Trembling Shadows
A romantic, psychological thriller
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“Now how much truth could be there in your father’s doubt? Did she really keep the dead bodies of her husband and Nagaraju in this house?” Malathi asked. She was trying to control her fear. In fact all the people there were trying to do that.
“Uncle’s father mentioned ‘upstairs room’. Ratnam also said the same. That is one of the three rooms. The first two rooms are opened and there is nothing like that in them. So it is the last padlocked room” Aravind said. “We may see those dead bodies in that room if we open it”
He was the only person it seemed not much moved by the information they got. In fact it appeared thrilling to him to have such information.
“Oh, my God! If she really kept the dead bodies in that room in which shape they would be now?” Tanuja’s eyes became fully wide and the fear in her face intensified even more.
“It was nearly seventy years or so before. Even she really kept the dead bodies in that room then, nothing remains by now” Sameera said observing Aravind carefully.
“It is not always so.” Aravind said. “You might have heard about mummies. If the dead bodies are kept in some specific conditions they would not be spoiled or perished”
“You are creating new fear in us” Malathi said “Let us assume that there are no dead bodies in that room at present.”
“Even they are there, what a dead body can do to us?” Aravind asked them.
“Please don’t say anything now about those dead bodies. I cannot bear the idea that my grandmother has got such type of nature to keep the dead bodies in the house itself” leaning back into the chair Rajesh said closing his eyes. His voice was with full of worry and his face filled with distress.
“Why should we believe that? It might be just gossip. She might not have kept anything like that in this house” Vinod said.
“Quite nice saying. It is quite relaxing to think like that.” Malathi said.
“One thing I want to ask.” Rajesh suddenly said looking into the face of Vinod. “Did I say everything in the same way I have heard on that day? Or did I change the words? You said that mind is just like a tape recorder.”
“You need not necessarily said everything as you have heard on that day even the mind is just like a tape recorder. You would have said the things giving the nearest meaning. Anyhow there is no way to us to verify that.”
The drizzle slowly turned into heavy rain again. The sky was filled with heavy clouds and the climate was dark as before. The cold fear which crept into their hearts did not leave them at all. They were all trying not to appear feeling fear but everyone of them was feeling it more or less including Aravind.
Surprisingly Anand felt lot of desire in him again. Just one hour or so back he have had sex with Sunanda to his heart’s content. He has had it that much he thought afterwards that he would not need it for another two or three days. But just in one hour there was strong unbearable stirring in him again.
He looked at Sunanda and to his surprise she was also looking at him then. He went near to her and said with a small voice ‘come down’ and went downstairs immediately. Sunanda paused only few seconds before following her husband.
&&&
“What is it? We have had it just one hour or so back.” Sunanda helplessly but happily said as Anand was pouncing on her.
But Anand gave her the answer with his actions. Hastily but carefully he maneuvered himself upon her. There were only groans from her mouth as he cupped it with his. Surprisingly it was as much enjoyable to her then as it was just hours before. This time they both made each other completely naked. Thereafter it was only pleasure to both of them again.
Tanuja slowly came downstairs. Once she heard such type of a thing she could not stay upstairs. She felt little peaceful once she came down. Unintentionally she went into Vinod’s room but stopped just after crossing the doorsill. She felt shock and little disgust. She involuntarily remained looking at what lied before her.
In that room Sunanda and Anand were present. Sunanda was fully naked and she clutched Anand strongly. And Anand’s hand was on her naked buttocks. They were still in action and there were some groans emitting from the mouth of Sunanda. Tanuja suddenly came to her senses and realized that she was doing a mistake looking at them like that. Sunanda and Anand were wife and husband and they had a right to be so and this room has been given to them. It was she doing a mistake prying onto them. Sunanda and Anand engrossed in each other closing their eyes and they were not in a position to notice any sound around or intrusion into that room. Tanuja came fast out of that room without making any sound at all and entered into their room.
In their room the old woman was as she was all the time without any change in her. A sort of fear once again crept into her heart. Even she did not like it she could not remain without staring at the old woman. She was in that same sleeping posture. Her lips extended a little and there was a smiling expression on her face just like before. It was like that she was mocking Tanuja and everyone presented in that house at that time. Tanuja’s heart filled with a feeling she herself could not analyse what it was. It was not hate towards the grandmother as in her opinion grandmother was a mental freak. It was not love either towards her. It was impossible to love a woman who could not show any love and affection even on her own son. How any woman could behave like that? If it was dangerous to her son to come here and stay with her why did not she prefer to go to her son? She was not fit to be called as a mother at all. At the same time she behaved in the same way with her grandson too. In fact it was too much to expect her to show love and affection on her grandson when she could not do that to her own son.
Tanuja slumped herself into the chair there and closed her eyes. A lot of fatigue took over her body. It was so that she fully became weak mentally and physically as well. She never had faced this type of a situation before. Her mind was clamoring to clear herself from what she was in but the uneasiness did not leave her at all. She just could not think of how to get rid of it.
Unknowingly she slipped into a little sleep. Then she heard a voice “Tanoo.” She startled at once. Instantly she recognized it. She knew very well whose voice it was. She immediately opened her eyes and looked in front of her. Her heart stopped beating. Her eyes became maximum wide in their sockets.
“Why are you looking at me so Tanoo? Have not you remembered me?” It was Sasank. He was as he was then. The long passage of time did not get any change in him at all.
Her mouth became dry and she became dumbfounded. Her mind became completely blank to say anything. She just remained staring at him so in that bewildered stage. Slowly her mind started working. It started perceiving what was happening before her.
“Why not you are talking with me Tanoo? I am your Sasank. Have you forgotten about me? We both loved each other so strongly. Our marriage as well fixed…”
“How did you have come here? You were dead, were not you?” Tanuja could not know how she had managed to talk so. It was just like someone else in her body doing the talking. Her mouth dried. She very much wanted that Sasank should go away from there.
“Of course I was dead. But even after death as well I have an entity. All dead people would not vanish into the air dear. Some people like me who die without fulfilling their desires would have an entity even after death too. I loved you a lot. I want to share my life with you. But I had died even before marrying you. My desire not fulfilled. So I had got an entity” His voice was trailing off. But it was as smooth as it was in those days.
“But what you did all these years? Why did not you have come to me even for once after your death?” how she was managing herself to talk while her heart was full of fear and shock she surprised.
“I could not. For certain reasons I could not. Now I came here to take you with me. Will you come with me? The world I am now as well is quite good and beautiful. Along with me you can enjoy yourself in it a lot. Will you come with me?” Sasank asked Tanuja.
“No I cannot come” Tanuja almost yelled.
“You have to come. I cannot manage anymore without you. You know how much I have loved you. I am still loving you like that. You must come with me.”
“I have got married. I have a husband and a grown-up daughter now. I cannot come anywhere leaving them.” Tanuja squealed with a small voice.
“You have given lot of your love and affection to them. They have got their share in full. It is I who could not get much of your love even I loved you a lot. You have to give me my share. You must come with me.” There was command in his voice. The smoothness in his voice was slowly losing.
“I never will come. Don’t try to compel me” Tanuja forcibly said.
“I can take you with me Tanuja. I have got that power with me. You cannot stop me.” Sasank slowly started coming towards her.
“No I cannot come. I never will come. Go away” Tanuja started yelling hysterically.
“Tanuja what happened? What happened? Cool yourself?” holding her shoulders and jerking her forcibly Rajesh shouted. He never had seen Tanuja in such a way. He had just come downstairs and came into the grandma’s room casually and found Tanuja there so.
Then Tanuja came to her senses. She turned her gaze towards Rajesh. Her forehead was still with deep frowns. “Where is he?” she asked with a shivering tone.
“Whom do you mean?” looking into her eyes Rajesh asked.
“Sasank” with a small voice Tanuja said. Her face was reddened.
“Who is Sasank?” the name appeared a little familiar to him but Rajesh could not remember who he was.
“Don’t you remember?” relinquishing his grip on her and slumping herself into the chair again Tanuja asked.
“It appears that I have heard this name a long time before. But I cannot remember who he is” Still pretending that he was trying to remember who he was Rajesh said. In fact Tanuja and he talked about him many a time and he made her said many a thing about Sasank to him.
“Don’t try to act Rajesh. You know very well who he is. We talked a lot about him.” With an irritating expression suddenly in her face, Tanuja said.
“Why this quarrel? Tell me who he is. I don’t want to struggle myself to remember.” pretending that he did not remember who he was, Rajesh said.
“He was the person who loved me first and wanted to marry me” leaning back into the chair and closing her eyes Tanuja said with a low voice. By that time Rajesh too settled himself in a chair beside her.
“Yes now I remember. But you said that he was dead” looking at her with a frown Rajesh said.
(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.)
