Laughter in Darkness
A suspense, romantic and psychological thriller
By
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“Especially to our psychiatrists an experience like this would be quite useful. We are quite enjoying our staying here. Don’t worry.” Neeraja smiled and said.
Tanuja looked into the face of Neeraja and in that above fifty also her heart filled with envy like feeling. ‘How beautiful! This girl is just like a flower!’ she thought in herself. She might be having just twenty four years or so. Even Sameera also was not that much beautiful at that age.
“What you are thinking? You are not saying anything.” Continuing the same smile, Neeraja said.
“Sameera also as much beautiful as you are now at your age.” Tanuja said.
“Sameera is quite beautiful now also.” Rose said. “She resembled you in all respects.
Tanuja laughed loud and remained calm. She did not know what to say.
“If Malathi also with us, it would have been quite wonderful! Her death is indeed a very big loss to all of us.” After few seconds silence, Tanuja suddenly remembered and said.
“Yes, Malathi. I read about her enough in that book. Really a very courageous and daring lady.” Neeraja said.
“Yes, indeed she is” when Neeraja mentioned the book, Tanuja felt uneasy. What these people would think about the relation between her husband and that Malathi, she thought.
“It seems that we have got a big kitchen also here. Why should not we venture our own cooking here?” Rose asked her.
“In our single day stay here, shall we bother with cooking also?” Tanuja asked her. “Last time when we visited this house I proposed cooking but Malathi did not show much interest.” After few seconds pause she said again.
“Yes, I know about it. I read it in that book.” Neeraja said.
“It seems I need not say anything about our last visit to this house. Everything of that day to us here has been given in that book and you both are quite thorough with it.” sighing heavily Tanuja said.
“Not to me.” Rose said. “I too have read that book but I don’t remember it as much as Neeraja remembers.”
“Alright” Tanuja smiled and remained silent.
“Anyhow your grandmother in law is indeed a peculiar woman. Have you talked with her ever? How did you feel when you looked at her?” Rose suddenly said.
“I did not talk with my grandmother in law. I have seen her the first time when I visited this place nine years back. She was in such a state of coma then.” Tanuja said.
“State of coma? What caused in it her then?” knitting her brows together, Rose asked her.
“It seems that you have forgotten most of what you have read in that book.” Neeraja said. “She had not suffered from any particular disease. It has been said that she went on a soul journey.”
“Soul journey! I think I read it so. But I cannot understand what this soul journey is. Can souls travel like that leaving their bodies somewhere?” with a surprising expression on her face Rose asked.
“To that matter I don’t believe in souls itself, so I cannot comment any on this.” Neeraja said.
Then Rose looked into the face of Tanuja for an explanation.
“I don’t disbelieve in souls and paranormal. But I too can’t understand my grandmother in law’s soul journey.” Tanuja said.
The three have talked some more time in that room before Tanuja went out from it.
&&&
“Soul journey’ in other words means ‘astral journey’. You both may be heard about ‘astral journey’” looking at Rose and Neeraja, Vinod said.
At that time, Rose, Neeraja, Aravind, Tanuja and Rajesh were settled in the verandah before the rooms on the left side. The climate was that much gloomy with thick clouds that they had to switch on the light there.
“I heard about it” Neeraja said. “that the soul leaves the body somewhere and travels to some other place. The problem is I just cannot believe it.”
“The problem with many people is they just cannot believe it.” with a smile on his lips, Vinod said.
“The problem is not with the people who cannot believe it sir. They are perfect in their thinking. The noteworthy point here is there is no astral journey or soul journey. It is just impossible.” Neeraja said little angrily.
Rajesh, Tanuja and Aravind also were hearing the conversation interestingly. Aravind momentarily forgot that he was married and had a son. Her anger also gave a new dimension to Neeraja’s beauty and Aravind could not remain without observing her minutely.
“It is just a part of pseudoscience. In my opinion grandmother really had suffered from some unknown disease and laid like that.” Neeraja said again.
Vinod immediately looked into the face of Rajesh and it turned little red with anger. “That Malathi and I thoroughly examined my grandma and she was hundred percent perfect. She had not been suffering from anything then.”
“There are always chances that we may do mistakes.” Neeraja said.
Rajesh face has become even redder as his anger increased. “May be you are right. I cannot say anything now.” Anyhow he did not want to argue on that point with her then.
“Just because we cannot believe, most of the things don’t become false. Even today also there are so many things around which we cannot prove false scientifically. Science has its value but at the same it has its great limitation too. That is; it cannot believe in anything that is not made of atoms, not occupying space and not having a form.” Vinod said firmly.
“Then can you say that there are things which have not been made of atoms, not occupying space and not having a form?” Neeraja sarcastically asked him.
“Sure, why not?” a small smile climbed onto the lips of Vinod. “Before I answer your question tell me one thing. After hearing me so, what type of opinion you have got on me?”
“What is the connection to your answering my question to my answering your question?” Neeraja knitted her brows together.
“First you let me know about it, then you yourself can know about the connection.” Continuing the same smile, Vinod said.
“Alright then.” Neeraja nodded her head. “You are cleaver and reputed psychologist but little queer to believe in paranormal things.”
There came shocking expression in the faces of the people there.
“I don’t like your saying like that” Rose angrily said.
“Does not matter. I appreciate your frank opinion.” Vinod laughed. “Now I want to see that opinion. Show it to me.”
There came a shocking expression on Neeraja’s face. “How can I show that to you sir. It is something that is not made of…..” she was about to continue but suddenly stopped. She realized where Vinod led her.
“Please continue. Why you have stopped?” Vinod prompted her looking into her face.
“I agree that my opinion does not make of atoms, not occupying space and not having a form. But sir it is a feeling! Feelings are not made of atoms, they don’t occupy space and they don’t have a form.” Neeraja said.
“Anyhow you do agree that there are things which don’t occupy space, don’t have a form and are not made of atoms.” Still looking into her face, Vinod asked her.
“I have to. But its an absurd argument. Just because of this I don’t agree that there is paranormal.” Neeraja was still stubborn.
“Alright, alright. It is a simple matter. Whoever do believe in paranormal they believe and whoever don’t believe they don’t believe. Why do we argue on this simple matter?” Aravind said.
“Very reasonable advice my dear boy, I like it.” Rajesh smiled and said.
“I really cannot believe! I never have expected a transformation like this in Aravind. He used to show lot of interest in paranormal matters.” With a surprising expression in her face, Tanuja said.
“I know about his interest on paranormal through that book. Why suddenly he stopped showing interest in them?” looking into his face Neeraja asked.
For a moment Neeraja also forgot that Aravind was a married man. At the first sight itself she found his handsome features, if she did not know that he was married she sure would have shown interest on him. But still while she was looking into his face, she could not remain without being attracted towards him.
“I could not get many ingredients in our town area that are necessary to follow the shadow world. In the meanwhile I have started a business and became busy in it. In fact I was forced to stop all that even I am interested a lot in it.” with a disappointing expression in his face, Aravind said.
“Anyhow it is for the best I am thinking” Neeraja said. “Whatever you may think of it.”
There were two others also who were thinking just like Neeraja and they looked into each other faces with smiles. They were Rajesh and Tanuja.
Aravind nodded his head and remained silent. Neeraja really surprised a lot seeing the calmness and peace in his face.
Thick ominous silence ensued afterwards.
“Alright, we agree there is soul journey and grandma went on a soul journey. But she went where and on what purpose she went out like that?” breaking that silence suddenly as if she could not bear it more, Rose asked.
“No one knows the answer for it. Not just that there are so many things connected with my grandma which cannot be answered by anyone.” With despairing expression on his face, Rajesh said.
“Strange woman! Indeed a very strange woman!” Tanuja said with a small voice.
Then suddenly they heard a thunderclap nearby splitting their ears. Immediately a downpour started drowning the every sound around.
&&&
By the time when the downpour started in such a way, Sameera was in old woman’s room along with Emily, Arjun and Madhuri and Anand and Sunanda were in the upstairs middle room. Anand has seen Sunanda going into the upstairs room and followed her silently.
“I am so sorry” as soon as he entered into the upstairs room and found Sunanda sat on the bed closing her eyes, Anand said.
“Oh, you” Sunanda opened her eyes, perched her head up and looked into his face. She just sat on the bed then and about to lay her back on it. She immediately remembered how he talked and behaved with her just hours back. “I just don’t want to talk with you. I go away from here.” she immediately got off from the bed and moved upto the doorsill of that room.
“Sunoo…please” he put his both hands around her neck and said. She turned and looked into his eyes and there was an apologetic expression in his face. “I just don’t know why I have behaved like that. Pardon me please.” He said again.
In other circumstances she would have gone without bothering with his pleadings. But surprisingly at present her whole body was suffering acutely for it. She never had felt it that much at any time before. Her suffering and urge in her was that much at that time if Anand was not available then she was ready to get it satisfied by someone else also.
“I am telling you the truth. After the transformation in me on that day, ever I have behaved in such a way with you? We always are very good. I just don’t know why suddenly I wanted to talk with you like that.” With regret and surprise in his face, Anand said.
“That much is true” releasing her lower lip slowly which she clipped between her teeth frames, Sunanda said. “Come, we sit on the bed and talk.” Leading him there on to the bed, she 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.)
