Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna

Author:Sarita Mandanna [Mandanna, Sarita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Historical
ISBN: 9780143180463
Publisher: Pintail
Published: 2010-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Nanju looked at Devi, alarmed. She was always sad when it was time to leave the Kambeymada home, but he had never seen his mother cry like this before. “Avvaiah?” he asked, staring crestfallen at the tears running down her face.

She shook her head, trying to smile. “Nothing, it’s nothing. Come hurry up, gather your things. We must leave for Mercara.”

She made him seek the blessings of every elder in the house, touching all of their feet herself as they stiffly wished her well. Only then did she seat herself in the cart. Nanju looked anxiously at her as they pulled away from the house. He searched for the right words. “Don’t be sad, Avvaiah,” he began hesitatingly. “Appaiah told me that we have to let Kambeymada thatha go. He told me that Thatha had lived a very long life and—”

Devi nodded. “Yes, yes. I’m tired, Nanju, that’s all.” She touched his cheek to soften her words. “Avvaiah has a bad headache. Do you think you can be quiet for a while?”

Nanju nodded stoutly. He was glad to leave. He wanted to go back to the calm of Mercara, to Appaiah. He looked at his mother. At least she had stopped crying. He drew his knees up to his chin, gazing out of the cart. It would be better at home.

The clouds shifted wanly across the sky, the Kambeymada house coming into view one last time between the trees before vanishing altogether.

Tukra had just negotiated the third bend in the lane when Nanju raised his head. “Avvaiah,” he pointed. “Look.”

Machu rode right up to the cart. “Devi.

“Devi,” he said again.

She alighted gracefully and they moved to the side of the lane. Nanju craned his head, trying to hear what they were saying, but the breeze snatched away most of their words.

“Congratulations.”

“Yes.”

“Are you happy?” She tried to smile. “It will be a boy. A boy, just like you.”

“Devi. What happened back there. It was not right.”

“And yet you did nothing to stop it.”

“What good has it ever done to go up against an army? Better to catch them unawares, or take them on one at a time. Anyway”—he shook his hand impatiently—“I came to tell you this. Do not worry. I will see to it that you get your fair share.”

She laughed, a shrill, mocking sound. “I’m sure you will, just like you did this morning.”

“Devi—”

Tears threatened the back of her eyes, and she laughed again to cover them. “Here.” Nanju saw Avvaiah reach into her blouse and place something in his uncle’s palm.

“I gave this to you.”

“A tiger’s claw for your tigress? Yes, I know. But you have a wife now, Machu, you will have a child soon. This … you should take this back.”

He put the brooch back in her hands, cupping them hard in his own. “This is yours,” he said roughly. “Do with it as you will. Throw it in the Kaveri if you wish. But it was meant for you alone. None other than you.”

To Nanju’s dismay, Avvaiah started crying again when she returned to the cart.

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