<p>Navya hurried along the deserted road. The sun would set in half an hour. Several dark clouds had gathered in the sky. She hoped it wouldn’t rain. She had forgotten her umbrella, as the past few days had been sunny.</p><p>It was getting darker by the minute. She still had a 20-minute walk to her house on top of the hill.</p><p>She cursed herself for taking such a long time in the library. That was the effect books had on her. Now those same books she had spent time reading would be of no use to her. Neither could they give her company on this walk, nor could they push away the clouds announcing the impending rain. As for shortening the roads, there was no chance of that.</p>.The strange palace.<p>As the first few drops of rain pelted her, she gulped. Should she start running up the hill? Would she reach her house before the downpour?</p><p>She heard heavy breathing behind her, as though someone was running. With her heart beating wildly, she turned around to look back. A girl her age was walking hurriedly, her clothes completely drenched, inspite of the umbrella she was holding. She had a sad expression on her face.</p><p>Navya’s eyes brightened. She now had company. She stopped walking, waiting for the girl to catch up with her.</p>.<p>As the girl neared, she said, “I saw you leaving the library quite late today. And you didn’t even have your umbrella. So, I decided to help you.”</p>.<p>“Thanks a bunch,” Navya said, moving under the umbrella. “My name is Navya. What’s yours?”</p>.<p>“Kavya,” the girl said breathlessly.</p>.<p>As Navya stared at the girl, shock rooted her to the spot. The girl had scratches on her face as though some wild animal had attacked her.</p>.<p>Not wanting to make the girl self-conscious, Navya turned her face to the left.</p>.<p>“You are wondering what happened to my face?” Kavya asked. “I was attacked by a bear last week on this same path.”</p>.<p>Navya gasped.</p>.<p>“That’s why when I saw you alone on the path today, I rushed to help you,” she said.</p>.<p>“So sweet of you,” Navya moved closer to the girl. A chill went down her back, goosebumps marbled her arms. She shivered in the cold. The rain had picked up speed.</p>.<p>“How did you escape the bear?” Navya asked.</p>.<p>“That’s a really long story, I’ll tell you some other time,” Kavya sighed.</p>.<p>“I was reading a suspense novel in the library,” Navya said. “It had reached a crucial juncture and I was reluctant to leave it. So, I completed the book, hence the delay. Mom will be worried, as I forgot my mobile phone at home today.”</p>.<p>“Don’t worry, I know a shortcut that will make you reach home in a jiffy,” Kavya said.</p>.<p>They took a turn down a mud path which Navya had never seen before, hidden as it was behind a copse of trees.</p>.<p>Like a sure-footed mountain goat, Kavya led her through the trees. But, Navya was beginning to get scared. Looking around, she noticed strange eyes staring at her from the darkness that had befallen them. The eyes glowed eerily sending ripples of fear down her spine. She heard a few growls that made her heart beat faster. She picked up pace.</p>.<p>Though Kavya was a quiet companion, they made good time and soon they reached the well-lit road leading to her house.</p>.<p>“Don’t walk up the hill so late. I may not be there to help you every time. Bye,” Kavya said.</p>.<p>“You bet,” Navya sighed. “Today was enough. My heart was in my mouth throughout the journey. Thanks for your company.”</p>.<p>With a wave Kavya turned around and walked away until she disappeared from view.</p>.<p>Navya ran the last few metres to her house. Her grandmother stood at the entrance. Hugging her, she narrated the sequence of events.</p>.<p>A little later, after dinner she sat with her family in the living room, watching the news. The popular news anchor stared at them from the television screen, with a solemn look on her face.</p>.<p>“This morning rescuers found the body of twelve-year Kavya Saxena in the jungle. She had been missing for five days. From the scratches on her face and body, it seems that she was the victim of a bear attack. Her distraught family cremated her this afternoon.” A photograph of the girl appeared on the screen.</p>.<p>Navya shivered. It was the same girl who had helped her get home sometime back.</p>
<p>Navya hurried along the deserted road. The sun would set in half an hour. Several dark clouds had gathered in the sky. She hoped it wouldn’t rain. She had forgotten her umbrella, as the past few days had been sunny.</p><p>It was getting darker by the minute. She still had a 20-minute walk to her house on top of the hill.</p><p>She cursed herself for taking such a long time in the library. That was the effect books had on her. Now those same books she had spent time reading would be of no use to her. Neither could they give her company on this walk, nor could they push away the clouds announcing the impending rain. As for shortening the roads, there was no chance of that.</p>.The strange palace.<p>As the first few drops of rain pelted her, she gulped. Should she start running up the hill? Would she reach her house before the downpour?</p><p>She heard heavy breathing behind her, as though someone was running. With her heart beating wildly, she turned around to look back. A girl her age was walking hurriedly, her clothes completely drenched, inspite of the umbrella she was holding. She had a sad expression on her face.</p><p>Navya’s eyes brightened. She now had company. She stopped walking, waiting for the girl to catch up with her.</p>.<p>As the girl neared, she said, “I saw you leaving the library quite late today. And you didn’t even have your umbrella. So, I decided to help you.”</p>.<p>“Thanks a bunch,” Navya said, moving under the umbrella. “My name is Navya. What’s yours?”</p>.<p>“Kavya,” the girl said breathlessly.</p>.<p>As Navya stared at the girl, shock rooted her to the spot. The girl had scratches on her face as though some wild animal had attacked her.</p>.<p>Not wanting to make the girl self-conscious, Navya turned her face to the left.</p>.<p>“You are wondering what happened to my face?” Kavya asked. “I was attacked by a bear last week on this same path.”</p>.<p>Navya gasped.</p>.<p>“That’s why when I saw you alone on the path today, I rushed to help you,” she said.</p>.<p>“So sweet of you,” Navya moved closer to the girl. A chill went down her back, goosebumps marbled her arms. She shivered in the cold. The rain had picked up speed.</p>.<p>“How did you escape the bear?” Navya asked.</p>.<p>“That’s a really long story, I’ll tell you some other time,” Kavya sighed.</p>.<p>“I was reading a suspense novel in the library,” Navya said. “It had reached a crucial juncture and I was reluctant to leave it. So, I completed the book, hence the delay. Mom will be worried, as I forgot my mobile phone at home today.”</p>.<p>“Don’t worry, I know a shortcut that will make you reach home in a jiffy,” Kavya said.</p>.<p>They took a turn down a mud path which Navya had never seen before, hidden as it was behind a copse of trees.</p>.<p>Like a sure-footed mountain goat, Kavya led her through the trees. But, Navya was beginning to get scared. Looking around, she noticed strange eyes staring at her from the darkness that had befallen them. The eyes glowed eerily sending ripples of fear down her spine. She heard a few growls that made her heart beat faster. She picked up pace.</p>.<p>Though Kavya was a quiet companion, they made good time and soon they reached the well-lit road leading to her house.</p>.<p>“Don’t walk up the hill so late. I may not be there to help you every time. Bye,” Kavya said.</p>.<p>“You bet,” Navya sighed. “Today was enough. My heart was in my mouth throughout the journey. Thanks for your company.”</p>.<p>With a wave Kavya turned around and walked away until she disappeared from view.</p>.<p>Navya ran the last few metres to her house. Her grandmother stood at the entrance. Hugging her, she narrated the sequence of events.</p>.<p>A little later, after dinner she sat with her family in the living room, watching the news. The popular news anchor stared at them from the television screen, with a solemn look on her face.</p>.<p>“This morning rescuers found the body of twelve-year Kavya Saxena in the jungle. She had been missing for five days. From the scratches on her face and body, it seems that she was the victim of a bear attack. Her distraught family cremated her this afternoon.” A photograph of the girl appeared on the screen.</p>.<p>Navya shivered. It was the same girl who had helped her get home sometime back.</p>