Crescendo

Chapter: 2

The sky had turned all colours of orange, pink and blue, the chill in the wind slowly creeping up to the temporary tenants of the house. Sen family had gathered around the fireplace in the dining hall. The sweet, quiet wife of the talkative host slowly filled the cups with the local tea. Bowls of stew and dumplings joined the table too.

"This place is beautiful. I wonder why it's not yet popular." Bimala's face was laced with genuine curiosity as she grabbed a cup for herself. The aroma of the tea removed any leftover feeling of tiredness she had.

"I know why!" Ruhi butted in. Her eyes glimmering, mouth eager, and that only happened when she had some information to drop. "Really? You do?" Ruth seemed to have taken a liking to the spirited girl. In this quick span of time she had commented that Ruhi reminded her of her daughter who was in a different city working as a software engineer.

"Mhmm. I had done some digging about this place for sightseeing purposes, of course, and I came across a very interesting folklore surrounding this place. They say-"

"Just shut up for a minute, Ruhi. What's with this continuous drum beating going on around here? It hasn't stopped a minute since we came. People come for a retreat here. These damned people need to stop". Jatin looked irritated. Angry even. They have rarely seen Jatin angry. Almost never. All of them knew him to be a cool-headed, calculative, responnsible guy whom everyone could count on.

"What nonsense! First, that's no way to talk to your niece. Second, whatever sound are you talking about?" The oldest of the brothers and Ruhi and Rishi's father spoke up.

"You probably did something shitty to deserve this!"

"Language, Ruhi. You could have worded it better."

"No, Baba, really! Atleast that's what the article said. The folklore goes like this, that any human who has caused a grave sin garners the Spirit of the Mountain. The lower spirits beat the drums to lure him in and tsk..., kills the sinner."

"It's probably due to the difference in pressure that causes this," Jatin protested. Ruhi was spouting some random nonsense as usual. That girl sometimes got on his nerves. He sometimes wished to seal that mouth of hers. He liked Bimala way more than her. Bimala was an epitome of grace, discipline and calm. She was always so calm. Not a word uttered of protest.

"Ruhi, isn't entirely wrong, Sir." Ruth chimed in, her sweet voice cutting through the tension. "Just that the mountain spirits are much more benevolent. The Spirit of the Snow Leopard guards the sanctity of her domain. You can see the local art form of the Spirit in every house here. Any human who has committed a grave offense is rumoured to be lured in  by the attending spirits and is given one last chance at redemption. A denial of which leads to one's eternal doom."

Jatin couldn't help but laugh at the serious faces around him. They surely don't believe in these exotic made-up stories, do they?

"There's a truth to every rumour, Uncle. A little bit of precaution never hurts"

"Not you, too, Bimala. C'mon you have always been more mature than people your age."

"I've been told so, yes" Bimala smiled wryly looking at her casual, carefree uncle. "She will surely give you one last chance, I am sure of that." The scene was all too amusing for her.

"It will rain tonight. The winds are picking up speed. It's only getting stronger." Tilu who was busy running errands, came running inside. I will check the generator once." With this he vanished again.

"I will return to my room now. I feel quite tired." Bimala got up from the cushioned chair.

"I will retire for today as well. My head is throbbing from all the chaos today." Jatin followed Bimala's suite, towards his own.

The corridor on the other side was carpeted in a vibrant red colour to match the exterior of the house. Bimala walked light footed, towards the end of th hallway.

"Isn't your room the other way, Uncle? Are you trying to follow the drum-beats?"

Bimala laughed. Jatin didn't.

"You weren't so talkative, Bimala."

Bimala who had reached her room, tried to close the door.

"Move your hands, Uncle."

"Your room opens to the garden, doesn't it?"

"It does."

"Let me inside. C'mon you always obeyed your uncle when you were young, didn't you?"

"I can speak now, you know that right?"

Jatin's lip curled into a nasty smirk. "And who will believe you? What will you even say? What proof can you present?"

"Fine, come in."

She closed the door, quickly making her way towards the door to the garden.  It was less a garden of a lovely resort. And more, a vast wild. Series of canopied trees growing in an eerily linear pattern. Bimala on his way, fixed the showpiece on the shelf. She preferred the arrangement to be perfect in a straight line. The two walked out, directly under the moon-lit sky.

"Are you not left with a morsel of remorse?"

" You clearly enjoyed it, Bimala. You didn't utter a word of protest."

"A nine-year-old enjoyed her uncle touching her inappropriately? A thirteen-year-old enjoyed you violating her?"

Jatin's face twisted into one of disgust. Why would you put it like that so directly? Did she have no shame?

"Apologize, Jatin. Repent."

"Never, never. You l-liked it." He liked it, so of course she should like too. How absurd she was!

"Apologize. Apologize!" The voice echoed in her ears. It was as demanding as the wind that wrapped the open.

A sharp pain travelled across his spine straight to his head. The beats were getting louder in his head. Jatin clutched his head, crying and screaming.

"You wicked b!tch! You have forgotten your place, haven't you? Do I need to show you again? You know I can."

His eardrums threatened to burst, or maybe it already did. Blood dripped off his ears. A laughter so bitter and bewitching pierced through the crazy sounds.
Clutching his head between his hands, falling to the ground. But with each beat the ground seemed to claw at him, trying to hold a hand over his lips to silence him. The vines were holding his hands down. He tried to scream in pain as something seemed to claw at his stomach. The pain was unbearable. A force pushed him to the end of an unknown cliff threatening to tear him to pieces.

"The pain was unbearable for me too. You tore off my dignity, now look at you crying after your torn sanity."

Jatin struggled to open his eyes. His vision was blurry. But the bright figure of a long-haired woman clad in white seemed all too clear. She had claws for feet. He could see a series of figures clad in colourful robes beating the drums loudly. They all had a hungry smile. That-that's Noah. Why is he smiling like that? Why were Ruth's eyes full of wrath? Why is the butcher beating a drum too? Why is Tilu dancing to such an odd rhythm? Why are the faces looking more and more familiar?

Who is this white figure standing so calmly in the middle of this madness?

"Bimala, won't you help your uncle? Where are you? BIMALA?"

The heavy rain and the crazy gale had further overpowered his senses.

"I am madness Jatin."

The half-maiden, half-leopard turned around.

"This can't be. This c-can't....t-this...this.....you're lying! YOU'RE LYING, BIMALA. This is all just a show. A SHOW, I SAY. You can't get any confession out of me. I AM IN POWER. I AM. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? I AM!"

"I am the eye of the very storm you created. The wind will only die with destruction. My hunger shall end with your sacrifice."