Bombay Shaman: Nightmares at Dadar

PART IV - Reasoning

The only possible explanation to the fast worsening of the girl's symptoms that Kumaran could come up with was that the demon had grown stronger from feeding off of the boy.

Judging from how the demon's behaviour was during the exorcism of the girl, Swetha, Kumaran feared that it might've been too late to perform the exorcism on the boy. If the demon had completely latched onto the boy's soul, and the same was to be done again, the process of exorcism would've ripped apart the soul of the victim during separation.

His fear turned out to be true. The demonic black mass had completely eclipsed the soul of the boy. The boy was a big dried raisin with limbs on the bed. Upon getting close to the boy, the vile eye opened again. It looked straight at him. It recognized him. There was this thing in the look it shot, a look of mocking satisfaction, as if it had won.

The idea of exorcism had to be abandoned.

"What now?" Edha asked, as they stood outside in the passage of the ICU, by the rusty window.

"Son, what will happen to my daughter? Will she come out of coma? Tell me, son. Tell me." The father desperately asked him.

Kumaran didn't reply. He silently stood, looking out the window. He was somewhere else.

"Why don't you answer us?!" The brother pulled his shoulder angrily.

He glanced at him, his eyebrows knitted.

"Sorry..." He let go of his shoulder. "But please answer us."

Kumaran heaved a tired sigh. "The only way to bring your daughter out of coma and to save that boy is to kill that demon. No roots, no tree."

"Can you do that?" The father asked.

"Killing is not the hard part," he clicked his tongue, "finding is. That's what I'm thinkin."

"Both the patients are from the same area," Edha said. "Just for your info."

His eyes sparked. "Same area? Damn! Should've asked that earlier! Dumb ol' me. Gimme their addresses."

She hesitantly flicked a glance at the father. "I can't just–"

"Door No. 509, Malik apartment, S.V.S Road, Dadar west." He said it himself.

"Thanks," Kumaran nodded. "So, I'd assume both of the victims are from Dadar West. Two paranormal attacks in the same area, can't be a coincidence. That's still vague. Why is it attackin? It might be random, or it might have some criteria to attack. Need answer to that."

"How do you plan to get an answer?" Edha asked.

"Tell me, uncle, how did this happen exactly? Did ya notice anythin odd bout your daughter before any of this? Or was it just – spontaneous?"

"No, she was her usual self. Today near the afternoon, her office suddenly called, saying she had collapsed."

"Hmm," He massaged his forehead. "If ya don't mind, can I inspect your home? Just to see if there is anythin–"

"Oh sure, son. Sure."

"I'd need to inspect her home to," He gently pointed at the mother of the boy – she had fallen asleep on the chair outside his room. "I need her address, Edha."

"Ya can ask her that... Why ask me?" She evidently didn't want to do anything she wasn't allowed to.

"She doesn't even know what happened. Just what do I tell her? Your son is possessed. I need to inspect your home? Ya remember how ya reacted this mornin, right?"

She got silenced.

"And even if she did believe me, what if 'cause of some reason I fail? It would be like inflatin hope into a hopeless person only to deflate it again, and there is a limit to what someone in her position can take. Ya know I'm right, Edha. Might not be the hospital policy, what I'm askin, but it definitely is the only right thing left. Breakin rules isn't always bad."

"Okay!" She closed her eyes, collecting herself with a deep breath. "Okay. Fine! I will get you the address. And I'm coming with you."

"Eh?"

"I want to see this through. You can't stop me!"

"Suit yourself." He shrugged. "And by the way, I need a drop of his blood."

AUTHOR NOTES

The demon is not easy to get rid off; the hell it is so... diabolically stubborn is what it is. Now Kumaran and Edha have to look deeper to find a hint to the roots of this dark entity. What will they find in the houses of the victims? Read the next part to find out dear readers! 

I hope you're enjoying the story, if you are, please do vote and comment. Open to genuine feedback; that would help me rectify my errors.