Mystery: Can Kaveri find the magician who disappeared after being trapped in an iron cage of snakes?

“Where did all the animals go?” asked Miss Roberts, poking Kaveri with a bony finger.

Kaveri gazed around the interior of the Maximilian Circus tent where they were seated, trying her best to ignore Dr Roberts’ acerbic maiden sister. It was a good question, though. At least fifty feet high, the tent had space to seat over a thousand – people, not animals.

Surely a circus of this size ought to have animals? “I think they’re in cages, at the side,” Anandi leaned over to respond. Miss Roberts’ eyes narrowed, taking in the fact that a native “servant maid” had had the effrontery to address her directly. With a haughty sniff, she looked away. How rude, Kaveri thought, glaring at her back. Anandi seemed unfazed. She pulled an exaggerated grimace at Kaveri, and then looked back at the stage, standing on her toes and trying to peep into a little gap in the middle, where the red velvet curtains had not completely closed.

“You know, Kaveri, I went to Calcutta with my brother last year to see the famous Royal Bengal Circus in the Maidan. That was held in a tent which was at least twice this height…” Miss Roberts rattled on. Kaveri blinked, losing the thread of the conversation as she tried to picture the size of that tent.

She had seen a photograph of the grassy grounds of the Calcutta Maidan recently, in a picture book. How heavy would the poles need to be to hold up a tent that was double the size of this one? And how many people could the tent seat? Perhaps the new mathematics book she had checked out from the library would have some details on this. Kaveri smiled, thinking of her matriculation certificate that had arrived in the post this morning. She had got full marks, cent per cent in her Mathematics examination! In celebration, she had danced around the table with Ramu as her mother-in-law Bhargavi looked on.

The evening at the circus was really the perfect end to a day like this, Kaveri thought, settling into her seat. Their first-class section had chairs of plush red velvet at the front, decorated with satin bows. How different they looked from the spartan wooden benches at the back of the tent. Her joy dimmed as she twisted in her seat, seeing how people jostled for space on the hard seats, noting how the rough jute sackcloth that was spread across the muddy floor had already become slushy, the women and men holding their plain cotton saris and lungis high to keep them from getting stained.

Kaveri studied Anandi’s beaming face. “Doesn’t it seem wrong to you?” she said. “We get so much space, and sit in such luxury, while the others are crammed into those hard and uncomfortable benches.”

“They look like mangoes stuffed into a wooden crate for sale,” Anandi responded matter-of-factly. “I’m glad I’m not sitting there.” She leaned back in her seat, slipped off her chappals with a sigh of satisfaction and placed her feet on the red-carpeted floor.

Kaveri watched Anandi fondly. The slim young woman sat with her head held high, paying no attention to the glances of disdain that came her way from the ‘high class’ turbaned gentlemen in the front rows, or their wives clad in expensive silk and diamonds. Even though Kaveri missed her mother-in-law’s presence – Bhargavi hadn’t been able to join them at the circus because of an upset stomach – she was glad they could use the extra ticket to invite Anandi. It was a rare treat for her. When Kaveri and Ramu had first met Anandi, she had been timid and fearful, a battered wife fleeing from her abusive husband. After finding sanctuary with their friends Mala and Narsamma, and helping Kaveri capture a dangerous gang of thieves, she had transformed into a different person.

Anandi nudged her. “Ramu anna has finally made it, along with Dr Roberts.”

Spotting her husband, Kaveri beamed with pleasure. They had been married for several months now, but her neighbour Uma aunty teased her that she still acted like a new bride whenever she saw him. She adjusted the mussed pleats of her new sari.

Would Ramu appreciate the light orange chiffon with a brocade yellow blouse, or would he think it a touch too bright? All thoughts of her attire disappeared when she glanced up to find him next to her, giving her his crooked smile – the special one he reserved just for her. Her stomach gave a little flutter. Ramu gently prodded her with his foot, reminding her that his boss Dr Roberts was next to him. Kaveri flushed, turning away from her husband to greet the English doctor, whom she admired and respected. How different he was from his sister – like mangoes and gooseberries!

Excerpted with permission from A Nest of Vipers, Harini Nagendra, Hachette India.