Haunting Memories

Chapter 3

A few hours later, Ritika stood outside the house, looking first at her watch, and then at the setting sun. She then peered into the distance. Mr. Arora was walking back from the stables with Ravi. The smug smile on his face showed he was more than satisfied. Anger and fear surged through her as she remembered what her maid had said after Ritika had emerged from the sitting room. As he reached her, she looked at her watch again, and then at the driveway.

“Waiting for someone?” he asked. 

“Mary tells me you want to stay here for the night.”

He raised his eyebrows, but accepting her blunt attitude, replied, “Yes. I felt it would help me get better acquainted with the property. You know, get the feel of the place. And to be honest, all hotels are too far away and transport is a big problem here.”

“You could have asked for transport,” she snapped, “We would have arranged it for you. We are selling the property, Mr. Arora, but for now, it is still mine. And you cannot stay here without my permission. I am very upset at your confident assumption that you would be allowed to stay, more so at your ‘order’ to my servants to arrange a room for the night.”

He looked at her, dumbfounded at the outburst. He chewed his lower lip a bit, and then replied, “Of course, I wouldn’t stay here without your permission. I was meaning to ask you. I just thought to warn the servants beforehand. I didn’t think you would object to it so strongly. I will look for other arrangements. I could even head back today, I’ve seen what I came for.”

He looked up at her, and frowned bitterly. She felt the appeal of the place slipping in his eyes. He was angry, and insulted. The deal wouldn’t fall through. Even though an irrational part of her basked in the hope that she would get to keep her home, Ritika knew this was not how the events were supposed to play out. She remembered her discussions with the broker and her sister, and felt a rising panic in the pit of her stomach. They had had a lot of trouble getting a buyer. As the sky darkened, she felt the building standing behind her back staring at her. She couldn’t live here. She needed to sell it off, to get the money to buy a new home.

But she couldn’t let him stay. She couldn’t. It wasn’t just that she didn’t like him staying. She was sure a night in the mansion would put him off. She glanced at his seething face, and then back at her ominous house. If she didn’t let him stay, all was lost. She would see to what would happen when he stayed later.

“I’m sorry,” she said slowly, “Maybe I got a little rude. Leaving this place is a bit difficult for me. I have... mixed feelings. Please, by all means, stay. I would just have preferred you talking to me before you spoke to the servants. Do stay now. Or I will feel you’ve taken offense at my words.” 

He looked at her, scrutinizing her face, trying to decipher her words.

Ritika heard someone approach, and turned to find her sister, Anjali, walking briskly through the grass. She breathed a sigh of relief, rushed to her and hugged her.

“Finally,” she whispered into her ear as they hugged, “What took you so long? Did you get my sms?”

Anjali looked into her sister’s face and nodded, her expression worried.

Ritika darted her eyes towards Mr. Arora, showing Anjali the source of the problem.

“Don’t worry,” Anjali reassured with a squeeze of Ritika’s hand.

Ritika then introduced the two, and they shook hands amicably.

“Ritika tells me you want to stay here tonight?” asked Anjali innocently, to which Mr. Arora nodded, and she continued with a sad expression, “Are you sure? I had booked a very lovely room in a hotel close by. It breaks my heart to let it go to waste. You’ll be staying here all your life now. Why don’t you enjoy a hotel stay tonight?”

Mr. Arora seemed irritable at the constant efforts to dispose of him, and said in a bitter tone, “I would have preferred staying here so that I could get a feel of the place, see if I can really live here. But if you would prefer otherwise, I cannot force my presence upon you. I will leave now.”

Anjali’s eyes widened as she realised he’d taken offence, and she said quickly, “Oh no, we’d love to have you stay. I just wanted you to be aware of the alternate arrangements that were available. By all means, this huge mansion has twenty two rooms, pick whichever you please!”

Anjali looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear his choice.

“Whichever is convenient,” he muttered eventually, still in a bad mood, and walked off towards the gardens.

“Oh God,” muttered Anjali, “Have I upset him?”

“I had been insisting on the same thing before you arrived,” said Ritika miserably, “That’s probably what ticked him off. Oh Anjali. How can you worry about this, when there are worse problems to deal with? What will we do tonight?”

Anjali looked into the troubled eyes of her sister, and held her cold hands.

“Don’t worry,” she reassured again, “I’m here today. Nothing will happen.”

“I hope so,” whispered Ritika, watching the sun set and the house turning dark. She called out to Ravi, and told him to make arrangements in one of the guest bedrooms on the ground floor. Under no circumstances was she going to let him get to the first floor at night.