Sitara and The Dayan

Chapter Four

Sitara let out a piercing scream, and she ran out of the kitchen into the living room and stumbled onto the ground.

"Sitara!" It was Grandma. A second later, the light was on, and Grandma rushed to her. "What happened?"

"Snakes." Sitara was panting so heavily she could barely form any words. "Attacked."

"Are you okay?" Grandma asked, worried.

"I got attacked," Sitara yelled. "A snake attacked me. There are lots of snakes."

Grandma hugged her, patting her back. "It's okay. You probably had a nightmare."

"No!" Sitara pulled away from the hug. "I didn't dream that."

"What happened?" Tripti burst into the room. She was in her nightgown and gripping an iron road tightly. "I heard screaming."

"Sitara said a snake attacked her," Grandma said.

Tripti looked at Sitara. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No," Sitara yelled again. "Why don't you just believe me? I don't dream about that. I wasn't even asleep. I was in my room when I heard this loud crash and I came downstairs and went to the kitchen. The snakes were crawling on the floor, the wall, and everywhere. Then one tried to attack me."

Grandma and Tripti were silent, looking at Sitara like she had gone crazy.

"You still don't believe me," Sitara cried. "Come with me. I'll show you." She grabbed both their hands and dragged them into the kitchen.

"Tripti, turn on the light," Grandma said.

A second later, Tripti flicked the switch, and the kitchen was illuminated. However, the snakes were nowhere to be found, and the shattered plates that littered the floor had mysteriously disappeared along with them. The back door was closed from the inside.

"See," Grandma whispered. "There are no snakes."

Sitara would not believe that easily. "Check the cupboards."

Tripti strode bravely and opened all the cupboards, and the snakes weren't there. Tripti searched the entire kitchen, but there was no sign of the snakes as if they had vanished into thin air.

"But I saw it. Grandam, I'm not lying," Sitara said, almost begging them to believe her.

"I'm not saying you are lying," Grandma whispered. "You could have seen the snakes. But you also have to accept that it was a dream. You could have walked into the kitchen in a drowsy state and your dream took place here." Grandma filled a glass of water and handed the glass to Sitara. "It's not a bad thing, dear. It happens to all of us."

Sitara didn't argue. She was certain she had seen the snakes, and one of them had even tried to attack her. But she had nothing to prove it. Swallowing the water, she glanced at her grandmother. "Maybe," she said.

"Now don't stress yourself over this and go to sleep," said Grandam. "You'll forget about this in the morning."

"I'm sorry I woke all of you," Sitara said.

"It's okay," Grandma said.

"I stay up late." Tripti smiled.

Tripti turned off the light, and they left the kitchen. Grandam told Sitara not to worry about the nightmare and returned to her room. Sitara stood on the staircase, gazing at the kitchen, hoping to catch the snakes, and then she thought it was silly and dragged herself into her room and collapsed onto the bed. As she closed her eyes, the only thing she could see were the snakes and their menacing hissing. Grandma assured her that she would forget about it by morning, but Sitara doubted she would ever be able to forget it. Its memory of the snakes would haunt her forever.