Part 34 Story
Khushi came to Nani's room. She saw Ratna also there.
"Why did you call me Naniji?" she asked looking at Ratna.
"Khushi, Panditji called me. Siya's uncle came to his place it seems. He is making arrangements to know the solution to the problem it seems. The Panditji wanted you to be with me when he calls me. He said he will call me in five minutes. That's why I called you"
"Oh, okay, Naniji..."
Ratna also waited for the call. As Pandit said, he called them after making the needed setups to know the solution.
The Pandit had already taken the printout of Ratna's photo that Khushi sent him through WhatsApp the previous day. He gave it to Siya's uncle. Drawing a star with rice flour on the floor, he kept six lemons on the six edges of the star and kept Ratna's photo at the center of the star. Taking a betel leaf, he applied Kohl on it. Then, he started chanting something, closing his eyes.
The Pandit dialed Nani and waited in line, turning on the speaker. So that Nani and Khushi could hear him directly.
"Yes, she has been controlled by black magic," he said without opening his eyes.
The Pandit didn't interrupt him.
"Strong magic has been applied on her..."
It's been buried in their house"
Nani and Khushi looked at each other shockingly.
"It should be removed first. Then only anything can be done"
"How can we remove that?" the Pandit asked him.
"No one should do that... But her son... only her son should do that"
Nani and Khushi were horrified. How could they make Arnav do that? He had not even started believing such things yet. What would be his reaction if they tell him about it?
"Should not any of her blood relatives do that? Pandit asked.
"No, only her son should do that. That too he should not do that with free hands. Because he should not touch that. It's very powerful. It will give a bad effect on him"
Nani and Khushi became restless.
"It's at the Northeast corner of the house"
Khushi looked at Nani.
"It's the garden's corner," Nani said.
"Oh..."
"Remove it first and then we will see what to do next," Siya's uncle said.
"Maji are you there?" the Panditji asked.
"Jee, Panditji..." Nani responded.
"Do you understand what he said?"
"Yes, I do"
"Her son should remove it and he should not touch it"
"We will try to make him remove it, Panditji," Nani said hopelessly.
"Ok... Call me after finishing it"
"Ok, Panditji"
The pandit disconnected the call. Nani looked at Khushi worriedly.
"How can we make Chotte remove it?"
Khushi bit her nail, thinking about what to do.
"Haan... Idea..." She flicked her fingers.
"What idea Khushi Bitiya?" Nani asked eagerly.
"I immediately want a rose plant. Then, I will make Arnavji dig it in the pretext of planting it..."
"Good idea... But, what if Chotte touches it?"
"He always uses gloves when doing gardening," Ratna said.
"Haan... I too saw a set of rubber gloves in his Garden" Khushi said.
Nani nodded yes understanding that.
"I will ask Hari Prakash to bring a rose plant from the nearby Nursery Garden" Nani walked out, without wasting time.
Khushi and Ratna waited for the arrival of the rose plant.
"Please make sure Chotte doesn't touch it"
After forty minutes, HP came up with a rose plant. Khushi took it from him and went to Arnav's room.
Arnav was pacing in his room, thinking about the conversation between him and Khushi. He did not know whether he should believe it or not. He never believed in ghostly things. Khushi knew about it. Yet, what would she say that could make him believe it?
Why did Nani call her urgently? Couldn't she be waiting for a few more minutes? What was so urgent?
Arnav got alert, hearing Khushi's anklet sound. Was she coming? Yes, she came to the garden with the rose plant.
"What is this?" Arnav questioned as if he never had seen a rose plant.
"Rose plant..."
"Oh, really? I don't know that..."
Khushi looked here and there, not minding his taunt.
"Did you go urgently to bring this plant?" He asked, crossing his hands.
"Today is your mother's death anniversary. I thought to plant it on the remembering of her..."
Arnav smiled mildly. He came to her and took the plant from her hand.
"Nice idea... you can plan it later..."
"Why? Why not now?" She asked hurriedly.
"You were about to tell me something about your neighbor. Remember?"
"Haan..."
"Tell me about it first and then you can plan it"
"I will plant it first and then I will tell you about it. Or else, it will become late..."
"Don't worry. I will help you to plant this"
"Really?"
"Really... Now, tell me what you left unfinished"
Khushi understood that she had created a curiosity in his mind.
"There was a guy named Aaron in Lucknow. I don't like him because of his cheap behavior. He won't talk respectfully... he won't dress up neatly... His slang is utterly low-class... Talks too many bad words... Such a rouge he is..." she said making a loathful expression.
"Ohh..."
"One day, he fought with another area guys and got injured. His mother admitted him to the hospital. It was a Church Charity Hospital. They kept him under observation in the hospital for a night... the next day he was discharged..."
"Mmm"
"He returned home completely opposite to what Aaron is..." she said widening her eyes.
"How?" he shrank his eyes.
"His attitude changed... His walking style changed..."
"How did he walk?"
"He walked like an Anglo-Indian lady... As if he was carrying a handbag in his hand. He didn't touch the tea glass given by his mother and asked for tea in a CUP. He sat on the chair, crossing his legs stylishly, tucking his hair behind his ear. And, the cherry on the cake..."
"What?"
"He spoke English fluently... The guy who could not even talk good Hindi spoke English, Arnavji... That too so stylishly, fluently, speedily..." Khushi huffed.
Arnav gulped down hard. He had seen many graduates struggling to speak English even after many years of their practice. It was not a matter that could be achieved overnight. Arnav knew it.
"Is it?" He asked unbelievably.
"Yes... Not only that, he went to a particular Anglo-Indian house and told them about their personal matters. It was her house. That was when her family members said, her name was Isabella she died in the same hospital room in which Aaron was admitted... They understood that he was possessed by her spirit"
Arnav got goosebumps.
"I know how hard it's speaking in English. I would not have believed it if he had done any other thing... But, I could not be believing it after him speaking in English... I am damn sure he was not pretending. He could not have... then how won't I believe in ghosts?"
Arnav was silent. He did not know whether he should accept it or defy it because what just Khushi said had a point.
Khushi saw him looking at his mother's plant blankly. Khushi rushed to the Northeast corner, taking a spade. She pretended like digging the floor. Arnav walked to her and took the spade from her hand. He was about to dig,
"Wait, Arnavji..." She ran to the gloves and brought them.
"Wear this..." She handed them to him.
Without saying anything, Arnav wore them and dug the Northeast corner. Khushi was looking at him nervously. She didn't know what would be there. She bit her nail and looked at Ratna who was also watching Arnav. Nani was waiting outside to know that.
Arnav removed the mud from the pit. Suddenly, his expression changed as something hit his hand. He pulled it up frowning. It didn't come out easily. So, Arnav pulled it up with full force. He saw something had been enfolding in a plastic cover. He removed it. In no time, he threw it away getting horrified, as it was a doll made of black cloth, which looked exactly like a horrible witchcraft doll.
To be continued...