Indhra is a rebellious student, who dies due to an encounter with one of her teachers. Years later, her best-friend works in the same office as the murderer. Will her friend be able to avenge the death of Indhra?
#1 in #nani
The clock was ticking to 11 pm as Anjana was colliding her forearms against the flaps of the bedsheet of Naveen's bed. Her eyes were closed expecting sleep any moment.
But as the room temperature kept increasing in the room, she gave up the thrust on her eyelids and opened them to stare at the ceiling.
She could just see the mere reflection of the golden lights from the street near the fan. The room was very quiet and sombre.
The reflection of the golden lights abruptly transitioned to blood colour. The ceiling seemed nothing less than a wall painted in red.
In the reflection, she saw a school girl's shadow walking on a road. A car raced at high speed towards the girl. Anjana wanted to get up and save the girl, but she simply could not. She screamed for her life to stop the car but she was not able to. Her heart beat raced as fast as the car.
The car thrashes on to the girl and drives past away. Anjana felt the pressure on her veins. She wanted to get up and help her, but she felt tied to something. She cried out of helplessness.
That made her wake up.
Breathless and horror-struck, Anjana woke up. She was not able to catch her breath back as her heart-ached very badly. She turned on to the other side to restore breath and it helped. She stood up on the bed to reach the window and opened it to see the road. Thankfully, there was nothing as she saw in the dream.
With the tensions still resonating in her body, she walked to the drawing room to drink water. She found the terrace light switched on, as she paced near the switch box to switch it off, she heard talking noises from the terrace. Though sceptical, she walked up to check who it was. It was Naveen and Grace, they looked at her and asked her to come.
Grace: What happened ma, aren't you able to sleep?
Anjana: No aunty, I just woke up to drink water.
Naveen suspected her actions to be different than usual.
Naveen: Why are you breathing like this while you're talking? Do you have any difficulty?
Anjana (without looking at him): No, I am fine.
Naveen looked at her and squinted his eyes.
Grace: He just came home, that's why we were talking here. I thought you were sleeping, that's why I didn't call you.
Anjana: That's okay aunty.
Grace: Here, have these.
She forwarded a plate with a few slices of mangoes.
Anjana: Thanks aunty.
Chithra smiled and cleared her throat. Anjana looked at both of them.
Grace: Ma, I know it must have been really difficult for you to have been there.. um.. but..
Anjana looked questioningly at Naveen. He had no clue of what she was going to ask.
Grace: But.. why did they kidnap you? Why, you? That is what I don't get.. I'm not forcing you to tell.. if you don't want to, you can tell us whenever you feel like. Even he is feeling bad that you are not being able to share anything with him..
Naveen (embarrassed): Ma... no Anju, nothing like that...
Anjana sighs.
Anjana: No its okay... I know...
Grace and Naveen feel they have made a mistake.
Anjana: It was our Managing Director. Uh... I had a doubt on him from the very first day I joined our office. He takes bribes from contestants... he takes the liberty of being the co-founder of the production company. But gets away with all the crimes with the help of his wife.
Naveen and Grace listen keenly to her.
Anjana: His wife is the founder of the company, Ramya, a famous photographer, moreover her father is a huge businessman so...
I knew this from the first 2 months only.. but didn't have any evidence to trap him. I got them from one of the contestants whom I got in touch with. One day, I showed this evidence to one trusted colleague of mine, I thought she was reliable.. but she turned to be the spy...
Grace gets shocked.
Anjana: Yeah.. 2 weeks back he called me up and told me that he wanted to meet me after office at 9:30pm. I initially refused as it was late in the night, but he claimed it to be a group meeting. When I was on the way to office, someone pulled my neck by a cloth and...
Naveen and Grace were silent listening to her story.
Grace: Why should you stress so much over this small problem Anjana? What if something had happened to you? Its okay, you told us about this at least now... just forget this and move on. You are anyway not working there anymore ...
Anjana (reluctantly): Hmm..
Anjana goes downstairs saying that she wants to sleep. Naveen is still confused about what she said and something strikes him. He runs down the stairs and stops at the centre of the drawing room. Anjana was about to enter his room.
Naveen: Levante, Chapter 10, Page 158. "...this would have never occurred to you if you had admitted the truth. Lies take an eternity where honesty would have taken only a second..."
Anjana gets shocked hearing him. She does not turn to him and listens.
Naveen: The story you just narrated to us was an idea adapted from that book if am not wrong? Or did they adapt that story from YOU? But do not forget, I gifted you that book.
Anjana felt stupid about herself and stands helplessly. She doesn't move even her finger.
Naveen: I've had enough trying to find the truth Anju... I haven't been able to find anything except one...
Anjana stands still.
Naveen: Indhra.
Petrified, she turns to him to find him hold her phone with the WhatsApp Group 'Anjali Foundation' open. She sees the picture of Indhra in the WhatsApp Group.
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He places her phone on her hand and goes inside him room. She follows him in bewilderment. He pulls out her bag from under the bed, opens it and pulls out a photo frame with Anjali, Anjana and Indhra.
Naveen: Sorry, to have looked into your belongings without your permission... it happened by accident.
Anjana (guilty): Naveen... I didn't mean to...
Naveen: Hmm... you lit a candle and prayed today... because it is her death anniversary right? (points to Indhra in the photo frame)
Anjana tears up in guilt.
Naveen: Grade 8, Batch of 2009, ABC Higher Sec. School. I don't know anything more than this... but I certainly know that THIS has something to do with your current problem. What is it that is bothering you Anju?
