Chapter 5
In Jaipur, Tamra was still sleeping and no one disturbed her as she was going to be a bride. She saw a very beautiful girl smiling at her initially sweetly, then slowly her face changed expression. There was blood dropping from her front canine teeth as if she was a Dracula. The face came nearer and nearer, with a scream, Tamra woke up.
She touched her neck to see she was not bitten, then she realized everything was a dream. The visit to Dantla, the old woman's tale, adding to that, her grandfather's mysterious life style, everything had made her see this bad dream. With a sigh she rubbed it off, and concentrated on her escape. If grandfather or dad or even Adhrit had a bit of suspicion, then she would be engaged to that Mohan Kanwar. So, she decided to play it cool.
She had a car of her own, decided against taking it, because that could be easily traced. But she could not go out without a car. She came up with a brilliant story. She called her mom through intercom. "Ma! I am going to the outskirts of Jaipur. You know, it's very dangerous to drive on a highway, with my engagement coming. I have booked Uber for the full day, I might go for shopping!" With that she put down the receiver. Tamra knew, being careful for the sake of engagement would make Ma happy.
She carefully selected a few clothes. No dresses, only jeans and a few Kurtis or T shirts, two sets of pajamas that's all. She packed some breakfast for eating at lunch time. Taken the money her grand ma gave. Now she was all set to flee. Her heart wanted to hug her mother and grandmother one last time. But this weakness might prove expensive. Casually she got down the grand steps of her palace, and turned to have a full look at the grandeur of her house.
Tamra felt like, kissing the porch, but controlled herself. She felt very heavy at her heart, as it was the last time she was seeing that palatial house. From the top grandma was looking down at her, suddenly she vanished into the shades. At least one person was there to send me off, thinking that, she sat in the Uber and asked him to go. They were racing on the deserted highways of Rajasthan. A combination being ignored and treachery troubled Tamra. Why she was running away? From whom she was running away? These two questions made her heart jolt with fear. Even though she was a research student, she had seen the world only from the comforts of her a big rich family. Without even thinking she had decided to flee. Was she doing the right thing? What would happen to Ma, when she finds out her beloved daughter had run away? Deep in thought she wanted someone to assure her that everything was going to be alright, she had done the right thing. But no one was there to say comforting words.
"Madam! You want to see, Zoo?" asked the driver thinking Tamra as one of the tourists. "No! Thanks! I am not a tourist! Please drive on!" said Tamra irritated. "Thank You madam! I was dreading if you said yes, what am I to do?" said man with a grin. "What? Are you scared of animals?" asked Tamra with interest. "Not at all madam! I love them. That's why I can't bear to watch them captivated. They are not showpiece madam! But people don't realize that!" the man was going on and on about cruelty to animals. But Tamra had a flash. "Yes! When even animals don't like captivity, I, a woman of high intellect, how could I agree to a loveless, enslaved wedding? "
Now her mind was clear, she felt even happier. A feeling of adventure, was in the air. The driver and herself had a meagre lunch she brought and proceeded. On the way, they had become good friends. His name was Ravi, and he was working as a driver with Uber. He belongs to Dantla. Tamra said she needed a place to stay, as she was going to do research there. When Ravi knew Tamra had to stay in a house, he offered his house.
"My Ma and my elder sister Priya will take good care of you Madam! Simple but hygienic food will be provided, just part with some money. That's all!" he said with a smile. That arrangement seemed ok to Tamra. Instead of staying alone, it's better to stay with a family. She told Ravi, she could give 600 bucks a day including for meals. He was very happy and drove fast. On the way he informed his elder brother about bringing a guest along with him and asked his mother to clean the extra room. The Sun was about to set, when they entered the village of Dantla again. A chill went through her spine as she saw the burnt house.
Ravi's house was at the end of the street, standing alone surrounded by a fence made of thorny bushes. A couple of camels and herd of sheep were tied to trees and clamp in the shed. Ravi's mother and his elder sister came running to receive Tamra. They gave a hot beverage to drink. After that, she felt fresh and energetic.
Tamra settled down in her room. It was not a room actually, but a make shift arrangement which had a cot and a few blankets. Thank God it had toilets separately. Tamra needed some time to herself. "The dinner will be around 8 PM madam! Will you come and join us? Or Shall I bring it to you?" asked the girl Priya. Tamra asked her to bring in the food, then she switched off the cell phone and lay on the bed thinking hard.
"My first job is to know about the mystery of the burnt house. That will show me, what type of family, I belong to? Then I will go to Jodhpur, I can get a job there and live on." All these seemed simple. A few days in Dantla, then to Jodhpur. "May be, I could apply for postdoctoral in a foreign country. But till I get my fist pay, I have to sustain myself. How much grandma gave me?" Thought of money made her laugh and cry at the same time. Never in her entire life she had faced a problem of lack of money. She started counting. It was just 18,750 rupees altogether. Suddenly she remembered her credit card. A sigh of relief escaped her.
From outside, merry laughs and sound of people talking to each other came. Seemed like the family was enjoying cozy time together. Tamra's heart wanted to belong, and accepted by that family. The young girl brought a plate full of rotis and some lentils and vegetables which looked lovely. Tamra regrated her decision of eating alone in the house, she wanted to be with the family. Suddenly the door opened and Priya came inside to check on her.
"Do you like to say, halo to my elder brother?" she asked. Happily nodding, Tamra got and went with Priya. She introduced everyone in the family. When Kamal heard the name Tamra, he was speechless. The moment Tamra set eyes on Kamal; her heart gave a violent jolt. Pressing her heart, she sat down on the available seat, that was a sack of corn. "What happened madam? Are you alright?" Ravi's voice asked with concern, so did other voices. But Tamra's head was like caught in a whirlpool. A man emerged from sand and burnt a pregnant woman, and the woman screamed. Without her knowledge, Tamra was screaming too. Suddenly she felt warmth which made her head come to senses. Tamra was on the lap of Priya's mother; she was blowing something like ash on her face. Suddenly realizing the awkwardness of the situation, Tamra got up and sat down on the floor. "What happened madam? Was it the food?" asked Priya with fear. "No! No! I don't know what happened, I felt funny. That's all! Sorry, gave you anxiety! "Apologized Tamra and hurriedly went inside her room.
She wanted some time alone. When she was very young, she used to have such whirlpool experiences. Her mother took her for counseling and from the age of 11 she did not get any such queer experiences. But after so many years, the same nightmare again. "What is happening to me? I am a Ph D student; I can think and decide what is good for my life. Well! It is the first time I came out of my comfort zone. That's why I am getting all old fears back. That's it!" concluding that, she put out light and tried to sleep. Due to the journey, or the cozy bed or the secure feeling of being with a family, Tamra could not say, which one, she slept nicely.
The moon was shining brightly outside. Even the street dogs had vanished into shadows. The old lady was changing positions in her bed, as she could not sleep. Kamal was one of the souls could not sleep that night. "What connection does this beautiful girl in his house has with the girl in Khuldara? The name cannot be a coincidence? Tamra is a very rare and unique name? Am I in the middle of something?" he was thinking hard. As he wanted to have a stroll and smoke a cigar, so quietly, he crept out of the house and came to the street. There was something standing in front of the burnt house. Kamal's heart came to his mouth, he again looked with fear, but this time there was nothing. Reassuring himself, he further walked. Again Tamra from Khuldara village came to his memory. "Where could she be? They say, she left the job 2 months back. But I saw and spoke to her a few days before. While travelling in the truck, I had a hallucination. When I came home, there is another Tamra! Who is this Tamra? Why she is haunting me?" the word haunting spread chill down his spine.
"No! No! Tamra from Khuldara could not be a ghost. I am not haunted. She may be a tourist playing a prank on me! I will not think about her anymore. Let me concentrate on my future. After Priya's wedding, Ma will look for a girl to marry me. "At this Tamra's face came to his mind. Shook his head to get rid of that thought. "Phoo! What Am I thinking? That madam in my house? My God! She must be filthy rich. But why she is staying here? Is she running away? Is she being blackmailed? Or…." a terrorizing thought struck his brain. "Has Ravi kidnapped her without her own knowledge? She is thinking, she is touring some village, while, Ravi is blackmailing her father for money? But why? Yes of course Priya's wedding. He had to bring money too!" These thoughts made him restless. Kamal wanted to confront Ravi alone. He decided to bring him here to the burnt house, at the creek of the dawn and make him say everything. If Ravi is really up to something, it was his duty to protect that lady.
Cigar burnt his finger, so he threw it away and turned to head back to his house. There was a figure coming in the opposite direction. Sudden fear gripping him, he hid behind a wall. An old lady was coming, for her age she was walking very fast. Without making any noise, Kamal watched her, he assumed some sleep walker may be. But the old lady stopped just before where Kamal was hiding and put out a hand to reach him. He nearly screamed, but controlled it with supreme efforts.
The touch of the old woman was very cold, even colder than ice. " Take Tamra and flee Birju! Never come back. Tamra is seeking vengeance. She is uncontrollable, the smell of Suraj Rathore's blood had awoken her. Flee Birju! Flee!" the old lady was murmuring these words. But Kamal was able to hear each word clearly. "Grandma! You are not feeling well! Come with me! Let's go home!" said Kamal with a newly gained confidence. "You know my home?" asked the old lady. "Yes of course! You are Ramlal's Grandma! Aren't you? He is my friend! Don't worry, I will take you to your house!" replied Kamal.
The lady laughed a mirthless laugh, which made Kamal recoil in terror. "You see the burnt house? See this house near to that? In them we all lived happily! Until Suraj came. The day Tamra set eyes on him; our fate laughed a cruel laugh! That rascal! That cheating, cunning fox, he ruined our life." A tear rolled down the lady's eyes. Kamal felt uncomfortable with Ravi probably planning a kidnap and a ransom, an old woman blabbering about vengeance and an ill-fated life. "Enough Grandma! Watching Some nonsense in TV and wandering at night. Come! Let's go home. I have a lot of work to do!" saying these words, Kamal dragged the old lady. Surprisingly he was not able to move her. "You fool! Don't you realize you are Birju? Then let me make you realize!" with these words, the lady gave a tight slap on the cheek. Kamal fell to the ground un conscious. The lady carried Kamal inside the burnt house.