A Hundred Flukes

Haunts and Dreams

Haunts and Dreams -Chapter 28

         Farewell happy fields where joy forever dwells

                        Hail horrors

                Hail Infernal world

And thou profoundest Hell, Receive thy new Possessor                                           

             One who brings a mind

                  Not to be changed by Place or Time.        

                                                                     - John Milton (Paradise Lost)          

Shadows loomed across the hall, their bodies so dark, their faces so vague- unleashing a brash pandemonium of sounds, hurting, kicking, tearing at his ears, yet he could hear none at all. Or he couldn't make what was to be made of it all. His surroundings, vaguely familiar as if had sprung upon him like a dead man from his grave, the disarming familiarity made him panic. He had been there before, perhaps so many times that it was impossible to count the number, he should have been able to recognize the vaulting in the ceiling, the wooden floral patterns below the huge windows even if the darkness around him did not help his vision. His bare feet felt the cold floor beneath them of glassy smoothness. Feet cold and palms were sweaty. Despite the pain in his chest, despite the shadowy faces pushing him back with force, he wobbled on his feet to take his body forward. Nothing was new about the place, about the experience... he had always felt the same whenever he was here. Yet this time he felt something different if not amiss. As if something was watching him apart from the shadows, something more human. And then he saw the light... he saw her...a girl. She stood still as a statue near one of the French windows, pale full moon light fell over half her body. She was frail, the half illumination made her appear only more fragile and divine. He wondered if she was for real, she could not be a part of this room or she had always been? And he had been unable to see her so far? No she should not be here, not in the vicinity of this sinister darkness that dwelled in the room to which she seemed to present such a contrast. Arnav felt hope tickle his weak heart, he strode towards her with renewed zeal but fell on the ground. He got up and began to move again, never taking his eyes of her. She was beautiful, such beauty that he had never known to exist before this night. His gaze never faltered, it kept on moving up and down her figure, it stopped on her eyes - walnut. They sparked something in him, something alien, a feeling he wanted badly to have or just go away, he couldn't decide. The pain in his chest became more excruciating, he held out his hand for her to hold, but she didn't move. Perhaps he was still too far, he struggled some more gradually building up pace, fighting the shadows in his way, he reached out for her again, he needed it badly. He needed to touch her at least once. The moonlight over her face dimmed, he looked out of the window and saw a heavy curtain of dark grey clouds slowly hiding the moon behind them..."No...no" the words escaped his dry mouth, panic stricken he turned to her, she was still standing, now a mere silhouette... as if being engulfed by the shadows around. A distant sound began to ring in his ears.

I am leaving you forever. Never to return.

"Khushi..." he heard himself say. "KHUSHI!" he cried out loud, his eyes flung open and he jolted himself up on his bed. He felt tiny beads of sweat on his forehead, his palms were damp. He looked around himself, startled at what he had been dreaming. His room was the usual quiet, jade walls and grey curtains. He flicked on the table lamp on the side table and checked the time, it was just four in the morning, but he knew he couldn't sleep anymore. He removed the duvet and got down wearing his slippers and sauntered over to the French window, drawing apart the grey curtains to reveal the scenery outside. The first rays of sun hadn't sprout yet, it was still a night. He had occupied himself with work since the moment she had left but couldn't deny that almost all the time her voice had been ringing in his ears garnering too much unease to ignore.