#Rajpurepisode2
By: Rhituparna Chakraborty
Tags: Series, Stories, Fiction, Thriller

#Rajpurepisode2

#rajpurepisode2

#rajpur

#Rajpur

Link of previous episode: #Rajpurepisode1, rajpurepisode1

#Author: #RhituparnaChakraborty

#Disclaimer: This is an original work of fiction with no relation to any person/organism living or dead. Every episode, every character is a work of imagination. Any resemblance to any person, organism, place or character is purely coincidental. There is no intention to hurt or rebuke anyone through this work. This story/episode cannot be copied, published or reproduced without the permission of the author RhituparnaChakraborty.

Saanchi looked upstairs. She then told Nihaar, ‘But…. there is a lady here already. When I asked her if she was Sarita, she had nodded.’ Nihaar said with a confused note, ‘Umm, that’s not possible. Are you sure?’ Saanchi said, ‘Yes I am. She is upstairs cleaning up the rooms. Wait a minute. I will hand over the phone to her.’ Nihaar said, ‘Ma’am, I am sure there is some confusion. Please send her away. She can be an imposter.’ Saanchi went upstairs with the phone on ‘speaker’ mode. She went to her bedroom first. That lady was not there. She then went to the other rooms. The lady was nowhere to be seen. Saanchi started shivering. With trembling voice she told Nihaar, ‘I can’t find her now. Where did she go?’ Nihaar said, ‘Ma’am, you might be mistaken. Sarita can’t be there. I will send a picture of Sarita right away. Let me know if the same lady is there.’ Saanchi searched every nook and corner of the house. The lady seemed to have vanished. She looked at the picture Nihaar just sent. No, this lady is not the same lady. Saanchi told Nihaar, ‘No, the lady who was here is not the lady whose picture you just sent. I need to hang up now please.’ Saying that Saanchi hung up. She then went to the shelf from where the lady had picked up the broom. The broom was right there inside the shelf. Saanchi was petrified. She ran to the front door. She turned the knob to open it. The knob seems to have stuck. It did not budge. She tried twisting it again and again. No, it would not move. She pulled it. The door would not open. She cried, ‘HELP…..HELP’. No one was around. Just then a whiff of strong smell passed by her. It smelled like rotten meat. Saanchi felt a cold breeze touch her skin. She kept on screaming but her voice turned mute. After banging on the door endlessly, screaming through out and still unable to open it, Saanchi fell into a deep swoon.

‘Hey Girl, wake up, we need to go out’. Saanchi heard someone saying this to her. She opened her eyes. It was Mushtaque. He was looking at her and smiling. Saanchi looked around. She was lying on the sofa. There was a comfy, cozy blanket on her. Mushtaque looked at her and said, ‘So, my lady had a nice comfortable nap?’ Saanchi sat up. She was in a daze. She said, ‘How come I am here? Who brought me here? I was trying to open the door. Wh…..where…..where is that lady?’ Mushtaque looked at Saanchi confused. He said, ‘Sweetheart, what are you talking about? I kept on ringing the doorbell. Suresh came and opened the door with the key he had. You were fast asleep here on the sofa.’ Saanchi said with tears in her eyes, ‘No…. No…. I was not asleep. I had fainted. That lady…. that lady who had come to clean the house in the morning……you did see her, didn’t you?’ Mushtaque said, ‘Which lady? No one had come today to clean the house. Did anyone come after I left?’ Saanchi tried to convince Mushtaque and said, ‘She had come before you had left. How come you did not see her?’ Mushtaque went closer to Saanchi, brushed her hair gently and said, ‘Maybe it was a dream. Now come on, get ready, we have to go out. Suresh has made yummy lunch. We will have lunch and then we will go for sightseeing.’ Saanchi hugged Mushtaque tight and thought, ‘Was I dreaming, was that a mirage or was it real?’ She looked at Mushtaque and said earnestly, ‘I was not dreaming Mushtaque. Ask Nihaar. He had called me. I had told him that the house help Sarita was here. Nihaar had told me that the lady who was there in the house, can’t be Sarita because Sarita was on leave.’ Saanchi clutched her head in Mushtaque’s broad chest and hid herself there like a little girl and said, ‘I am not lying Mushtaque.’ Mushtaque gently brushed Saanchi’s head and said, ‘I know baby. You will never lie. But, there is no way a lady had come when I was here and I did not see. Maybe you were tired. Now, go wash your face. Let’s have lunch. I am starving.’

Saanchi got off the sofa, washed her face and went ahead to the dining room. Mushtaque could see that Saanchi was still lost. He tried to cheer her up, but in vain. After lunch, Mushtaque took Saanchi for a long drive. They went to some beautiful places for sight seeing. Mushtaque even proposed watching a movie, but Saanchi did not want to go. She was lost through out.

At around 8 pm, Saanchi and Mushtaque reached the service apartment. Suresh was already there making dinner. Seeing Saanchi and Mushtaque, Suresh said, ‘ Dinner is ready. Let me know when to serve. Once you guys are done with dinner, I will clean the kitchen, do the dishes and then leave.’ Mushtaque said, ‘ That’s fine. We will help ourselves. You can go now. Tomorrow when the house help comes, she can do the dishes, or else, when you come tomorrow morning to make breakfast, you can do the dishes then.’ Suresh said, ‘ Sure Sir. No problem.’ Suresh looked at Saanchi and said, ‘Hope you like the food ma’am.’

Just then the doorbell rang. Mushtaque answered the door. Nirali and her sister Naina was at the door. Nirali said, ‘ I am Nirali. I had come in the morning too. I am Mr. Naresh Sharma’s daughter. This is my sister Naina. I had forgotten to keep chocolates in the refrigerator, which we always keep for our guests. Hence, I got the chocolates now. Sorry for the inconvenience.’ Mushtaque smiled and said, ‘That’s so sweet. Thanks.’ Nirali then said, ‘I hope you and your wife like chocolates.’ Mushtaque smiled and said, ‘We sure do.’ Just then Saanchi came near the door. Nirali smiled at Saanchi and said, ‘I hope you like the chocolates.’ Saanchi smiled warmly at Nirali and said, ‘I love chocolates. Thanks a lot.’ Nirali and Naina left after handing over the chocolates to Mushtaque.

After dinner, Mushtaque sat comfortably on the couch and switched on the tv. Saanchi came and snuggled into Mushtaque’s arms. She was wearing a white satin strapless night gown. Mushtaque wrapped his arms around her shoulders and put his chin on her head. While watching a movie, Saanchi said, ‘ Don’t you think we should send a thank you note to Nihaar for sending those chocolates?’. Mushtaque said, ‘Right. I will do that right away.’ Mushtaque texted Nihaar. Nihaar received the message. He was happy and sad at the same time. Happy, because, Nirali and Naina were taking interest in this family business. Sad because, he would have been happy to give those chocolates on his own.

Snuggled in bed, with her head on Mushtaque’s chest, Saanchi slept like a baby. Suddenly the piercing smell of rotten meat engulfed the room. Saanchi woke up startled. Mushtaque was still fast asleep. The windows of the room swung open. The curtains flew in the wind. The lady in red bindi, kohl clad eyes and red saree, looked at Saanchi, smiled. Saanchi screamed at the top of her voice. She shook Mushtaque. She yelled, ‘WAKE UP MUSHTAQUE, WAKE UP’. But, Saanchi’s voice was mute. Mushtaque was still fast asleep.

Naresh Sharma went to Nihaar’s room. Nihaar was still awake. Naresh Sharma said, ‘Got a minute?’ Nihaar looked at Naresh Sharma and said, ‘Sure Dad. Please have a seat.’ Naresh Sharma said, ‘Son, I don’t want to force this decision on you. However, I feel, it’s high time for you to get married. I barely get time to talk to you. I thought, maybe this will be a good time to talk.’ Before Naresh could say something, Nihaar said, ‘Yes Dad, you are right. I should get married. In fact, now I feel, it’s time.’

Saanchi cried, screamed, yelled but her voice was mute. The lady jingled her anklets, smiled at Saanchi and walked away to the other room. Saanchi fainted.

‘The couple looks beautiful. However, they can’t stay together forever’, said a voice deep in someone’s heart.

To be continued…………………