Hey, here is the link to Part 1
When I opened my eyes, it was a blurry view for a few seconds…where am I? My head is aching…gosh.
“Hey, you woke up” I heard a familiar voice.
I lift my head up, it’s Priya. Priya is my hostel mate, her room is adjacent to mine. She came immediately nearby.
“How are you feeling, Esha?” she asked.
My head is aching
“Yep, good,” I replied.
I looked around the room, it’s the hostel’s Medical room.
The ceiling fan was running at its lowest speed, the window was open, the weather looked clear and few kids were playing outside.
“How did I come here and when did you come?” I asked.
“Yesterday when I came to your room, I found you unconscious lying on the balcony, so I informed the medical incharge and we brought you here” she was explaining. And suddenly a dark image from that night came to my mind and all the blood drained from my body.
“Hey, you’re not looking well” Priya’s voice brings me back.
“Uh, nothing I’m just feeling weak and having a headache” I said by putting my hand on my head.
“It’s because you haven’t eaten anything since yesterday, let me get you something " and she headed towards the door and went outside.
My head is still aching, I closed my eyes in pain.
Suddenly I heard the slow sound of the door opening…oh Priya came so quickly. I opened my eyes to see, but the door was still closed and no one’s there. My heart increased its beats, and suddenly there was a gust of wind and I heard something… “You killed me, you killed me…”
Adrenaline rushed through my body.
“Aaahhhhh” i screamed.
Suddenly the door opened and Priya came back with the tray of fruits in her hands. “What happened Esha?” Her voice is fast and concerned.
“I… I just heard something…” my voice is barely audible.
“Oh god, you scared the hell out of me. Kids are playing outside, it must be them shouting " she said my pointing towards the window.
Then she shut it.
“Now eat them and take these pills.” She pointed towards the fruits and gave me disprin. Did I mention that Priya is that straightforward friend who took no nonsense attitude. I did as I’m told.
Now I’m feeling relaxed.
After a while Priya’s phone buzzed and she attended the call. She gets busy talking. I closed my eyes for a while then I heard something again…
“My heart,my heart, my drowning heart,
Oh all the tears I’ve cried,
My love will never die” song filled my ears
And all the hairs on my body stand as adrenaline floods through my system. Suddenly I had a glimpse of kashish.
Her hair was dry and messy, her face looked lifeless, blood was dripping from the wound on her head and there were bruises all over her body. It reminds me of the same view which I had that night on the balcony.
My throat choked with panic and fear. I am unable to move my hands as if my whole body gets paralysed, i want to close my eyes, I want to close my ear but not a single cell of my body is responding except my heart which is racing with the speed of light.
“What happened Esha, are you alright?” Suddenly Priya held me by my arms. And everything disappears…no music, no reflection, nothing.
“Priya, I…I saw her.” I blurted out.
“Saw whom?” she questioned.
“She will kill me, she came back to take her revenge…please save me Priya, please " I cried. “Who came back? I couldn’t understand anything, " she said in a frustrating tone. “It’s kashish.” I showed her my darkest fear.
“Are you out of your mind, she’s no more with us…come to your senses.” she replied with irritation.
Then I told her everything, everything that happened a few days back…about music…about the ring…about false accusations and all.
After listening to everything she gave me a look of disgust and said, “Now I got it, why are you behaving all psychotic all of a sudden. You want to gain sympathy after all you’ve done to kashish. Shame on you Esha, I’ve never thought that low of you. I hate you for what you did to kashish and no one’s gonna forgive you.” Her tone was bitter.
Then she headed towards the door and exited the room.
Slammed the door.
I didn’t utter a word, pain lances through me, tears springing to my eyes. I didn’t kill her, I never knew that it would end up this way.
This room is haunting me, I don’t want to stay here anymore.
My room was the same as I remembered it was yesterday. I scanned the room and headed towards the balcony, I heard the same music again.
But this time I took a deep breath, clenched hands and gathered all my courage in one breath. “I didn’t kill you, I didn’t do anything. You heard that…” I shouted my lungs out. “You killed me, and you’re gonna pay for that. I will make you suffer when you pray for the gift of death.” Her voice is slow and terrific.
And her words are echoing again and again.
I don’t want to stay there for even a single second. This hostel is suffocating me, I couldn’t breathe.
I ran away from there.
Everyone is looking at me with a hateful stare as if I’m a murderer…I have not done anything. I was running and running and running.
Suddenly a truck came towards me at a very high speed, its flash hit my eyes. And all the air left my lungs…
“Esha, Eshaa wake up….Eshaaa” Kashish was standing there.
What…it was a dream. Bad dream.
I was on the couch in the balcony, I had a novel in my hands. Probably I fall asleep while reading it.
So nothing happened in real life. Jeez.
When I looked at her, I felt a sense of relief. As if my vitals recovered. My heart started pumping blood at normal pressure. And earth came back on its axis.
I hugged her.
And she gave me a what-the-hell-happens-now look.
But hugged me back.
“You have been sleeping since noon, look at the clock, it’s 6:45 in the evening” she said. “I have had a bad dream, I was so terrified " I am still hugging her.
“How many times have I said not to read this crap?” she pointed towards my novel. Did she just call my novel crap? I frowned.
“First you read such horror stories and then you dream about them.” She continued and ignored my expression, obviously.
But her words are making sense.
“Yep, I think you’re right, the story stuck in my head and I had a dream after that.” I said. “Okay now get up and fresh yourself,” she said.
I unwrap my arms around hers and move aside.
She tried to say something then she paused.
“What?” I asked.
“Esha, I’m sorry for the morning. You always take care of me and sometimes I behave like an errand child. I should’ve listened to you.” She replied with a low voice.
And all of a sudden I’m feeling emotional because of her words.
“Well, you’re an errand child” I said in a mischievous tone.
And she smiled.
“It’s okay buddy, we all have become messy sometimes” I said after a pause. She gave me a broad smile then a quick hug and headed towards the living room. I got up from the couch and moved ahead towards the living room but then I stopped, turned back and looked at the novel kept on the couch which is titled STRANGE REVENGE.
Krishna