The Dead Flower

chapter 20

When Harish ended his lustful act Vaishu got up from the bed and sat on the floor covering herself with a piece of cloth.

In the morning she didn't go in front of Harish and also didn't go to college as she was not feeling well.

Harish went to his office not worrying about the girl.

Eric's office

"Bala, What is it?"

"Actually sir, I have collected the photos of students from the school but there were a total of 240 higher secondary students."

"So what? Look Bala we don't have much time... You have to meet the house owner immediately and find about the girl who came for the footage."

"Sir, I went there but that man was admitted at MK hospital due to a heart attack, he is of no hope."

"Shit" Eric banged his hand on the table making the pen stand and vase felt down.

'Why we are always reaching the dead end?' he asked himself.

"Sir, why can't we ask Vaishnavi? We might get some lead?"

"Yes, you are right," hearing Bala's suggestion. Eric got up from his seat with the photos he got.

Eric drove his car to Harish's house without informing him. He knew that Harish won't allow him to talk to Vaishu saying he was helping her to escape.

Eric entered Harish's villa parking his car in front. He saw Lekshmi sitting on the couch with a newspaper in her hand.

"What happened Eric?" Lekshmi asked him who was walking towards her in a hurry.

"Aunty, where is Vaishnavi?"

"She is in her room, what happened? Where is Harish?" Lekshmi was confused due to his sudden arrival that also without Harish.

"Nothing aunty, I have to confirm something with Vaishnavi... if Harish was here he won't let me do that... So I came without telling him."

Eric walking upstairs after telling her the reason stopped on the midway hearing Lekshmi calling him from behind.

"If you could please tell Harish to stop torturing the girl and leave her alone... I am seeing her for weeks and I don't think she could hurt someone..." She said sighing heavily.

Nodding at her Eric climbed the remaining steps. Reaching Harish's room he knocked on the door and waited for Vaishu to open the door. When he didn't get any response he continued the same.

Not getting any response he decided to leave but stopped there hearing some incoherent whispering sound from inside. He turned the doorknob and opened it as the door was not locked from inside.

Erik stepped inside the room when the door opened, he turned to the side from where he was hearing the whispering sound.

The sight in front disturbed him, making him panicked for a second. Vaishu was lying on the floor in a pool of blood oozing out from the cut on her left wrist. She was lying there blabbering something with a red mark on her cheek and a bite mark on her neck.

"Aunty...!" Eric shouted from the room not being able to move near Vaishu.

Lekshmi who came hearing Eric calling her shocked seeing  Vaishu and stood there frozen.

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Eric and Lekshmi waited outside Harish's room when Lekshmi's friend Dr. Deepa came to check Vaishu. Even though Vaishu was unconscious and burning with fever they were not able to take her to the hospital. They feared to take her to hospital with the cut on her wrist. They feared that it might become a police case if they took her to the hospital.

Lekshmi felt ashamed of her son seeing what he had done to a girl. Even if she had done something bad to Haritha, she can't justify Harish's act towards her.

Eric went to the doctor who came out of the room after examining Vaishu, he felt relieved when the doctor said 'nothing to worry, she is alright now'.

"She became unconscious due to the blood loss... But you don't have to worry... It's just a small amount of blood loss so blood transfusion is not necessary... I have given a ringer lactate IV infusion but..." she hesitated to complete what she was saying looking at Eric and Lekshmi who were listening to her hopefully.

"But what doctor?" Eric was impatient.

"She is physically alright but mentally broken... I will suggest you to show her to a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist... But can I know what happened to her...?" Deepa looked at Lekshmi for an answer. Not being able to say anything Lekshmi stood there silently feeling ashamed. "I should have reported this to police if it is not for you."Deepa continued after getting her answer from Lekshmi's silence.

Harish's office

Harish threw the files in his hand in front of his employees making the papers scattered on the floor.

"How did they get the project which we have already signed with that company?"

"Actually we are clueless sir our team was currently investigating this" Harish's secretary Pridhvi answered in an attempt to calm him.

"Is this loss that simple to you?" Harish roared at his employees not bothering to attend the call on his phone which was ringing for a long time..................................