{Next Day}
<Aria POV>
I dared to pick up a hibiscus from the backyard of this huge house. It's so red.. filled with a sweet smell.. To say, a similar type of smell roams in this house, I don't know why. But these flowers are unlike the ordinary ones.. It feels like five flowers are tied together to make one of these special type of flowers.. (Author: It's panchamukhi joba.. i.e. a hibiscus which has five faces)
I tucked on of that in my hair and moved further.. here are numerous flowers... Jasmine, Tulips, Roses, Hibiscus, Petunia, Marigold and many more. Few fruit tress are also present.. like banana, apricot etc.. but the most magnificent one is this Banyan tree. The swing attached here is hanging from one of the tree branches with the help of ropes on it's two faces.. nice.. It will be fun living in the lap of nature while swinging here.. I sat on the wooden plank and pushed my legs backwards on the ground to move.. but astonishingly.. it didn't move at all.. eh.. Why is it not moving? Not even a tiny bit! Is it stuck somewhere?
I tried again, and then again, and then one last time before I got down. I looked up to check.. but everything felt fine.. What's wrong with this swing? Why is it as stiff as iron? Or time has done any magic? Shouldn't time have loosened it..? Another weird thing I got ...
I guess I should keep it aside like the previous one only and move further.. Earlier.. Abhi had told me that there were two small lakes where his forefathers and mothers used to take bath.. you know.. typical village area and dynamic change.. So sad I couldn't see it.. But this garden is big and beautiful enough for me to spend my whole day.. India is/was REALLY beautiful.. perhaps the developing sites are a bit dirty.. but these village sites with preserved natural heritage is really beautiful.. Even though telephone booths and towers are present here as well.. but it failed to crush the beauty of this land...
With timid steps, I started climbing the stairs again. I stopped in the middle for once to pay a glance at that uplifted room.. that really intriguers me.. one needs to climb two to three steps to get to that room.. but who knows how many steps he or she needs to take to reach till the bottom of that hole..
I again reached to the semicircular balcony.. This is my favourite spot actually.. the whole backyard is visible from here.. Abhijit had further told me that it's something "Trit-ya” today.. (Author: Tritiya.. means the third day of Navratri and Bengali Durga Puja). Normally, cirrus whipped cotton like clouds are visible at this time, making the scene more beautiful.. Ah.. I have already taken several pictures of this scene.. But I still can't get enough of it..
Then again, for a split second, my vision went to that locked room. This is the only thing which can divert my attention from this beautiful scenery.. Only if I had the key of this lock.. and then I would have cared the least about rules.. they are made to break only..
“Aria!! Come we need to leave!!”
“Coming!”
We are going for site-seeing. Don't worry, we are not leaving this place soon..
{TIME SKIP}
{MID-NIGHT}
Time: 12:00 a.m.
Umm.. ahm..... I am moving left to right here.. It's quite windy tonight .. perhaps a storm.. it's all of a sudden. Before sleeping also it was quite fine. Abhi takes speeling pills because of having insomnia.. but that's not my case.. why am I now sleeping? It's not raining, just windy tonight. I have been awake single 11 p.m... what's wrong with me? Perhaps being in a new place has caused me this.. The previous day I was very tired, that's why slept early.. what about today?
Let's just take a stroll.. Electricity is not present here but candles.. many candles.. and they have these lanterns .. (Author: The ones used in Indian rural areas) Here's one ... Which I will be carrying to roam around along with my phone. Why wasting time when I can simply admire the night view here?
I took one of such lamps, as well as my phone and got up. The wooden doors here makes a weird cracking sound for being old.. but wait.. am I hearing things...?
Shh.. I guess I heard someone laughing.. not one.. but more than one.. but the voice is faint.. I got out, forwarding toward the stairs.. it's lowder now.. Should I go down..? Perhaps I should.. and I did.. I slowly took my steps down while holding on the railing.. but it's empty.. just moon light shining on the rectangular area.. chilly gusts of wind brushing against my skin, and the basil plant is dancing with it.. but the laughing sound is still audible.. but it's a male one.. I guess they are talking as well...
“ let me catch you once and then you will see the result of teasing me!! ”
“ Common! Try to catch me!! Try your best!!”
Is anyone playing at this time..? But I don't think I should go out to see.. I don't know this place much. It's better to go back ig.. Just as I turned back to return, a loud thud caught my ears! Ahh! What was that! Did something happened to Abhi?? I quickly went up to our room.. I peeked in, only to see that he is still sound asleep. Hmmp.. Effect of sleeping pills. Perhaps I should get one too? But what's with this laughter? That thud? What's happening...? Perhaps a single check on the backyard from the balcony won't harm.. Don't tell me here are male intruders.. playing in our yard..
I closed the door and again took slow steps towards the balcony.. My hair is quiet messy at this point due to chilly wind.. but it's pleasing.. The smell of hibiscus is strong.. the trees are fluttering with the wind.. the Banyan tree is roaring .. moon is dim..the swing is moving.. black clouds are visible.. the flowers are- wait.. Swing is moving...?
Ah.. I mean.. How..? Am I seeing things? It's really moving.. like someone is swinging in it.. But I can't see anyone.. Holy Marry... How...?
I took a step back in disbelief, only to stumble on a.. branch..? What the.. This wasn't here.. Who bought it here? Wind? Something is wrong.. I should call Abhi.. but will he get up? I don't think so.. perhaps I should only go back and sleep. But will I be able to sleep after all these..? It's when something caught my eyes in the light of the lamp.. which made me change my decision of going back..
The lock of the room... is open...?
Who did it..?
The branch?
Some intruder?
A ghost?
What the..
Someone is their inside.. I am alone somehow.. Abhi won't wake up.. I only need to do something.. but wait.. Is anyone singing? I was ignoring this other melodious tone since a while as I was shocked.. but what is this...? Anyone is singing.. a girl's voice..
“Tumi sukho jodi.. nahi paaoo.. Jao sukhearo shondhanee.. jao.
Tumi sukho jodi.. nahi paaoo.. Jao sukhearo shondhanee.. jao..
Ami tomake peyechi.. hridoyo majhare..
Ar kichu nahi chai.. go.. Amaro porano jaha chay...”
This is bengali.. If I am not wrong.. I don't know the meaning.. But I can hear three voices in union.. Two male voices laughing in the backyard.. whose voice is a bit faint.. and here is this female voice coming from this room.. Should I just go in and check wether anyone is here or not?? I am having a very bad feeling.. what if the intruder has broken into this room? But why will he/she sing like this in there? My conscience is telling me to back off.. where as the curious cat inside me is telling me to go in and check.. And I LOVE CATS..
I still waited a bit, fighting with my inner self, before finally deciding to go in.. It's better to carry a weapon for safely. I add some efforts in breaking a think long piece of this branch, in order to use as a weapon.. It's a really tough one. I wonder how this wind succeeded in breaking such a tough thing. But that's not my concern now. With shakey hands.. I grabbed the lock, slowly detaching it from the wooden door.. I will just keep it with myself only. Common Aria! You can do it!
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To be continued...
Actual Taekook story is gonna start from the next part. Stay tuned ;)
