Strangers & Secrets
Page 9
“Are you a nurse or caretaker for old people?”
“I’m a medical practitioner” She said with a stern voice.
“Oh” He looked across the unbelievably silent corridor. “What kind of doctor works in such a place?”
“The one who works with the quiet ones”
“Just one look at this place, people would be damn sure they won’t get out of here alive. I guess that’s why you use chloroforms to calm them. So what kind of service do you provide?”
“I’m sorry?”
“I mean, what do you save people from?”
“Who said I save people?”
He puzzled over the words of a doctor, expecting it to be a dry joke. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not a savior. I’m the doctor of the dead. I’m a forensic autopsy technician”
“Autopsy? You mean you do postmortem things” His temples began to sweat just by listening to her words.
“Yes, that’s a part of my job”
You are too pretty for this job. Everything around him gave a nauseous feeling to him.
“What, I am ‘too girl’ for this job?”
“Do you read minds or something?”
“I read men. All are same”
“Forensic Autopsy Technician. So that’s what you meant by FAT”
“You are stalling me. Anything else?”
“Like what?” He shook her head.
“I was being polite, waiting for you to give the number” She adjusted the plastic cap, covering her hairs near the ears.
“Don’t you already have?”
“Yuleika!” Her colleague called from the corner room.
She raised her hand at him and began to walk away. “Taking and receiving are not the same” She said as she went toward her workplace.
“OK, I’ll give you. Wait!” He yelled at her
“That’s enough” She vanished through the white door.
He returned home in the evening. He thought over the things happened from the morning. The chaotic emotional roller coaster threw him off balance. Eva’s laughter from above distracted him.
He turned on the TV, threw himself on the couch. The black and white clip of the Addams family was on. The funny song with snapping finger began playing. “Hey, Eva. Addams family is here”
Eva came running down with joyous screaming. She climbed up the couch and scooched next to Devin. She sunk herself in the favorite show while he began to drift off as the show continued with ironies.
Eva bid adieu to senandra as she returned to her home. Devin closed the door, turned off the lights in the hall. When he turned back, the golden eyes shined at him. Senandra looked brighter even in the darkness
“What happened?” Her double vocaled voice hissed out.
“I met two of them. They are not worthy. Just another scammers”
“What about the one you mentioned?”
“I’ve been tracking him. He is coming here for some religious ceremony. I can meet him there”
His phone began to vibrate on the couch. “I will find a way. Don’t worry” He said walking past senandra, took his phone and flipped open.
‘Unknown number calling’ was displayed on the screen. He didn’t have to guess. He knew exactly who that unknown number was. He took the call, placed the phone on his ears.
“Hello, Miss. Yuleika 55”
“Hello Mr. Devin 0”
“Zero? Why zero?” He asked
“Didn’t you want to start fresh?”
“You were overhearing my conversation on the diner?”
“I didn’t have to. The whole diner was listening to your boring speech. OK listen. I’m nearby to your home. Come near to the Whester hotel”
“Hey, that’s nine blocks away” His line ended with disconnected beep tone.
He closed the phone, picked his jacket from the couch. Senandra came in front of him, blocking his way.
“You can’t trust her”
“I want to but I’m not”
“Are you going to bring her here?”
“I won’t do anything that you won’t approve. I swore my life to protect you. I will not bring her here. It’s not safe” He paused. “For her”
Her eyes changed its color, vanished in the shadow. Devin strode out donning the jacket and the door shut behind him.
He tried to call her back from the call history. The call ended before it could connect. He tried again. His phone couldn’t connect to the unknown number. He stood there under the street lamp. The sodium lamp had created a warm bubble around it.
His phone vibrated. He took the call. “Hey, where are you?”
“Where are you?” She asked
“I’m standing near that hotel”
“Do you see a coffee shop at the corner?”
“Yes”
“Go around that shop, take right and walk for 2 minutes you will find my twenty”
“Your twenty?”
“It’s radio code for my location”
“I hate numbers. Stop using them with me”
“Then stay away from me” She ended the call.
He went through the same way she instructed. The street was alone except for the dull yellow light and a dark Lamborghini under the shadow. He realized it was the same car she got in last time when she ran away from his house.
He approached the car. The tinted glass and reflected lights made it harder to peek inside. His phone buzzed again. He picked up.
“Don’t waste your time there. Walk past the car and on your left, there I am” The disconnected tone played in his ears once again.
He looked at the window. Except for his own reflection, nothing was visible. He walked past it, took left and stood near the rusty gate. The arch board above read – ‘Christian cemetery’
Oh great, another classic! He peeked inside the gate. The various tombstones covered in thick fog stood at a distance with a gentle mixture of the sound of crickets. The gate made a high-pitched creaking noise as he pushed open.
He noticed a small house to his right with an empty chair in front of it. He looked around for her. The strange smell of graveyard invaded his senses. He walked toward the house. The sound of a dog’s howling came from the street corner.
“What do you want?” A loud, strong voice came from his side.
Oh, shit. He startled at the voice. “I’m looking for someone” He looked at the man behind the voice. His black face with scars and his reddish eyes had a qualification of imprinting fear.
“I... her name is Yuleika”
“Madam went that side” He pointed toward the north where the area filled with uniform headstones of same size.
“Thank you”
He began to walk toward the direction. He glanced back for every three steps he made. He reached the place eventually and searched around. A flashlight came in front of him. He looked at the source, found a blurry silhouette of someone kneeling in front of a headstone. The light came again and this time he saw her. The same black canvas made it impossible to spot her.
“What are you doing here?” He took every step carefully around the thorns filled bushes.
She flashed the light again at the stone in front of her. “I’m working”
“Are you not afraid?”
“Afraid of dead? There are more dangerous things walking outside than anything in here”
“No, I mean. You are all alone in such place. Even for me that guy’s face just scared the crap out of me.”
“You are afraid?”
“Just because I live with something that people are usually afraid of doesn’t make me immune to fear”
She studied the pictures in the display and continued to take photos.
“Seriously, are you not afraid?”
“Your voice is shaking. Hold this” She handed her bag to him. She flipped the file in front of her, turned on the tiny flashlight and read the printed lines. She closed it and began walking further inside with her black shielding gown
dragging along the grasses.
It was difficult for him to follow her in the darkness. He felt someone watching him from the bushes behind him. She stood in front of another headstone and hit the flashlight on the name carved in it. She knelt down and began taking pictures once again.
“This is dangerous. What if someone comes? What if someone does something? And your friends are outside”
“Don’t worry, I can take care of myself” She switched her knee, held the tiny flashlight in her mouth and began to write down something on the paper slip in the file.
He came near her. “Look, seriously. It is not safe for women”
She was busy writing down on the file. He grabbed her arm to stop writing. “If someone tried to – ”
She raised abruptly dropping both the files and cameras. She pulled a huge hidden knife from her black sleeve, held it against his stomach, pressing the sharp edge.
He went numb over the sudden threat.
“If you touch me again, I’ll skin you alive”
He nodded slowly, taking his breath. She pulled back the knife and hid it once again inside her burka. She turned back and walked toward the entrance. He maintained the distance between them.
She went to the same house he saw. The same terrifying guy came out, carrying a huge notebook and laid it on the wooden table. She showed the pictures on her camera. He flipped through the book, investigated the texts with his forefinger.
“It’s empty, madam” He said
“This one?” She showed him another picture.
He searched through the log again. Devin looked at his phone, clock smiled at him pointing 10:08
“This one is also empty”
“Then what happened to those bodies?” She asked
“They might have cremated.”
She looked disappointed by his reply. “Do you have any details about them?”
“Sometimes we bury orphans without writing much things but sometimes we do that with extra money too. It seems the one you showed also falls under such category”
“So there is no way to find out any details regarding their burial?”
He shook his head, closing the book.
“Anyway thank you” She gave a thousand rupee to him.
“Oh no, madam. Sir will not allow this”
“No need to tell him. It’s for your trouble” He took it half-heartedly. “Thank you madam”
Devin handed over her bag, and they both came out of the graveyard. The awkward silence grew just like the routine.
“What case is that?” He broke the silence.
“A murder”
“So what happened?”
“All the trails are dead-end” Her voice wasn’t same as before.
“Yes, literally a DEAD end” He tried to cheer her up.
His smile faded when he saw her expressionless face. He noticed the car which stood in front wasn’t there anymore.
“Where is your friend?”
“Watching me”
“You want to wait here?”
“No, we’ll walk to your place”
They both began their journey under the warmth of street lights. Her black cloak made her vanish in the shadow between the lamps and reappeared as they approached the next light.
“So how long you have been doing this job?” He asked.
“Six years”
“And before that?”
“I studied for this job”
“You studied that! Why?”
“Why?” She gave him a quizzical look and shook her head, refusing to answer his question.
“Are you alone?” She asked after crossing the corner.
“Not alone. I live with Senandra”
“What about your family? Where are they?”
“They are somewhere”
“Somewhere?”
“Well, I’m like a passing cloud” His voice cracked.
“So apart from senandra, you have anyone else?”
“I have a sister. Twin sister”
“Identical?”
He nodded. A sad smile appeared on his lips. “She is the bravest woman I have ever seen”
She gave him a look.
“I mean not like your type of bravery. Normal type of bravery”
“I guess that makes you the pretty one then” she said as her phone beeped. She looked at the message before turning off the display.
Ten minutes past. They both entered his street. The whole street was dark except the light in front of his house. He walked alongside her, believing she was by his side in the darkness.
They reached his home. The lamps on the gate turned off as she touched the wooden fence. Lights inside the window turned darker one after another.
“I’m sorry. I can’t allow you inside”
She kept her eye on the house. The moonlight began to unveil the edges of the roof. “It’s OK, I’ve got time and you’ve got nice street” She turned, walked past his car into the street. The whole road was darkly illuminated by the moon’s grace.
She sat down right in the middle of the street. “Join” She said as she took a half-burned candle from her bag. “You have lighter?”
“No, I don’t smoke” He paused next to his car.
“Do you always assume things?” She took a matchbox and ignited the candle. Her face glowed up, floated in the midair surrounded by her pitch black dress.
He sat down, resting his back on the door of his car. The tiny flame burned without flickers. The golden fire was crystal clear in her glassy eyes. He noticed her gazing into the fire. He thought she was smiling for a second then he realized it was merely a shadow illusion.
“Is that a candle from church?”
“No, but will that be a problem?”
“Yes, for both of us”
“So what is the deal between you two?” She asked looking at the top window.
“You are intimidating. Do you like being that?” He asked
“More intimidating than that?”
“She is not a ‘that’. She is like my sister. You give her that respect or you don’t talk about her”
“Your sister almost killed me, you remember?”
“You broke in. You remember that?”
“So how long she is been with you?”
“Why are you so interested in her?”
“Curious”
“I don’t believe you. I’m not going to share my personal stuff to a stranger”
“You bought your first phone because a stranger asked you to? You went to a cemetery at night because a stranger called you? I don’t believe YOU. What do you want from me?”
He gazed at the candle flame. “I’m interested in people. I’ve traveled around this country. I’ve met different people, different cultures. But they are not different just more of the same. I wished I will meet someone different. Someone whom I will look up. Someone who breaks all the standards. When I met you, I thought you might be that. But the subsequent meets has made you my nightmare”
“So you are expecting to become a friend or something more than that?”
“Not expecting anything more and definitely don’t want to be a friend either, that won’t end in good terms” Her eyes scrutinized as he spoke.
“As I said, I’m just interested in people. I just want to know them, their true self”
“Is that what you are doing with her?”
“I can’t talk about senandra”
“I’m good at keeping secrets”
He touched his wrist, tracing the nail marks. “She is Ah... She is kinda pregnant”
“That’s hard to miss”
“She has been living in this place for 28 years. It was her home before I built mine”
“What happened to her?”
“She fell in love with her school friend. This was before when the south of India wasn’t prepared and very much afraid of love marriage. This place wasn’t even qualified as a village, and she became a mother as soon as she became a woman. T
he society began to show their hatred very strongly. She was slut-shamed at the age of 12. She was humiliated and abused in front of the whole village. So she thought of ending this forever. She thought a crying baby might bring happiness to their family”