Laughter in Darkness
A suspense, romantic and psychological thriller
By
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
All of them were listening very eagerly whatever Aravind was saying then. Even Neeraja was not participating in that then and no belief in it, she was also listening carefully. Though they did not understand what Aravind was saying, Arjun and Madhuri also listening whatever Aravind was saying.
“My dad knows a lot. Now see he talks with spirits.” Arjun said looking proudly into the face of Madhuri.
Madhuri looked into the face of Neeraja as for confirmation.
“It seems so, I too don’t know.” Neeraja said.
“Let those spirits come and talk. Don’t boast.” Madhuri said angrily.
“If you both talk like that no snakes do come.” Neeraja said.
That sentence immediately made them both calm.
“None of you should open your eyes or leave the hands of the other people or try to go out of the séance. When the séance is over in all respect, I tell and we can come out of it. Is it agreeable to all you people?” looking around Aravind asked.
“Hundred percent agreeable.” All of them said like in chorus.
“Another important thing. Once we invite those spirits, any spirit may come and try to communicate with us through the medium it selected. Whatever it may say then sometimes irritating or creating fear in us. We have to just silently listen to that.”
“Alright” one after one all of them said.
“When there is a spirit talking to us, all of us should not try to ask the questions. While one person is talking with the spirit, the others must not try to interfere.”
“Are you that much sure that spirits do come and communicate with us here?” looking into the face of Aravind with a smile, Rajesh asked him.
“I am not sure.” Aravind smiled. “But I am just preparing the people to the situation if there are spirits and communicate with us.”
“How long we have to be in the circle so to see if any spirits communicate with us?” Anand asked him.
“Just half an hour. If no spirit comes onto any of us in that time, we can understand that there are no spirits here to communicate with us. Then I tell you people and we can come out of that séance.” Aravind said.
“I saw candles in the middle of the circle at some places but we have no candles to light in the circle. Still it works?” Sameera asked him.
“Still it works, you don’t worry.” Aravind said. “Those candles etc. things are only for extra affect. If here are spirits want to communicate with us, they do communicate even we don’t light the candles in the middle of the circle.” Then he looked around and asked them. “Are there any doubts? Shall we start it now?”
“Yes” all of them said at once.
&&&
It took fifteen minutes to all of them to sit like a circle in the verandahh in the way that was needed. There was a strange feeling in all of them when all of them sat like that, holding the other persons hands on either side with their hands closing their eyes. Aravind was giving instructions again how they should be and they were all just following them. They were all breathing evenly and they could hear the breathing of the other people as well.
“Now all of you say in yourself that you are ready to be the medium of any spirit that wants to communicate with us. You have to say that you are feeling happy to be the medium of that spirit. You are inviting it into you whole heartedly.”
All of them were just doing like that.
“Now I invite openly the spirits if there are any here to communicate with us. All of you also just listen.”
There was complete silence once again in that place for few seconds. Luckily there was neither drizzle nor downpour at that time even though the climate was gloomy because of the thick clouds. Then they started hearing the voice of Aravind.
“This is the invitation to the any spirit here that wants to communicate with us. We all whole heartedly inviting you into any of us you choose. Everyone of us is feeling happy to be the medium to you and know your view. We are all just waiting for you to come on any one of us and talk with us.”
Nearly twenty minutes passed and during that time Aravind said so two or three times. All the other people there in themselves also were inviting those spirits. But after twenty minutes they lost their patience and came to the opinion that no spirits were there to communicate with them. It has become unbearable to most of the people who sat in the circle then. They were just waiting to hear Aravind to come out of the circle.
Another five minutes or so passed and it has become too much for Sunanda to sit anymore. She has decided to come out of the circle announcing her inability to sit anymore like that. Then she suddenly heard the voice of Sameera in quite a different way.
“I want to talk to you.” She said.
“Sameera why you are trying to disturb the séance?” Anand asked her.
“I am not Sameera.” There was firmness in her voice. “You people invited me.” She said.
There was silence immediately around. The heartbeat of all those people increased at once.
“Who are you? First let us know about that.” Aravind asked her.
“Ratnakar”
Every person there has tightened his/her holding of other person hand either side to them. ‘Ratnakar’ they mumbled in themselves.
“What do you want to talk?” Aravind asked him again.
“Why did you people come here again?” Sameera asked straight.
“Why should not we come?”
“You are going to pay the price for your insolence. You all do suffer.” Sameera’s voice shivered.
“You did not say the reason why should not we come here?” Aravind asked again.
“Here is a spirit that does not want good of any of you. It tortures and kills anyone with that Rajesh. It does not like him at all.”
“Why so?”
“It is because he is the grandson of Rajeswari. That spirit does not like Rajeswari or anyone associated with her. It is a bad spirit and it would do harm to the other people also.”
“What is the name of that spirit?”
“Once died there shall be no names to the spirits. Anyhow you all know which spirit that is.”
There was some silence and Aravind was about to say something then that spirit said again. “It killed Rajesh parents and it killed me also.”
“It killed you also?” there was surprise in the voice of Aravind.
“Yes, it killed me also. It does not like anyone who thinks about Rajeswari. It kills everyone Rajeswari loves and likes.”
“But it loved Rajeswari and Rajeswari also loved it.”
“In the end Rajeswari stopped loving it. Rajeswari came to know the true nature of it. That was why Rajeswari married Semanthakam.”
Everyone was listening so intently whatever Sameera was saying.
“Everyone of you go away from this place immediately. The power of that bad spirit becomes a lot in the night. Don’t stay here at all.”
All their hearts filled with fear and none of them preferred to say anything. They were all waiting eagerly to see if Sameera would talk anymore. As she did not say anything for more than two minutes, Aravind understood that Ratnakar went out of her body and then they heard the loud laughter of Anand.
“You fools! Now you three have come into my grip. I am not going to leave you at all now.” Anand roared.
“Who are you? Who those three are?” Aravind’s voice shivered while asking that.
“You know who I am. You know very well who those three are.” Aravind laughed once again ferociously.
All their hearts were beating very fast.
“I am just waiting for an opportunity like this. Luckily they escaped last time. There would be no escaping this time. I let know that bitch’s grandson how much powerful I am. I am not going to leave anyone who is associated or related with her. I torture and kill them all.” Anand’s voice was also ferocious.
“Are you Nagaraju?” Aravind’s voice shivered again.
“You fool. Don’t you get it yet?” Anand laughed loudly again.
“You loved that Rajeswari. Why do you want to take revenge on her so?”
“She cheated me. She was in league with that rogue Semanthakam from the beginning. I could not know about it till the end. That was why I killed Semanthakam so. I killed her son and daughter in law. I kill her grandson, his wife and everyone associated with him also.” Once again Anand roared. “I am not going to let even her soul either in peace.”
“No, I never let you kill my grandson. I never can even let you lay your hands on him. I protect my wife and all her relatives all the time.” This time they heard the roaring of Sunanda.
There was a thunderclap nearby deafening the ears of them and a small drizzle started.
“None of you leave your hands and try to come out of the circle. It is dangerous now.” Aravind said.
Paranay and Madhuri clutched Neeraja strongly and they started feeling very much fear. Everything that was happening before her eyes made Neeraja very much uneasy. She did not know how to take it.
“Don’t forget Nagaraju it is I who killed you. It is I who saved Rajeswari, her grandson, his wife and his child all the time. I am powerful! I have god’s power with me. I shall see that you cannot do anything to them.” Sunanda said again
Everyone understood without saying that Semantham was talking through Sunanda.
“You also died because of me, don’t forget that. I killed that bitch’s son and daughter in law, could you save them? In the same way you cannot save her grandson, his wife, daughter and anyone associated with him also. They sure die in my hands this time. I kill everyone who is with him.” Anand laughed loudly once again.
Nothing has been said afterwards for five minutes or so. Aravind came to the opinion that there were no more spirits to communicate with them then but Sameera once again suddenly said.
“Sunoo…my dear…”
“Who it is?” Aravind asked her.
“Shhhh. I want to talk only with my daughter.” Sameera said.
Sunanda felt like that she was in a dream and her mind was slowly clearing. Anyhow hearing Sameera like that gave her a jolt and her heart missed a beat. She immediately understood who it was. “Mom…mom…it is really you?” her voice shivered.
“Yes, I am dear. I came along with you to here.” Sameera said.
“Mom……..are you always with me?” Sunanda’s voice was still shivering.
“I am always with you. I never can go away from you.” Sameera started weeping slowly.
It was creating lot of surprise and shock in Vinod also. He was hearing to the conversation between Sameera and Sunanda with bewilderment.
“Mom..mom…please don’t weep. Dad and I cannot tolerate if you weep.” Sunanda also started weeping.
“Don’t say about your dad. I came here only for you.” Sameera said.
“Why mom? Why so? Dad loved and liked you a lot.” With a distressing tone, Sunanda said.
“No, dear. He caused my death. He encouraged me to go in that car. If he stopped me, I would not have died. I would have been with you now. He just wanted me to die.” Sameera said.
“No, I never wanted you to die. That is not true.” Vinod yelled emotionally and vehemently as soon as he heard that.
(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.)
