Laughter in Darkness
A suspense, romantic and psychological thriller
By
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“Mom, cannot we stop it atleast for the present?” Sameera became angry.
“Alright, alright” Tanuja laughed and said.
There was some silence among them three then. “Dad, is this is the same bed on which grandma slept then?” testing the bed with her hand, Sameera said.
“No, that has been changed. She died on the same bed, how we can keep that?”
“My god, but we are on the same room in which grandma used to be, that queer woman!” Sameera hissed out heavily. “I just cannot understand her.”
“You please don’t start it now.” Rajesh irritatingly said.
&&&
“We both are now here in this room” looking around the room Sunanda said. “All others left.”
“Are you remembering how we have spent in this room on that day? Then and now also we are spending most of our time in this room.” Sameera said.
“On that day we spent most of our day time here. In the night we did not come here at all. I took a vow not to come into this room because of my bad dream on that day.” Thinking about that day Sunanda passed. “Nine years passed! Nine years is not a little time to say. Lot many changes took place in our lives.”
“You are right, anyhow positive changes I must say. I did not think my life would be this much beautiful with Aravind! I thought Aravind put himself in that shadow world completely. But what happened I cannot understand. Most surprisingly he minimized his indulgence in the witch-cult a lot and started that business and running it successfully. I am also helping him in running his business.” Sameera with a happy expression in her face said.
“Except my mom’s death. Positive changes I agree. Anand settled himself in that job and doing it nicely.” Sunanda said. Little worrying expression came into her face when she remembered about her mother.
“You are right. Malathi aunt’s death was biggest tragedy to all of us. How nice it would have been to us if she is alive on this day.”Sameera said. “Such an excellent and efficient doctor! Dad also is facing lot of trouble in the hospital after her death. She used to be a big help in the hospital.”
There was silence between them both for sometime until it was broken by Sunanda. “But the dream I have got on that day! I really cannot believe that it was a dream. I was brutally raped by that ghost!” Sunanda said as if to change the subject and there was fear in her eyes.
“Even after nine years also if you are remembering it in this way, I can say that there is something specific in it.” Sameera said looking into the face of Sunanda.
Sunanda nodded her head helplessly. “It was so lifelike and still I cannot believe it was a dream.” She paused for a moment and said again. “After facing such experiences here on that day, I never have thought, I do dare to come here again.”
“You are right” suddenly there came a surprising expression on Sameera’s face. I also decided strongly on that day not to come here again. Why we all are here again in this way I just cannot understand.”
“With three new people!” there came a horrifying expression in Sunanda’s face. “If it is real that there are spirits in this house………”
“We go away from here tomorrow itself.” Sameera reminded her while the uneasiness in her heart also was increasing.
“Is the time until tomorrow morning not enough to those spirits to do harm to us?” Sunanda knitted her brows together.
“Oh, what is this? Need we fear like this?” Sameera got off from the bed and said with the firmness she did not feel. “I don’t believe in spirits and paranormal. I cannot say anything about my feelings in this house on that day but I have decided strongly not to feel fear now. Nothing is going to happen to us here and we all go quite safe and happy from here.”
“If it is so, I just want to be in your footsteps. I too don’t feel any fear. Anyhow there is no chance to us to go away from here on this day itself.” Sunanda said.
“You proved that you are my friend.” Sameera laughed.
“Does that need any proof? I kill you if you talk like that.” Looking angrily into the face of Sameera, Sunanda said.
“I am sorry” Sameera sighed heavily. “The snake I have seen in the kitchen on that day! What a big and black snake it was! Surely it was a king cobra. Only king cobras would be black like that. Where from it might have come?” She remembered one other incident of that day.
“Where else? There was such a big garden on the back of this house. That can accommodate any number of snakes like them.” Sunanda paused for a moment and said again. “I am afraid that snake may be still in the garden itself.”
“You are making me feel fear unnecessarily.” Sameera said angrily. “Anyhow I don’t think snakes do live this long time. Nine years have passed.”
“Then its children.” Sunanda said with a smile.
“You just aimed to make me feel fear but I am not.” Sameera transferred herself from the bed into the chair opposite to Sunanda who sat on the bed. “If there are snakes in the garden, it is not only me at risk. We are all at equal risk.”
Sunanda sighed heavily. “We have to come to the places like these occasionally. These types of places definitely give a different experience to us. Take us abruptly away from our routine lives.”
“We felt different just minutes before. We regretted for our coming here like this.” Sameera smiled said. “Anyhow there is absolute truth in what you have said.”
“We have spent a long time here. Better we go down stairs and see what is happening now.” After few seconds silence, Sameera got off from the chair and said.
“I shall be in your footsteps.” Sunanda also got off from the bed.
Then they both came downstairs.
&&&
“What you are reading that much interestingly in my smart phone dear?” looking at her daughter Emily, Rose asked her.
“She is reading a fiction ‘And Then There Were None’ written by Agatha Christie.” Neeraja said. “Is it is not so Emily?”
“You are right. I have completed reading of it just now.” Giving the smart phone to her mother Emily said.
“May I know the story of it?” Rose asked looking into the face of her daughter.
“Better you don’t ask. It is such a horrifying story that you better don’t hear it now.” Mocking fear in her face, Neeraja said.
“Still I prefer to hear. Tell me dear what it is?”
Then Emily explained to her the story of the said book.
“My god! What Neeraja said is true. We also have entered into an odd house.” Rose did not know why but she felt odd fear in herself.
“There is one other strong similarity to that story and to us.” Looking straight into her mother’s face, Emily said.
“Tell me what it is?” while her heart beat was increasing, Rose asked.
“They were ten people who have chosen to go to that Indian Island. We are also exactly ten in number here.” Emily said.
“She is right anyhow in that point!” Neeraja said with fear filled voice. “I also read that book and know. They were also exactly ten in number.”
“And none of them left that island alive.” Emily said. “That means….” She tried to something more.
“Will you stop please?” Rose angrily interrupted her. “Nothing like that is going to happen here.”
“There are strong dissimilarities also here. All of them have committed crimes. But here we did not commit any crime at all. That was a fiction created by Agatha Christie. Here in our case it is real. There was a person among them who killed all the other people. Here none among us have an intention even to displease the others.” Neeraja said.
“I have to agree with it” Emily nodded her head and said. “But you both are making me feel bore. I do go out and try my luck.” She got off from the chair she sat.
“If you don’t get support to your fear creating ideas, you do get bore.” Rose was still angry.
“Just a moment, just a moment!” as Emily was becoming ready to go out, Neeraja said.
“Tell me what?” knitting her brows together Emily asked her.
“How do you say we are ten? Have you forgotten about Arjun and Madhuri? We are twelve.” Neeraja said. “Another strong dissimilarity with the story in that book.”
“They are just kids to count in.” Emily said and went out of that room fast.
“Why Emily is showing interest particularly in fear creating stories I cannot understand.” Nodding her head helplessly, Rose said.
“First thing you tell me why Agatha Christie wrote a book like that?” Neeraja asked her.
“I never have that much of interest in fiction Neeraja. You tell me.” With an irritation expression in her face, Rose said.
“Agatha Christie is a very great authoress Rose. But she wrote a book which creates fear. Not just Agatha Christie, many famous authors wrote fiction particularly to create fear in readers. What is the purpose behind famous movies like Exorcist and Evil Dead? Making people feel fear. People do want to feel fear. They even pay money also to feel fear. That fear creates a thrill feeling in them.” Neeraja said.
“You are right of course. I have to agree with you.” Rose said.
“I need not say all this to you. You know all about this. You said like that just casually” Neeraja said. “I have heard all about you and the cases you have treated so far. You have got lot of reputation.”
“Alright. Don’t praise me like this. It shall be embarrassing to me.” With an uneasy expression in her face, Rose said.
“If you don’t think it is an intrusion, may I come?” standing at the entrance of that room, Tanuja asked them.
Hearing her voice both Rose and Neeraja looked at that side.
“What is this Tanuja? Need you take our permission for that? Your participation in our conversation is quite enjoyable to us. Please come inside.” With a smile on her lips, Rose said.
Tanuja came inside and slumped herself in the chair near to the chairs of Rose and Neeraja.
“I saw Emily going upstairs where my both daughters with their children. She sure does have a good time-pass there.” Tanuja said.
“She has just completed her most interesting fiction ebook. So she preferred another type of time-pass. She also sure does give good time-pass to your children and grandchildren also.” Still with the same smile on her lips, Rose said.
“I agree with you. Emily is really very active and intelligent girl.” Tanuja said. “I just want to know how you people are feeling here. If you feel bore here, I feel bad. We encouraged you three to come with us.”
“It is a big house in the corner of a faraway village in the country. We cannot expect time-pass that we do expect in our places.” Rose said. “But coming to a place like this really does give a different sort of experience. It gives us a chance how our minds would be influenced in odd places like these. Very seldom we can have chances to spend our time in places like these. I thank you people heart-fully for giving us an opportunity to pass our time in a place like this.”
(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.)
