Never had Koushik come to this part of the main village before. It was situated on the very edge of the cluster of huts, and only a few miles from that, the village ventured into the nearest rainforest.  If Abbu and Ammu knew where he was right now, they would yell at him and never let him out until he was grown. But Ammu and Abbu did not have to know, did they? And his guard could be dim-witted at times, so Koushik did...

Talvia was still breathing hard from the terror of the situation. It was something she had been scared of ever since she had started living alone. That someone might come and take her away. It wasn’t common, but it did happen sometimes to little girls and young women. Maybe Bivala would stay closer to the hut from now on as a result. Maybe Bivala would even live inside it. The thought gave Talvia hope. Now, she tried to f...