Continued of Part – 1
I reached in the hall room. I gazed up at the wall-clock. It was showing 6:30 PM.
“So mom-dad, your daughter is going tonight for babysitter…” I said, smirking.
“You are the best daughter in the world!” Dad beamed at me.
“No need to brush the butter, dad! Bye, mom…” I said, walking out of the main door.
“Listen Laado…! Don’t forget to WhatsApp me when you get there, okay? And don’t be shy to have dinner there, all right?” Mom said, coming out in a porch.
“Mom, you don’t worry about my dinner. I’ll order something…” I said, sitting on Activa’s seat.
“…but—” before she could speak any further, I pressed an ignition switch, “…bye…” I raced the accelerator and disappeared from her sight. Mysterious smiled tucked at the corner of my lips as I drove.
‘I have still time to get there before 8 PM.’ I muttered to myself, ‘…I’ve been craving panipuri since a long time, eh? I better justice my appetite by gulping at least ten…’ as I thought of eating spicy panipuris, my mouth watered. I took a turn to famous ‘Manilal Ni panipuri’ shop.
Good fifteen minutes I had cherished every single bite of panipuri… after then, I bought three Cadbury Chocolates for kids, and then I took my Activa to the main destination—Mr. Dubey Uncle’s mansion.
I parked my Activa inside the mansion. At first sight, it wasn’t spooky looking mansion at all as I had seen in horror movies. It was a beautiful mansion indeed. As I entered in, a skinny dark woman emerged out of the kitchen, “Welcome!”, she greeted with a warm smile, ”…You must be Hazel, right?”
“Yes, and are you a cook?” I asked.
“A cook and housemaid both,” she said. By her appearance, she looked around in her thirties, “…Um, What would you like to have in dinner?”
I felt like a queen as she asked me with her meekness. I smiled and said, “Nothing for me. I just have had breakfast on the way, so I won’t have dinner. You just cook for kids.”
“Kids only eats Maggie, so for them nothing special to cook. Are you sure you won’t have dinner?” she asked with a formal smile.
“Yeah, I am sure. Where are all three of them?” I asked.
“Dushyant and Aditya are playing a video game in that room.” She pointed her index finger, “…and little Niyati is also in there—she enjoys watching them playing.”
‘That’s so adorable!’ I thought to myself being overwhelmed with feelings. I nodded to her answer.
“They aren’t mischievous so you won’t have any trouble from them.” She said, “…and um,” her facial expression turned pale as she said in a lower tone, “…and please, do not go to the second floor. Especially, near to that room!” She didn’t point out her finger to indicate the room; she just turned her face and raised her eyebrow—gazing there.
I understood very well which room she was talking about. The room with a magnificent huge mirror.
“But why?” I asked, shrugging my shoulders.
“I better not talk about it. I urge you not to go there. Please!” She seemed anxiously sick.
“Okay okay! I won’t go if you say so.” I said.
“Can I go now? My children must be starving at home.” She nervously smiled.
“Yes… but before you go, I want to know why did you say not to step on the second floor?” I asked out of my curiosity, “…Is there anything wrong?”
“She will not hurt anyone unless you will not disturb her.” She turned her pupils at the corner of the eyes, and gazed there—on the door, “…that room is looked with ancient ritual. Nobody goes there.”
“What? But who you’re talking about? Who is she?” I narrowed my eyes and eyebrow.
“I better not to talk about her. She might hear us,“ She looked outside and said, “…It’s getting dark. I will see you in the early morning. Take care.” And then she headed towards the main gate. I observed her as she walked out of the mansion.
‘Strange woman!’ I muttered to myself.
I headed to the kids' room and knock the door. “Hello…”
Four-year-old girl wearing yellow frock opened the door and gave me the most adorable smile, “Hello… I am Niyati. Who are you?” Her messy bun on top of her head seemed like a fountain.
“Hello Niyati..! I am Hazel. Your mom-dad will not be at home tonight so I’ll be staying here…” I said, observing her cutest big brown eyes—staring at me with pure innocence.
“Hello, boys…!” I smiled and waved to them.
“Hello, Hazel didi…” Aditya smiled at me.
Dushyant just gave me an expressionless look like she doesn’t know me at all.
I reached to my pocket and grabbed three Cadbury Chocolates. As she saw the chocolates, her big brown eyes glisten with delight. “Yay…!!” She started jumping on her tiny legs, “I want chocolate!”
I offered chocolates to three of them. As Aditya and Niyati got the chocolates, they said thank you, but not Dushyant. I didn’t mind much though.
“So boys, I am sitting in the hall room. If you need anything, just tell me, Okay?” I said.
“Okay,” Aditya said while playing a video game.
“Niyati, you wanna come with me?” I asked affectionately.
She nodded while munching the chocolate.
‘God! She was the cutest kid I have ever seen!’ I felt overwhelmed by her cuteness.
She walked with me and sat on the sofa. As she finished her chocolate, she climbed down and went into her room. A few seconds later, she carried her drawing book and crayons color box with her and sat down on the floor. I saw her childish drawing and praised her work. She smiled and continued her drawing and I got myself busied with my books.
While reading my mind was thinking about the words she (The housemaid) had uttered. ‘Why did she say not to go up there?’ I thought, starring at the second-floor door. ‘Is that room really haunted?’ I asked to myself. ‘Nah, if it is haunted then why’d anyone live in such place!’ I smiled and shook my head to drop the thought. I concentrated my mind in the study.
An hour later, my empty stomach sent a signal to my brain that it’s time for food. I checked the time on my iPhone. It showed 9:12 PM. Four notifications and three missed calls were on the lock screen. It was mom’s!
‘Oh, Shit!! I forgot to message her! Stupid!’ I cursed myself. I messaged my mom on WhatsApp. As I closed the WhatsApp, Durjoy’s (my boyfriend) message notification showed up. ‘Hey, Hazel! How’s going reading?’
“Hey! It’s going ok… How’s yours?” I typed and then tapped on his profile photo. I smiled seeing his smiling photo which I had clicked in a restaurant.
“I get yawns after yawns as I read. It’s boring as hell!” He sent a sad emojis.
I sent laughing emojis.
“Had dinner?” He typed.
“No. I am at one of my relative’s home. For babysitting!!” I typed.
“Order something online! Dominos pizza!!” he sent lips licking emojis.
I smiled at his reply.
“I don’t like Dominos Pizza. Trupt’s cheese Pizza is my most favorite! But they don’t have an online delivery system! I am starving!! Who’d deliver the pizza?” I sent sad and crying emojis.
“You sound like you want me to be pizza delivery boy for you tonight!” He typed.
“You are smarter than I thought!” I send smiling and winking emojis.
“Ohok… send me your address. I’ll be there as soon as I can!”
“Aww! You are the best boyfriend ever! I love you!” I typed and sent heart-shaped emojis, blushingly.
“I love you too,” He sent flying kiss emojis.
I sent him the address.
“How many pizzas you’ll devour, dear?” He typed and sent emojis with clamped hands on the mouth.
“One sec…” I typed.
I stood up and walked to the kid’s room. “You boys are hungry?”
“Starving!! Make Maggie for us!” Dushyant ordered, without looking at me.
“How about cheese Pizza?” I asked and observed their expression.
“Wow! That’s so cool…! I’ll eat wholesomely!” Aditya said, being excited.
“Me too, I won’t share with anyone,” Dushyant said, engrossing in game.
“Okay,” I said and closed the door.
“Including kids… Total four cheese Pizzas!” I typed.
“Okay. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” He typed.
“Okay.” I typed and walked to the hall room.
Niyati was fallen asleep while drawing and coloring. I smiled seeing her innocent face and way of sleeping. ‘Let her be asleep till dinner comes’ I said to myself.
After twenty minutes, the doorbell rang. I opened the door and welcomed him in. Aditya and Dushyant stormed out from the room as they heard the doorbell. Niyati also woke up with a crying face. “Mommy…!!” I consoled her little mind as much as I could’ve.
As she saw pizza, a cute smile lit up on her roly-poly face.
“You like pizza?” I asked.
She nodded and licked her pink tiny lips.
I gave the pizza box to Aditya and Dushyant. Me and Niyati shared our pizza slices. While having dinner, I introduce them to Durjoy. But they seemed more interested in eating pizza. We had balled devouring four pizzas—not a single slice left!
After having dinner, both brothers ran to their room to continued video game.
“I am sleepy.” Niyati yawned big. Before she went to her room, I asked her to go the bathroom, so at night she won’t wet the bed. She went into the bathroom and then she went into her room.
Me and Durjoy were only in the hall room. Heavy silence was spread all over the mansion.
“So, all night you have to stay here?” He asked, looking around at the mansion’s wall.
“Yeah. Till 2 AM. Will you accompany me until then?” I asked.
“Sure. Anything for you, darling!” He leered, and slide near to me.
“Don’t even think about it, Okay?” I said firmly, “…Let’s study.”
He rolled his eyes.
I studied till 1 AM and then my heavy eyelids when pulled on the blanket of sleep I’d no idea. I woke up when Durjoy shook me up from sleep. “Hazel..! Wake up!!”, he seemed terrified.
“What happened?” I sat upright, perturbed.
“I—I saw someone there…!” he sounded freaked out.
“Who?” I promptly asked, feeling trepidation by his capricious behavior.
“It was a dark figure—eight or nine feet long!!” His entire body was shaking and sweating profusely. He freaked me out to my core.
As my mind recalled the words of a housemaid, fear of unknown clung on my mind. “You’re sure you saw or it was your dream?”
“I haven’t even sleep!! While I was reading, I—I felt a strange feeling of someone’s watching me. As I looked around, I saw there,” he pointed his index finger at the second floor’s door, “I saw an apparition!! Dark and almost eight or nine feet long!! I heard her whispering voice, ‘SHE WILL DIE TOO. SAVE HER!’ A woman’s chilling voice quivered me inside. I couldn’t even move for a minute. I felt like my entire body got paralyzed!!” he shuddered with terror.
“Oh my god! Then she was right!” I said, thinking of her words.
“W—who? Who are you talking about?” He stuttered, feeling of uneasiness terrified him.
“Housemaid! She had emphasized me not to go there.” I said, my heartbeat palpitation was racing.
“Then my instinct was damn right! You know what,” He told me in a whispering voice, “…As I walked in the hall room, I got an uneasy feeling about the place. That means something ghastly is lurking and roaming in this place.” He said and took a quick look on the door.
Suddenly my phone rang! I jolted out with fear!! My heartbeat raced up, I smiled weakly. It was Dad’s call. I picked up. “Hello, Dad… It’s 1:45 AM! When will they come? I wanna go home.”
“Just two hours ago Dubey uncle had called me. They’ll soon reach there…” He said.
“How long will it takes them to get here?” I asked, in an infuriated tone.
“Maximum um… an hour.” He said.
“Okay. Bye.” I cut the call with an annoyed face.
I shook my weak long face.
“Don’t worry, Hazel. I’m with you all night. I’ve heard some ghost don’t harm us unless we don’t disturb them. This is the first time I ever saw something supernatural! I always believed in such stuff, but now it’s gotten concrete!“ He said.
I smiled at him, and asked, “Some ghost don’t harm but and what about others?”
“Well, other ghost gives us signs to help them for salvation or they help us by predicting our future event.” He said.
“Hold on. What that woman’s dark figure had said to you?” I abruptly asked him.
“SHE WILL DIE TOO. SAVE HER! That’s what she’d told.” He said and gave a thoughtful look.
“Was it her prediction of something?” I asked, being serious.
“I don’t know. What does she mean by ‘She’?”
“Maybe Niyati?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Go and check her that is she all right?” He suggested.
I stood up and entered her room. She was sleeping peacefully—hugging her teddy bear. I smiled at her and slowly closed the door. As I returned in the hall room I felt my armpits were sweated.
“She is sleeping,” I said, smiling.
We spent an hour reading our books. Sleep was evaporated! Wall-clock ticking voice was sounding clearer. The rest of the night I felt uneasy, but nothing horrible happened. Somewhere inside my mind, foreboding feeling was consuming me. Suddenly I got a message from my Dad. “Dubey uncle’s car got some engine problem. Will you spend a night, dear? Please.”
I read the message and typed, “It’s 3 AM! If they would’ve reached now, even though I would’ve stayed here. It’s okay, dad. See you in the morning.”
I locked the phone. After then we passed the entire night just talking about college stuff. At 6 o’clock in the morning, we heard the mansion’s main gate opened. Housemaid knocked on the door. I opened it and felt something heavy load released over my chest.
“Good morning” She greeted with a smile.
“Good morning, thanks for letting me know about it. See you.” I said with a pale smile and we walked out of the mansion.
“Thanks, Durjoy for everything!” I said hugging him, endearingly.
He just smiled, and said, “See you in college. Bye….”
“Bye…” I said and pressed ignition switch. I quickly rode the Activa to the way home. As I got home, I got huge shocking news from my crying mother, “Dubey uncle’s wife is no more!”
Her words smashed on my chest like a heavy hammer. For a moment, my mind couldn’t register what she said or meant by. “What are you saying, mom? His sister was serious, not his wife!”
Mom nodded sobbingly, “They had also terrible car accident with a truck while driving on crossroad! Dubey uncle lost car control as he heard his sister’s passed away news.”
“Oh My God!” I clamped my mouth in a heart-shattering shock, “…How’s Dubey uncle’s condition now?”
“He’s in hospital. Doctors are saying his internal bleeding isn’t stopping.” Mom broke down into a cry. I ran to her and gave consolation hug. In front of my mind’s eyes, three kids’ images were playing. Little Niyati’s adorable face made my eyes teary. I felt painful lump stuck in the back of my throat. The feeling of bewilderment was grinding in my chest and was making me sick.
After a few minutes, we both controlled our emotions. I asked, “Mom, when did all this happen.”
“Around 2:30 AM.” She wiped her tears.
Durjoy’s words refreshed in my mind: ’SHE WILL DIE TOO…!! SAVE HER…!! they help us by predicting our future event!’ – I was flabbergasted! He had seen her around 1 AM. She had predicted the future event! And the actual event happened at 2:30 AM. I blinked my eyes in an utter astonishment and tried to be more conscious to think that “Was it really true?”
***
