ANIKAA & THE ESCAPE- BOOK 2 OF ANIKAA SERIES

THE FULL MOON NIGHT

Putting the painting in the museum wasn't the tough job but keeping the tabs on it was a brick one. Though Sukumar, the museum guard had given his word to Anikaa that he won't let anyone near the room, both Anikaa & Raymond had little faith in him and so, much to the chagrin of the pouchy-faced watchman, Raymond had entrusted two of his guards outside the door of the locked room. Their orders were straight and clear- not to let anyone in the room, not even themselves. They were trained to follow orders without any questions and so without blinking twice they started their jobs, updating Raymond every hour or so, assuring him the safety of the painting who in turn apprised Anikaa. But Anikaa was still not satisfied.

The full moon night was three nights away and her head was filled with the vivid images of trunk opening by itself and Jiyu creeping out of the painting, unleashing his dark horror on some innocent and unsuspecting person, turning one more body into a shade of deathly blue. However she kept her anxieties to herself as she didn't wanted Rachel to become more edgier than she already was. Anikaa had expected that Honark or perhaps Himkhasa would contact her after the painting's arrival for discussing the plan of action for the fated night but nothing happened which irritated Anikaa a bit, as she again dwelled on the fact that they could establish connection with her anytime they want but Anikaa can never reach them at her will. There was a brisk change in the winds and the nights had suddenly turned colder. Anikaa's insomnia had hit the roof owing to the anxiety which elevated to new levels when one fine morning few of her relatives turned up to surprise Shireen.

"But it's nobody's birthday or anniversary," said Anikaa testily when she saw them, purposefully avoiding her mother's angry glare. Their plan was to stay for just a week and had it been another month, Anikaa would have welcomed them more civilly but it was the week of the full moon.

All of this that made Anikaa to wear the black stone now at all times. During painting, in meetings, even in bath the stone was constantly clinging to her chest. However, she didn't realise but for fleeting seconds especially when she was feeling an intense emotion, her eyes turned into the pool of gold and cyan. Whoever caught her look, of course rejected it as one of their silly notions however they were enthralled by Anikaa's intuitive powers which had reached a remarkable level. She didn't show it off on purpose but she couldn't help herself when she felt fire erupting in Malvika's wedding designer's office in Kolkata; it was her timely intervention that much loss was prevented and the designer was saved to have a sorry face in front of his several extravagant clients. Not just inside, things were happening outside as well. The grounds of her house were now getting unusual amount of visitors not just in form of variety of birds, but reptiles, insects and amphibians too as frogs croaked their way the entire night.

"But it's not raining," Ramnik commented one evening when he saw several frogs making a racket near the sunflower patch.

It wasn't noticed by Anikaa; however, it was quite a sight to see a flock of mixed birds always following her whenever she went out in the garden or city.

Nonetheless she didn't miss the oddity on the morning before the full moon night which happened when Anikaa was sitting with one of her old real estate client-Mrinalini Darbar who was selling her tea estate to Assam Tea Holders and had called Anikaa for her opinion. Anikaa wasn't interested in any tête-à-tête but she didn't refuse because it was the only way she could escape the chaos inside her house. It was also a rare occasion when Rachel was not accompanying her as she was stopped by Shireen to help her with management of the guests. Surrounded by the tranquil, aromatic tea garden, Anikaa and Mrinalini were sitting on the parapet of her little villa, when Anikaa noticed a white butterfly hovering all the way from the garden to Mrinalini's head. Anikaa's lips turned to a slight smile as she watched the butterfly fluttering its little wings over Mrinalini's head moving from one spot to the other. As it happened, her attention was drawn more to the fly than to Mrinalini's words. She nodded when Mrinalini asked for one more cup of tea and agreed to a sentimental epiphany about her pooch without paying due attention. She was amused as the butterfly fluttered from Mrinalini's head to her right ear where she had placed a freshly plucked sunflower in her bun. Mrinalini was one of the few ladies who still put flowers in her hair. It was beautiful and a rare sight, butterflies never come so close to humans, thought Anikaa. Anikaa was thinking to click a picture of it when to her surprise the butterfly flew from Mrinalini's ear and sat on her nose. Her smile faded in an instant as Mrinalini, though looking straight at Anikaa didn't wave the butterfly away. It was weird, thought Anikaa as Mrinalini kept on talking without looking at the butterfly, especially when it was sitting on the tip of her nose. Anikaa was about to raise her hand towards the fly when out of thin air, just behind Mrinalini, Taru materialised in front of Anikaa.