I touched the telephone tuning into the affected voice of Anasuya.
“I know that, love. I know your Dad’s disagreement doesn’t mean much when it comes to our relationship. But when it comes to your future……Our future…” I smirked. What a conversation to be having after an engagement!
“Dad would never do that.”
“But he has the power, darling…” She gushed. “He could do you out of your inheritance.” Nandan relapsed into a thoughtful silence. I gave him a soft kick in the back, making him sway on the spot. Idiot! Couldn’t he really see what the woman was doing? Couldn’t he see she’s a bit too interested in his money and inheritance?
“Who else could he pass it to? He asked, slowly. “Except his only son.” A pretty valid argument if you ask me. Anasuaya seemed to think otherwise.
“A daughter-in-law he likes a bit too much. A daughter-in-law he considers his daughter.”
“What!” Nandan exclaimed. “You think he’ll leave it all to her? To Shiva?” He asked incredulously. “Oh! My sweet, you are just too naïve. That’s cute but it does make you look like a “Oh! My sweet, you are just too naïve. That’s cute but it does make you look like aVIBGYOR buffoon sometimes. Of course your father can leave it all to ShivaNI…Please don’t call her Shiva again as if she’s your sweetheart…And your Dad would too if he’s too displeased with us.””
“There’s nothing I can do to stop it Anu. If he decides such a thing…” “Of course you can. Nandan, you are such a talker. You can surely persuade your father to accept our relationship.”
“I’ve tried.”
“Well…Try some more. You don’t want to be thrown into the street penniless, do you? We have to be together…have kids…make a family….”
“I want to be with you too Anu…I’ve missed you all these years.” “Me too, Nandan. How do you think I’ve felt, being alone while you’ve been married to her? It was hell…But now I’ve found my paradise again…Inside your heart.”
Alone! What a good liar she was! How about the time she had charmed poor Jacob and dumped him right after he lost his health and career?
“Love you dear…Life without you was hell for me too. We’ll make up for all the bad things that happened. I promise.”
I retched loudly and made some faces. Since when had love become a mass of pretensions?
“Why don’t we start today? Meet me at Food Hut for lunch. My treat.” “Oh no! You’re not paying. Not when I’m around. And what kind of choice is Food Hut? Make that Cuisine International. My treat.”
“Oh, my dear…That’s so nice of you. You don’t have to go to such an expensive place…” Really? She may fool Nandan but I saw through her act all right. She wanted to go to an expensive place and she wanted Nandan to bear the expenses. Real slick, my dear. Real slick of you!
“Nothing’s too expensive for you, my darling.”
Nandan said. I retched again at the overdose of sugar in his tone.
“That’s sweet.”
The sound of a kiss from the other end made me shudder and take off my hands from Nandan’s cellphone. I raced out of the room as Nandan returned the act of affection Nandan’s cellphone. I raced out of the room as Nandan returned the act of affection and finished with a. ‘See you in the afternoon love.’ A couple in love infused with greed and artifice. Won’t end well…Won’t end well at all…And I was sick of them and their darlings and sweethearts. Their smiles at the engagement were much more natural. I thought I’d come back once they left for lunch to check out the room for some info.
I was headed towards Shivani’s home when I noticed a familiar structure across the street. An all too familiar apartment building. It wouldn’t hurt to check on Jacob and Dan. But where where they? A peek through the many windows seemed one was to find out. A long tour through the many floored building was another. Obviously, I picked the first option.
It was a rather boring task, too humanlike, but I put up with it for the sake of meeting Dan and Jacob again. And the chore certainly had its own rewards. A cross section of the human community cooped up in huge building…There was plenty to observe and plenty of shocks. The first shock was certainly how utterly suffocating the insides were. Too full of both humans and spirits, especially in the bottom floors. They were, I suppose the less expensive ones, free of fancy gadgets and space to move around. The upper floors were a whole different story. There was an overdose of coziness, coolness and expensiveness.
I got a shock when I peered into one of the top floor windows. A woman…an old woman all shriveled up under a smelly blanket was lying around on a soiled bed. The room was a toxic mixture of rotten food and old medicine bottles.
“Hello????”
I called out, my gaze fixed on the woman who was moaning softly. “Anybody?”
Immediately I felt foolish. Did I really expect, even for a moment, a human would hear me and come running? Really!
“Wa…Wa…” The woman coughed. Blood drops trickled down her lips. Oh dear! I rushed into a room, scanning frantically for any way I could help her. Ah! A bell was lying idly on the bedside table. It felt cool and flaky from rust. A salty stain had dried up somewhere in the centre.
I pressed it down, recognizing loads of depression and desperation piled upon it. A metallic ring echoed somewhere in the apartment. There was a bang and the sound of hurrying footsteps. A door opened and a lady poked her head in, her carefully set curls spilling over her eyes.
“Your son and his wife have gone out. It’s just me in here and I have a ton of work to do so just keep your hands off that bell. It gives me a headache.” “Wa…Wa…”
The woman took a deep breath painfully, her eyes watering.
“You want water? Is your jug empty THIS soon? Ok…Ok…I’ll fill it up again. JUST KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THAT DAMNED BELL!”
The head was withdrawn and the door slammed shut. Great! I sat down on the edge of the filthy bed, staring into a pair of dull lifeless eyes.
“A…A…Anyone…”
I stared at the voice. Had a human being detected my presence? I reached out one trembling hand and placed it on her’s.
“Te…Tell Sim…Simon…I……I….”
She was shaking all over, tears spilling out of her eyes like water. Her rolling eyes were fixed in my general direction. “Can you…Can you hear me?”
My voice, if indeed she could hear it, would have sounded quite mad to her. “W…Wh…Are…you?””
Her chest rose and fell as more tears spilled out of her eyes.
“Who are you?”
I flinched and moved away unable to contain my surprise at steady voice. Although I wouldn’t admit it to anyone I was pretty scared too. Who on earth was she? A witch? “Don’t be scared…” She continued to drone. “I’’m just a frail old woman. I can’t hurt you.” Frail old woman my foot! I raced out of the window, shaking from head to foot. Only when I put a fair distance between myself and her did I relax. Still, I heard her loud booming voice saying the same thing over and over again.
“Tell Simon I…Tell him I forgive him.”
“It’s that old woman across the hallway again.”
Wasn’t I glad to hear that soothing voice – the inviting sign of sanity- after the madness I just witnessed! And to top it off, the owner of that voice was one of the two people I was looking for!
I flew towards the half open window the voice came from to see Dan gazing lazily outside. Beside him, on his wheel chair, was Jacob.
“I don’t like it, Dan. Simon shouldn’t so this. She’s too ill. She ought to be taken to a hospital.”
“You’ve told him that twice. That’s all you can do.”
“I just wish there was…”
Dan said something that sounded like “Mm”.
“Hey! Is everything all right?”
Looking at Dan, I concluded immediately that not everything was dandy. It was not like his loyal self to not pay attention to his friend. His fingers were rather fidgety and
as he scratched his head and turned around to face his friend.
“Er…I…”
“Ah, man! Just spit it out. I don’t mind.” said Jacob, drumming his hands lightly on his wheelchair. “Is this about the phone call you took while I was asleep?” Dan reddened and stared down, looking like an adorable kid who got caught with a hand in the cookie jar. He glanced at Jacob through the corner of his eyes, guilt written on every inch of his face.
“I should have known you’re faking.” He murmured. “Nah! I’m no good at faking. The phone just woke me up. I saw you talking and thought I’d better keep my eyelids shut for a few minutes and listen.”” Jacob chuckled. He stretched his hands and leaned back on his chair like a person in a movie theatre. “So? Who was it?”
“It was a wrong number.”
Some people are just poor liars. Dan’s scarlet face told quite a different story. Ah! But there was the simple fact that Jacob couldn’t see it.
“A wrong number that spoke to you for about ten minutes? Really?” Dan’s stared into the ceiling, biting his lower lips. I could hear the sound of his mind racing, trying to spin another, more plausible lie. Poor thing…He just wasn’t crooked enough for the twisted world.
“Did she want to speak to me?”
“Sure…I said she couldn’t and…Oh!””
Dan clasped his hand to his mouth, aware that he had been caught. “Why do you ask if you already know that answer?”
Jacob laughed softly.
“But I don’t know the answer dear man. What on earth did my ex-fiancée want from me?” “Oh that!” Dan sighed, sinking down on a nearby couch. “It was nothing, really.” “A nothing you are trying badly to conceal from me?”
Dan slapped softly on the side of the couch and gazed helplessly at Jacob. His lips quivered. The tips of his fingers shook. “Why do you want to know? Just…”
“Just say it Dan! I know Anasuya. I know what I should expect.”
Dan got up and walked up to Jacob’s wheelchair. The wheels groaned as he pushed it towards the couch.
“Dan?”
Dan sat down again. I thought I heard a faint sigh. He took Jacob’s hand in his and said slowly. “You don’t need to hear it.”
“But I do.”
Dan took several deep breaths and squeezed Jacob’s hand. A kind of desperate pleading filled his eyes. “Promise me you won’t do as she says.”
Jacob guffawed.
“Did she ask me to kill myself before her dream wedding? Because that would be just like her.”
“Of course not!!!!!!!” His friend exclaimed, almost jumping up from the couch. “I would not have…” “Hey!” Jacob said, soothingly. “I know you wouldn’t have kept on listening if that’s what she said.” He paused, taking a moment to smile at his friend. “You’re too good to deal with people like her, my dear man.”
Dan looked a bit mollified.
“She wants you to visit Cuisine International today afternoon. Said there’ll be something interesting you’d want to witness but you should avoid the Couple’’s something interesting you’d want to witness but you should avoid the Couple’’s VIBGYOR
Corner because the whole room will be booked.” Dan stamped his foot loudly. “Probably coaxed her fiancé to take her there and pay for the whole lot of it too!” So that was her plan! And I thought my opinion of her couldn’t turn any worse! She had certainly sunk into a whole new low.
“Some people never change.” Jacob smiled. “It’s refreshing to know that, don’t you think? Especially in a world that changes too fast.” I couldn’t help gazing at him in admiration. If I were Anasuya I wouldn’t have left his side. Well…Maybe that was for the best after all. He was too good for that gold digging……I have plenty of names for her but I thought I’ll keep myself from swearing.
Poor Dan looked utterly baffled. He scratched his head furiously, messing up his carefully combed hair. “You’re not thinking of going, are you?”
Jacob shrugged.
“Of course I am! I couldn’t possibly refuse a lovely lady’s wish and I would really like to se..know her fiancé. I hope he’’s not a rich guy.” Dan scratched his head again.
“He IS rich. You don’t have to go all the way…”
“I want to see her Dan.”
“No Jacob…I’m not taking you anywhere near her.” Dan’’s voice was soft but decided. He continued to look at his friend, half expecting him to change his mind. Jacob leaned gently towards him. “I know you don’t want me hurt, Dan and I appreciate it, I really do. But I…I don’t want her to get the satisfaction of not seeing me there. I don’t want to her to think, even for a single second, that her getting engaged hurt me or tore me up.” He paused. “I don’t want her to think that I care.”
“You don’t care?”
There was silence for a few minutes while Jacob turned away from his friend. He sighed a few times and fidgeted with a ring on his hand.
“Not one bit.”
He said, emphasizing each word. Just then there was a horrible scream from outside, which pretty much ended that conversation. Dan left Jacob telling him that he’s check what it was and raced out of the door at top speed.
The scream, it so happened, came from the apartment across the hall. I hung around by the door, pacing around, trying not to think over my previous encounter with the old withering thing covered up by blanket. I pride myself on not being a coward but there was no way I was going in to face that psychic woman again. I’d rather keep my distance.
“Hello? Is this the residence of Dr. Rajeev? I’m calling from Mrs. Susan’s residence.” It was Dan’s voice. I missed the rest of the conversation because someone, probably the obnoxious servant I saw earlier came around speaking in an equally loud obnoxious voice.
“You have no business to be calling a doctor. Master Simon wouldn’t like…” “Oh shut it!” The receiver slammed down. “I don’t have time to beg his gracious permission. Just call him and tell him to take time off from his office if he does want to get a last look at his living mother. ”
I laughed out loud and peeked in, just a crack, to get a load of the look on the woman’s face. And it was totally worth the effort. Her eyes full of a mixture of shock and anger glared at Dan as if asking, ‘What the hell are you doing?’’ But unfortunately Dan didn’t seem intimidated at all, which I guess was infuriating her even more. Oh well! Guess she was too used to queening it over the old thing in the house that the very idea of someone else doing the same to her was unthinkable.
The elevator somewhere on the floor clicked. A man rushed though the hallway at top speed, a suitcase swinging in his hands. He looked a nice man, all smart and trustworthy in his white coat and a stethoscope hanging around his neck. Rather athletic too, by the way he ran. He raced through the door past me, slamming it shut.
A lot of instructions were snapped out in his quiet voice, which by the sounds from inside were followed without question. Even the servant didn’t seem to talk back. Not surprising though. He had that kind of voice – full of dignity and authority.
Time ticked off in a old clock on the wall. Tick…tick…tick… After a while the sound started driving me nuts. Nothing seemed to happen. There were not even spirits around. I wondered why that was. Maybe they got fed up of being cooped up in the cement prison and decided not to hang around. If spirits can’t bear it, I don’t know how humans put up with it. But then again, there are plenty of things that humans do on a daily basis that makes us go crazy.
Another elevator click. Another round of footsteps down the hall. I looked up to see a young man almost at his thirties, coming lazily though the hall. One his left hand young man almost at his thirties, coming lazily though the hall. One his left hand VIBGYOR
swung a fancy case designed for laptops and in his right was a huge cellphone. A member of the new technology-bound generation, I guess. I almost didn’t realize who he was till he passed the very door I was standing by. Simon! And boy, wasn’t I shocked. Who
comes to see a dying mother with a laptop in tow? A yellow came tagging behind him and THAT was an even greater surprise. Who feels intoxicatedly elated when a parent is on the deathbed? Where n the world am I? An asylum? If it hadn’t been for the solid presence of Jacob and Dan I would have believed that I was in some sort of cuckoos nest.
The yellow stopped by me, looking rather curious.
“Am I glad to see you! I thought someone exterminated all the spirits who were supposed to be in this building.” I laughed.
“I was wondering the same thing…”
“So did his mother release you?”
I shrugged.
“No. I met her when I got here…I was here to see someone else.”
The yellow drummed on the floor with his foot and turned away. I actually wondered if I had accidently said something offending. Somehow the yellow sensed this and turned back to me.
“I’m sorry about that.” He said slowly. “I had my hopes up about a curse haunting him.” I stared at the yellow disbelievingly.
“He that bad?”
“Bad enough to leave his mother in a room when she ought to be in a hospital. Horrible enough to start counting the inheritance the second the doctor tells him she’s dying!”
I took a few steps back without even knowing it.
“That’s…pretty bad.”
“He’s a wonderful actor too. Want to see firsthand?”
“Ummm…”
I thought of the dying eyes of the woman and the eerie way she sensed my presence. “Hey! I thought Violets had lots of spunk!!!!”
Yeah, that was true. But spunk did not equate to foolhardiness. And going to see a woman who could mysteriously see me qualified as foolhardiness in my book. “Oh come on! Don’t be such an ‘I’m too scared’’ Jane.” The yellow waved her hands impatiently. “And I don’t get what there is to be so scared of.””
Ok…That did it. I simply had to tell the yellow what happened . I am not a coward and I didn’t want anybody to think that way. Telling the story to an overeager yellow was not a piece of cake. He asked all kinds of questions and blabbered on endlessly. I could take the blabber but questions I didn’t have answer to were really annoying. And my plate was a bit too full with them.
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