by Jai T J
She pulled out the foil and kept the shaker along with broken pieces. She placed the rolled foil on the table and peeled open. A slim, dry gold chain was balled up lying inside it. She lifted the chain with the help of foil, without touching with her bare fingers. The chain was in the mix of dark and light shade.
The loop was broken, disconnected and at the bottom hung a tiny pendant. The design was of the famous posture mad by Hindu god – Hanuman. Ripping his chest open, revealing his beloved couple – Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.
Yuleika handed over a Ziploc bag. She dropped it inside and handed it over to Hiran.
“Gatantu gatameva hi” She recited the line from Ramayana, written on the back of the pendant.
Chapter 15
INVISIBLE SHADOW
Yuleika held the door open and bit a chunk of apple from the other hand. Hiran entered, carrying Mia in his arms. Her head hung in his arm with her hairs swinging below.
He placed her head then her legs slowly on the bed. He adjusted the pillow under her then he pulled down her t-shirt, covering her stomach and placed the comforter over her.
Yuleika went to the other side of the bed and sat next to her, keeping the pillow behind her. She tabbed the screen on the phone and screen began to march, concealing the wide window and the dark night. The room began playing Yiruma’s river flow in you. The soothing lullaby was extremely mild.
Hiran sat on the edge of the bed, facing Yuleika. She handed over the other apple to him.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” She asked.
“No, there is some protest tomorrow. I’ve to be there early”
She bit another chunk. “So how are you doing, high-five?”
“I’m good. Why?”
“You know it usually takes a large period of time to change over”
“Oh god, Not you too” She said frustratingly chewing the fruit.
“I’m not gonna question you. I like this new you. It’s not the same one when I met for the first time or the one that has been for the last two years. You are moving very fast. Just be careful”
“I have you for that. I don’t have to worry”
“Oh, you can’t trust me. Despite your warnings, I did my background check on him”
“And?”
“I found some interesting things”
“Don’t tell me. I want to find out myself”
“You two have more things in common actually. He is your competition. You got to be careful”
“You are a jerk” she said pouting at him.
“Yes, but I’m not going to stand aside when you try to be hard on yourself. I’m not that kind of friend”
“Do I have to be more careful?” She grabbed the water bottle from the table and took a sip.
“Always. But he isn’t that much bad news. Yet you have to be more careful. He did find you twice coincidentally”
“Everything happened in my life had my permission. There is no coincidence but only reasons and I’m it. I killed h-”
“Stop blaming yourself” He interrupted. Mia twitched, her sleep disturbed by the noise. Yuleika patted her and lowered the AC temperature of the room.
“You can’t be responsible for everything. That is just stupid”
“No, it’s not. Survival of fittest it is. How will you grow stronger if you don’t take up responsibilities?”
“You do realize that your own statement is contradicting your ideas. You are just confused. Don’t worry, I’ll wind up this case as soon as possible”
“You can’t. We don’t have anything on our side. How do you find a faceless man when you have gone blind? I know you will try harder but this case cannot be solved. That I’m sure”
He looked at her, confused. “Then why are you doing this? Are you trying to prove yourself wrong?”
“I promised my father. I’m not going to give up”
“You could try the hypno therapy again”
“It’s not working. They said I chose to forget his face and it went deep into my amygdala. Now every time it’s just the faceless man that comes to my mind”
“Maybe on some level you just wanted to let go of this case or something. You subconsciously wanted to move away from it”
“I don’t care what I think or what I want. I have to and I must find him”
He glanced at Mia. Her hair was on front, covering her face. “How is she holding up... about the leaving?”
“She has a freakishly strong body but her mind is too much emotional. She is trying very hard to hide it but I can see it right in her big wide eyes. I know I’m going to miss her every day”
“You know you could move with her”
“I know” She moved the hair out of her face, admiring the sleeping beauty. “You know if she were a guy, I would have married her” Yuleika’s cheeks reddened as she said.
He smiled at her. “Have you picked a date?”
“Yes, December 21”
“This strange deal between you two won’t affect me, right?”
“No, it won’t”
Mia turned toward her left and dropped her hand on Yuleika’s stomach. She yelped as she slapped her torso.
“She might be listening in her sleep as well” Yuleika whispered, warming Mia’s hand gently. “We have to be careful”
“Talking about friendship deals, your stalker seems to have one too. I got around with people from the places he used to work. They all had one thing to say in common. He leaves them, vanishing from their lives forever”
“Why?”
“One girl had an interesting story for that. She said he was betrayed by his close friends at his young age. So now he is getting his revenge it seems. They all said he was really a good friend, and then he is gone”
“I don’t understand”
“He had few close friends, and they all left him when he needed them the most. Since then, he tries to be a good friend and does everything just to make others think that he is their close friend. The moment they feel like that, he abandons them and moves on to next one”
“He said he is not interested in making a friendship with me. I don’t see it as a problem”
“Don’t underestimate him. He has left his family for the very reason. Apparently, he is psychologically affected by that. He is not able to stay with anyone who feels closer to him. So if you ever want to get rid of him, you don’t have to do much”
“Say no more. I want to see him myself”
“Don’t do anything stupid” He warned her calmly.
“Good night, Hiranya” She pulled up the rest of the comforter to her chest.
He sighed, got off the bed. “Good night, high-five” He walked out of her room and lights dimmed slowly then darkness took over.
“Are you kicking me or kissing me?” Mia yelled at her. “HARDER” They both were inside the studio, in their slim fit three-fourth. The lights through the high windows began to turn darker. Yuleika’s dress was drenching in her sweat. She was moving in her toes, keeping her eyes on Mia and her hands in defense position.
“Do it harder” She yelled again.
Yuleika moved forward, bringing herself closer. Mia swung a punch at her face. Yuleika shifted her head right in time and grabbed her left hand and tried to grapple her head with other arm. Mia twisted quickly, bending under her arms, she pulled Yuleika’s other arm and threw herself backward, spinning. Her thin arms lifted almost double her size. They both spun in the midair. Yuleika’s body traveled across her overhead before ramming on the mat.
She landed on her back with a great thumping sound. She cried out in pain. “You skinny bitch” The pain began to radiate throughout her body.
“What the hell are you doing?” Mia shouted as she bent toward her.
“That hurts” She shrank her eyes tight, enduring the sudden shock in her muscle.
“Get up! I’m not done”
“GO TO HELL” Her voice vibrated her pain. She turned, holding her back and lied facing the gro
und.
“Get up or I’ll kick you in your groin”
She exhaled loudly using her mouth and pushed herself up, moaning. Every breath was aching. She supported her back with her hand on her waist. “I think you broke my back”
“I don’t care” Mia went back to her offensive pose and ready to fight again.
“Oh, damn it. I can’t fight. I’m very tired”
“You are tired to protect yourself? That excuse almost got you killed, remember? You have to study your opponent’s shadow and learn to mimic them”
“Not today” She shook her head slowly, flinching and started walking toward the chair at the corner of the room.
“Is that what your father taught you? Maybe you are just a daddy’s princess, aren’t you?”
“Don’t ever talk about him, bitch” She pulled her bag from the yellow chair and took out the water bottle.
“Maybe he is a coward like you. That’s why he couldn’t give you a proper teaching”
She turned around furiously. “STOP! NOW!”
“Or what?” Mia folded her arms. “You are gonna cry? Like a coward?” She smirked. “Like your dad? You hussy”
Anger clouded her mind. Her nostrils flared, her cheeks twitched as her lips curved downward. She grabbed the bag with her left hand as she strode toward her. She swung her arm, aiming the bag to her face. As she let go of the bag, she pulled a sharp sleek knife out of it.
Mia evaded the bag by pushing it away. She saw Yuleika’s arm propelling toward her and the shiny metal with it. She jerked herself back, escaping the knife at an inch. “Oh, shit. Are you mad?”
Yuleika’s face was still filled with furious expression. She plunged at her again, hiding the knife by turning it behind her hands. Mia shifted to her side as she jumped at her again. “Hey, you can’t use weapons” She yelled.
Mia grabbed her arm as she tried to cut her stomach. She brought her other arm inside, grabbing her neck, and she folded Yuleika’s arms. She brought her knife to Yuleika’s neck as she made herself very close to her.
She didn’t stop. Mia flinched, jerked trying to escape her lock.
“Calm down Yuleika” Mia tightened the grip around her neck.
Yuleika tried to push her away with her right hand. She grabbed her chin and pushed her face away. Mia brought the knife closer, making the metal to contact Yuleika’s throat. Yuleika pushed her face and made her look away. When her face turned, she blew a sharp kick on Mia’s stomach.
Mia’s finger loosened around the knife as they both fell backward with the momentum. The knife landed between them.
Yuleika stumbled to get back. Mia performed a kick up as soon as she fell back and stood in front of her. Yuleika ran crawling toward the knife and brought her hand forward. Mia was fast enough to reach it and kicked the knife away from them.
Instead of knife, Yuleika grabbed Mia’s left leg and yanked it harder. Mia lost her balance and dropped on her side. She climbed on top of her, brought a pocket foldable knife out of nowhere and plunged it into her mouth.
Mia froze, withdrew herself from any chance of escaping. Yuleika brought the knife to one side, pushing the edge against the inside of her cheek.
“I don’t know how to fight well but I damn well know to work with the knife” Her dark eyes were still burning. She was breathing heavily.
“I’m trying to help you” Mia said cautiously with the knife in her mouth.
She drew her knife slowly out. “Then help me get better in what I’m good at. Defending and running away is not my way”
Mia looked at the burning rage in her eyes. “I’m sorry” The thunders clapped outside, echoed around the empty arena.
“Don’t be” Yuleika said tracing the knife under Mia’s wide eye line. She stopped right at the corner.
“Thank you, Mia” She pulled back the knife and did a three-fold. The knife turned into rectangle metal piece and side of its butt had sleek pointy teeth. She brought it behind her head and made it sit on her head like a hair comb.
She stood first and helped Mia with her hand. “You cannot lose yourself like that” Mia said.
“I know” Yuleika returned to her bag. She threw a towel at Mia and took one for herself. She patted around her neck. “You are an easy target, actually”
“I let you. I didn’t want to create any serious injuries” Mia said and sipped the water. “And next time I won’t be kissing your knife”
Yuleika opened her arms. “With a woman like me on top, you definitely won’t be kissing a knife”
“Stop it, you are so sick and more than that you are not my type”
“Oh really, then what is your type?”
“Listen, if you want, we can do something today”
Yuleika’s eye widened.
“Oh, Not that” Mia corrected her doubts. “It’s just. I know you won’t like it but I want to –”
Yuleika’s phone buzzed, interrupting their possible intimate conversation. She took the call as soon as she saw the name on the display.
“Oh... It’s already 5... But he doesn’t have experience. He can’t... No, no... OK, I’ll be there in an hour but still no”
“I’m sorry. What were you Gaying?” She said, dropping her phone back into her bag.
“It’s OK. We’ll talk in the night”
“It might get late tonight. Are you sure?”
“Oh, better time than ever” Mia said smiling with her large eyes. “And don’t be tired” She winked at her.
Yuleika puzzled at her as they both walked out.
Yuleika sat in front of the computer, preparing the necessary prerequisites and cross-checking the details given from the hospital with the forms on her table. She was in her usual workplace cloth - blue shrug and a surgical mask covering her mouth.
A young boy entered the brightly lit room, pushing the stretcher with a body covered in a white plastic sheet. It was the same guy who scared Devin on the day when he got to know about Yuleika’s work. He brought the corpse near to the weighing machine. He slowly approached her, swallowing with a frightened look on his face.
“Good evening, mam” He said with a low voice
She moved her face off the computer. “Are you sure?” She pulled down her mask and waited for his reply.
“I’m sorry, mam?”
“What makes this evening a good?”
“I ah...” He stumbled to pick the words.
She looked at the pale woman lying under the sheet. “What are you going to do now?”
“I’ll start with photographing, mam”
“How long did you say you prepare yourself for this?” She asked with curiosity in her eyes.
“Four and half years” His face brightened with pride.
“Four and half years wasted. Where is Mr. Nazeer?” Her voice turned from soft to bossy.
He took a step back. “He is in the storage room. He said he will bring the tools and other stuff, mam”
Yuleika’s had an annoyed expression in her face. She turned back to her screen once again.
He slowly walked back. “Mr. Nazeer said today I can perform my first”
“Oh, I see. So that’s what the excitement is all about” She eyed the tiny bulge at the front of his dress. “Go and bring him here before I do something”
He did as he was told. He ran out of the room, covering his mouth as he began to cry.
After hours and hours of exhaustive yet extremely delicate surgeries, she changed into her burka. She came out of the dressing room and locked the door.
She walked toward the lab. A low clicking noise came from behind. She turned back and saw nothing but the empty hallway illuminated by the fluorescent bulbs. She looked at her phone, it read 10:48 PM. She was all alone on her own.
Again the same sound came. This time it was clinking noise of something making contact with a metal. She stood there still and turned slowly toward the sound. She saw a tiny, brown kitten stalking her along the side of the wall. Their both eyes
met.
“How did you come here?” she approached bringing her hands like feeding it.
It smelled her empty fingers and ran away from her, vanishing into the darkness at the end of the path. She brought her fingers to the nose and smelt it. There wasn’t any odor to be felt but her eyes caught something strange at the end of the abandoned hall. She felt a darker shape, peeking from one side of the corner. She took her phone, pointing toward it and she flashed the light.