Right then, Ren appeared, and I forgot all about my mysterious beverage. He was barefoot, dressed in black slacks with a thin belt and a sea-green silk shirt. His hair was damp, and he’d brushed it back away from his face. He sat down beside me on the loveseat and snuck his arm around my shoulders. He smelled fantastic. That warm summery sandalwood scent of his mixed with the jasmine.

That’s got to be what heaven smells like.

Ren propped his foot up on a side table and started to rock us back and forth. He seemed content to just sit, relax, and enjoy the breeze and sunset, so we stayed that way for a while, sitting comfortably together for several minutes. It was nice. Maybe we could still be friends like this afterward. I hoped so. I liked his companionship.

He reached over and took my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. He toyed with my fingers for a while, then brought my hand up to his lips and kissed them slowly, one by one.

‘What did you want to talk about tonight, Kelsey?’

‘Uh . . .’ What the heck did I want to talk about? For the life of me, I couldn’t remember. Oh yeah. I shook off my reaction to him and braced myself.

‘Ren, I would kind of prefer it if you would sit across from me so I can see you. You’re a little less distracting from over there.’

He laughed at me. ‘Okay, Kells. Whatever you say.’

He slid a chair across from me and then sat down. Leaning over, he picked up my foot and brought it up to his lap.

I twitched my leg. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Relax. You seem tense.’ He began massaging my foot. I started to protest, but he just gave me a look.

He twisted my foot one way and then another. ‘You have blisters all over your feet. We need to get you better shoes if you’re going to be hiking in the jungle this often.’

‘The hiking boots gave me blisters too. It probably doesn’t matter what shoes you get me. I’ve been hiking more in the last few weeks than I have my entire life. My feet aren’t used to it.’

He frowned and softly traced my arch with his finger, which shot tingly sensations up my leg. Then he wrapped his hands around my foot and started massaging, being careful to avoid any tender places. I was going to object again, but it felt good. Besides, it could be a good distraction during an uncomfortable conversation, so I let him continue. I glanced at his face. He was studying me curiously.

What was I thinking? I thought him sitting across from me would make it easier. Stupid me! Now I have to stare right at the warrior archangel and try to stay focused. I closed my eyes for a minute. Come on, Kells. Focus. Focus. You can do this!

‘Okay, Ren, there really is something that we need to discuss.’

‘Alright. Go ahead.’

I blew out a breath. ‘You see, I can’t . . . reciprocate your feelings. Or your, umm, affections.’

He laughed. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Well, what I mean is, I—’

He leaned forward and spoke in a low voice, full of meaning, ‘Kelsey, I know you reciprocate my feelings. Don’t pretend anymore that you don’t have them.’

When did he figure all this out? Maybe when you were kissing him like an idiot, Kells. I’d hoped that I’d fooled him, but he could see right through me. I decided to play dumb and pretend I didn’t know what he was talking about.

I waved my hand in the air. ‘Okay! Yes! I admit that I’m attracted to you.’

Who wouldn’t be?

‘But it won’t work out,’ I finished. There, it was out.

Ren looked confused. ‘Why not?’

‘Because I’m too attracted to you.’

‘I don’t understand what you’re saying. How can your being attracted to me be a problem? I would think that’s a good thing.’

‘For normal people . . . it is,’ I stated.

‘So I’m not normal?’

‘No. Let me explain it this way. It’s like this . . . a starving man would gladly eat a radish, right? In fact, a radish would be a feast if that’s all he had. But if he had a buffet in front of him, the radish would never be chosen.’

Ren paused a moment. ‘I don’t get it. What are you saying?’

‘I’m saying . . . I’m the radish.’

‘And what am I? The buffet?’

I tried to explain it further. ‘No . . . you’re the man. Now . . . I don’t really want to be the radish. I mean, who does? But I’m grounded enough to know what I am, and I am not a buffet. I mean, you could be having chocolate éclairs, for heaven’s sake.’

‘But not radishes.’

‘No.’

‘What . . .’ Ren paused thoughtfully, ‘if I like radishes?’

‘You don’t. You don’t know any better. I’m also really sorry that I’ve been so rude to you. I’m not normally. I don’t know where all the sarcasm comes from.’

Ren raised an eyebrow.

‘Okay. I have a cynical, evil side that is normally hidden. But when I’m under great stress or extremely desperate, it comes out.’

He set down my foot, picked up the other one, and began massaging it with his thumbs. He didn’t say anything, so I continued, ‘Being cold­hearted and nasty was the only thing I could do to push you away. It was kind of a defense mechanism.’

‘So you admit you were trying to push me away.’

‘Yes. of course.’

‘And it’s because you’re a radish.’

Frustrated, I said, ‘Yes! Now that you’re a man again, you’ll find someone better for you, someone who complements you. It’s not your fault. I mean, you’ve been a tiger so long that you just don’t know how the world works.’

‘Right. And how does the world work, Kelsey?’

I could hear the frustration in his voice but pressed on. ‘Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but you could be going out with some supermodel-turned-actress. Haven’t you been paying attention?’

Angrily, he shouted, ‘Oh, yes, indeed I am paying attention! What you are saying is that I should be a stuck-up, rich, shallow, libertine who cares only about wealth, power, and bettering my status. That I should date superficial, fickle, pretentious, brainless women who care more about my connections than they do about me. And that I am not wise enough, or up-to-date enough, to know who I want or what I want in life! Does that about sum it up?’

I squeaked out a small, ‘Yes.’

‘You truly feel this way?’

I flinched. ‘Yes.’Ren leaned forward. ‘Well, you’re wrong, Kelsey. Wrong about yourself and wrong about me!’

He was livid. I shifted uncomfortably while he went on.

‘I know what I want. I’m not operating under any delusions. I’ve studied people from a cage for centuries, and that’s given me ample time to figure out my priorities. From the first moment I saw you, the first time I heard your voice, I knew you were different. You were special. The first time you reached your hand into my cage and touched me, you made me feel alive in a way I’ve never felt before.’

‘Maybe it’s all just a part of the curse. Did you ever think of that? Maybe these aren’t your true feelings. Maybe you sensed that I was the one to help you, and you’ve somehow misinterpreted your emotions.’

‘I highly doubt it. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, even before the curse.’

This was not going the way I wanted it to. I felt a desperate need to escape before I said something that would screw up my plans. Ren was the dark side, the forbidden fruit, my personal Delilah – the ultimate temptation. The question was . . . could I resist?

I gave his knee a friendly pat and played my trump card . . . ‘I’m leaving.’

‘You’re what?’

‘I’m going home to Oregon. Mr. Kadam thinks it will be safer for me anyway, with Lokesh out there looking to kill us and all. Besides, you need time to figure out . . . stuff.’

‘If you’re leaving, then I’m going with you!’

I smiled at him wryly. ‘That kind of defeats the purpose of me leaving. Don’t you think?’

He slicked back his hair, let out a deep breath, then took my hand and looked intently into my eyes. ‘Kells, when are you going to accept the fact that we belong together?’

I felt sick, like I was kicking a faithful puppy who only wanted to be loved. I looked out at the pool.

After a moment, he sat back scowling and said menacingly, ‘I won’t let you leave.’

Inside, I desperately wanted to take his hand and beg him to forgive me, to love me, but I steeled myself, dropped my hands in my lap, then implored, ‘Ren, please. You have to let me go. I need . . . I’m afraid . . . look, I just can’t be here, near you, when you change your mind.’

‘It’s not going to happen.’

‘It might. There’s a good chance.’

He growled angrily. ‘There’s no chance!’

‘Well, my heart can’t take that risk, and I don’t want to put you in what can only be an awkward position. I’m sorry, Ren. I really am. I do want to be your friend, but I understand if you don’t want that. Of course, I’ll return when you need me, if you need me, to help you find the other three gifts. I wouldn’t abandon you or Kishan in that way. I just can’t stay here with you feeing obligated to pity-date me because you need me. But I’d never abandon your cause. I’ll always be there for you both, no matter what.’

He spat out, ‘Pity-date! You? Kelsey, you can’t be serious!’

‘I am. Very, very serious. I’ll ask Mr. Kadam to make arrangements to send me back in the next few days.’

He didn’t say another word. He just sat back in his chair. I could tell he was fuming mad, but I felt that, after a week or two, when he started getting back out in the world, he would come to appreciate my gesture.

I looked away from him. ‘I’m very tired now. I’d like to go to bed.’ I got up and headed to my room. Before I closed the sliding door, I asked, ‘Can I make one last request?’

He sat there tight-lipped, his arms folded over his chest, with a tense, angry face.

I sighed. Even infuriated he was beautiful.

He said nothing so I went on, ‘It would be a lot easier on me if I didn’t see you, I mean as a man. I’ll try to avoid most of the house. It is yours after all, so I’ll stay in my room. If you see Mr. Kadam, please tell him I’d like to speak with him.’

He didn’t respond.

‘Well, good-bye, Ren. Take care of yourself.’ I tore my eyes away from him, shut the door, and drew the curtains.

Take care of yourself? That was a lame good-bye. Tears welled in my eyes and blurred my vision. I was proud that I’d gotten through it without showing emotion. But, now, I felt like a steamroller had come along and flattened me.

I couldn’t breathe. I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower to drown out any sounds. I closed the door, which trapped all the steam inside, and sobbed. Gut-wrenching spasms shook my body. My eyes, nose, and mouth all leaked simultaneously as I allowed myself to feel the empty despair of loss.

I slumped to the floor and then slid down even farther until I was sprawled out on it with my cheek resting on the cool marble. I let my emotions overtake me until I was completely spent. My limbs felt lifeless and dull, and my hair frizzed up and stuck to the wet tears on my face.

Much later, I got up slowly, turned off the now-cold shower, washed my face, and climbed into bed. Thoughts of Ren ran through my mind again, and silent tears started streaming once more. I actually thought about putting Fanindra on my pillow and cuddling her. That was how des­perate I was for comfort. I cried myself to sleep, hoping that I would feel better the next day.

I again slept in late the next day and got up feeling hungry and numb. I was emotionally exhausted. I didn’t want to risk going downstairs to get something to eat. I didn’t want to run into Ren. I sat on the bed, pulled my knees up to my chest, and wondered what to do.

I decided to write in my journal. Pouring all my jumbled thoughts and emo­tions onto its pages helped me feel a bit better. My stomach growled.

I wish I had some of Mr. Kadam’s berry crepes.

Something moved at the corner of my vision. I turned and saw a breakfast laid out for me on the little table. I walked over to inspect it. Crepes with triple berries! My mouth fell open in shock.

That’s just too convenient.

I suddenly remembered that fizzing juice that I had tasted last night. When I wanted something to drink, it had appeared.

I decided to test these strange phenomena. I said out loud, ‘I would also like some chocolate milk.’ A tall cold glass of chocolate milk material­ized out of nowhere. This time, I decided to try to think something.

I wish I had a new pair of shoes.

Nothing happened. I voiced, ‘I wish I had a new pair of shoes.’ Still nothing.

Maybe it only works with food. I thought, I would like a strawberry milkshake.

A tall glass appeared, full to the brim with a thick strawberry milkshake topped with whipped cream and a sliced strawberry.

What is doing this? The gada? Fanindra? Durga? The Fruit? The Fruit! The Golden Fruit of India! Mr. Kadam had said that through the Golden Fruit, the people of India would be fed. The Golden Fruit provided food! I took the fruit out of the drawer and held it in my hand as I wished for something else.

‘A . . . radish, please.’

The fruit shimmered and glowed like a golden diamond, and a radish appeared in my free hand. I examined it thoughtfully and then chucked it in my trash can.

I mumbled ironically, ‘See? Even I don’t want a radish.’

I immediately wanted to share this exciting news with Ren and ran for the door. I twisted the knob, but then I hesitated. I didn’t want to undo all the things I’d said last night. I meant it about staying friends with him, but, ironically, I was the one who couldn’t be his friend right now. I needed time to get over him.

I decided to wait for Mr. Kadam to come back; then, I would tell Ren about the Fruit.

I dug into my crepes and enjoyed my meal – all the more special because it was magical. Then I got dressed and decided to read in my room. After awhile, someone knocked on my door.

‘May I come in, Miss Kelsey?’ It was Mr. Kadam.

‘Yes. The door’s open.’

He entered, shutting the door behind him and sat down on one of the easy chairs.

‘Mr. Kadam, stay right there. I have something to show you!’ I got up excitedly and ran to the dresser. Pulling out the Golden Fruit, I unwrapped it and set it carefully on the table. ‘Are you hungry?’

He laughed. ‘No. I just ate.’

‘Well, wish for something to eat anyway.’

‘Why?’

‘Just try it.’

‘Alright.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘I wish for a bowl of my mother’s stew.’

The fruit twinkled, and a white bowl appeared in front of us. The tangy aroma of an herbed lamb stew filled the room.

‘What is this?’

‘Go on, Mr. Kadam, wish for something else. Food, I mean.’

‘I wish for a mango yogurt.’

The fruit sparkled again, and a small dish of mango yogurt appeared.

‘Don’t you see? It’s the fruit! It feeds India. Get it?’

He picked up the fruit carefully. ‘What an amazing discovery! Have you shared this with Ren?’

I blushed guiltily. ‘No, not yet. But you go ahead.’

He nodded, stunned, and turned the fruit in his hands, looking at it from all angles.

‘Umm . . . Mr. Kadam? There’s something else I wanted to talk with you about.’

He set the fruit down carefully and gave me his full attention. ‘Of course, Miss Kelsey. What is it?’

I let out a deep breath. ‘I think it’s time . . . for me to go home.’

He sat back in his chair, steepled his fingers, and looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. ‘Why do you believe so?’

‘Well, like you said, there’s the Lokesh thing, and there are also other . . . things.’

‘Other things?’

‘Yes.’

‘Such as?’

‘Such as . . . well, I don’t want to take advantage of your hospitality forever.’

He scoffed, ‘Nonsense. You are a member of the family. We owe you an eternal debt, one that can never be repaid. This house is as much yours as it is ours.’

I smiled at him gratefully. ‘Thank you. It’s not only that, though, it’s also . . . Ren.’

‘Ren? Can you tell me about it?’

I sat on the edge of the couch and opened my mouth to say that I didn’t want to talk about it, but the whole thing came spilling out. Before I knew it, I was crying, and he was sitting next to me patting my hand and comforting me as if he were my grandfather.

He didn’t say a word. He just let me spill out all of the confu­sion, hurt, and tender new feelings. When I was done, he patted my back while I hiccupped with tears dropping onto my cheeks. He handed me an expensive cloth handkerchief, smiled, and wished for a cup of chamomile tea to give me.

I laughed wetly at his delighted expression as he handed me the tea; then, I blew my nose and calmed down. I was horrified that I had confessed everything to him. What must he think of me? Then another thought pierced my despair: Will he tell Ren?

As if reading my thoughts, he said, ‘Miss Kelsey, don’t you feel bad about what you have told me.’

I begged, ‘Please, please don’t tell Ren.’

‘Rest assured, I will never break your confidence.’ He chuckled. ‘I am very good at keeping secrets, my dear. Don’t despair. Life often seems hopeless and too complicated to hammer out a happy result. I only hope I can offer you some of the peace and harmony that you have given to me.’

He sat back and thoughtfully stroked his short beard. ‘Perhaps it is time for you to go back to Oregon. You are right that Ren needs time to learn how to be a man again, although not quite in the way you believe. Plus, I have a lot more research to do before we set off looking for Durga’s second gift.’

He paused for a moment. ‘Of course I will arrange for you to go back. Never forget, though, that this home is yours too, and you can always call me at a moment’s notice, and I will bring you back. If it’s not too forward of me, I consider you a daughter.’ He laughed. ‘Or perhaps, granddaughter would be more accurate.’

I smiled at him tremulously, threw my arms around his neck, and sobbed anew on his shoulder. ‘Thank you. Thank you so much. You are like family to me too. I will miss you terribly.’

He hugged me back. ‘And I will miss you. Now, enough tears. Why don’t you go out for a swim and get some fresh air while I make the arrangements.’

I swiped a sparkling tear from my eye. ‘That’s a good idea. I think I will.’

He squeezed my hand and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

I decided to take his advice, changed into my bathing suit, and headed for the pool. I swam laps for a while, trying to put my energy into something other than my emotions. When I got hungry, I tried wishing for a club sandwich and one appeared next to the swimming pool.

This sure comes in handy! I don’t have to even be in the same room! I wonder what the range on that thing is.

I ate my sandwich and lay out on a beach towel until my skin got hot, then I hopped back in the pool and floated lazily for a while to cool off.

A tall man walked up and stood by the pool directly in front of the sun. Even shading my eyes, I couldn’t see his face, but I knew who it was.

I scowled, ‘Ren! Can’t you leave me alone? I don’t want to talk to you right now.’

The man stepped out of the sun, and I squinted up at him.

‘You don’t want to see me? And after I came all this way?’ He clicked his tongue, ‘Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Someone needs to teach you some manners, Miss.’

I gasped, ‘Kishan?’

He grinned, ‘Who else, bilauta?’

I squealed, darted up the pool steps, and rushed over to him. He opened his arms to me and laughed as I gave him a big wet hug.

‘I can’t believe you’re here! I’m so glad.’

He looked me up and down with his golden eyes, so different from Ren’s, ‘Well, if I knew that this was the kind of welcome I’d be getting, I would have come here a lot sooner.’

I laughed. ‘Stop teasing me. How did you get here? Did you get six hours back too? You have to tell me all about it!’

He raised his hand and chuckled. ‘Hold on, hold on. First of all, who’s teasing? And secondly, why don’t you go get changed, and we can sit down for a long talk.’

‘Okay.’ I smiled at him then faltered, ‘But can we meet out here by the pool?’

He cocked his head, confused, but smiled. ‘Sure, if you want to. I’ll just wait for you right here.’

‘Alright. Don’t move. I’ll be right back!’

I ran up the back steps to my room and quickly showered, got dressed, and brushed out my hair. I also ordered two root beer floats, courtesy of the Golden Fruit, and carried them down with me.

When I got to the pool, he had moved two deck chairs over into the shade and was sitting back and relaxing with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. He was wearing a black T-shirt with jeans, and his feet were bare. I sunk down into the other chair and handed him a root beer float.

‘What’s this you’ve brought me?’

‘It’s called a root beer float. Try it.’

He took a sip and coughed. I laughed. ‘Did the bubbles go up your nose?’

‘I believe they did. It’s good though. Very sweet. It reminds me of you. Is it from your country?’

‘Yes.’

‘If I want to answer your questions before nightfall, I guess I’d better get started.’

He took another sip of his root beer and continued, ‘First, you asked me if I got six hours back. The answer is yes. You know, it’s strange. I’ve been content being a tiger for centur­ies, but after you and Dhiren visited, I’ve felt uncomfortable in my black hide. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to be alive again, not as an animal but as myself.’

‘I understand. How did you figure out you had six hours, and how did you get here?’

‘I’d been changing to a man every day and had also started sneaking into nearby villages to watch people and see what the modern world offers.’ He sighed sadly. ‘The world has changed much since I was last a part of it.’

I nodded, and he went on, ‘One day, about a week ago, I’d changed to a man and was watching the children play in the village square. I knew my time was almost up, so I moved back into the jungle and waited for the tremors that come before a change. They didn’t come.

‘I waited one hour, then two, and still no change. I knew that some­thing had happened. I walked back through the jungle and waited until I felt the pull of the tiger take over again. I tested myself the next day, and the next, and the time was the same every day.

‘That’s when I knew that you and Ren had been at least partially successful. After that, I returned to the village as a man and asked some people to help me place a call to Mr. Kadam. Someone finally figured out how to reach him, and he drove out to pick me up.’

‘So that’s where Mr. Kadam was for the last couple of days.’

Kishan looked me up and down then leaned back and sipped his float appreciatively. He raised his glass to me. ‘I have to say, I had no idea what I was missing.’

He smiled at me and stretched out his long legs in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.

I said, ‘Well, I’m glad you’re here. This is your home, and you belong here.’

He looked off soberly in the distance. ‘I guess it is. For the longest time, I felt I had no spark of humanity in me. My soul was dark. But, you, my dear,’ he reached over, took my hand, and kissed it, ‘have brought me back into the light again.’

I put my hand lightly on his arm. ‘You just missed Yesubai. I don’t believe your soul was dark or that you had lost your human­ity. It just takes time to heal when your heart’s been broken like that.’

His eyes twinkled. ‘Perhaps you are right. Now, tell me of your adventures! Mr. Kadam filled me in on the basics, but I want to hear details.’

I told him about Durga’s weapons, and he expressed a keen interest in the gada in particular. He laughed when I shared the tale of the monkeys attacking Ren and looked at me in horror when I described the Kappa that had almost eaten me. It was easy talking to him. He listened with interest, and I didn’t have any of the nervous butterflies I felt when I talked with Ren.

When I got to the end of the story, I stared at the pool, while Kishan carefully studied my face.

‘There’s something else I’m curious about, Kelsey.’

I smiled at him. ‘Sure, what else do you want to know?’

‘What exactly is going on between you and Ren?’

A vise clamped down on my chest, but I tried to play it cool. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean, are you two more than just traveling companions? Are you together?’

I clipped off a fast, ‘No. Definitely not.’

He grinned. ‘Good!’ He grabbed my hand and kissed it. ‘Then that means you’re free to go out with me. No girl in her right mind would want to be with Ren, anyway. He’s very . . . stuffy. Cold, as far as relationships go.’

My mouth hung open for a minute, shocked, and then I felt anger shove the shock aside and take over. ‘First of all, I am not going to be with either one of you. Second, a girl would have to be crazy not to want Ren. You’re wrong about him. He’s not stuffy or cold. In fact, he’s considerate, warm, drop-dead gorgeous, dependable, loyal, sweet, and charming.’

He raised an eyebrow and measured me thoughtfully for a minute. I squirmed under his gaze, knowing that I had spoken too quickly and said way too much.

He ventured carefully, ‘I see. You may be right. The Dhiren I know has surely changed in the past couple of hundred years. However, despite that and your insistent claim that you will not be with either one of us, I would like to propose that we go out and celebrate tonight, if not as my . . . what is the correct word?

‘The word is date.’

‘Date. If not as my date . . . then, as my friend.’

I grimaced.

Kishan continued, pressing his point, ‘Surely, you won’t leave me to fend for myself on my first night back in the real world?’

He smiled at me, encouraging my acceptance. I did want to be his friend, but I wasn’t sure what to say to his request. And for just a moment, I wondered how Ren would feel about it and what the consequences might be.

I questioned, ‘Where exactly do you want to go to celebrate?’

‘Mr. Kadam said there’s a nightclub in town nearby with dinner and dancing. I thought we could celebrate there, maybe get something to eat, and you can teach me how to dance.’

I laughed nervously. ‘This is my first time in India, and I don’t know a thing about the dancing or the music here.’

Kishan seemed even more delighted by that news. ‘Fantastic! Then we will learn together. I won’t take no for an answer.’ He jumped up to rush off.

I yelled, ‘Wait, Kishan! I don’t even know what to wear!’

He shouted back over his shoulder, ‘Ask Kadam. He knows everything!’

He disappeared into the house, and I sunk glumly into a depres­sion. The last thing I wanted to do was try to be happy when I was emotionally wrung dry. I was pleased that Kishan was back and in high spirits though.

In the end, I decided that, although I really didn’t feel like celebrat­ing, I didn’t want to dampen Kishan’s newfound enthusiasm for life. I leaned over to pick up our discarded root beer glasses and found that they’d disappeared.

How awesome was that? Not only did the Golden Fruit provide food, it also did the dishes!

I got up to head back into the house and sensed something. Goose bumps stood out on my arms. I looked around but didn’t see or hear anything. Then I felt an electric sizzle shoot through my body. Some­thing tugged at me and pulled my eyes up to the balcony. Ren was standing there, leaning against a pillar with his arms folded across his chest watching me.

We looked at each other for a minute, not saying anything, but I could feel the air between us shift. It became thick, sultry, and tangible – like when the air changes right before a storm. I could feel its power envelop me as it brushed across my skin. Even though I couldn’t see it, I knew a storm was coming.

The sultry air pulled on me like a riptide, trying to suck me back into the vacuum of power Ren had stirred between us. I felt like I had to physically yank myself away from it. I closed my eyes and ignored it, continuing on.

When it finally let me go, a horrible ripping feeling occurred within me, and I spun out into a void alone. As I dragged myself to my room and closed the door behind me, I could feel his eyes still on me, burning a fiery hole between my shoulder blades. I stiffly entered my dark room, trailing the torn threads of disconnection along behind me.

 

I stayed in my room for the rest of the afternoon. Mr. Kadam visited me and expressed his delight that I would be going out for the evening with Kishan. He suggested that a celebration was indeed in order and that we should all go.

I asked, ‘So you and Ren want to come too?’

‘I don’t see why not. I will ask him.’

‘Mr. Kadam, it might be better for you to just have a guys’ night out. I’d just get in the way.’

‘Nonsense, Miss Kelsey. We all have something to celebrate, and I will make sure that Ren is on his best behavior.’

He turned to leave, and I said, ‘Wait! What should I wear?’

‘You may wear whatever you wish. You can wear modern clothes or dress in more traditional fashions. Why don’t you wear your sharara dress?’

‘You don’t think I’d be out of place?’

‘No. There are many women who wear them for celebrations. It would be perfectly acceptable.’

My face fell, and he added, ‘If you don’t wish to wear it, you can wear your regular clothes instead; either choice is appropriate.’

He left and I groaned. Being alone and trying to celebrate with Kishan was bad enough, but at least he didn’t make me feel like I was drowning in emotional turmoil. Now, Ren would be there. It would be miserable.

I felt stressed about going out. I wanted to wear regular clothes, but I knew the boys would probably be wearing Armani or something like that, and I didn’t want to stand next to them in jeans and sneakers, so I opted for my sharara dress.

I pulled the heavy skirt and top out of the closet, ran my hand over the beading, and sighed. It was so beautiful. I spent some time doing my hair and makeup. Playing up my eyes with more mascara and liner than I usually did, I also smudged some purple-gray shadow over my lids and used a flat iron to straighten my hair. The feel of smoothing it out in long strokes was very therapeutic and helped me to relax.

By the time I was finished, my golden-brown hair was sleek and shining and hung in a curtain down my back. I carefully slipped the purple-blue bodice over my head and then picked up the heavy skirt. I centered it on my hips and aligned the glittering folds, liking the weighty feel of it. Fingering the intricate pattern of teardrop pearls, I couldn’t help but smile.

I was just lamenting that the Golden Fruit could not create foot­wear when a knock sounded at my door. Mr. Kadam was waiting for me.

‘Are you ready to go, Miss Kelsey?’

‘Well, not exactly. I don’t have any shoes.’

‘Ah, perhaps Nilima has something in her closet you can borrow.’

I followed him to Nilima’s room, where he opened her closet and pulled out a pair of golden sandals. They were a little big, but I laced them tight and they worked fine. Mr. Kadam offered me his arm.

‘Wait just a second. I forgot something.’ I ran back to my room and grabbed my dupatta scarf, wrapping it around my shoulders.

He smiled at me and offered his arm again. We walked outside to the front drive where I expected to see the Jeep, but parked there instead was a glossy platinum Rolls-Royce Phantom. He held the door open for me as I sank into a luxurious smoke-gray leather interior.

‘Whose car is this?’ I asked, as I rubbed my hand across the pol­ished dashboard.

‘Oh, this? This, is my car.’ Mr. Kadam beamed with pride and obvi­ous love for his vehicle. ‘Most cars in India are very small and economi­cal. In fact, only about one per cent of the population owns a car. When you compare automobiles of India to American vehicles . . .’

He rattled off several more automobile facts before turning the key while I grinned and sank back in my seat listening with rapt attention.

When he finally started the car, the engine didn’t roar to life, it purred. Very nice.

‘Kishan is on his way down, and Ren . . . has opted not to come.’

‘I see.’

I should have been glad, but I was surprised to discover I was disap­pointed. I knew it was better if we didn’t spend time together until this crush, or whatever it was, went away, and he was probably just honoring my wish to not see him, but there was still a part of me that wanted to be with him at least this one last time.

I bit back my emotion and smiled at Mr. Kadam. ‘That’s okay. We’ll still have fun without him.’

Kishan darted out the door. He wore a lightweight burgundy V-neck sweater over pressed khaki slacks. His hair had been trimmed to a shorter length and was cut in angled, choppy layers that had been styled to give him a dramatic fall-in-your-face Hollywood look. The thin sweater showed off his muscular build. He looked very handsome.

He opened the back door to the car and hopped in. ‘Sorry I took so long.’

He leaned up between the front seats. ‘Hey, Kelsey, did you miss—’ He whistled. ‘Wow, Kelsey! You look amazing! I’m going to have to beat the other guys off with a stick!’

I blushed. ‘Please. You won’t even be able to get near me what with the crowds of women that will be surrounding you.’

He grinned at me and leaned back in his seat. ‘I’m glad Ren decided to back out. More of you for me that way.’

‘Hmm.’ I turned around in my seat and buckled the seatbelt.

We pulled up outside a nice restaurant with an outdoor wraparound porch, and Kishan rushed forward to open the door for me. He offered me his arm while smiling at me disarmingly. I laughed and took it, deter­mined to enjoy my evening.

We were seated at a table in the back of the place. The waitress came by, and I took the liberty of selecting cherry colas for me and Kishan. He seemed happy to let me make suggestions of food choices for him.

We had a fun time looking through the menu together. He asked me what my favorite foods were and what he should try. He translated what the menu said, and I offered my opinions. Mr. Kadam ordered some herbal tea and sat quietly, sipping it as he listened to our discussion. After we ordered our food, we sat back and watched couples swaying on the dance floor.

The music was soft and slow, timeless classics, but in a different language. I let melancholy sweep over me and fell quiet. When the food arrived, Kishan dug into it with relish and then happily finished mine when I gave up trying to eat. He seemed fascinated with everything – the people, the language, the music, and especially the food. He asked Mr. Kadam thousands of questions like ‘How do I pay?’ ‘Where did the money come from?’ ‘How much money do I give the server?’

I listened and smiled, but my thoughts were far away. Once our plates were taken away we sipped refills of our drinks and watched the people around us.

Mr. Kadam cleared his throat. ‘Miss Kelsey, may I have this dance?’

He stood up and held out his arm. His eyes were twink­ling, and he was smiling at me. I looked up at him with my own watery smile and thought about how much I would miss this kind man.

‘Of course you may, kind sir.’

He patted my hand on his arm and led me to the dance floor. He was a very good dancer. I’d only danced with high school boys at dances before, and they usually just moved in a circle until the song was over. It was nothing interesting or exciting, but dancing with Mr. Kadam was much more exhilarating. He led me all around the dance floor spinning me in circles that made my skirt fan out. I laughed and enjoyed my time with him. He twirled me out and then brought me back deftly each time. His skill made me feel like I was a good dancer.

When the song was over, we walked back to the table. Mr. Kadam acted as if he was old and winded, but I was actually the one breathing hard. Kishan was thumping the floor impatiently with his foot, and as soon as we returned, he immediately stood up, grabbed my hands, and led me back out to the dance floor.

This time, the song was faster. Kishan seemed to be a quick-study as he carefully watched and copied the moves of the other dancers on the floor. He had good rhythm, but he was trying too hard to look natural. We had a good time, though, and I laughed through the entire song.

The next song was a slow love song, and I started to walk back to our table, but Kishan grabbed my hand and said, ‘Wait a minute, Kelsey. I want to try this.’

He watched another couple near us for a few seconds; then, he placed my arms around his neck while he encircled my waist with his. He kept his eyes on the other couples for only a few more seconds and then looked at me with a rakish smile.

‘I can definitely see the benefit of this kind of dancing.’ He pulled me a bit closer and mumbled, ‘Yes. This is very nice.’

I sighed and let my thoughts drift for a moment. A sound suddenly vibrated through my body. A deep rumble. No. A soft growl. Barely heard over the music. I looked up at Kishan, wondering if he’d heard it too, but he was staring at something over my head.

A quiet but indomitable voice behind me said, ‘I believe this is my dance.’

It was Ren. I could feel his presence. The warmth of him seeped into my back, and I quivered all over like spring leaves in a warm breeze.

Kishan narrowed his eyes and said, ‘I believe it is the lady’s choice.’

Kishan looked down at me. I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I simply nodded and removed my arms from his neck. Kishan glared at his replacement and stalked angrily off the dance floor.

Ren stepped in front of me, took my hands gently in his, and placed them around his neck, bringing my face up achingly close to his. Then he slid his hands slowly and deliberately over my bare arms and down my sides, until they encircled my waist. He traced little circles on my exposed lower back with his fingers, squeezed my waist, and drew my body up tightly against him.

He guided me expertly through the slow dance. He didn’t say any­thing, at least not with words, but he was still sending lots of signals. He pressed his forehead against mine and leaned down to nuzzle my ear. He buried his face in my hair and lifted his hand to stroke down the length of it. His fingers played along my bare arm and at my waist.

When the song ended, it took both of us a minute to recover our senses and remember where we were. He traced the curve of my bottom lip with his finger then reached up to take my hand from around his neck and led me outside to the porch.

I thought he would stop there, but he headed down the stairs and guided me to a wooded area with stone benches. The moon made his skin glow. He was wearing a white shirt with dark slacks. The white made me think of him as the tiger.

He pulled me under the shadow of a tree. I stood very still and quiet, afraid that if I spoke I’d say something I’d regret.

He cupped my chin and tilted my face up so he could look in my eyes. ‘Kelsey, there’s something I need to say to you, and I want you to be silent and listen.’

I nodded my head hesitantly.

‘First, I want to let you know that I heard everything that you said to me the other night, and I’ve been giving your words some very serious thought. It’s important that you understand that.’

He shifted and picked up a lock of hair, tucked it behind my ear, and trailed his fingers down my cheek to my lips. He smiled sweetly at me, and I felt the little love plant bask in his smile and turn toward it as if it contained the nourishing rays of the sun. ‘Kelsey,’ he brushed a hand through his hair, and his smile turned into a lopsided grin, ‘the fact is . . . I’m in love with you, and I have been for some time.’

I sucked in a deep breath.

He picked up my hand and played with my fingers. ‘I don’t want you to leave.’ He began kissing my fingers while looking directly into my eyes. It was hypnotic. He took something out of his pocket. ‘I want to give you something.’ He held out a golden chain covered with small tinkling bell charms. ‘It’s an anklet. They’re very popular here, and I got this one so we’d never have to search for a bell again.’

He crouched down, wrapped his hand around the back of my calf, and then slid his palm down to my ankle and attached the clasp. I swayed and barely stopped myself from falling over. He trailed his warm fingers lightly over the bells before standing up. Putting his hands on my shoulders, he squeezed, and pulled me closer.

‘Kells . . . please.’ He kissed my temple, my forehead, and my cheek. Between each kiss, he sweetly begged, ‘Please. Please. Please. Tell me you’ll stay with me.’ When his lips brushed lightly against mine, he said, ‘I need you,’ then crushed his lips against mine.

I felt my resolve crumbling. I wanted him, wanted him badly. I needed him too. I almost gave in. I almost told him that there was nothing in the world I wanted more than to be with him. That I didn’t think I was capable of leaving him. That he was more precious to me than anything. That I’d give up anything to be with him.

But then he pressed me close and spoke softly in my ear, ‘Please don’t leave me, priya. I don’t think I could survive without you.’

My eyes filled up with tears, and shiny wet drops spilled down my cheeks. I touched his face.

‘Don’t you see, Ren? That’s exactly why I have to go. You need to know that you can survive without me. That there’s more to life than just me. You need to see this world that’s opened up to you and know that you have choices. I refuse to be your cage.

‘I could capture you and keep you selfishly to indulge my own desires. Regardless of whether you’re willing or not, it would be wrong. I helped you so that you could be free. Free to see and do all of the things that you missed out on all these years.’ My hand slipped from his cheek to his neck. ‘Should I put a collar on you? Chain you up so you spend your life connected to me out of a sense of obligation?’ I shook my head.

I wept openly now. ‘I’m sorry, Ren, but I won’t do that to you. I can’t. Because . . . I love you too.’

I kissed him quickly one last time. Then, I gathered up my skirts and ran back to the restaurant. Mr. Kadam and Kishan saw me enter, looked at my face, and immediately rose to leave. Thankfully, the men were quiet on the way home while I cried softly and brushed the flowing tears away with the back of my hand. When we arrived, a sober Kishan briefly squeezed my shoulder, got out, and went into the house. I took a deep breath and told Mr. Kadam that I’d like to fly home in the morning.

He nodded silently, and I ran up to my room, closed the door, and fell onto my bed. I dissolved into a broken puddle of weeping despair. Eventually, sleep overcame me.

 

The next morning, I got up early, washed my face, and plaited my hair, tying the end with a red ribbon. I put on jeans, a T-shirt, and my tennis shoes, and I packed my things into a large bag. Reaching out a hand to touch the sharara dress, I decided that it held too many memories to bring with me, so I left it in the closet. I wrote a note for Mr. Kadam, which told him where the gada and the Fruit were and asked him to store them in the family vault and to let Nilima have my sharara dress. I decided to take Fanindra with me. She felt like a friend to me now. Carefully placing her on top of my quilt, I picked up the delicate golden anklet that Ren had given me. The little bells tinkled as I brushed my finger across them. I had intended to leave it on the dresser, but I changed my mind at the last minute. It was probably a selfish thing to do, but I wanted it. I wanted to have something from him, a keepsake. I dropped it in my bag and zipped the bag closed.

The house was quiet. Silently, I walked down the stairs and passed the peacock room where I found Mr. Kadam sitting and waiting for me. He took my bag and walked with me out to the car, then he opened my door, and I slid in to the seat and buckled my seatbelt. Starting the car, he circled the stone driveway slowly. I turned to take one last look at the beautiful place that felt like home. As we started down the tree-lined road, I watched the house until the trees blocked my view.

Just then, a deafening, heartrending roar shook the trees. I turned in my seat and faced the desolate road ahead.