Trembling Shadows
A romantic, psychological thriller
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“What is wrong in that? Why Tanuja becoming that much serious on it?” looking surprisingly into the eyes of Rajesh, Malathi asked.
“It is half an hour or so that rain heavily poured so. It is in fact enough time to two young people to do something wrong.”
“Are you and Tanuja supposing that they might have committed any such type of thing in the upstairs room?”
“Yes.” He said “Tanuja is thinking so.”
“I am not thinking like that at all. Why should we jump to conclusions so without talking to them both? First we shall talk with them and after knowing the truth we decide what to do”
“A very excellent suggestion you have made. When would be the best time to do that?” Rajesh asked.
“After dinner. Whatever we have eaten in the afternoon consumed completely. For our minds to work properly, we have to give something to our bellies again”
“Just wait for some time. Ratnam may come at any time taking our dinner”
Malathi looked straight as a small drizzle started again. As it had become completely dark her eyes were straining to see it. The only electric bulb which was going on in the verandah was not providing enough lighting at all.
Then they heard the tapping sound on the front doors again. “It is Ratnam. I have no doubt in that at all” Rajesh said. “I shall go and open the doors.” Then he moved away from that place, went near to the doors and opened them. Ratnam and his assistant entered inside with big bags in their hands. Just like in the afternoon they had taken the dinner as well neatly packed.
“It seems that you have taken a lot this time as well. We cannot eat all this” Rajesh said.
“It is not at all much” Ratnam said. “We have not taken that much as we did in the afternoon.” As he was talking so in the meantime his assistant distributed the packets into the hands of the people there.
“You have taken non-veg for dinner as well. Fish and chicken as in the afternoon. I can always enjoy this” started eating them Vinod said.
“But it is heavy food. I cannot sleep peacefully after taking this type of heavy food as dinner.” Rajesh said.
“We are not going to take this type of food all the time. And in my opinion this is not at all heavy food.” Malathi said while she was taking small bites on chicken. Rajesh looked at her little surprisingly and said “If everyone can manage a fine frame like you there would be no necessity to worry about the food. But as it is quite natural to become fatty with extra and heavy food, show discretion in what we are taking in is most important.”
Then Tanuja started considering her husband and Malathi. Suddenly some feeling started in her which was not at all there before. The way Malathi talking to her husband and her husband to her was creating new doubts in her. She knew because of the profession they both need to be intimate but she could not guess how far that intimacy had gone. She never let her mind entertain any doubt since Malathi herself made her agree to the marriage with Rajesh. But the intimacy she was maintaining with Rajesh! Oh, my God, she shook her head to get rid of those unnecessary thoughts. There might not be any illegal connection between her husband and this Malathi. There was no necessity to her to go on a wrong path. Moreover she had a god like husband. He could give everything to her and there was no necessity at all to Malathi to go to another man.
At that time it was not just Tanuja observing Malathi and Rajesh. Vinod as well was observing them both. He was as well thinking like Tanuja to understand the intimacy between Rajesh and Malathi and he as well was suffering just like her but not that much. He knew well that Malathi was fast type. He knew that her past was not that much glorious either. He still could remember how she had become naked herself on the first night. She never felt any shame in their sexual act. She would cooperate, give and take equally. She never objected him when he moved his hands on her most objectionable parts too. What would be the surprise if such a woman maintained a sexual relationship with other married men? Especially with a person like Rajesh with whom she had to work everyday together?
Even more surprising was that the thoughts regarding Malathi and Rajesh had not created any pain in him until he entered into that house. He had not felt like other men. His philosophy on sex was different. The thought that Rajesh had his wife on his bed created a sort of thrill in him. Even he was suffering with painful thoughts he could feel a gentle stirring in himself. He tried to remember when last he and she enjoyed sex. It was indeed more than ten days or so ago. Recently they were not having it that often. But whenever they had it, it would be full-fledged and all satisfying.
“Just like the breakfast and lunch, dinner as well very delicious.” Seeing nothing left in his packet Vinod said. “It seems that your people are experts in culinary arts.”
“It is not at all so” Ratnam said little shyly. “We did our level best. That much I can say. As you have enjoyed fish and chicken that much in the afternoon we have taken the same for the dinner as well.”
“You know, that your father has come to this place in the afternoon” Rajesh said.
“Yes, he told me about that. I have scolded him for his coming like this to here. It might have been quite disturbing to you then” Ratnam said.
“It was not as much disturbing as you are thinking of. But he said that he was not at all mad. You, yourself to gain unwanted advantage picturing him like that before the public” observing the expression in his face carefully Rajesh said.
“Did he say like that? How dare he is! If he is alright I may let him look after grandma and I go somewhere else for some other job. But only because of him I could not go anywhere else and look after grandma.” The expression in his face turned to be one of distress and his voice was pathetic.
“He did not appear mad to me either. He behaved quite properly while he was here” Rajesh said again.
“I cannot say anything to that but sometimes he behaves like very mad. You people were not present at such situations. If you have seen him at such times you can understand how much mad he is”
“I agree but keeping him in a room locking it so would not do much good” Rajesh said.
“Sometimes he behaves very dangerously and damaging. We cannot afford to leave him free. So most of the time we have to keep him in a locked room.”
“He did not behave that much bad at all. Don’t fear that he may do damage to anyone”
“He would not behave all the time in the same way” Ratnam could not think of what to do to make these people convinced.
“Alright, we shall put aside this matter for a moment. We want to ask you some questions” Rajesh said.
Ratnam and his assistant were not as much active as they were at breakfast and lunch. They could not enjoy the beauties of the ladies there then as they did in the morning and afternoon because of the dim lighting.
“Ask sir. I am always ready to answer your questions” Ratnam prepared himself to answer the questions.
“Did grandmother keep the dead bodies of her husband and that Nagaraju in the upstairs room?” Rajesh asked him straightly. Immediately there was confusion in the face of Ratnam. It had taken some time to him to digest the question.
“Answer my question. Is it is true or not?” considering the confusion in his face minutely Rajesh asked.
“Sir we talked about it in the morning. No one knows about it for sure. My father also said on one or two occasions but I cannot believe him either. It may be just a rumor.” He paused for a moment and said again. “Why are you asking this again?”
“I just want to know what really you are thinking about it.” hissing out heavily, Rajesh said.
“I cannot say sir, I just cannot say anything for sure.”Ratnam said.
“It can be just a rumor.” Vinod said.
“Yes, it may be just a rumor.” Ratnam said.
But there had come a considerable change in him. They could see fear in the face of his assistant as well. It seemed both of them did like that topic much.
“If you don’t mind we shall take our leave now sir” Ratnam said.
Rajesh did not say anything. The dinner was as much delicious as the lunch. But they could not relish it now as they did in the afternoon. Without waiting much Ratnam and his assistant got up from the chairs.
“I shall come here again with breakfast tomorrow sir” saying so Ratnam and his assistant left that place. Rajesh observed the big front doors opened and closed again before his eyes.
&&&
“Sameera please come inside” after they had eaten the dinner going into the grandmother’s room Tanuja said. Her voice was as grave and serious as it could be. All others looked at each others’ faces.
“Mom, we can talk the matters here itself” without moving away from the chair Sameera said.
“I have asked you to come into this room and then come. Don’t ask any questions” the sternness in the voice of Tanuja made Sameera got up from her chair. She reluctantly went into the grandmother’s room.
“Is something serious going to happen?” looking into the face of Rajesh, Malathi asked.
“Seems like that” Rajesh said. He never had seen his wife that serious before. “I am thinking my wife lessens our burden. She is going to ask Sameera which we want to ask her after our dinner.”
Sameera had expected what she was going to be asked when she entered into the room.”What mom?” looking somewhere in the room there she asked.
“First look into my eyes” Tanuja seriously said
Sameera looked into her eyes. There was sarcasm in her eyes which made Tanuja even more angry.
“Why did you and Aravind have remained alone in upstairs room while it was raining heavily in the afternoon?” she asked straightly.
“Mom, is this question needs to be asked?” knitting her brows together Sameera asked irritatingly. “The rain did not let us come out. So we have to bind ourselves in the upstairs room so” but she knew what her mother wanted to hear.
“Don’t tell me stories. I can easily tell what happened between you both while you both were on the upstairs room then” the anger in Tanuja was mounting.
“It is alright then. Why still you are asking me?” Sameera turned her gaze from her mother’s face and said.
Tanuja slapped her daughter on her left cheek putting all her strength in her right hand. Her hand hit her daughter that forcibly Sameera almost fell on the right side.
“I kill you if you talk with me like that” Tanuja yelled.
“What exactly you want to hear from me then?” Sameera adjusted herself and asked her angrily. There was some unknown satisfaction in her face which was irritating Tanuja even more.
Rajesh and Malathi as well heard the slap. “It turned out real serious now” got out from the chair Rajesh said moving towards the old woman’s room. With an exciting mind Malathi as well followed him.
“Tell me, whether that bad thing happened between you both there or not?” Tanuja shrieked.
“What bad thing! I cannot understand at all.” Sameera also angrily yelled. But she understood very well what her mother meant.
(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.)
