The Unlisted Book 1

Chapter One

Drupad Sharma's hands are tied to the dentist's chair. He is sweating heavily, his eyes wide, listening to the sound of a drill he cannot see getting closer and closer to him. He tries to scream for help, but no sound comes from his choked-up throat. He struggles against the ties restricting movement to his hands, but they are so tight the cords cut into his wrists. The more he fights, the greater the pain. He can't remember why they tied him down. Perhaps he'd tried to run. It wouldn't surprise him: He has lived his whole life terrified of dentists. He hates the loud, sharp noises. He hates the coldness of the instruments. He hates the large hands of the dentist. Even the angle of the dentist's chair makes him shiver. But did they really need to tie him so firmly?            The dentist approaches. Dru can't see their face, hidden behind a surgical mask, but even if he could he probably wouldn't notice and details - all he can see is the sharp metal drill that has appeared in his vision. The shrillness of the drill's whine gives him an instant headache. The dentist pulls open Dru's mouth, causing him to shake in panic. There is no way he can handle the pain that is only a couple of seconds away ... He glances past the shady silhouette of the dentist and gasps. His twin brother Kalpen is there, smiling, holding his finger to his lips, silently telling Dru not to let the dentist know he's there. But if he doesn't intervene soon, it's going to be too late. Dru's eyes widen as he looks at his twin. Hurry, Kal, hurry! as the drill tunnels into Dru's mouth - 

                                                                                              .

"Argh!" screamed Dru from the safety of his warm bed. The thirteen-year-old woke up, dripping with sweat, and panting hard. He rubbed his eyes, tried to slow his breathing back to normal, and reached over to his bedside table for his glasses. From the other side of the bedroom, his twin groaned. "Keep it down would you." Dru knew where he was now. Everything was going to be okay. It was just his dentist nightmare again. None of it was real, none of it apart from his brother being nearby. He looked over at Kal, still shaken. "I had that dentist nightmare again."          Kal yawned, completely uninterested. He rolled over to try to get a little more shut-eye when a loud bang on their bedroom door made Dru leap into the air, still wired from his nightmare.             The twins' grandmother, their Dadi, pushed open the door. She wore a golden salwar kameez, like a beautiful long dress shirt, with matching cotton pants. Dadi greeted them with a loud, "Rise and Shine, my little wombats!". Seeing the boys still looking sleepy, she let off a party popper. The boys knew their dadi was quite dramatic, but this was extreme, even for her. As colourful streamers shot into the air, Dadi announced, "Up, up, up! It's Diwali!" So that was the reason for the party popper. Diwali was Dadi's favourite day of the year. It was the Hindu festival of lights, and one of the most celebrated festivals for Indians around the world. Both boys grinned at their grandmother. "Happy Diwali, Dadi." Like a colourful whirlwind, Dadi disappeared to wake up the next unsuspecting Sharma with a loud knock. Kal smirked at his brother. "Even Dadi scares you?! How are we even related?" "Ugh. Too early," they heard from their sister's room as sixteen-year-old Vidya got the same treatment from Dadi. The party popper popped and Vidya screamed. The boys giggled. Their sister was not a morning person.

                                                                                    .

Breakfast at the Sharma house was always an event and the kitchen was the heart of their home. Dadi loved cooking for her son Rahul and his family. His wife Anousha, daughter Vidya and twin sons Dru and Kal loved Dadi's cooking, so it was win-win. Today Dadi had prepared traditional Idian flatbread parathas for the family and they were seated around the dining table, happily awaiting another delicious breakfast. Rahul and Anousha smiled at their three children;everyone knew how special this day was for their dadi. The Sharma home was a bright, light-filled two-storey house in the leafy suburbs of Sydney. Inside, the house was filled with wooden and brass Indian artefacts - elephants, water pots used as vases, vibrant wall hangings. Photos of the family lined the hallway and took up every spare inch of space, each boasting a flower garland as a sign of respect. Dadi handed out parathas to the family as she explained what needed to be done today. "Kal and Dru - cleaning duties after school. I want to see my reflection in everything." "You look beautiful this morning Dadi," Kal enthused. "But I think it's Dru's turn to clean this year." Dadi smiled at her grandson. "Nice try. The two of you will work together." Dru shot an angry look at his twin. "Come on," Dadi warned in a voice filled with laughter but also a little bit of steel. "No fighting on Diwali, wombats. It breaks your dadi's heart." Rahul and Anousha chuckled at their boy's grumpy expressions. They all knew it wasn't worth arguing with Dadi on Diwali - or any day, really. She was the matriarch of the family. She had moved to Australia from India when her first granddaughter, Vidya, was born, and had been an important part of the family ever since. When Anousha gave birth to twins three years later, Dadi was already running the household like a professional. It meant that Anousha could return to her beloved work at a research lab, and Rahul could continue his work as a baker. None of the Sharma children remembered life without their dadi. She was the one home in the mornings to get them ready for school, and the one who was there in the afternoon, supervising homework, and ensuring they were properly fed. She was invaluable. And, is seemed, invincible. Dadi handed out parathas to her son and daughter-in-law, as Rahul turned up the volume of the radio he always had close by: World leaders gather in Shanghai to debate the long-term effects of climate cha---- The silence was sudden as Dadi grabbed the radio from Rahul and turned it off.          "Mum! I was listening to that," said Rahul. "Too bad. The leaders are all corrupt anyway . . . they're hiding the cure for cancer, you know," responded Dadi. Dru hid a smile. He knew this wouldn't go down well with his science-obsessed mother. "No, they're not, Dadi," huffed Anousha. "What have we said about filling the kids' heads with conspiracy theories?" Dadi ignored the reproach, and put a paratha on Vidya's plate. "Today you're in charge of decorations, my little emu." "It's officially my Diwali wish to change that nickname," her granddaughter replied. "Ah well, good luck to you," said Dadi with a grin.

Vidya was willing to give it an extra push. "Won't Ganesh be angry if you don't listen?" Dadi ruffled her granddaughter's hair. "Ganesh has bigger things to worry about, little emu." Dru finished his breakfast with a contented sigh. But then he remembered his dream. He turned to Kal and said quietly, "You were in the dream this time." An idea suddenly came to him; he didn't know if it was a memory from his dream or his mind playing tricks. "I think Aunty Maya was the dentist." "Dreams should be more interesting than that," Kal said firmly. "Really. Stop going on about it." But the bad feeling the dream had given Dru stayed with him as he cleared the breakfast dishes with his twin. When he got back to his bedroom the dread was almost overwhelming and even though he'd had dreams like this before, he decided it was worth risking trouble from his parents by taking a quick look at an online dream dictionary before school, to see if he could work out what it might mean. His computer ban for hacking had been in place for one month and he didn't like deceiving his mum and dad but just one quick look . . . "To dream of the dentist means an untrustworthy presence is about to enter your life. You must take care not to ---" His reading was interrupted by a knock at the door. Dru shut his laptop and quickly slid it under his bedcovers. "Come in." His mum and dad entered with big smiles, and sat either side of Dru on his bed. "Since it's Diwali, we've decided to lift your computer ban," said Anousha. Dru swallowed guiltily but worked to cover it as Kal entered their room. Rahul added, "But you need to promise us, no more hacking." "As if," snorted Kal. His mother ignored Kal, and kept her focus on Dru. "We mean it. We don't want another call from your school," she said. Anousha and Rahul tried to hide their smiles. "We know you're clever,beta," said his mum. "But we want you to use your powers for good," finished up Rahul. Dru tried to look sincere. "I will. I promise." He saw Kal glance over to his bed, and then not-so-subtly spot the outline of the laptop hidden underneath the covers. Kal shook his head, obviously disappointed their parents were so gullible. "Right, well, I've got to get back to the bakery and it's time for you kids to get to school," said Rahul as he and Anousha left the room. "Have a great day, boys." "Can't belive you got away with that,bro," said Kal, running his fingers through his hair, untucking his shirt and admiring his appearance in the wardrobe mirror. Dru glanced over at his twin. Dru knew that although they were identical twins Kal always managed to look cooler then he did. They went to the same barber but Kal's black hair sat better and even though they were both tall and lean, his brother was just that little bit more athletic and coordinated. They had access to the same wardrobe but somehow Kal's clothes always looked better. It was annoying, but Dru had always got higher marks at school, and he was quieter so, although he wasn't popular with the other students, the teachers generally liked him. That was something, he reminded himself as he straightened the glasses on his nose. On their way out the front door, Dru and Kal stopped by Dadi, who handed them their lunch tiffins. "Don't forget your Diwali duties," she called out after them as the twins fastened their bike helmets. "And don't be late!"