Laughter in Darkness
A suspense, romantic and psychological thriller
By
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
Even she has seen the kitchen before, Tanuja wanted to see it once again. She was very much interested in cooking and this kitchen was appearing quite amicable and amiable for it. Slowly she went near to the doors of it, opened them and entered into it. The electric light was just going on so in the kitchen. It was a high voltage bulb and she could see everything so clearly in the kitchen.
Involuntarily she looked at the window through which Sameera saw a snake coming into the kitchen. Surely it was the imagination of Sameera, there was no doubt. If a snake entered into the kitchen through this window, it would be impossible that it has not been seen by the other people there. The kitchen was that much clear and everything was that much clearly visible.
Tanuja went near to the gas stove and observed it. It was with a full cylinder and in perfect condition. If there were other things also, it would be quite comfortable to them to make their own cooking.
“Tanu” she heard the voice in a small way but unmistakably.
Tanuja heart missed a beat and her feet glued to the floor there. All the movement in her body was stopped. Even it was only one time, she could hear that voice so clearly and recognized it instantly.
“I never have expected that you do come here again Tanu but you came. I am feeling very happy.” With that small tone, that voice said again. It was so clear just like before.
“Sasank…you are here again?” Tanuja surprised even in that mind numbing stage also she was talking.
“Yes, I am here again Tanu. I talked with you in the séance.”
“I did not think it was you.” Tanuja’s voice shivered. She was feeling surprise that she could talk like that.
“It was I. I came here again knowing that you were coming here. I am waiting for you all these years. You know what exactly I want.” Sasank said.
Tanuja did not say anything. Her heart beat increased and her heart filled with lot of fear. She was feeling so much fear even to turn back and look at.
“Now I do take you with me Tanu. No one can freeze me in the sea now. No one can throw me into the sea. No one can make me non-existent. No one can stop me from taking you with me this time.” Sasank was saying.
“No, I don’t come anywhere. I don’t come with you. I have my husband, daughter, her husband and my grandson here. I cannot leave all of them here and come with you.” Tanuja said while her voice was shivering.
“They have had enough of you Tanu. It is I who did not have anything of you. You need to think of me. I also deserve your love and affection.” Sasank said.
“But Sasank you were dead a long time back itself. We did not even marry by then. How you do expect me with you?” by then Tanuja came over her fear some extent and said.
“But have you forgotten how much we loved each other? I got my baby also in you. Have you forgotten?” Sasank was angry.
Tanuja did not say anything. She did not know what to say at all.
“But you have killed my baby also. You did like neither I nor my baby.” Sasank accusingly said.
“No, I did not kill the baby. It was a miscarriage. It happened all by itself. There was no mistake of me in it. How much I wished to keep that baby with me!” Tanuja’s voice was with full of anger.
“Alright, alright. Come with me now. Then I believe whatever you are saying.” Sasank said loudly.
“No, no. I cannot come with you. How many times I have to tell you? Try to understand my predicament. I am married and having husband, daughter, son in law and grandson. I cannot come with you at all leaving all those here.” Tanuja was yelling loudly matching with his voice. She did not know that she was yelling.
“No, this time you cannot escape. No one can stop me now. I am taking you with me now itself. I shall see who would stop me.”
While she was yelling loudly, she felt two hands strongly and made her turned back. Her heart was with full of fear and even she was looking, there was no recognition in her eyes.
“What’s the bloody hell is going on here? Why you are yelling like that?” looking surprisingly into her face, Rajesh asked her.
Tanuja did not say anything and she was still in very much confusion and fear.
“Oh, Tanu, we are all with you now. There is no danger to you now and be courageous.” Holding her gently and looking soothingly into her eyes, Rajesh said.
“Rajesh” without bothering about the audience around them both, Tanuja hugged Rajesh strongly. “He once again is asking me to come with him.”
“And you are at the pitch of your voice denying that. I understood it.” Rajesh said reciprocating with her hug smoothly. Even the situation was appearing quite silly to the people there, he understood how much his wife believed it and affected by it.
“Who it is asking her to come and whose request she is denying like that?” looking at them both even more surprisingly, Rose asked them.
Rajesh gently released his hold, relieved himself from her hold and looked into Tanuja’s eyes. “Shall we tell them about the story?” he asked her still holding her hands in his hands.
“I have no objection whatsoever but not here.” Tanuja said.
&&&
After settling Tanuja comfortably in one of the chairs in the verandahh Rajesh explained to Rose and Neeraja about Sasank. There came small smiles on the lips of Rose and Neeraja by the time Rajesh finished that.
“I still remember that Sasank. I have read about him in the book ‘A Mansion of Illusions. I remembered it all well.” Neeraja said.
“You refreshed my memory Rajesh. I read about him but forgot.” Rose said.
“I know now what you people are going to say. It was all nothing but my imagination.” Tanuja’s face became red.
“Don’t say like that. These people are using new words for our experiences here. Auditory and visual hallucination.” Sunanda smiled and said.
Rose and Neeraja also laughed on hearing that.
“Mom, think logically and say one thing. Even there is Sasank somewhere, do you think that he wants you in your forty eight or so age also. Cannot he have a better choice?” suppressing the smile that was forcing onto her lips, Sameera asked her.
“I do kill you on the spot not because your saying that there is no Sasank but because your saying that your mom lost her glamour. She is as much beautiful now as she was then when I first saw her.” Rajesh said.
“Enough Rajesh. Don’t try to make more fun of me. I have had enough.” With anger and shame, Rose said.
“Grandma why did you have yelled like that? Did you see the same snake that my mom saw in the kitchen?” Arjun asked her.
“No, it is not a snake.” Tanuja nodded her head irritatingly and said.
“But what it is if not a snake? You have yelled that much as you saw ten snakes there but we could not find even a single one when we came there. A great disappointment.” Madhuri said.
“Anyone can deal with these two devils for the time being?” looking around with a pleading expression, Tanuja asked.
“I look after them don’t worry.” Emily came forward. “Come with me I shall tell you where and when you can see snakes.” Then she took them both with her into their room again.
“For the time being what all I can suggest to you is take rest. The other suggestion I can give to you is don’t spend time anywhere all alone.” Rose said.
“Mom, come. You do take rest in grandma’s room and I guard you in all respects.” Sameera said.
Then Sameera and Tanuja went into their room.
&&&
“I want to suggest to you this once again whatever you may think of me.” When they were all assembled in the verandah downstairs, Aravind said again. “No dead body should be left like that without last rites. The spirit in it cannot take another birth until last rites to its dead body are performed. ”
“Did my grandmother not know about it? Why would she want her husband and lover should not take another birth and suffer?” Rajesh knitted his brows and asked Aravind.
“Your grandmother was a queer woman. I cannot know why she had left those dead bodies so. But it is not advisable to leave the dead bodies like that forever.” Aravind said.
“Here I agree with Aravind.” Vinod said. “In my opinion also it is quite recommendable to perform last rites to the dead bodies of that Semanthakam and Nagaraju.”
“I shall think about it. I tell you what to do after I have a discussion with my wife also.” Rajesh said.
“Alright then” Vinod nodded his head.
“Uncle, last time we have found a big sword under the bed of grandma. Did you find that sword anywhere now?” Anand asked him.
“No of course.” With a surprising expression in his face Rajesh said. “I did not even remember about that sword until you broached it again!”
“We thought that might be the sword with which that Nagaraju committed murders in this house.” Anand said.
“I don’t think so. If it is such a sword why grandma would keep it under her bed? She would have put that with the dead bodies of her husband and lover.” Rajesh said.
“I already said that grandma was a queer woman. We cannot say why did she do something.” Anand said.
“Anyhow Rajesh. It seems now you have agreed in yourself that grandma loved that Nagaraju.” Looking keenly into the face of Rajesh, Vinod said.
“I cannot say.” Rajesh sighed heavily. “Considering certain things I am also forced to think like that.”
“May I know what are those things uncle?” Sunanda asked.
“I don’t think I can explain.” Rajesh said. “But I am feeling. If she did not show any love feeling at all on that Nagaraju, there might not be a reason to him to be frustrated that much.”
“But uncle there are rascals around” Neeraja said. “who get frustration like that when a woman married someone else even she has expressed no love towards him just because he interested in her.”
“Neeraja is absolutely true.” Sunanda said. “I have seen numerous incidents like these where rogues got irritated and committed atrocities on women just because they liked them, married some other people even those women never expressed any interest on those rogues.” She paused for a moment and said again “In my opinion our grandma never loved that Nagaraju. No woman would love and like a rogue like him.”
“So you have come to a firm opinion that Nagaraju was a rogue.” Aravind smiled and looked into her face.
“What else? Who could take out the lives of that many innocent people just because the woman he loved married someone else? If he really loved our grandma, after her marriage with Semanthakam he would have remained silent just wishing her well being.” Sunanda emotionally said.
“It seems Sunanda took me onto the right track again. My grandma never loved that Nagaraju. That much I am confirmed.” Rajesh said.
“But why she had kept the dead body of him also in the upstairs room?” Rose asked him.
“Who knew that grandma kept the dead body of Nagaraju also in the upstairs room? That was just a rumor.” Rajesh irritatingly said.
(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.)
