Bombay Shaman - episode 2: The Haunting Hunter

PART I: Evil in the neighborhood

Up went the old lousy elevator, Kumaran standing tired in it holding a bag of dinner. The sound of the elevator's dim light buzzing and rusty wires reelings slowly felt like himself dragging through his first day as a receptionist at Parvati hospital, and it was - as expected from a starting day - hectic. Although, thanks to his childhood friend Edha, it wasn't too overwhelming; she was super supportive as always. But even she couldn't prevent him from ending up in embarrassing situations which eventually got him a earful, all because of his careless behaviour which she called "idiotic".

Aside from the exhaustion, there was another thing that bugged him and that is what he was talking about over the phone to Edha who was still back at the hospital doing extra hours.

"I can't believe it," He clicked his tongue, "Today she was supposed to be back, and I was planning to meet her. But master still isn't here. Urgent matter - again."

"When is she returning?" Edha asked.

"Hmm, I was informed it would take a week."

"Another week?"

"Yeah, but I think it may take longer - or not. Such is the job, honestly. Can understand, but I came all the way here for one main purpose: learning more about being a shaman. And then this delay. So yeah, it annoys me a tiny bit - sorta relieves me too?"

"How relieves?"

"I will have time to first settle properly? All this shifting and work stuff, tiring you know? So silver lining."

"I smell laziness."

He knew she was squinting from the other side.

An old-school bell chimed. The elevator had arrived at the fourth floor. The doors slid open with some difficulty.

"Oh c'mon, it isn't like that - exactly?" A sly smile stretched on his face. He stepped out into the corridor and turned.

At that moment, he was too focused on the call and too exhausted to mind the surroundings. All that he could vaguely notice was that someone was standing in between the corridor, before his neighbouring apartment on the right side. Maybe it was some girl.

"That exactly says a lot, but not more than that smile on your face!" Edha shouted.

"I'm not smiling?"

"I know you, Kumaran." She sighed.

"Impressive. Who knew you were a psychic? But seriously, it isn't-"

Just while he was passing by the girl in the corridor, she suddenly spun about and he accidentally bumped into her with great force.

Several things fell on the floor - his phone, for one, fell and ricocheted across the corridor. The only thing he could care for at that moment was his dinner, some of which had spilled over beside squashed vegetables and a crazy amount of carrots - that probably belonged to the girl.

Under normal circumstances, he would've simply said sorry and carried on with his business. But he was hungry after his long day. His dinner had been half ruined. It had just become personal.

However, when he was about to speak up, something caught his attention and he stopped midway. There was some peculiarity about the wavy-haired girl in front of him, about her aura to be precise. He couldn't quite grasp what was odd, but he just knew something wasn't right from his experience. In her aura field, vestiges of energy floated that didn't belong to her; they had been implanted. The aura, it seemed to be tainted or marked... by something...

"What the hell?!" The wavy-haired girl freaked out and knelt to pick her phone. "My phone cracked! My vegetables!" She lashed her head up at him. "Are you an idiot?! Watch where you're going!"