Dakhma by Ankur Bar [Paperback]

Dakhma

The Persian term is translated into English as the "Tower of Silence" - the sacred burial ground of the Parsis.

At the end of the 10th century, in the abandoned city of Yazd, Persia, a group of people gathered to perform a mysterious ritual. Their goal? To secretly reach the land of Hindustan, away from the watchful eyes of the rulers. This ritual required the bodies of thirteen young girls. But what happened with the **last girl** that altered the fate of the **Persians fleeing Persia? What dark force emerged from the path of "Rah Mardegan" and stepped into the newly built Dakhma of the Saurashtra islands?

Beyond the borders of Diu, in the southwestern waters, lies a small island called Khore. Darius Kazra, the chief priest of the fire temple, makes an unusual demand - Mariam Adnan's body must not be placed in the regular Dakhma, but in the forbidden, ruined Dakhma once used for human sacrifices. A sinister wind carries an unsettling scent, and people of other religions are disappearing without a trace. His instincts whisper that someone has struck a deal deep within the forbidden eastern jungles. But with whom?

Thirteen-year-old Kutir doesn’t like Arun Uncle’s family one bit - especially the old woman with a walking stick who roams around, her piercing gaze always watching. Everything around him feels like an illusion, a carefully placed veil hiding something sinister. What lies behind the curtain? Can he save his mother and little Zohra before it’s too late?

Meanwhile, a gang of kidnappers has gathered in Khore. They’ve heard the terrifying rumors - "No one who sets foot on this island ever returns." Yet, here they are. Were they forced to come? Or have they walked into a trap? A deadly game of survival begins. Who will make it out alive? Or will the ancient, cursed entity - the Aft-e-Parest" - that has long been hidden in the depths of the past,*consume them one by one?