Thriller The Story of Meera

[Priyanka98]

The name "Neil" hit Meera like lightning. Her brain was suddenly flooded with a fresh wave of suppressed memories. The feeling was so overwhelming, she wanted to scream! But she instead just wept silently remembering the day when she had last seen Neil.
"Meera?" Aryan said over the phone, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Meera said trying to control her sobs, "I want to know everything about Neil - what he does, the places he goes, who his friends are, everything! I especially want to know about his friends. Some very old scores need to be settled."
"Sure," he said.
Meera cried alone in her car for a long time. Memories of the person she loved the most that were buried deep in her damaged mind were now flowing freely out of her eyes like a river of poison. There was a sharp pain in her heart as everything around her seemed to fade. The city around her changed to an older version of itself. Everything suddenly looked familiar to her as she started driving. She was in a state of trance, like a divine light was guiding her. She knew exactly where to turn, how far to drive, and she kept driving till she reached her destination. The house that stood before her brought back haunting memories. She brushed off the dust on the stone that read the name of that house - "Patil Niwas"
She stepped out of her car and touched the rusted iron gate. A tear fell from her eyes as she recognized the house. She had seen this house in her dreams. There was a padlock on it, secured with an iron chain. The house looked deserted, like no one had lived there for years. There was a sign board that read "for sale" but it was covered with a thick layer of dust. It looked as if it was put up many years ago.
"Yes? Do you need something?" a middle-aged lady from the next house called out to Meera, eyeing her suspiciously.
"This house..." Meera said, "Does anyone live here?"
"No," the woman said in a rough tone, "And it would be better if you stop lurking around and go away."
"Please..." Meera said walking towards the woman, "I lived in this neighborhood many years ago, I knew the Patil family who lived here...I'm looking for them...where can I find them?"
"They are dead," the woman said, "All of them. And you would be dead too if you enter that gate."
Meera was shocked at her reply.
"What's so shocking? If you really lived here, that must have been several years ago," the woman said, "Everyone around here knows this goddamn house is haunted. There was a girl who lived here...what's her name...ah...yes, Naina! One day she disappeared, and the house rapidly fell into ruin. The next day, the servant girl disappeared too, and the family members fell sick one by one and died. The neighbors complained they often heard crying and screaming from the house. Only the eldest man of the house survived and he was wise enough to leave this place. He put the house on sale, but who would want to buy a haunted house?"
Her words hit Meera like a lightning bolt. She took a moment to process the shock.
"Where can I find him? The owner of this house I mean..." Meera asked.
"I have his contact number...but why are you looking for him?" the woman asked.