Shahana by Rosanne Hawke

Author:Rosanne Hawke
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: JUV039000, book
ISBN: 9781743431276
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2013-05-06T04:00:00+00:00

That night she thinks about it. She knows it is cold for Zahid under the house and it will get worse. If she goes to Ayesha’s then Zahid could sleep in the house. Isn’t living at Ayesha’s what she secretly wished for before they were speaking again? But that was before she and Tanveer found Zahid. She drifts into sleep and a voice like Nana-ji’s reminds her that Zahid is only there to keep them safe. Once she goes to live with Ayesha he will leave.

She danced into the forest. It was aflame with autumn leaves, but then right before her eyes they turned into true flames. The flames jumped from tree to tree. The branches were alight – the forest was on fire. Myna birds flew above her. Blue mountain sheep, leopards, hares, wild goats, black panthers and bears thundered through the trees towards the giant fence, but they couldn’t jump over it. There was nothing she could do. The animals roared and wailed and squealed. Rani! She had to save Rani from the fire. She ran back towards the house. Just as she reached the logs she heard a gun fire.

Shahana springs awake. Gunshots always wake her. Was it in the dream or in the forest? It was so loud. How close was it? She can hear banging. It sounds as if it is coming from under the house.

Tanveer wakes then. ‘Shahji?’

She holds him. Rani is bleating.

‘Maybe it’s the militant. Maybe he wants us for fighters. Maybe he wants Rani.’

‘Chup.’ Shahana shushes him. ‘He wouldn’t do that.’ But she isn’t sure.

She wants to go to the door to check, but she must keep Tanveer safe. Then they hear a snarl. A growl. Rani squeals. Shahana has never heard such a sound. Another gunshot. Is it Zahid?

‘Shahji, we have to help Rani.’ Tanveer is crying but he jumps off the charpoy and runs to the door.

‘Tanveer, stop. Let me light the lamp.’

Suddenly all is quiet. Tanveer peeks out the doorway. ‘There’s a chitta, Shahji. It’s running away.’

She sees the leopard streaking through the trees like silver in the moonlight. ‘Get away from the door, Tanveer.’

‘But I can hear Rani crying.’

The bleating comes closer, accompanied by click-clacking up the logs. There is a bang on the door and Tanveer opens it wider. ‘Zahid.’

Shahana goes to him. ‘Are you all right? We didn’t know what was happening.’

He leads Rani inside. She is thrashing her head from side to side and complaining pitifully.

‘Just a chitta.’ He gestures to Rani. ‘She will have to sleep in here. The wall didn’t hold against a chitta. And Rani on a rope is easy food.’

‘I wish I saw the chitta up close,’ Tanveer says.

‘I saw enough for both of us. She was beautiful but very hungry.’

‘You’re not hurt?’ Shahana says, shutting the door against the cold.

‘No, but Rani has a scratch.’

Rani’s scratch is a gash across her thigh. Shahana washes it and applies salt, her stock treatment for wounds. There were times Nana-ji brought Rani inside too.

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