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Recap: Two best friends Mansi and Mitali meet after a longtime and are lost in their nostalgic moments. They lose the track of time and eventually turn out very late. They meet with an accident in the middle of the road where Mitali escapes unhurt and Mansi falls in bushes. Mansi meets Ganakshi (some sort of a clairvoyant/ a ghost catcher) in the bushes where Ganakshi tells Mansi that Rajiv wants to meet her and she is the only person who can make that possible. Ganakshi asks Mansi to keep their meeting a secret and asks Mansi to meet her at a specified destination. Mitali meets her father DIG Vidyut Dhir in the midway, who is worried because of her late arrival and both enter the house where Mitali's Grandmother welcomes them with all Indian rituals which are necessary for wiping out bad spirits. Mitali calls Mansi to confirm what actually she wanted to tell her today.. and Mansi confides of Rajiv proposing her for marriage just a week prior to his death and that she feels she is somehow responsible for his death. Mitali is unaware that her father Vidyut is overhearing their conversation and has something going on in his mind. Mansi decides that she is going to meet Ganakshi at the specified time and date.....
21st March 2013
Place: Aryavan
Goregaon...
" Rajiv please.... tell me... what is it?? Till what time am I supposed to be blindfolded?" asked a frustrated Mansi moving her slender fingers over her eyes. The surprises that Rajiv used to unfold were very unique in nature. The gifts he gave her seldom used to be the ones associated between loving couples. On Mansi's every birthday, Rajiv used to gift her saplings of different trees and used to ask her to plant it at specific places. The gifts also ensured responsibilities along with it, like, taking care of the sapling till it is fully grown tree which is capable of handling the adverse weather conditions. The saplings never included interesting fruit bearing trees but trees which were part of Hindu rituals, like Tulsi, Peepal, Tamarind, Neem, and a long list. Till now Mansi was a caretaker of 7 varieties of plants and trees. The special gift she had was a shell bracelet on her hands. This was the most cutest gift Rajiv had ever given her. This bracelet with shells, as Rajiv said, were specially enchanted with different Mantras for her well-being and protection. This time his surprise was again unique and she was trying to figure out what was he actually up to.
" You run out of patience very soon Manu!!!! Just stay calm alright! There is lot in the store for you today.." said Rajiv with is deep enchanting voice. Mansi loved the way he spoke, his deep voice had a soothing effect on her nerves and she could literally visualise his expressions even when blindfolded. How could anyone not fall in love with such a personality!!! He looked no less than a Greek God, with a height of around 6 feet, silky black hairs, fair look, deep blue eyes and an athletic body. His nature was entirely opposite to his looks. He would barely look directly into anybody's eyes but when he did there was something hypnotic about him. Everybody seemed to be convinced with what he said. He seemed to be someone from the early 19th century or could be even predated to medieval times. A very simple boy hardly wearing westernised clothes, mostly in simple kurta pyjamas, hated the use of mobile phones on daily basis and was completely against use of one. He believed mobile phones connected people from all the parts of the world but disconnected oneself from his/her surroundings and took one away from spirituality.
" Ok Mansi! Remove the blindfold! Now!" The moment she removed her blindfold her eyes fell on Rajiv . She couldn't believe her eyes.. he was wearing a dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt which she had gifted him long back. He looked dazedly handsome and anybody would have died for his looks today. Her palms automatically touched her cheeks and her mouth turned oval in surprise just as a beauty pageant winner. She was about to move towards Rajiv, but he gestured her to stop and look around. Mansi found herself encircled by some red powder and a pot full of rose petals beneath her feet. Rajiv was sitting on the ground on his knees with a matchbox in his hand, lovingly gazing at Mansi. Mansi stared at Rajiv as if asking " What are you upto?" Rajiv might have read her thoughts as he smiled and said " You are enclosed in my world Manu..and at present you have occupied my heart completely. She was trying to figure out what actually Rajiv meant, when suddenly Rajiv lit a match stick and threw it near the pot close to Mansi's feet. In a fraction of second, a small area engulfing Mansi suddenly lit up and the fire died out immediately as it had began. The fire left behind a heart-shaped trail on the ground. It was spell-binding and enthralling. She was actually occupying the entire area inside the heart that Rajiv had created. She blushed!! It was indeed something exceptional. She just wanted to step out of his heart, when Rajiv asked her to stop and pick up the pot in front of her. Mansi picked up the pot to check what was there inside. She found something hard and velvety inside. The moment she pulled it out she lost the grip over the pot and it came crashing down breaking into pieces, spreading the rose petals throughout the ground beneath her feet. Mansi observed the dome-shaped velvet box in her hand, it had a unique design but no openings were found. She was trying hard to open the box, when she found Rajiv holding an inch long iron capillary. He gestured her to insert the capillary at the bottom of the box. Indeed!! it had a small hole inside exactly as the diameter of the capillary. The moment the capillary was inserted.. she heard a click and the dome-shaped box opened like a flower flowering and at the centre of the box there was an emerald ring.
" Are you willing to handle this odd creature for the rest of your life?" asked Rajiv while detaching the ring from the flowerlike box. Mansi was overwhelmed by his gesture and there was no way any girl would have said a no this beautiful proposal and this handsome young man. Such a romantic proposal from a person like Rajiv was unexpected!
Rajiv, Mitali and Mansi were a part of same engineering Institute but in different streams. Rajiv was a Mechanical Engineer, Mansi was a part of Electronics and Telecommunication while Mitali was a Civil Engineer. Rajiv had met Mitali and Mansi during the first year of the college where all had common lectures. Rajiv was a good, hardworking and helpful boy. He seemed to interact with very less number of students around, especially girls, but he never found difficulty while interacting with Mansi. Almost every other girl wanted to interact with this handsome young man but Rajiv never seemed interested. He always seemed to be lost in his books and spent many hours noting down something in a black diary which he always carried with him. Mansi was drawn towards him from the time they first met. But the simplicity of Rajiv often made her feel that it is better to hide her feelings from Rajiv as she might also lose a good friend if she approached. Mitali always found him a bit weird. It was not a big deal not to use mobile phones but thing is he was overly opinionated. He used to have pretty overwhelming opinion in anything and everything around him and his solutions ranged from visiting tantriks and performing rituals which could bring stability and peace. Rajiv would persuade Mansi for things he felt she should do but Mitali never used to get along with his suggestions or views. Rajiv always reminded Mitali of her Grandmother and she preferred staying away from one more superstitious person. Mitali didn't understand how and why Mansi was attracted to Rajiv. If only his greek god looks attracted her that should have been only for a moment but such a person was very difficult to handle, according to Mitali. Besides Rajiv had a weird attraction towards the moon. He always said to Mansi that the moon gave him power and it was at its peak when it was on the Poornima (full moon) and Amavaysa (new moon). Mitali had a knowledge that new moon and full moon definitely had an effect on the high and low tides in the water bodies (sea and oceans) but the influence on humans she knew was restricted to the folklores of Werewolves and Vampires. She often wondered " Is he one of the types?".. and pictured werewolves and blood thirsty vampires but then she often consoled herself saying " These are all folktales... there is nothing like that.." She never discussed it with Mansi thou, feeling it might hurt her.
Mansi was pretty much involved in Rajiv from the time she had first met him. He was deeply interested in her kundali... which she never knew why.. and what was there inside it. Rajiv used to study the influence of stars, planets and especially moon on Mansi's life and cautioned her to be careful on many occasions. Mansi really never bothered about it but she used to completely listen to Rajiv. She didn't know why, but whatever it was she loved to spend time with him and used to be lost in whatever he used to say. Mansi and Rajiv never realised when they fell for each other. They both knew that they had deep feelings for one another, but Rajiv never expressed it nor did Mansi.
Today was actually a huge day for her... she knew Rajiv loved her but this was the first time ever Rajiv had expressed it and that too with such a grandeur. They were seated atop a small hill where they could visualise nature, away from hustle and bustle of the city. They were enjoying the cool breeze amidst hot and humid summer of Mumbai when Mansi noticed something on the left side of where they were seated.
" Oh Gosh! Rajiv is that the same thing you talk about most of the time?" exclaimed Mansi pointing at a small old hut which was hidden amidst bushes and large trees. It was very difficult to trace the hut in such dense surroundings but due to the vibrant breeze Mansi got a glimpse of the straw on top of the hut and also some old wooden walls of the hut. She immediately recounted Rajiv's mention about a small hut where he carried out his meditation and rituals. Mansi felt drawn towards the place and immediately walked up towards it. Even before Rajiv understood what was she up to, Mansi had traversed almost 20 meters. The hut was about 500 meters from the place they were seated. Rajiv got up in a fizzy and immediately caught hold of Mansi " Where do you think you are going haan?" his expressions were intense. Rajiv's held her a bit too hard and it seemed Mansi had intervened his privacy without his permit. Mansi didn't understand the sudden change in his behaviour. She stared directly into his eyes and said " What's wrong? Do you realise you are hurting me." Rajiv eased his grip " I..I am sorry. I didn't mean to.. the thing is... I don't like anybody visiting my place. It ... it is sacred.. I carry out my rituals there.... you can't visit the place just like that... it is not any tourist destination.. it is protected by spells... it might just hurt you .... and..." " That's fine Rajiv....cut it... I won't go there until and unless you want me to ok!!!" said Mansi.
Rajiv realised he had overreacted. He calmed her " Hey Manu!! Look!! I am seriously sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you... Here!!... please don't be upset... I promise... Next month... in Pournima (full moon day) and .. and.. I will to take you there..." What is so special about this Pournima?" enquired Mansi still upset with Rajiv's behaviour. Rajiv smiled " Nothing is special more than you my dear... but I promise you this Pournima you will be enchanted to see the place and I will help your spirituality reach another level." Mansi really didn't understand Rajiv's spiritual talks but it was fine with her because whatever it might be she loved Rajiv and she knew she had to be used to all this.
" Shall we leave now dear? It is already half an hour past six o'clock. It will be dark in few minutes till then we have to climb down this hill." said Rajiv looking around horizon which was gradually dispersing the duskiness across the sky. Mansi nodded in unison and both started descending the hilltop. Rajiv dropped Mansi at her house and while he was about to leave he was summoned to stop. He intuitively glanced to find that it was Mansi's mother Namrata. Namrata was surprised as well as happy to see Rajiv after so many days. She knew about Rajiv as a well mannered boy and she didn't mind spotting Mansi and Mitali with him. She knew her daughter was safe and well protected though she did not know Rajiv and Mansi loved each other. " You are looking prolifically admirable my boy!!! Very delighted to see you after so many days dear. How are you? " said Namrata still unable to set aside her gaze from Rajiv. She wasn't able to digest as to whether he was the same Rajiv she had seen. " I am fine aunty! I...I.. just came to drop Mansi home as it was turning out to be dark. We... mmm... met after so many days in the college and didn't have the track of time so..." " That's ok Rajiv. Come in and lets have a cup of tea" said Namrata directing him inside the house. Rajiv left the place citing he had to study for his exams and would leisurely be available some other time. Greeting Mansi and her mother a goodbye, Rajiv disappeared in the darkness. " He's still so shy Manu..." exclaimed Namrata " Such a good boy... hardly being able to trace these days". Mansi was happy that her mother liked Rajiv and there would be minimal opposition when she would be disclosing her relation with Rajiv. She was brought back to reality when she realised it was less than a week left for her exams... She rushed inside the house to freshen up and start her studies.
28th March 2013
Place : Akshara College of Engineering, Mumbai
Time: 5.00 pm
" Oh God!!! How can I miss the last question? It was bloody 10 marks!!!" exclaimed Mansi by looking at the second page of the question paper. " Hey Diana... how many questions did you attempt?" asked Mansi to the topper of the class who was gushing out of the examination hall horrified as if she had encountered a ghost. " Just cut off Mansi.... I have lost it... oh god!!! how can you do this to me?" tears started clustering her eyes and she burst out roaring with emotions as if some great tragedy had befallen. Mansi was dumbstruck visualising Diana's condition. Mansi completely forgot about her 10 marks and started counselling Diana that everything will be fine. The drama continued for about 30 mins where every other girl was trying to console Diana. Suddenly all the girls started staring at Diana and left the place irritated. Mansi didn't understand and she saw Diana smiling. Mansi felt she might have been so depressed that she had lost it completely. On enquiry Mansi understood that Diana could not attempt one question (5 marks) and that turned out to be an optional one. Now fully assured she was going to score the topmost mark Diana started smiling and Mansi too left the place in irritation and frustration. "Stupid girl!!! Such an overactor.... grumpy idiot. I won't ever bother even if she fails!" with this Mansi set out of the college.
She was still lost in her thoughts, on her way home on an autorickshaw, when a sudden movement caught her eyes. She felt as if she had seen a known face. She summoned the autodriver to stop. As she noticed, it was the same place which lead to Aryavan where Rajiv had proposed her last week. She just wanted to confirm whether she had seen someone and then something caught a glimpse of her eyes. Yes!!! it was Rajiv...She was about to call him... but then she suddenly noticed one more person with him who was following him just like a robot. She realised Rajiv had not seen her. She felt strange and suspicious at the same time. She recalled Rajiv had mentioned earlier, nobody accept him and now her knew about the place. She was mystified as to who this special person was that Rajiv was with. He appeared just like a zombie and Rajiv was in complete black. She had never seen him this way before. The other person with Rajiv was also unfamiliar to her. " Aareyy madaam!!! should we move ahead? How much time we will be waiting here?" asked the autodriver who was suddenly impatient because of the approaching darkness. Mansi handed the auto driver his travel expense and asked him to move on while she decided to follow the two of them. The auto driver was reluctant to leave her in midst of such a wild area and warned her that she wont be safe here. Mansi convinced him that she will be perfectly fine and asked him to carry on. " Apki marji madam.. Maine suna he raat me yahan pisachon ko bulate hain tantrik. Aur aaj toh poonam masi ki raat he... jungle me mat jaana..." (Your wish madam... I have heard some godmen summon spirits at night and today is full moon day so please don't go into the forests). Mansi rubbished all his claims and assured him it was just a superstition that the villagers had encrypted in their minds and there was nothing as such like ghosts and spirits.
Mansi set out just behind the trail. There was still time for sunset. She wasn't worried about the time and whether day or night. She was just eager to know what was Rajiv doing with this person. She never ever was suspicious about Rajiv but his appearance made her skeptical and wanting to understand what was he upto. Rajiv and the man with him reached the same place where last week Rajiv had been with Mansi. " What the hell is going on!!" Mansi mumbled making sure that Rajiv doesn't sense about her presence. Rajiv headed towards the hut directing the man there. Mansi was sure something was not right here. Rajiv reached the bushes surrounding the hut. He pushed aside the bushes to enter the hut. The hut didn't seem to have any opening at the front. There was a small window on the side of the hut he just went there and did something to which there emerged some sort of a opening enough to allow one person to enter. No doubt Rajiv was a mechanical engineer and could definitely use the skills and create a house with hidden doors. Rajiv and the other person entered the hut. There was no communication between the two and the person looked like a zombie who just followed Rajiv. The door made no noise as such and it was just like a sliding door. Rajiv returned again to cover the bushes in front of the door and closed the door shut again.
Mansi waited for 5 to 10 mins and then approached the hut. She was quite away from the hut but could clearly visualise the activities going on at the door. Without making any noise Mansi quietly removed the bushes aside as Rajiv had done earlier. Now she searched the window and tried to peep inside. Hard Luck!!! it was completely blacked out from inside. She started searching for some lever which Rajiv had used to open the door. It was 10 mins and she was still struggling to search for the lever. Gosh!!! How did Rajiv open the damn door? She had to know what was going on inside?.... Who was that man? Why did Rajiv bring him here? There were many unanswered questions and she had to know the answers to all of them. For that she needed to get inside. She was getting impatient. She knew there was something on the window which could help her look what is inside. Frustrated she banged her hand on the window pane and fortunately it struck the right chord and the door opened slightly. "Oh!! where did my hand hit?" she began slowly touching the window pane and realised that window pane had a switch which was a part of the window pane itself. She was lucky that the door didn't make any sound. Before she opened the door she made sure Rajiv was not there, by peeping through the opened part of the door. There seemed to be more room inside. The hut looked small from inside but it was actually not the case. Inside the hut, it seemed quite different, like a spacious mansion....or may be something else. She had to get inside to know it. She quickly pressed the button and hurried inside. The door didn't close automatically. She kept the door ajar and proceeded to have a look inside. Inside the hut it was scarily dark and there was some weird kind of smell. Some chemicals, medicines, disinfectants with some combination of rotten smell. It was really weird and she couldn't understand what it was. She thought better to use the torch light of her mobile. She searched her surroundings but could not find anything wrong. It was speck clean. She proceeded further and closed her mobile light on visualising a small ray of light as if coming from bottom. She slowly descended from the staircase only to hear certain hymns like " Om chamunday vichey namah!!!" Before she could move further downstairs she noticed a room with a lit torch at the side of the staircase. The room was closed shut and Mansi found nobody inside. The room did not have any locks or trap doors but was tightly shut and Mansi had to exert a lot of efforts to enter the room. Once she entered the room she noticed large open racks with glass jars. The atmosphere of the room seemed suddenly cold almost at freezing point. She took the mobile, activated the flash light and proceeded near the glass jars to just take a glimpse of it. Looking at the glass jars she held her hand tightly around her mouth so as to stop herself from screaming. She was fully drenched in her own sweat by visualising the horrifying site. The right sided racks contained jars which were full of human heart, liver, brain, entire head of young girls, hands and legs. The left sided one contained marinated reptiles, crows, eagles and many more bird species. Besides there were 2-3 glass jars which were completely filled with a dark liquid. On clear observation she got to know that the dark liquid was nothing but blood. She could take it no more. Besides she wasn't able to withstand the chillness of the atmosphere mixed with her sweat. The moment she tried to rush out she hit something below her legs. By looking at it she was just about to faint. She completely forgot the time and space she was in. She pacified herself and courageous took a close look at the thing. It was a dead body.... mummified and kept in a closed transparent container. She found a void in the place of the vital organs. What the hell in the world was happening here? she wondered, still unable to believe what she just saw. Just as she was about to leave she found 3-4 more such bodies and she wondered what it was all about? She had to leave this place. It was creepy. She had come here to find answers to her questions but she was getting herself into more confusions. She had enough. She had to see was Rajiv was upto now!!!!
Mansi rushed out of the room and started descending the steps ahead. It was like an old staircase spiraled downwards. She was very careful as to not slip. She just looked up and was amazed to see the roof above. It was covered with tiles and only the central part of it, almost a big square of 15" by 15" was covered with glass. She could see the bright moon light entering the so called hut which she now preferred to call a hidden mansion. She had already discarded her sandals outside hut as she knew it could create unnecessary noise. She didn't want Rajiv to know that he was secretly spied upon. Just as she was descending the staircase the intensity of the hymns increased and Mansi realised that Rajiv was nearby.
The staircase lead her to a side space which had a small room containing an idol of chandika devi. The room had a small window through which the entire room beyond the stairs could be seen. It seemed as though one had to enter this room first to arrive at the place Rajiv was sitting. Mansi carefully aligned herself in such a manner that she could properly see what Rajiv was doing but he could not detect her so easily.
The man who had accompanied Rajiv was lying on a stack of perforated thin plastic rods, with his hands widely spread. The man lay expressionless. Mansi felt he was in some kind of a trance. Just then the moonlight was visible through the roof and it directly fell on the man lying on the stack of perforated thin plastic rods. Besides the man there lay another body which looked just like the ones Mansi had witnessed.... body with voids missing the vital organs. Rajiv smiled and continued his chanting with greater intensity. On carefully noticing it Mansi found that the man lay inside a square shape lined by red lines with lemons around. The place were Rajiv was sitting was full of scissors, knives of different shapes. Horror struck Mansi back as she remembered the severed hands and body parts of the people in the glass jars. She wanted to record all this shit but even her mobile had given up now due to loss of battery. "Damn!!!" exclaimed Mansi
Rajiv got up and dipped his hands in the red liquid beside him. Closing his eyes and chanting some hymns he cut a lemon, squeezed on the man's entire body and applied the red liquid on the man's forehead . The man's eyes were wide open still expressionless. It seemed as if he had no soul left in him, just a zombie. Rajiv looked up at the moon and exclaimed " The time has now come!!! Accept this humble offering my lord. " Saying this Rajiv handed over a inch long blade to the man and commanded him to cut his wrist. The man did as commanded and the blood started dipping from the man's hand. Rajiv asked the man to cut the lethal nerves from his legs and his right hand. He did as commanded and all his blood was channeled into a pipe which seemed to be connected to a big plastic pouch which could collect almost 3-4 litres of liquid.
It took not more than half an hour to drain the blood from victims body. The pouch filled with blood was removed and and delicately stored on a nearby table and the remaining blood was collected in a deep vessel. The man's body shivered.. still expressionless and he was now dead.
" Need your blessing my lord.... for reviving this dead man's body my lord" said Rajiv pointing at the mummified body. Saying this Rajiv started approaching the room Mansi was hiding...... seeing Rajiv approaching her chills ran down Mansi's spine. The young handsome Greek God now looked more like a devils child..... She had to escape or else things would be worse........ Her inner self started screaming " Run Manu!!... Run... before it is too late..."
........................................ to be continued...