The End Of Us

Chapter 10

At two a.m., Harshad and Aryaman finally came downstairs for dinner. Soon after, we headed to our rooms for the night.

As I sat on the bed, I couldn't shake the feeling that something strange had been happening in the villa since our arrival. The caretaker was creepy; his voice, tone, and manner of speaking were similar to Manik's. Even Aryaman had seen Manik sitting next to me through Abhimanyu's camera.

When I knocked on Abhimanyu's door, Mukti opened it with concern. "Is everything fine, Nandani?" she inquired anxiously.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry for bothering you, but I need to borrow Abhimanyu's camera," I said, feeling a little flustered.

Abhimanyu stepped forward and greeted me warmly. "Hey, Nandani, please come in."

"Abhi, could you please lend me your camera for a moment?" I requested politely.

"Sure thing, just give me a second," Abhimanyu responded before disappearing into his room to get the camera.

I was standing by the doorway, talking with Mukti, when we heard a dog barking loudly.

"It's three am. Whose dog could it be, and why is it barking?" Mukti murmured.

"I have no idea," I responded, equally perplexed.

The dog continued to bark aloud. Dhruv and Harshad came out of their rooms.

"Did you hear the dog barking?" Harshad asked as he joined us in the hallway.

"Yes, but we are not sure where the voice is coming from," Mukti said, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Cabir, Navya, and Aryaman came running too.

"Guys, there is a dog in the backyard," Navya announced.

"What? How did a dog get into the backyard, and why is it barking at 3 a.m.? Aryaman questioned incredulously.

"Maybe he didn't know, Aryaman, that you sleep at three," Dhruv quipped sarcastically.

"You have got a terrible sense of humor," Aryaman scowled.

"Let's go to the backyard and see whose dog this is and why he's barking," I suggested and everyone concurred.

As we approached the end of the backyard, we noticed a dog sitting there, making a strange, plaintive sound as if in pain. I extended my hand and gently stroked his head. The dog looked at me, its eyes moist.

My gaze fell on the collar around his neck, which had the initial 'J'.

"Guys, this is Johnny, Manik's dog," I announced, capturing everyone's attention.

"Are you sure, Nandani?" Navya inquired, stepping closer.

"Look at the collar that is around his neck. It bears the initial 'J'. Don't you remember Manik purchasing this collar for Johnny?" I reminded her.

"Yes. But why is he here? And why is he crying? Navya inquired.

"The bigger question is: where did he come from?" Cabir added.

Johnny sat in the backyard, his cries echoing through the night. He was barking incessantly, almost as if he was trying to communicate with us.

"Guys, we should go to sleep," Harshad proposed.

"What about Johnny?" Dhruv inquired, casting a worried look at the shivering dog.

"Let him stay out here," Harshad replied dismissively.

"But it's so cold," I protested.

Harshad retorted, "He is a dog, Nandani, not a human."

Anger flared up inside me. "What do you mean by 'he's just a dog'? Don't animals feel cold? Harshad Saxena, you are heartless. "You continue to stoop lower and lower," I snapped.

Johnny started barking loudly at Harshad and Aryaman. Without warning, he lunged at them. The sudden aggression from the usually gentle dog left us all stunned.

The Saxena brothers' bolted inside the villa while Johnny ran after them, barking furiously.

"Johnny, what happened?" I called out as I pursued him.

He barked vehemently at them, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"This dog has gone crazy," Aryaman exclaimed, struggling to catch his breath.

"No, Aryaman, he's trying to communicate something. Isn't that right, Johnny?" I inquired, looking into his eyes while he whimpered softly.

"We haven't had a peaceful night's sleep since we arrived at this villa," Mukti remarked, yawning.

"You're right, Mukti. This villa has brought us nothing but misfortune. Our trip to Ladakh has always been a series of unfortunate events," Abhimanyu added irritably.

"Let's get some rest for now. We'll let Johnny stay in the living room, and tomorrow morning we'll speak to the caretaker about this," Dhruv suggested.

We all nodded in agreement and retreated to our respective rooms, hoping for a better day ahead.

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My sleep was disturbed by the sound of Johnny barking again. Groggy, I sat up in bed, my eyes widening in surprise as I noticed Johnny sitting on the floor of my bedroom.

The door to my room was wide open. I remembered locking it securely before going to bed.

Johnny dashed towards the window, his barking growing louder.

I was stumped. What was he trying to convey?

"Johnny, what happened, boy?" I asked gently.

He began pawing at the window, as if urging me to open it. As soon as I opened it, Johnny ran out to the balcony and began barking loudly, his gaze fixed on the backyard.

My voice was soft as I bent down and lovingly patted his head. "Johnny, are you trying to show me something in the backyard?"

In response, he started barking more loudly.

"What could possibly be out there in the backyard?" I muttered, noticing the sudden moistness in his eyes.

I continued to stroke his head, and he licked my hand.

"Johnny, do you know where Manik and his family are?" I inquired tenderly. Johnny howled.

"What's the matter?" I questioned.

I ran after him as he dashed downstairs. He rushed outside the villa. The main door was wide open. How was that possible? Hadn't we locked it?

I followed Johnny to the backyard, where he was barking loudly and incessantly.

Kneeling down beside him, I asked softly, "Is there something in the backyard?"

Johnny's barking became louder, and his eyes glistened with tears. He looked at the balcony of my room. Puzzled, I lifted my head and noticed a shadowy figure.

"Who could be in my room?" I whispered, a shiver running down my spine.

With cautious steps, I made my way to my room, only to find it completely empty.

"Nandani, you must be extremely exhausted," I muttered to myself. "You're probably imagining things because you haven't slept well."

Reluctantly, I brought Johnny back into the house and locked the main door securely. Then, I went to my room, hoping to get some rest.