Laughter in Darkness
A suspense, romantic and psychological thriller
By
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“It seems Emily’s talking like that did not affect Sameera at all. You saw how she consoled her and took her downstairs.” Anand said.
“I am not sure. Emily’s talking like that may start showing affect on Sameera slowly” with an anxious expression in his face, Aravind said.
“When it comes to feeling uneasiness, it is not just Sameera I am also feeling quite uneasily in this house.” Sunanda said.
“Neither of you said anything before coming to this place. But once you came here, you started complaining like this.” Aravind angrily said.
“But Aravind I have started feeling like this only after I entered into this house. Before that I felt so much thrilled and enthusiastic to come here. If I have felt like this before I start to come here, I would not have come here at all.” with gathered frowns Sunanda said.
“How you have forgotten all those experiences we have in this place on that day I cannot understand. You have strange touch experience. You were raped by a ghost. You were possessed by that spirit Sasank and this Aravind relieved you from it. You did not remember any of that even now also. But once you have entered into this big house, you have started feeling quite uneasily.” Anand sarcastically said.
“What I have said is absolutely true. Yes, you are right I don’t remember any of those bad experiences even now also but all the time felt thrill and enthusiasm to come and stay here. But once I have entered into this house I have been started feeling like this. I don’t want to feel in such a way, it is just happening to me. I am not inviting that feeling and I want to get rid of it in all respects but it is torturing me.” Sunanda vehemently said.
“What is happening here I cannot understand at all.” Aravind interfering in both their conversation said. “We have not come here to stay months or weeks. We have come here to stay only one single day. By this time tomorrow we will be moved away from here. Do you need to feel this much during the brief stay of us here?”
“Yes, what Aravind said is true. Bloody hell with your uneasy feeling. Just remember one thing. You are not alone here. So many other people also with you. And we go away from here early morning tomorrow itself. You are not a kid and try to understand.” Anand said.
“I have not said the last thing but said the same thing to Sameera also when she outpoured her heart to me.” Aravind said.
“Alright” Sunanda nodded her head and got off from the chair. “I am going. I want to see what my dear daughter and dear dad are doing.”
“They are taking rest just in the room beside us along with my son also. Don’t disturb them now.” Aravind said.
“If they are still taking rest, I don’t disturb them.” Saying so Sameera left that room.
“Women are very peculiar things to understand sometimes.” Anand transported himself onto the bed there and said. “Is it is necessary to these both women to worry in this way for a simple thing like this?”
Aravind smiled but did not say anything.
“You are always a mystery to me. What caused that enigmatic smile on your lips tell me.” Anand asked.
“Their feeling is not completely baseless and a simple thing. There is really something here causing such uneasiness.” With a small voice Aravind said.
“If it has been said by anyone else I would not have cared much. But it is you who have sufficient experience in paranormal, I believe it.” Anand’s voice shivered while saying that. “Moreover I also have been feeling a sort of uneasiness from the moment I entered into this house.”
Aravind did not say anything but went near to the wall there, leaned on it and closed his eyes.
“That means we did a mistake by coming like this taking those three new and innocent people also with us.” Anand said again.
Aravind did not prefer to say anything then also but hissed out heavily.
“First thing, why we all do have come here like this? Why your father in law has got it repaired and renovated so? How we have forgotten the experiences we had in this house on that day?” there was anxiousness in the voice of Anand.
“Fate, destiny. Who can avert that? Everyone has to follow what has been destined for him or her.” Opening his eyes and looking into the face of Anand, Aravind said.
“Can we go all safe from here?” Anand’s voice once again shivered while saying that.
“There are two forces here Anand and they have been fighting all the time. One of that force tries to do harm to us and the other force tries to help us just like that last time. It just depends upon the point which force overpowers which.” Aravind said and sighed heavily.
Once again there was an ear deafening thunderclap outside and rain started down-pouring again.
&&&
Tanuja came out of her sleep when she heard tapping sound on the doors of their room. By that time itself Rajesh woke up and looking around the room. Tanuja got off from the bed, adjusted her ruffled dress, went near to the doors and opened them after unlatching the same.
“Dr.Rose, please come in” as soon as she saw Rose at the entrance with a welcoming smile on her lips, Tanuja said.
“I am disturbing you both, I am sure.” Entering into their room Rose said with her usual charming smile on her lips.
“It is not at all so. I am waiting for an opportunity to talk with you. Please sit in the chair.” Inviting her into the chair opposite to him Rajesh said.
In the meanwhile Tanuja went onto the bed and sat on it.
“Surely you do want to hear what I am going to say about Emily’s behavior.” With her charming smile on her lips so, Rose said.
“Of course we both are interested to hear why Emily talked like that. But that is not the main reason I want to talk with you. I have heard about you a lot through Vinod. He said to me what an efficient psychiatrist you are! Sometimes your services may be required to us.” Rajesh said.
“As sometimes we need your services Dr.Rajesh” Rose laughed. “I have heard enough about you also through Vinod. He said to me how successfully you have been running your hospital now.”
“It was even better while Dr.Malathi was with me. Quite unfortunately she expired.” Rajesh said and leaned back in the chair. A depressive expression came onto his face.
“If I have not read the book ‘A Mansion of Illusions’, I would have asked you many questions about her. You are right. Absence of Dr.Malathi in your hospital is a great deficiency to you indeed.” Rose said.
“Not just in the hospital, in our lives also her absence is a great deficiency.” Tanuja said. She was no more feeling awkward about the relationship between Rajesh and Malathi now.
Rose tried her level best not to show her surprise in her face when she heard that. These people were very much adventurous to let that author write all those things in that book. Not just that this woman was not at all feeling anything of her husband’s connection with that lady but could talk about her so!
“Now about my daughter’s awkward behavior.” Rose adjusted her voice and said. “She suffered split-personality at one time. She has been cured completely. But…” she paused for a moment and said again “That split-personality problem might be revived in her again that she talked so.” There came a deep depressive expression on Rose’s face.
“Oh, Rose. It may not be so.” Rajesh hurriedly said. “You sure do know how some of us behaved on that day in this house as you read that book. Your daughter’s odd behavior was because of this place but not because of her split-personality.”
“I have enough experience and knowledge in paranormal Dr.Rajesh. But I don’t think everything peculiar is paranormal. Neither my daughter’s behavior nor any of you people behavior on that day is because of this place or any paranormal. This place is quite alright in my opinion.” Rose said with firm voice.
“Really…really you are thinking like that?” with a happy expression in his face, Rajesh asked her. “Is there no paranormal or unnatural in this place?”
“Hundred percent there is nothing like that here. I am quite sure of that.” With the same firmness in her voice Rose nodded her head and said.
“Thank you Rose. I am feeling worry thinking that I did a mistake by repairing and renovating this house” now there was happiness in his voice also. “But what would have been the possible reason for Emily’s talking like that?”
“She also read the book ‘A Mansion Of Illusions’ Rajesh. She said to me that book was so much interesting to her. If it is not because of her split-personality, the story of that book subconsciously instigated her to talk like that.” Rose said.
“Surely she talked like that just because of that reason” observing Rose keenly Tanuja said. Rose might be four or five years younger to Tanuja. There were no grey hairs on her head or wrinkles on the body of Rose. She was so much beautiful and glamorous at this age also! For the first time Tanuja found envy like feeling in her. “But daughter of a reputed psychiatrist suffered from a psychological disorder! Quite surprising to me.”
“It just proves that no one is immune from psychological disorders.” Rose smiled and said. “In fact there were reasons for Emily’s split personality like that. It is indeed a long story to say.”
“But Rose I am very much interested to hear about the reasons for your daughter’s psychological disorder.” Rajesh said. “If you don’t mind why not you tell about it?”
“Alright then. I have no objection.” Then Rose explained to him about the reasons which caused split-personality in Emily. It took nearly half an hour to her to finish it and Rajesh and Tanuja heard it with utmost interest while she was saying that.
(The reasons for Emily’s split-personality can be known in ‘Amaswitha’ and ‘Sasikala’.)
“It is surprising to me that you are thinking there is no paranormal here even after you have an experience like that in your life.” Rajesh said once he convinced she said completely everything.
“I am a qualified and experienced psychiatrist Rajesh. I cannot believe every nonsense as paranormal.” Rose said.
“We are very happy that we have got you among us Rose. You are an inspiration to many.” Looking at her appreciatively Rajesh said.
“I invite you both to my home and you particularly to our Black Ant Mental Care. Then you do have an idea what facilities we are having in our hospitals and how do we treat our patients. Along with me there are other efficient psychologists and psychiatrists in our hospital which include your Vinod and Neeraja.” Rose said.
“I also come with my husband to your mental care” Tanuja said.
“I cannot welcome you there wholeheartedly Tanuja. Mental care is not something to be visited by ordinary people unless they are prepared to see some upsetting and disturbing scenes.” Rose smiled. “But as the wife of an efficient doctor if you want to see I have no objection to that.”
“What Dr.Rose said is true.” Rajesh said. “Mental hospitals are not entertainment places to visit and enjoy. They are the places to give asylum to the unfortunate people suffering with psychological disorders to treat them.”
(I hope that you enjoyed upto here. I shall publish the next chapter as soon as possible. Please don’t forget to rate and review.)
