Sitara and The Dayan

Chapter Three

As they sat down for dinner that night, Sitara was tempted to show Grandma the weird note and mysterious book she had received. However, when she glanced at her grandma's exhausted expression, she immediately changed her mind. Grandma was already worried about her health. The last thing she needed to worry about was a silly note.

"Are you okay?" Grandma asked.

Sitara snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, yes."

"Then why aren't you eating?" she asked. Her eyes filled with concern. "Do you miss home?"

"No, it's not like that," Sitara replied, hating the guilty look on Grandma's face.

"Don't you like fish?" Tripti asked. "I thought you would like it. It's fresh from the river."

"I love it," Sitara said. Tripti had cooked a delicious meal, as always.

Sitara ate and tried to stop overthinking and push the creepy thoughts away. However, the note she clutched tightly felt as though it burned her hand as she held it under the table, hiding from everyone.

"That's what I want to hear," Tripti beamed.

Gently, Sitara tucked the note away in her pocket. There were hundreds of people named Sitara. It was an old-fashioned name. Or maybe it was a prank. The bookstore manager looked like a lady who would prank her customers. Regardless, Sitara decided not to stress about the note anymore.

Sitara's attention was fixed on her grandma, who wore a sour expression as she stirred her soup with a spoon. If she could have, she would have gladly switched places with her, just so that her grandma could enjoy a delicious meal for once that evening.

Grandma took a spoonful of the green mess and gulped it. "So, how many books do you get today?"

"Three books," Sitara answered. Once again, she held back from almost blurting out about the mystery book and the creepy note.

"You already have lots of books." Grandma smiled. "Are you building a library for yourself?"

"Yes," Sitara said. "Taking inspiration from you. Your library looks amazing, by the way."

Grandma looked surprised. "You went to my room."

"I admire it from a distance," Sitara said dramatically. "I didn't touch your books."

"Well, darling, my library is off-limit for you," Grandma said.

Sitara laughed. "I'm not a kid anymore, Dadi Maa. I will not tear your books or drool on them. Anyway, I don't read the kind of books you have."

"Lately I haven't read anything," Grandma said, and the sadness seemed to take over her again. "I hate being sick."

"What did the doctor say today?" Sitara asked.

"They have to do a few more tests tomorrow," Grandma replied. "Early morning on an empty stomach. It will probably take three or four days for the reports to come."

Sitara reached over and squeezed her hand. "Everything will be good. The report will be good. You don't have any disease."

"I already know the disease," Grandma said slowly. She finished her soup and whipped her mouth with a tablecloth.

"You know?" Sitara asked, surprised. "What is it?"

"Aging," Grandma answered, her eyes darkening. "I'm getting old."

"Ageing is not a disease," Sitara said.

"But it causes a lot of disease," Grandma said with a sad smile. "You will get weaker and vulnerable to illness, and everything in your body will start to go wrong. Then one day you will be gone"

"Stop," Sitara said. "You are not going anywhere. You are not even seventy yet."

"You will never understand this now that you are so young." Grandma laughed. She gripped Sitara's hand. "Anyway, I have a free day after tomorrow. What do you want to do?"

"Let's bake cookies and visit Misha," Sitara said excitedly. "I haven't seen Misha and Vihaan in the past three years."

Sitara's face lit up as she reminisced about her fun memories with Misha and her older brother, Vihaan. Whenever Sitara visited Parvatpur, she used to play with them. The whole family had always been warm and welcoming.

Sitara loved their house that sat beside a beautiful lake. Misha's mother would prepare delicious meals and set picnics for all of them on the bank of the river. Misha's father was a cool, fun-loving man. He would take Misha, Vihaan, Sitara, and Aayush to his farming land, let them pick the vegetables, and give them a ride on his tractor.

After Sitara returned to the city, she would talk to them over the phone. But then two years ago their phone just went off. Maybe they had changed their phone number. Sitara attempted to find them on social media but was unsuccessful. Eventually, she stopped trying.

"Misha and her family don't live here anymore. They moved away two years ago." Grandma said.

"Moved away?" The news made Sitara's heart sink. The excitement she was feeling was gone. "Why?"

"Misha..." Grandma's voice faded away as her gaze drifted past Sitara and she gazed into the distance through the window. Then, her voice barely above a whisper, she said. "Misha has passed away."

Sitara's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Misha?" Sitara could hardly speak. "Misha... what happened?"

Grandma removed her spectacles and cleaned the lenses with her shawl. "It was very unfortunate," Grandma said. "Poor girl drowned in the river."

"Drowned." Sitara found it difficult to accept. "She's a wonderful swimmer."

"The river is cruel. Sometimes even the best swimmer can't survive," Grandma said. "They never found her body."

The image of Misha's laugh played in Sitara's mind. Sitara still couldn't accept that Misha was gone. She was so cheerful. She wanted to be a teacher. She had her whole life in front of her and she was excited about the future. She had so many dreams. Life was so unfair.

"Sitara, people leave this world. That's harsh but true. We have to go one day." Grandma said as she stood up. "I wish you were a kid and I could tell you made-up stories about it. But you have to accept it."

We have to go one day.

But why, what had to be so soon, so unpredictable?

After dinner, Grandma went to her room while Sitara remained in the living room, gazing out the window and reliving all the memories she had with Misha. Sitara went to her room, collapsed onto the bed, and tried to sleep, but couldn't get Misha out of her mind.

Finally, she decided to keep her mind somewhere, opened her phone, and started to watch random videos. But no matter what she did, something deep bothered her.

Sitara was just about to go to sleep when she heard a loud crash from downstairs. She set back and looked at the watch. It was almost midnight. Maybe Grandma needed something. She quickly got up from bed and rushed downstairs. All lights were off. Everything was silent.

Yet another crash echoed through the kitchen.

"Grandma," she called as she walked into the dimly lit kitchen.

Sitara felt around the wall for the light switch. When she didn't find it, she turned on her phone's flashlight.

Her heart plunged into her stomach.

The room was full of snakes. Broken plates scattered around the kitchen floor.

Sitara caught her breath as one of the snakes swiveled his narrow head in her direction. The snake's crystal green eyes with their slit pupils dilated, while its forked tongue darted out from its mouth. Slowly, the snake began to elevate itself, almost reaching Sitara's height. Suddenly, the snake opened its mouth wide, revealing the sharp fang, and lunged toward Sitara.