THE VISION

2.1 | The Mystery of the Missing Teacher

Episode 01

He stood in front of the house. The house looked the same. But he did not feel the same while entering it. There was an uneasiness in him. The surrounding around the house has changed. Big buildings have surrounded his two-storey house. The garden in front of the house was unkempt, and wild grass had covered the entire area. The house was locked for many years. The walls needed a fresh coat of paint. Wild creepers had covered some parts of the wall. Why did I not take care of my house? He stood and kept on staring at his house.

'Listen, please come inside. There are many things to be done.' a middle-aged plump lady came outside to call him.

He nodded and went inside. He kept on looking around. He could feel rows of cycles kept inside his house premises and children running inside with books in their hands. He could see some boys putting all the cycles in proper rows and binding them in chains so that it does not get stolen. Looking at it, he went inside, and he could see some girls climbing the narrow spiral stairs towards the first floor. He could hear the giggles and faint whispering. Suddenly, the blurred images vanished, and he wiped his tears and went inside to the other room. The first floor had one small living room, followed by a bedroom and a big kitchen, which ended with an open backyard. There was a well at a corner. The garden looked wild, and a huge effort would be required to maintain it. The big coconut and banyan trees stood tall, surrounding the backyard boundary. He came to the kitchen where the plump lady was standing near the kitchen sink with one hand on her waist and the other on her forehead. She looked tensed.

'What happened?' asked the main in a low tone.

'The pipeline is jammed. The water is not going. I had said to complete the work before coming back, but you were in a hurry.' complained the lady.

'Don't worry, Radha. Tomorrow morning the plumber, electrician, and carpenter would come. I have already informed them.' said the man to his wife.

Radha said nothing and left the kitchen with a grumpy face. The man smiled. Years have passed, with being together, and, still behaves like a college student. The man was in his fifties. His thin hairline was completely white. His face was narrow, and a golden spectacle rested on his nose. He looked old for his age. He was slim and tall. Years of cycling have made his legs strong. Jiban Jyoti had taken voluntary retirement from his government teaching job and has returned to his town, his own house to spend his retirement days. There were many memories attached to it. He hoped to have a relaxed period in his house. Maybe I can start my old passion once again. Thinking about it, he started to retire to his bedroom on the first floor. The darkness of the night had engulfed the entire sky. It was time for Jiban Jyoti to sleep. He locked all the doors, looked around, and climbed the narrow stairs, where he could still hear the whispers and the laughter of the children.

Episode 02

The morning was busier than always in the police station. The phones kept on ringing. All the officials were busy with their work. Sub-inspector, John was already busy with his work when he received a call. He looked grim while listening to the call. He noted down the address and got ready to go to the spot. He did not inform Madhav, as he wanted to analyse the situation before informing him. Moreover, he did not want to spoil Madhav's holiday. It was after such a long time; he had gone for a break.

The place was not far away from the station. He reached the place and saw a small crowd in front of the house. He could hear cries from inside. He asked the constables to scatter the crowd, and he went inside to enquire about the incident. The house was scattered all over. Many pieces of stuff were still packed, but the unpacked stuff was scattered all over. A few men were sitting in the living room.