Tiger's Curse (16 page)

After I hung up with them, I located the laundry area and washed my clothes and my grandmother’s quilt. Then, having nothing else to do, I explored every part of the house. The entire basement was a fully appointed gym, but not with modern exercise equipment. The floor was covered with a black cushioned mat. It was a daylight basement, so half of the room was built underground in the hillside and the rest was open to the sunlight with large floor-to-ceiling windows. A sliding glass door opened to a large deck that led out to the jungle. The back wall was paneled and smooth.

There was a button pad by the door. I pushed the top button, and a section of paneling flipped out to reveal an assortment of ancient weapons such as axes, spears, and knives of various lengths hanging in specially made compartments. I pushed the button again and it flipped shut. I pushed the second button, and it flipped open another section of wall that contained swords. I moved closer to inspect them. There were many different styles ranging from thin rapiers to heavy broadswords and one that was specially encased in glass. It looked like a samurai sword that I’d seen once in a movie.

Wandering back up to the first floor, I found a high-tech home theater with a state-of-the-art media system and reclining leather seats. Right behind the kitchen was a formal banquet-style dining room with marble floors, crown molding, and a glittering chandelier. Off to the side of the peacock library, I discovered a music room with a shiny black grand piano and a large sound system with hundreds of compact discs. Most of them looked Indian, but I also found several American singers, including Elvis Presley. A very old, odd-shaped guitar was hung on the wall, and there was a curved black leather couch set in the middle of the room.

Mr. Kadam’s bedroom was also on the main floor, and his room looked a lot like the peacock room, full of polished wooden furniture and books. He also had a couple of beautiful paintings and a sunny reading area. On the third floor, I found an inviting loft. It had a small set of bookshelves and two comfy reading chairs and overlooked the sweeping stairway.

I also found another large bedroom, a bath, and a storage room. On my floor, I found three more bedrooms, not including mine. One was decorated in rose colors for a girl, which I thought might be for Nilima when she came to visit. The second appeared to be a guest room, but the colors were more masculine. Almost all of the rooms had private baths.

Stepping into the last room, I saw glass doors that led out to my veranda. The decoration of this room was plain in comparison to the others. The furniture was dark polished mahogany, but there were no details or knickknacks. The walls were plain and the drawers empty.

Is this where Ren sleeps?

Spotting a desk set in the corner, I approached it and saw thick, cream-colored paper and an ink well with an old-fashioned fountain pen. The top sheet had a note written in beautiful calligraphy.

Kelsey Durgaa Vallabh

Bhumi-ke-niche gupha

Rajakiya Mujulaain Mohar

Sandesha Durgaa

A green hair ribbon that looked suspiciously like one of mine lay next to the ink bottle. I peeked in the closet and found nothing—no clothes, no boxes, and no possessions.

I went back downstairs and spent the rest of the afternoon studying Indian culture, religion, and mythology. I waited until my stomach growled to eat dinner, hoping for some company. Mr. Kadam still hadn’t returned from the bank, and there’d been no sign of Ren.

After dinner, I went upstairs and found Ren standing on the veranda again, looking at the sunset. I approached him shyly and stood behind him. “Hello, Ren.”

He turned and openly studied my appearance. His gaze drifted ever so slowly down my body. The longer he looked, the wider his smile got. Eventually, his eyes worked their way back up to my bright red face.

He sighed and bowed deeply. “
Sundari.
I was standing here thinking nothing could be more beautiful than this sunset tonight, but I was mistaken. You standing here in the setting sun with your hair and skin aglow is almost more than a man can . . . fully appreciate.”

I tried to change the subject. “What does
sundari
mean?”

“It means ‘most beautiful.’”

I blushed again, which made him laugh. He took my hand, tucked it under his arm, and led me to the patio chairs. Just then, the sun dipped below the trees leaving its tangerine glow in the sky for just a few more moments.

We sat again, but this time he sat next to me on the swinging patio seat and kept my hand in his.

I ventured shyly, “I hope you don’t mind, but I explored your house today, including your room.”

“I don’t mind. I’m sure you found my room the least interesting.”

“Actually, I was curious about the note I found. Did you write it?”

“A note? Ah, yes. I just scribbled a few notes to help me remember what Phet had said. It just says seek Durga’s prophecy, the Cave of Kanheri, Kelsey is Durga’s favored one, that sort of thing.”

“Oh. I . . . also noticed a ribbon. Is it mine?”

“Yes. If you’d like it back, you can take it.”

“Why would you want it?”

He shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I wanted a memento, a token from the girl who saved my life.”

“A token? Like a fair maiden giving her handkerchief to a knight in shining armor?”

He grinned. “Exactly.”

I jested wryly, “Too bad you didn’t wait for Cathleen to get a little older. She’s going to be very pretty.”

He frowned. “Cathleen from the circus?” He shook his head, “You were the chosen one, Kelsey. And if I had the option of choosing the girl to save me, I still would have picked you.”

“Why?”

“A number of reasons. I liked you. You are interesting. I enjoyed listening to your voice. I felt like you saw through the tiger skin to the person underneath. When you spoke, it felt like you were saying exactly the things I
needed
to hear. You’re smart. You like poetry,
and
you’re very pretty.”

I laughed at his statement.
Me, pretty? He can’t be serious.
I was average in so many ways. I didn’t really concern myself with current makeup, hairstyles, or fashionable, but uncomfortable, clothes like other teenagers. My complexion was pale, and my eyes were so brown that they were almost black. By far, my best feature was my smile, which my parents paid dearly for and so did I—with three years of metal braces.

Still, I was flattered. “Okay, Prince Charming, you can keep your memento.” I hesitated, and then said softly, “I wear those ribbons in memory of my mom. She used to brush out my hair and braid ribbons through it while we talked.”

Ren smiled understandingly. “Then it means even more to me.”

When the moment passed, he continued, “Now, Kelsey, tomorrow we’re going to the cave. During the day, there are many tourists, which means we’ll have to wait until evening to look for Durga’s prophecy. We’ll be sneaking into the park through the jungle and traveling on foot for a while, so wear the new hiking boots that we bought for you, the ones in the box in your closet.”

“Great. Nothing like breaking in new hiking boots on a trek through the hot Indian jungle,” I teased.

“It shouldn’t be that bad, and even new hiking boots should be better on your feet than your sneakers.”

“I happen to like my sneakers, and I’m bringing them along just in case your boots blister my feet.”

Ren stretched out his long legs and crossed his bare feet in front of him. “Mr. Kadam will pack a bag with things we might need. I’ll make sure he leaves room for your sneakers. You’ll have to drive us to Mumbai and to the park because I’ll be back in tiger form. I know you don’t like the traffic here. I’m sorry that you’re burdened with this.”

I muttered, “Not liking the traffic is an understatement. People don’t know how to drive here. They’re
crazy
.”

“We can take back roads with the least traffic on the way, and we’ll be driving only to the outskirts of Mumbai, not through the city as before. It shouldn’t be too bad. You’re a good driver.”

“Ha, easy for you to say. You’ll just sleep in the back the whole way.”

Ren touched my cheek with his fingers and gently turned my face to his. “
Rajkumari
, I want to say thank you. Thank you for staying and helping me. You don’t know what this means to me.”

I mumbled, “You’re welcome. And
rajkumari
means?”

He flashed me a brilliant white smile and deftly changed the subject. “Would you like to hear about the Seal?”

I knew he was avoiding answering, but acquiesced, “Okay, what is it?”

“It’s a carved rectangular stone, about three fingers thick. The king always wore it in public. It was a symbol of the duties of the royal family. The Seal of the Empire has four words carved upon it, one on each side:
Viveka
,
Jagarana
,
Vira
, and
Anukampa
which translated loosely means ‘Wisdom,’ ‘Vigilance,’ ‘Bravery,’ and ‘Compassion.’ You’ll need to bring the Seal with you when we go to the cave. Phet said it was the key that would open the passageway. Mr. Kadam will put it on your dresser before we leave.”

I stood up, walked to the railing, and stared up at the budding stars. “I can’t imagine the life that you came from. It’s so different from what I know.”

“You’re right, Kelsey.”

“Call me Kells.”

He smiled and approached me. “You’re right,
Kells
. It
is
different. I have much to learn from you. But, perhaps I can teach
you
a few things as well. For example, your scarf. . . . May I?”

Ren removed the shawl draped around my shoulders and held it out.

“There are many different ways to wear a
dupatta
scarf. One way is to arrange it across your shoulders as you did just now, or you can drape one end over your shoulder and the other across your arm as is the current style. Like this.”

Wrapping it around his body, he turned around to show me, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “And how do you know the current style?”

“I know lots of things. You’d be surprised.” He pulled it off again, twisting the scarf another way. “You can also fold it across your hair, which is appropriate when meeting with your elders, as it shows respect.”

I bowed low to him, giggled, and said, “Thank you for showing me the proper respect, Madam. And might I say you look lovely in silk.”

He laughed and showed me a few more ways to wear it, each one funnier than the last. As he spoke, I found myself drawn to him.
He’s so . . . attractive, charming, magnetic, compelling . . . captivating.
He was easy to look at, no question about that, but even if he weren’t, I could still picture myself sitting happily beside him talking for hours.

I saw a tremor run through Ren’s arm. He quieted his demeanor and took a step closer to me. “My favorite style, though, is the way you were wearing it earlier when you had it draped across both of your arms loosely. That way, I get the full effect of your exquisite hair tumbling down your back.”

Wrapping the filmy fabric around my shoulders, he pulled the shawl and gently tugged me closer. He reached out, captured a curl, and wrapped the hair around his finger.

“This life is so different from what I know. So many things have changed.” He let go of the shawl, but he kept hold of the curl. “But some things are much,
much
better.” He let go of the curl, trailing a finger down my cheek, and gave me a little nudge back toward my room.

“Goodnight, Kelsey. We have a busy day tomorrow.”

t
he next morning, I woke to find the Mujulaain Empire Seal on the dresser. The beautiful, creamy stone had golden orange striations and hung from a soft ribbon. I picked up the heavy object to examine it more closely and immediately noticed the carved words that Ren had said meant “wisdom, vigilance, bravery, and compassion.” A lotus flower bloomed on the bottom of the Seal. The detailing in the intricate design demonstrated highly sophisticated workmanship. It was lovely.

If he was as true to these words as Ren says he was, Ren’s father must have been a good king.

For a minute, I let myself imagine an older version of Ren as king. I could easily envision him leading others. There was something about him that made me want to trust and follow him. I grinned wryly.
Women would follow him over a cliff.

Mr. Kadam had served his prince for more than three hundred years. The idea that Ren could inspire a lifetime of loyalty was extraordinary. I set aside my speculations and looked at the centuries-old Seal again with awe.

I opened the bag Mr. Kadam had left and found it contained cameras, both digital and disposable, matches, a few handheld digging tools, flashlights, a pocketknife, glow sticks, paper with rubbing charcoal, food, water, maps, and a few other things. Several of the items were placed in waterproof plastic bags. I tested out the weight of the pack and found it surprisingly manageable.

I opened the closet, fingered my pretty dress again, and sighed. Slipping on some jeans and a T-shirt, I laced up my new hiking boots and grabbed my sneakers.

Downstairs, I found Mr. Kadam slicing mango for breakfast.

“Good morning, Miss Kelsey,” he said and gestured to my neck. “I see you found the Seal.”

“I did. It’s very pretty, but a little bit heavy.” I scooped some mango slices onto my plate and poured some homemade hot cocoa into a mug. “You’ve taken care of it all these years?”

“Yes. It’s very precious to me. The Seal was actually made in China, not India. It was a gift given to Ren’s grandfather. Seals that old are quite rare. It’s made of Shoushan stone, which contrary to popular belief, is not a type of jade. The Chinese believed that Shoushans were brightly colored Phoenix eggs, found high in mountain nests. Men who risked their lives to locate and capture them received honor, glory, and wealth.

“Only the very richest of men had items carved from this type of stone. To receive one as a gift was a great honor for Ren’s grandfather. It’s a priceless heirloom. The good news for you, though, is that it’s also considered good luck to own or wear something made from this type of stone. Perhaps it will help you on your journey in more ways than one.”