Twice Upon A Time

Part 8- The Haunting

Josh's POV:

A female hand, smeared in blood completely, was reaching out to me. "Aarush.... AARUSH!"

I woke up. I was drenched in sweat. It felt like I had taken a bath in sweat. I was panting too.

After the visit to the PO (Principal's Office, duh), the rest of the day whooshed past. And since my head felt sore so badly that I thought it might burst, I left the college after classes got over, without bidding goodbye to anyone.

After getting home, I watched The Conjuring and its sequel Annabelle, when I finally thought it was enough for the day, and after preparing my own dinner and consuming it, I went to bed.

Wait! What's that familiar-yet-alien sound?!

I slapped myself thrice to wake up. I was awake.

Alright. The peculiar noise was climbing the staircases leading to my bedroom. Slowly and steadily approaching my doorway.

Fuck!! This can't be happening. I have fully certified and functional security arrangements in place.

I pinched myself. Alright. I was DEFINITELY awake.

Yes, the noise stopped right at my doorstep.

My heartbeat was running faster than it normally does. I'm fearless. I have never been afraid of ghosts or never had any phobias.

There! I could make out the peculiar sound now. It was the sound of anklebells.

"WHO'S THERE?!" I barked.

The door opened of its own accord. A girl was standing at the doorstep. I couldn't make out her face in the darkness.

Without saying any word, she just left, walking down the staircase again.

"Wait! Who are you?! What do you want from me?" I screamed, to no avail.

Should I follow her? Not a wise choice, Josh. I finally gathered up enough courage and got up from the bed.

I started climbing down the staircase in absolute darkness when a magnificent sight beheld my eyes.

A girl dressed in ethnic Indian attire, a choli and saree, was performing a classical Indian dance and singing in a melodious voice,

"Aami je tomar, sudhu je tomar, Aami je tomar.. Tomar preme pore jaay na surjo dube, aami je tomar.."

It was in Bengali, my mothertongue.

No way can that be happening. Who the hell will break into my mansion in the middle of the night, getting past all my security arrangements and even disabling them, dress up in ethnic Bengali attire, dance and also sing in Bengali?!

That's ridiculous. I'm dreaming. It must be a dream. Of course.

"Well, you aren't dreaming, Aarush." the girl said.

It was then that I could get a glimpse of her, in the faint gleaming, silvery moonlight.

Strikingly beautiful, with large beautiful eyes, bordered with kohl, a nosestud, and large earrings, and dressed in bangles and a gorgeous saree, a traditional Indian attire, she reflected every inch of a Bengali Indian woman. She was mesmerizing, to say the least and so was her voice. She seemed extremely familiar.

No shit!! That can't be. Simply can't be.

"Debasmita?!"

She smiled and nodded.

[Author: Pic at the top depicts Debasmita]

"Oh. My. God. This. Can't be happening. It's not happening. I.... I watched you die." Tears trickled down. She wiped them with the ends of her saree.

"I'm alive. Right here. I always will be." She pointed at my heart.

"I'm miserable. I miss my parents. I miss my sister. I miss you."

"Shhhh.. Everything will be fine in the end. If it's not, then it's not the end. I came here to help you. I will always be there to help you."

"Are you a figment of my imagination? Is this real? Or is it all happening inside my head?"

"Depends on how you want to think."

"What was it you wanted to say?"

"It's not over yet. You have lots of questions unanswered. And your enemies will still be bearing down upon you."

"Enemies?! What do you mean?!"

"All I mean is that there will come a time when you will need your friends. They are your family. And Aubrey. You need her help too. Love her like you couldn't love me. She deserves your love. There's more to her than meets the eye."

"I'm sorry, I don't get it. Need her help for what?!"

"You're smart. Always have been. You'll figure everything out. Including this. But you need Aubrey's help, trust me."

"Okay, but about what?!"

"Everything. Remember what you used to call me?"

"Ummm, Sinjini.."

"Do you remember why?"

"It means the sound of anklebells, in Bengali."

"Good. Your memory's recovering well."

"How does it matter what I used to call you?! What's Sinjini got to do with anything?"

"Everything. Time is running out. I need to leave."

"Wait! One last thing. Well, how to put this, I.. ummm, well.."

"You don't know what you're looking for, right?"

"Yes! Darn right you are!"

She left out of the main door and disappeared into thin air!! I followed her outside, but I couldn't believe my eyes. That couldn't have happened. That just didn't happen. But not before saying this as her last words before exiting through the main door,

"The Calcutta Conspiracy Case of 2014. That's where it all started."