PHIR SE

A Nightmare

CH 9
A Nightmare

“Hello hi bye bye  Indrani Jiji ! Khushi and that handsome Babua haven’t returned to the Haveli yet .It is already 11pm.God knows where this girl is roaming so late at night with a NRI boy. I had told you not to allow  so much freedom to her after all she is a girl .”

“Shut up Manorama, Khushi is not that type of a girl.”

“Yes, Khushi isn’t that type of a girl but the boy? He has come from a foreign country how can you trust him...”

At that moment Arnav entered the hall with an unconscious Khushi in his arms . Khushi’ s left hand was covered with  a few bandages .Her body was covered with Arnav’s coat.Arnav ‘s shirt was drenched with sweat.Manorama and Indrani stared in shock.

“Haww Jiji! See ,I told you  .See how they are coming in a romantic pose !Kya pata boyfriend – woyfriend hoga Khushi ka internet se pataya hua  pura din usi mein to baithi rehti hai Khushi! { Who knows he might be her boyfriend whom she might have met on internet , that’s where she spends all her time these days. }

Manorama whispered this in Indrani’s ears flaring her even more.Inrani  then raised her voice at Arnav

“What happened to Khushi?”

“Her sari caught fire in the temple . No major wounds but she had fainted due to shock , so I took her to the hospital .They covered her wounds .I am sorry I didn’t inform you , I thought it was too late,you would get  disturbed…”

“Thank you Raizada Ji for saving my daughter and I am sorry for all the problem you had to take up .”

“No problem Indrani Ji .”

“ You have done such a big favour on us.”

Indrani , her brother Manohar and his wife , Manorama took khushi to her room .Arnav looked on and said to himself , “Even after hating you so much I can't let any harm reach you .Yhen how did you have the heart to almost kill me Khushi?”

***********

“ Ma can I go to meet Dev “

“Yes bitiya but first drink your milk and let me give you your vitamin injection .Then you can  go to play”

Khushi enthusiastically nodded to Indrani ,she never denied anything indrani said.
Indrani slowly stuck the syringe into a white bottle and then stuck it ‘s tip into Khushi’s left arm . Khushi bit her lip and closed her eyes. These injections had been prescribed by her doctor for some vitamin deficiencies as Khushi’s body wasn’t accepting vitamin tablets orally.

After drinking her favourite milk , Khushi hopped towards the Mahant Haveli to meet her best friend Dev. They both had their vacations currently and both were super excited as the next day the mandir mahotsav was going to be held and Dev’s family were the hosts.

Her footsteps started slowing , her eyes drooped and her vision became unclear as she reached the haveli’s doorsteps. These were the side effects of the injections given to her according to the doctor .Khushi thought that she needed to sleep or else she would fall on the floor now.Anyways dev’s mother had often allowed her to stay back at their house .Yet she thought it was ethical to take Dev’s mum’s permission so she asked a servant about her whereabouts.

The servant told her that he doesn’t know and went away. Khushi  thought she heard some voices upstairs so she tried to ascend the stairs. She heard some unclear female voice from the store room so she went there . Her vision was blur but she saw a lady who looked somewhat like Dev’s mom chanting and putting something into some bowls .Khushi  couldn’t control herself anymore and fell unconscious on the ground.

She directly woke up the next day ,her head was paining and Dev’s mom’s chants were ringing in her ears

“Vinasham! Vinasham! Vinasham!”

{ destruction ! destruction ! destruction!}

Khushi closed her ears and cried aloud , she was damn scared of what had happened.Indrani rushed into the room

“What happened Khushi?”

Khushi cryingly hugged her and said

“Ma! It was so scary I saw Dev’s Amma yelling destruction destruction and pouring something into big bowls…I am so scared of her…”Khushi trembled

“Sshh bitiya don’t worry nothing will happen to you . Accha wipe your tears and get ready for the mahotsav. I will bring your injections .Once you have taken them we will leave.”

Khushi reached the temple grounds not as radiantly as always confusedly .

Dev approached her and asked her why she looked so sad.Khushi voiced out her fears to him .Dev was deeply enraged at this .He gritted his teeth at her and told her to keep her mouth shut  .

The pooja started and Dev’s family brought forward the offerings .Somehow one of the bowls of Prasad fell to the floor from Dev’s mom’s hands. Everybody gasped at this saying this was a bad omen.Some street dogs came forward and started licking the sweets lying on the floor.Within no time they lay dead on the floor.Everyone gasped even more at that.Dev and his family were shocked and tensed when they saw this .

People hurled curses on Dev’s family that they had mixed something in the food which was going to be offered to gods.Dev’s mother screamed that she was innocent but nobody believed her. Khushi came ahead with a blank expression on her face and stared into Dev’s mother’s eyes and said

“ You are lying . I  myself saw you mixing something in big bowls yelling destruction !”

“What are you saying Khushi bitiya?"

“You were saying you and Mahant ji will kill all authorities and take away all treasure with yourself to give Dev a better life in another country.”

“What? I never said that ...”

It was worthless for her to say anything now as the mob was already enraged they started beating Dev’s dad and when his mom went to stop them they burnt her alive. Khushi became unconscious on the spot .Dev’s parents yelled at him to run away to save his life.

***************

Khushi woke up with a shock .she saw a faded image of  Dev’s mother wrapped in a red saree and the orange yellow flames of th fire set on her by the mob .She heard screams of dev’s parents persuading him to run away. she closed her ears to find some peace. After that incident no one ever spoke of or had ever seen Dev .He was named as a son of a crook .Everyone told her to forget Dev saying he was just a dark shadow but her heart told her that her friend could have never been a dark shadow .So what if his parents might have been crooks?

Her thoughts were disturbed when she heard a loud commotion coming from the hall. Catching hold of a shawl to cover herself she rushed down to see what had happened.

All priests of the temple had come over and were shouting at Indrani

“See what your daughter has done, Indrani ji!”

“What did I do?”Khushi came forward.

“You left the temple open last night and all the precious idols are stolen now .They were ancient , worth crores!”

Khushi looked on with a shocked face and Arnav smirked viciously…

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN ? WHAT SHALL HAPPEN NEXT?

Now you know why Srnav blames Khushi for his parents’s death it is because she had made everyone believe that his parents wanted to kill everyone to take the temple treasury for themselves.

Tell me what do you think of this revelation and how might Indrani be related with this?

Pls like vote and comment.