What The Eyes Don't See

14 | Slimy Down Under

The first thing Anay did after settling at the motel, even before looking around to see if it was livable, was to make a call to Shanaya. He tried not to look at the many missed calls from her and he did not even check his messages because he knew there would be a flood of them; he directly called.

She answered on the first ring. "Where are you, Anay? I have been so worried."

"Shan, listen... a lot of things have happened."

"Like what?"

"Not on the phone. Let's meet."

"Cool. Where are you? In the office?"

"Haven't gone to office for three days."

"Why? Are you ill?"

"Nothing as simple as that. But I'll tell you. Look, I have moved from the Versova apartment. I am in Mira Road now."

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then she said, "That far? Overnight?"

"I will come to you."

"The Bandana? Tonight?"

Anay shook his head. "No. Too many memories there. Let me message you the location of another smaller place."

"You are scaring me, Anay."

Without replying to that, he disconnected the phone.

He met her in the evening at Village Shack, a small eatery by the Versova beachside. It was close to his previous apartment. As he went past it in the cab, he saw the dark balcony of it, looking all the more ominous. It was all a bit unsettling, but he didn't want to put Shanaya too much out of the way. When he saw her enter the restaurant with an intense frown on that pretty forehead and still looking like an angel who had somehow landed on earth, he knew that the trip was worth it.

She rushed to him as soon as she spotted him. He ordered the food right away, even the main course, for he did not want to be disturbed by the waiter midway during his narration. Then he opened the conversation, and, for the next two hours, he told her about his terrible mistake of taking Renee home, her death, his tryst at the police station, and his subsequent removal from the house. What he did not tell her—rather, carefully hid from her—was any mention of the inexplicable things that happened in the house. He wanted to tell her but at the very moment, the words just froze in his mouth. How could he tell her that a ghost had killed Renee? She'd probably upturn the glass of cold water on his head, call him a loon, and walk out of the place. He had shocked her enough anyway.

"Oh my God, Anay!" she said at last, letting out a long breath from her pursed lips. "So much happened in two days? So much? And Renee? Wasn't that the girl who I met at the office? Is the poor thing really dead?"

Anay nodded.

"How?"

"It was an accident, Shanaya. Our building staircase has open walls."

"But that's fucking irresponsible of your building authorities. The builder or whoever is concerned must be arrested. Why did they come to you?"

"Because she was in my house, that's why. Our neighbor heard us having an argument. I was picked up for questioning."

Shanaya opened her mouth to say something and then let it pass. It was clear she wanted to ask about why Renee was in the house, but for some reason she thought better of it.

"It's not what you think," Anay said. "Renee and I just used to... chill out sometimes. Just casual, Shanaya. There was no emotion attached to it on either side."

"Did you have sex?"

"At times," he said and looked into his plate. Shanaya did not reply but Anay could read her mind. He could read the accusation. She probably wanted to call him out on being so horny that soon after being turned down by her, he found the next available skirt. "Shanaya, it is true that I took her up to my house," he said in a voice that one uses when confessing their sins to a pastor in a church. "But, believe me, it was she who insisted. Even then, I did nothing. She wanted to do a lot of things but I could not respond."

"Why?"

"I don't know." He could not tell Shanaya that he was thinking of her.

"And then?"

"Renee got mad at me and stormed out of the house. That was the last I saw of her."

Shanaya stayed quiet for a long moment. Then she said in a low voice, "Somehow, Anay, I think I am responsible for her death too."

"What nonsense? Why do you say that?"

"You asked me first. If I had gone with you to your house, Renee would not have happened at all."

Anay lowered his head into his plate. "That's actually a stupid thing to think. The way things are going on in my life, I am sure even that would not have been a good idea." He almost told her about his mysterious ghost stalker but could not. If he did, she'd definitely think he was a fool and leave her. Anyway, it didn't matter anymore—he told himself. He was out of that goddammed house.

"Screw it all! Let's go catch a movie," he said all of a sudden.

Shanaya laughed with a mouthful of food. "What?"

"Yes, I need some cheering up. There's this unforgivably cheesy movie playing right now. Let's go and lose a few more hours of this shitty life." He rose from his chair.

"Wait! Let me at least finish the food."

"Hurry up, Shan! We can still make the 8.30 show."