Until now , we saw that Aariyaman and Danny were admitted in the same hospital and Aariyana had called up Aariyaman’s parents to the hospital. Still the mystery of the tattoos is not revealed. Let’s see how Aariyana will solve up this case.
CHAPTER- 5 : The Secret Of The Tattoo
The clock showed 10.05pm. Today again, I got late for my home. Mumma called me. I told her that I will be at home till 10.30pm.
Aariyaman’s mom took my hand in her and thanked me. Tears rolled over her cheeks. I felt helpless. Somewhere, I felt as if I was the reason of Aariyaman’s accident.
“Aunty, don’t worry, he will get well soon! And may I leave now ? I am late for my home, see you Aunty. And you too take care , bye Uncle” ,saying this , I left.
Danny was also admitted in the same hospital. I went to him. He was resting and his mom was sitting on the sofa kept near his bed. She stood up to welcome me but I gestured her not to make any noise else he would get disturbed. She gave me a welcoming smile and told me to take a seat. I kept staring at Danny, his mom excused herself and left the room saying, “take your time with Danny”.
As soon as she left, I took my seat beside Danny, rolled my hand over his forehead. He opened his eyes, took my hand near his lips and kissed. I was not able to control my tears now. He pulled me towards him and cuddled me saying, “Ms.Arora ,I am all right. No need to cry!” and kissed me on my cheeks. I wiped my tears and told him, “Danny, I want to talk to you. I am really fucked up man! So many problems around.. I have no idea where to go and what to do? Please help me.”
“Hey Aari, stop crying. What’s the fucking matter? Tell me. I am here for you.”
“A long one, Danny. We will talk about it tomorrow. Your quick recovery is much more important right now .”
“Aariyana, I love you. Come hug me and please don’t cry.”
I had no words to say in return. I just hugged him. It was such a peace giving hug.
“Aari, now you should leave. It’s getting too late. I will tell my driver to drop you and be ready to be with me tomorrow. I am not going to leave you for a second.”
I smiled....and kissing his forehead ,I left.
“Mumma, I am back, where are you?”
“Yes Aari, I am in my bedroom.”
“Where is dad?”(I asked my mom going in her bedroom).
“Hanging out with friends”, she replied with a querulous tone.
“Chill Mumma, he is meeting his friends after a long time. He will be back soon.I am going to sleep. Goodnight Mumma.. wish Papa goodnight too.”
“Ok, Goodnight, my child”, she replied and I walked towards my bedroom.
Talking to Danny made my veins rest from the cyclone running inside but still, the tattoos were haunting me. With the pillow in my arms, I murmured, “Love you too Danny” and I slept.
“Good morning, Aariyana.” My dad woke me up.
He sat beside me on my bed and was gabbling something. I had no idea about it as I was sleeping.
I got fresh and had my breakfast.
“Papa, you were saying something. Sorry, but I was too drowsy.”
“No problem, Aari.”
“Say how was your business trip to Dubai?”
“Yes it was fruitful.Next Dubai trip will be with you, Aariyana.”
“Oh wow Paa, Thank you!”
“Listen Aari, I wanted to save this contact number in my phone contact list.”
“Ok dad. I will do it.”
“But, it is in Urdu. So just Google and translate it.”
“Yes dad.”
Dad handed me a contact card. I took my phone and searched the numbers in Urdu. The number on the card was 00968988***44. The result that I found was…
Now, it was easy for me to translate the contact number. The result I found was ۰۰۹۶۸۹۸۸***۴۴. On the spur of the moment, my eye got stuck on the last 2 digits of the number ‘44-۴۴’. The tattoo on Aariyaman’s hand had a same number. Seeing this, I was flabbergasted.
“Aari, hand me my phone if you are done!” Saying this, my dad drown my attention towards him.
“Yes papa”, I handed him his phone.
Now, I had no patience. Running to Danny and telling him all the terrifying scenes happening with me from the last few days was the only thought running in-out of my mind.
Getting ready, I ran to school. The first time I was so keen for my school. Danny was there at the gate waiting for me. I waved my hand wishing him Good Morning. We decided to bunk our lectures, sit in the library and complete our talk.
I started to narrate the whole story from the introduction to Aariyaman.
“Aariyaman is the guy who loves me since we were in 8th grade. He proposes me on 27th January of every year no matter how many times I reject him. But he continues this. Many a times, I have felt as if he stalks me. Because of such a behavior of Aariyaman ,I get offended.
It happened during the reading vacation of our 10th board exam. I went to Shayan’s place to study but what I saw was Shayan and Sofiya sleeping together with no clothes on their body. I agree that it was my misunderstanding. That time, Shayan was suffering from illness and his family was out of town , so Sofiya was with him and they were in shorts which made me think something else. With this misunderstanding and anger ,I left his home then. On my way to home, I felt as if someone was stalking me. No one else but Aariyaman was behind me. He handed me an envelope with no word from his side and even I spoke nothing. I was scared as it was dark all around and Aariyaman behaved as if he had came to kill me. Taking that envelope, I left. As soon as I reached home ,Mumma asked me why I was back. Lying her that Shayan was not present at his place, I went to my bedroom. Immediately, I opened the envelope and found a pen drive in it. I took my laptop and connected the pen drive to see the data in it. There was only one folder in it named ‘Here she comes’. Opening that, I found a video. It was about a person writing on a green board.
“The topper girl in the class will be Shayan’s girlfriend.”
“Oh Aariyana , you mean the green board was not the first time for you as it was for me”, Danny said.
“Yes Danny, and you won’t believe whom I saw in the video.”
“ Who showed such stupidity?”
“No one other than Sofiya, An ocean of jealousy.” I spoke with frustration.
“Sofiya ! So cheap!” Danny spoke, pulling down his eyebrows.
“Now comes the most terrifying thing…” I spoke with funk.
“A night before Garba celebration in our school, a nightmare frightened me like never before.”
“A nightmare?” Danny looked at me with glassy-eyed.
“Yes Danny”, and I narrated the whole nightmare..
Danny comforted me with a warm hug and a kiss.
“Danny , there is yet much more to listen …”
“Yes Aari, I am here with you only. Speak out till you feel better..”
“During Garba, when I excused myself and was standing a little away, I got a note.”
“Come behind the library .I am waiting for you, It’s urgent.”
-Shayan
First thought was not to go in that DEN, but something forced me to go. Lying to you was my mistake, Danny. I am sorry for that. Please forgive me.”
“Continue Aariyana”, Danny spoke with doleful face.
I continued with a hope that Danny would surely understand me.
I spoke up the whole incident about the tattoo, dress and even my makeup. Listening this, Danny was also shocked. He had no words to comfort me.
“That bullshit Shayan !!” he shouted with anger.
“Danny, I am sure there is someone else behind all this because I saw Shayan. He was busy with Sofiya.
And Danny you and Shayan fought due to which you were hospitalized. You were unconscious when I and your friends took you to the hospital. But when I entered, I saw the emblem on the coat of the staff members which was similar to my tattoo which suddenly had appeared on my back.”
“Show me your tattoo”, Danny told.
I took out a sketch of my tattoo that I made as showing the tattoo on my back was not possible right now.
Immediately he spoke up , “Oh yes ,CADUCEUS’, I know this. That night, I saw your tattoo.”
“Yes I remember”, I replied. “But Danny, what is this CADUCEUS?”
“Aariyana, the CADUCEUS is the traditional symbol of Hermes and features two snakes winding around an often winged staff. It is often mistakenly used as a symbol of medicine instead of the rod of Asclepius, especially in the United States.”
“Medicine-Hospital , oh this is the connection between my tattoo and the emblem”, I spoke with a drop of relief.“And so ,Danny you were in hospital and then Aariyaman and yet two more people are in trouble.”
“Two more? How and why?” Danny asked me.
“Look this tattoo, the part we identified is CADUCEUS, but yet the extra signs are present and that is ‘4’”.I explained Danny the tattoo circling the number 4 on the sides of CADUCEUS.
“I couldn’t see any ‘4’ here”, Danny replied.
“Danny, today my dad gave me a contact number to translate which was in Urdu and during the translation, I got to know that it was number 4 in my tattoo which was in Urdu.”
“And one more heart beating thing is - I Saw the tattoo on Aariyaman’s hand indicating the same number 4 in Urdu.”
“Now how to identify the next two victims?” Danny spoke with tension. “And how is Aariyaman involved in all this matter?”
“That is a tough work. We have no other clue left with us”, I replied.
“Aariyana ,don’t you think we should go and meet Aariyaman and ask him about the fuck happening? And why did he call you for a meeting?”
“Yes, good idea but we have to choose a proper time for that.”
Danny agreed with me.
Sharing the things with Danny made me so relaxed. I kept my stuff aside and hugged him with both my hands around his neck and my lips over his cheeks. In return, he rolled his hands around my waist. The pleasure I felt was heavenly.
“No one could understand me as better as Danny does,” I thought with a smile on my face.
Keep reading the next chapter to know what happens next.
How is Aariyaman involved in all this?
Who is behind Aariyana?