Sun, Moon & Stars Volume I Horror Of The Musk

CHAPTER - 19

DIL FM had soon become Ela's second home. She would breathe and live here away from the worries of Bose Villa. It was the people here who helped them cope up with her stress. Especially Nishi.

Just as a family without the most beloved one seemed void, a workplace without her best friend too was difficult. Nishi had soon become Ela's secret sharer and a friend she desperately needed in the tough times. While she was trying to understand how to get Ela out of this mess, Ela sat alone at the office working and worrying.

Ela's head was clouded with a lot of thoughts. Once she thought of Shomak, next her mind again drifted back to those horrific nights. Then there was her mother and sisters. Lately, she was getting confused with so many things happening together. She remembered the head sister of the orphanage, where she and her family had spent a major part of their life, telling her that she was an early child.

She knew Phalguni got pregnant with her when she was just fifteen years old due to which Ela was also a premature baby. Then she remembered her mother was away on work for a year and came back with an infant Mini. Soon she sent both of them to boarding school in Darjeeling. Again a few years later her mother announced that she was pregnant with Oishi.

In all these, the most suspicious person was their father. Raktim Malakar was often travelling around the world as a tour manager and whenever the girls went home for holidays he stayed with them briefly and left. But the strange part was, even after this unsettled lifestyle Phalguni never complained. They behaved like a happy couple and maybe that's why their divorce and Raktim getting involved with another woman came as a shock to the three sisters. Since then Raktim never spoke to them again.

She broke out from her trance and realised she was scribbling all this while. She immediately dropped the pencil identifying what she had drawn. It was more like the calligraphy of the name Purnima.

Everyone in the neighbourhood kept comparing her to this mysterious lady. During the backyard room inspection too she had found a jewellery piece with the initial P. She had tried speaking to their landlords but they seemed to have heard the name for the first time. Though she didn't blame them, as they were the fifth owner of the house. She had first wondered why the house had exchanged hands so many times; it was after stepping in she found out the reason.

Ela even tried speaking to the neighbours about Purnima but they dismissed the topic saying they do not remember. She felt very strongly about the fact that Bose Villa's haunting was definitely connected with this lady.

Then there was the lady ghost named Sunita. Who was she? What did she want? And why did she only appear in front of Shomak and Oishi? Oishi had said she only appeared in front of those who needed her help. But Mini and Ela too needed help then why didn't she appear in front of them?

She needed answers and sitting in the closed office won't give her those answers. She picked up her bag and took an early leave. Her boss was a nice person who didn't pressurize the employees; if the work was done, they were free for the day. She left a message to Nishi about picking up Mini later in the afternoon before going to Joseph's house.

When Ela had recently joined, Nishi had sent her to meet Joseph for collecting few data for a radio show she was about to host. During that meeting, Ela learned that the fifty-year-old Joseph Pinto living in the red brick houses at Bow Barracks had an interesting hobby of collecting newspaper articles related to mystery, crime, entertainment and ghost sightings.  She was amazed to see the excitement with which he had provided all the necessary information. He wasn't a very friendly person and shared a bittersweet relation with Nishi but had quickly warmed up to Ela. "It's your beautiful smile that did the magic young lady!" he had complimented before handing over the details to Ela. Hence, Ela again went to visit him and try the card of her smile one more time.