Trembling Shadows
A romantic, psychological thriller
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“You are also talking just like our Vinod did. First let us know what it is. Then we shall decide whether it is agreeable or not” This Aravind was becoming a puzzle to Rajesh. He could guess that he was going to tell something connected with witch-cult. There would be no surprise if that as well be interesting to all these people. But it was not at all better let this boy involve himself in those matters much.
“It is an exercise in which we invite souls and talk with them” Aravind said. “As there is a rumor that grandfather’s and Nagaraju’s souls are still in this house, we may invite one of them and talk with him. We can get all our doubts cleared.”
“Absurd. I don’t like even to hear this” Tanuja’s face creased with irritation.
“Why? What is wrong in his saying about that?” Tanuja astonished and looked at her daughter when she said that. The look of her daughter intimidated Tanuja. There was not just liking towards Aravind but a sort of hate aimed at her. Even her liking towards Aravind was new to her the hate in her look was not new. Whenever her daughter looked at her, Tanuja could find that. What wrong she did she could not understand. She never had expected such a change in her daughter at all. Until six months or so back Sameera was quite good to her.
“No. I don’t like that. Inviting souls and making them talk! What he and you are thinking yourselves?” trying to keep her look straight on her face Tanuja said.
Sameera did not waver and kept her look so.“As per the rumor two souls are here to say. One is our grandmother’s husband and the other is that Nagaraju who killed them all” Sameera said. “What is wrong if we try to invite and talk with one of them? As Aravind said all our doubts would be clarified.”
“Just shut-up. You are losing your mind. I don’t like this at all. Upto hypnotism I have no objection whatsoever but I never agree to the proposal of Aravind.” Tanuja herself turned her gaze aside as she could not bear her daughter’s look.
“It is all my mistake. In fact I should not have proposed that at all” there was worry in the face of Aravind while saying this. “I am absolutely sorry.”
“It is all right. You are not at mistake” Rajesh said “As Vinod proposed his idea you have proposed this, that too after Anand asked you. Since Tanuja expressing strong objection, we better forget about that completely”
The situation there invited the painful and ominous silence again. Under the canopy of the sky the small drizzle playing its portion again. Only a sudden ear deafening thunder dared to break that silence.
“Oh, my god. When this climate going to be cleared completely? It is creating lot of fear in me.” going upto the doorpost and looking into the verandah Malathi said. The climate was dark and gloomy. The falling rain lines were appearing like threads.
Most of the time Malathi preferred to be silent and observed her daughter and son in law without their knowledge. Her fears were eased a little seeing the amiable behavior of her son in law and Sunanda also was appearing in high spirits. The tension of Malathi was lessened and she felt happy.
“That is what I too cannot understand. It is appearing really very evilsome without any sunshine.” Tanuja too went to the door post and shared her fear and opinion.
“How is grandmother? You were with her until sometime back” looking at his wife Rajesh asked.
“She is as she was before.” Tanjua going near to the chair in which Malathi sat unto then and dumped herself in it before she continued. “I could not see even a little change in her”
Malathi came back and got little irritated as her chair was occupied by Tanuja so. Since she could not ask her to vacate she went near to the bed and sat on that place in which Tanuja sat before.
“There is something I want to tell you people.” Sameera suddenly said. “It may be completely negligible, Aravind assured me so, but still I am thinking it may be better to discuss that with you all.”
“You may say that straight without putting us in suspense like this. First tell straight what it is” with an irritating expression in his face, Rajesh said.
Then Sameera explained to him her cold touch feeling in the downstairs room. Her mind recollected the fear and anxiety she felt then while she was saying it.
“I have said to her that it was all just her imagination” Aravind did not delay to say once she finished.
“In my opinion too” Rajesh readily agreed “it was just that”.
But it surprised both Rajesh and Tanuja also. Sameera preferred to say her strange experience to Aravind and got clarification from him also. To what it was going to lead? Would it be for good or bad? they could not think of.
“Were you sleeping when you had that feeling?” Anand observing the expression on her beautiful face asked. It seemed the anxiety and fear in her face gave a new dimension to her beauty. He too could not refrain himself attracted towards her sometimes.
“No I were not at all asleep at that time” She tried to remember but it had become difficult to her to remember exactly in which condition she was then.
“You might be a little asleep. Try to remember” considering the confusion in her Anand said.
“Might be. I cannot remember now” her forehead frowned.
“Stop struggling yourself. You might be subjected to a little sleep and got a dream like that in it” Anand said.
“It was not at all a dream. I can say the difference between reality and dream.” She said with a firm voice.
“Then it might not be just your imagination” Anand said with a convincing tone.
“Please don’t try to confuse the matters” Rajesh pleaded. “We have just convinced her as it was only her imagination. There would be no use whatsoever in digging more into that and creating new ideas in her which lead to new fears.” Rajesh did not think whether his saying so might hurt Anand.
“I am sorry if I sound like that to you” Anand genuinely worried. “Anyhow I am thinking it would be good to all of us if we are in little care of ourselves.”
“Very reasonable suggestion indeed! But why little we all shall try to be maximum careful. There is no loss in being more careful” Rajesh said.
The agreement around them to that proposal was unanimous.
&&&
Vinod really did a very correct estimation of the matter connecting with his daughter and son in law. As he was expected Anand was not at all in a mood to desert his wife, he never even in his dreams thought about divorcing Sunanda however much angry he was about her illegitimate intimacy with other boys. Of course, there was uncontrollable rage in him towards her as she had shared her beauty and youth enough with other guys before sharing them with him. But just because of that if he decided to desert her or divorce her he knew very well that it would be resulted in a big loss to him.
Sunanda was not just beautiful and attractive but she was enough educated. If she wanted she could do a good job with her education and would get comfortable income into the home. Besides that her parents earned a lot and purchased flats and other properties as well and some of them were in Sunanda’s name itself. The remaining properties as well would come only to Sunanda after the lifetime of her parents. He could not afford to lose Sunanda with beauty, eduation and wealth however much big her wrongs might be.
But the wrongs she had committed were still creating waves of rage in him. He just could not tolerate that her beauty and youth touched by some others before he was touching them. He must have to teach a lesson to her that she never would forget and never would do such wrongs again. As he was thinking in himself so, he felt strong stirring in himself. His body was strongly urging for the touch of her. Whatever might be her character, she was giving him utmost pleasure on the bed as if she knew the art of it very well, giving and taking in the equal measure.
He came into the upstairs middle room after everyone deserted it and went downstairs. Even he too spent in that room only unto then, he still wanted to come into it again. There was some peace and calmness in this room to him. He sat on the bed and closed his eyes. Dark curtains laid before him giving him some relief from outer pressures. The rippling air was touching his body comfortably with its coolness. There was no uneasiness in the touch of the cool air.
“Oh, Anand why did you have come here again?” the sweet voice of Sameera made his eyes open wide. He startled finding her so before him. It was not right to look at so but her pointed and robust breasts under her tee-shirt and the cleavage just down the neck were irresistible to him. With small differences Sameera was just like Sunanda. How such type of similarity possible unless his mother in law had an illegal contact with Rajesh?
“It seems to me stay in upstairs would be quite better than in downstairs. So I have ended up here again.” He was feeling embarrassment as Sameera was moving so close to him.
“So, you too have felt as I did. Why this room is a favorite one to all of us?” making the nearby chair as a victim of her weight Sameera said.
“Quite spacious with a good bed in it. Enough ventilation through these big size windows. Downstairs rooms are devoid of these.” He was trying to look away from her but could not. She was completely oblivious but her skirt came up on her knee caps and a good portion of her gold colour thighs were giving a feast to his eyes. ‘Why she cannot be little sensible in dressing while she was with her parents and other people’ Even he was enjoying her beauty without blinking Anand thought.
“What you are thinking in yourself?” Sameera asked enquiringly looking into his eyes while fidgeting in the chair to make herself more comfortable. In that process her skirt came down again putting a stop to his enjoyment.
“Not anything in particular” trying to make his lips wet with the tip of his tongue he said.
“How you are feeling here, Anand?” Sameera leaned back in the chair and asked him.
Anand knitted his brows and considered Sameera. Despite her being a close friend to Sunanda her intimacy with him was very little. What was prompting her to behave in this way? he surprised.
“Just like as you are feeling. Why this questionnaire?” trying to produce a smile on his lips Anand said.
“Because none of you have come here on your own. It is my parents and I make you people to agree to come to this place. So if you people feel uncomfortable here, I feel guilty.” She perched up her head and looked into his face. He was appearing soft and calm. It was unbelievable to her that Sunanda was suffering such torture in his hands.
Anand laughter followed instantly. “Is it is just that?” he said stopping his laughter. “How considerate you are! We are feeling quite happy here. Of course, there are some minor uncomfortabilities, but we often cannot come to places like these. If we can manage ourselves with these little discomforts, this place is certainly quite enjoyable.”
(I hope that you enjoyed upto here. I shall publish the next chapter as soon as possible. Please don’t forget to rate and review.)
