30-09-2019, 09:42 PM
# 14
Dr. Amitabh Jha remembered faintly, how he had come to this present state right from the moment that the creature had left him numb with his visit. After the shock of the interview had worn off, he had tried to rationalize. What did that thing mean when it had said that its focus of interest was not Monalisa but her sister-in-law Ketaki instead? It just didn’t make any sense! And how difficult would it be to take control of Ketaki, given the powers that it possessed.
For days, he scouted around the colony till he found what he was looking for. It was a single room paying guest accommodation on the third floor and located one row front of Mona’s house. The important thing was that, with a binocular, he could peer directly into the front yard of her house and the front facing windows as well, when the curtains had been drawn aside. He watched the inhabitants and became familiar with the daily routines of Mona, her brother Deepak and Ketaki. Mona went to college and Deepak used to return late while Ketaki stayed home all the time – he noted. It was just like any other normal household!
He stayed home all the time. As far as his host family knew, he was a researcher who was working on a book and so needed seclusion. They had no interest in him as long as he paid the rent on time. That suited him fine as there was no incursion on his viewing activities. … … … A month passed just like that.
By chance, he came face to face with Mona. He was purchasing some shaving equipment from a nearby shop when she walked in and asked for some stationery. She stood right next to him and the closeness of her presence, her body fragrance inflamed his senses. Afterwards she had turned towards him and given him the total stranger’s look. It broke his heart!
Thereafter, on several occasions he had crossed her on the streets. Her reaction was always the same. The creature had managed to erase the full memory of their summer together from her mind!
Meanwhile, he kept his watch through the binocular. Peering out from his window one day, he saw something unusual. There was an ambulance standing before Mona’s house, with its blue lights flashing. Immediately, he was concerned but there was no way he could know what was going on. The limited angle of vision of the binocular couldn’t let him know what exactly was going on. He got perturbed to no end. He maintained a close vigil thereafter. A week later, he saw the three of them – Mona, Deepak and Ketaki - again in the house. Through the binoculars, he tried to ascertain if there was any change in the demeanor of any of them, but couldn’t. And there was no way he could ask anyone about what had happened.
Six months later, there was again another ambulance and this time, by sheer chance, he overheard something. That was his landlady, who was narrating to her husband.
“Poor Ketaki! This time also she has lost her baby.”
“What! Again?” He heard her husband’s voice and stopped on the stairs to overhear.
“Yes, this is the fourth time in two years. Don’t know why god is punishing the poor woman.”
Then apparently, the couple had moved away for he couldn’t hear any more of their conversation. He retraced his steps back to his room.
He shook his head in disbelief. Did this have something to do with what the creature had said when it had mentioned its interest in her? There was nothing he could do about it. It was another clue to the puzzle, which gave him no hint how to proceed.
*******
After a year of watching them, he felt boredom creeping on him. He wasn’t making any progress and his self imposed isolation began to grow on him. A break was what he needed and he chose the Himalayan foothills for that purpose.
Dr. Amitabh Jha remembered faintly, how he had come to this present state right from the moment that the creature had left him numb with his visit. After the shock of the interview had worn off, he had tried to rationalize. What did that thing mean when it had said that its focus of interest was not Monalisa but her sister-in-law Ketaki instead? It just didn’t make any sense! And how difficult would it be to take control of Ketaki, given the powers that it possessed.
For days, he scouted around the colony till he found what he was looking for. It was a single room paying guest accommodation on the third floor and located one row front of Mona’s house. The important thing was that, with a binocular, he could peer directly into the front yard of her house and the front facing windows as well, when the curtains had been drawn aside. He watched the inhabitants and became familiar with the daily routines of Mona, her brother Deepak and Ketaki. Mona went to college and Deepak used to return late while Ketaki stayed home all the time – he noted. It was just like any other normal household!
He stayed home all the time. As far as his host family knew, he was a researcher who was working on a book and so needed seclusion. They had no interest in him as long as he paid the rent on time. That suited him fine as there was no incursion on his viewing activities. … … … A month passed just like that.
By chance, he came face to face with Mona. He was purchasing some shaving equipment from a nearby shop when she walked in and asked for some stationery. She stood right next to him and the closeness of her presence, her body fragrance inflamed his senses. Afterwards she had turned towards him and given him the total stranger’s look. It broke his heart!
Thereafter, on several occasions he had crossed her on the streets. Her reaction was always the same. The creature had managed to erase the full memory of their summer together from her mind!
Meanwhile, he kept his watch through the binocular. Peering out from his window one day, he saw something unusual. There was an ambulance standing before Mona’s house, with its blue lights flashing. Immediately, he was concerned but there was no way he could know what was going on. The limited angle of vision of the binocular couldn’t let him know what exactly was going on. He got perturbed to no end. He maintained a close vigil thereafter. A week later, he saw the three of them – Mona, Deepak and Ketaki - again in the house. Through the binoculars, he tried to ascertain if there was any change in the demeanor of any of them, but couldn’t. And there was no way he could ask anyone about what had happened.
Six months later, there was again another ambulance and this time, by sheer chance, he overheard something. That was his landlady, who was narrating to her husband.
“Poor Ketaki! This time also she has lost her baby.”
“What! Again?” He heard her husband’s voice and stopped on the stairs to overhear.
“Yes, this is the fourth time in two years. Don’t know why god is punishing the poor woman.”
Then apparently, the couple had moved away for he couldn’t hear any more of their conversation. He retraced his steps back to his room.
He shook his head in disbelief. Did this have something to do with what the creature had said when it had mentioned its interest in her? There was nothing he could do about it. It was another clue to the puzzle, which gave him no hint how to proceed.
*******
After a year of watching them, he felt boredom creeping on him. He wasn’t making any progress and his self imposed isolation began to grow on him. A break was what he needed and he chose the Himalayan foothills for that purpose.
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