PART 27
THREATS
####Emergency in room no. 32 dr. x reach immediately!!!!!!##
<A voice on announcement>
K –That's…That's Nick's room!!!!!!!!!!
Sam –Hurry!
Sam, Kashish and all other family members gathered outside nicks room. Something had suddenly gone wrong. Nicks condition had deteriorated suddenly and doctors have been called to stabilize him, now Sam wasn't the only one looking pale…
Nurse- Ummm.. Excuse me…. Is there a Swayam Sinha here? Whose wife has been admitted in general ward?
Sam –I am here.
Nurse –Sir I need you to come with me. your wife… She is behaving uncontrollably, maybe you can calm her down.
Ashoke –We will all come there is nothing we can do here. Sujal, Kaveri would you please stay here?
Sujal nodded and every1 went to see Rin who was screaming like a mad woman.
Sam –Rin! Rin!!!Shhh… dear! What is it… What's bothering you? Stop screaming honey..
Rin pushes away Sam and stares at the whole Sinha family in the eye.
R –U! Stay away from me and my child. You and your whole goddammed cursed family stay away from me!!! U… u… It's all happening.. Coz of u… You are Cursed.. Your whole family is Cursed!!!!! You hear me?!!! CURSED!!!!! Each and every1 of u!!!! I don't want to die!!!!!!(Suddenly crying)I don't want my baby to die!!! Please for love of god, leave us alone. Go away…<sobbing noise>. Look what happened to poor Sujal… now nick too…. Isn't it proof enough? Haven't I been suffering long enough?!! Doesn't Kaveri's plight affect you? Why ?!!! How!!??? Just go away!! Leave!!
Sam –Rin… I.. We… You know it's nothing like that, just coincidences.. Nothing more.. Don't..Say such awful things… Ok? Calm down. We are all here. We will protect you and we won't let anything harm you ok?
Sam said moving slowly towards Rin. He eyes were swimming and hands were shaking…
Ashoke –He is right. We won't-
Rin –NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's all your fault..She said it is.. She told me everything it's your fault!!!!!!! I'll …I'll kill you if anything happens to my baby!!!! It's all your fault!!!
Rin screamed and lunged towards Ahoke.
K –What's going on??!! What is she talking about ..Dad?
Sid –Is it really true then?
Sam –What nonsense are you talking about? Rin honey please calm down.. Please….
Sam cuddled Rin and tried to wipe both there tears at once. Kashish looked harried and confused at the whole scene while her other brother, Sid kept staring at Ashoke with a grim expression.
A –Rin? Maybe you are right. We will do what you want. But please.. Tell me, what woman? Did anyone come to meet you?
Sam –I am not leaving Rin, just coz some mad lady spits up some crap!!
Sid –Wont you? Are you that selfish? Rin is right aren't the evidences enough?
A –Shut up! I don't want any1 fighting. Rin beta, please tell me what lady?
Rin –I'll tell you. Sam please I am ok now let me go. I am not hysterical anymore. I…. I was sent that bouquet sometime ago…. The nurse told me a nice old lady delivered it.. But didn't come to see me yet.. Coz I was asleep already… and..There's the msg… you can read it.. I …didn't believe it when I got married.. I wouldn't have even now.. Except.. It's true… I don't want to … I just want my baby to be alright and that's why I am asking you all to leave us alone, maybe then… It sounds awful but. I don't know I just…..Please.. Leave us alone. I don't want anything else. Sam you too. You are his son and share his blood.
K –Cut it out Rin! How dare you blame dad and bhai for your and your baby's health. Yuck I always knew you were a little psycho, but you have-
Sam –Kashish!!! That's enough. Not another word against Rin! What does the card say dad?
Ashoke had already dropped the greeting card on which 4 lines in red were printed, coz his hands were shaking uncontrollably..
Kashish picked it up and looked at her dad worried, he seemed to have turned gray and looked extremely sick.. It bothered her even more that not one of her two brothers were worried about him or showing any concern. Unable to discern the situation, Kashish read aloud the card which result in Rin shaking and sobbing once again.
"Promises were made
Which were fake
Time has come for the dept to be repaid
Starting from you all shall I slay."
Sid –Wouldn't you still leave her alone Sam?
Sam –But… Rin… How can I..? She will be alone. What if… no!! I can't.
Sid –U will have to. Kaveri can stay here. Ok?
Sam –Yes.. I guess.. Even she is in danger then…
Kashish –What…??!!! What's going on! What are you guys talking about??? Dad? Won't you stop them from this? Bhaiya??!We can't let any stupid notes scare us!!
Sid –Kashish….we… DAD!!! You have to tell her!
A –How can I.. I.. beta..
Sam –Fine don't!! Act like it's all not happening, like it can't affect u!!! I will! Kashish you think it's all nonsense!! You wanna know the truth? Go and check the identification no. on that hand in your office! God!! Sujal too.. What was his fault? Why didn't we think of it before… You have to tell him dad.. If you don't then I will. And trust me when I do, it won't sound pretty at all!
Sid –Calm down bro. Give him time, it's no easy for him ok. Dad. You tell them all by tomorrow night or we will. This can't go on. I'll tell Sanskriti , engagement is off till Nick wakes up. Let's go every1. Rin, Kaveri will be staying with u, for both your safety and if.. Well I don't think you will call but still, if anything goes wrong call us.
**********
Kashish hurried back to her office, her head still reeled from all that had occurred. How could evry1 take a stupid note so seriously? How could Sid and Sam behave so coldly towards dad and act as if it's all his fault and why did her father act like it was all his fault. Why wont they tell her what was wrong?
And something was wrong. Very wrong. Back at the hospital and here at her office too. All storage rooms tmp was high and all the corpses were giving an awful smell. If she had returned any later all the corpses would have decayed. Her locker had been ransacked. Moreover, the hand was back in her desk drawer, without the box. Soiling the medical reports under it.
Numbing all her reactions and shutting down her logical mind. Kashish slowly went and copied the id no. printed near the thumb of the hand. To stop herself from thinking and reacting was the only way Kashish could stop herself from screaming and going mad.
Kashish copied the no. and fed it to the comp to search for core other details. While the machine hummed and searched Kashish placed the hand back in plastic box which now contained burned paper ash. Making a mental note to search for a missing report. K placed the box at the back of storage room and restored all the corpses to their places and lowered the temp.
When Kashish got back to the id search, the comp told her that the hand belongs to old corpse coz it had records for last10 yrs and it was not there.
Chilled to her bones Kashish took the plastic box and went to hospital. She needed ans. Or she would go mad.
************
What wrong? What's going on? Is it the right time to ask? What happened to Rin? Why is only Kaveri staying with her. Did Sam really tell Sanskriti that is over b/w her and Nick? How is Nick now? Where is Kashish!!!!!?????
Sujal sat in the hospital corridor all alone, getting tortured by his thoughts.
Ah… Some1 is finally coming… Hmmm not some1 I know defiantly. Too light on step to be a man. A female.. But not a nurse either the shoes are all wrong for that… Old… The gait is slow… Ahh she has sat down next to me. Odd.. She doesn't smell of anything particular. Every1 usually have a unique smell… It's almost as if she made sure t not have a particular identifying smell.
Lady –How are you young man?
Uhh she is talking to me… Her voice is … made up.. Not real!!
S –I am fine. And you madam? Something wrong with your throat.
Lady –Huh?<cackling laughter sound>
Not a nice laugh… Then maybe not a person…. But why does she laugh? Why does she talk to me some1 else's voice?
Lady –Aye… They were right… You are good… And it would be such a pity if you were to join them… Tell me young man, would you get away from Sinha family if you knew that you will die if you remained with them?
S –What sort of question is that? Who the hell are you? You are crazy to go around making threats like that-
Sujal suddenly shut up. He could feel a sudden chill down his spine. This lady was not joking and something was very wrong with her. This lady was very serious and somehow Sujal had the feeling that if she felt like it she would.. Kill him right now.
S –Does my staying with Sinha's doom me to early death?
Lady –U are intelligent and intuitive too!!!! How refreshing! Indeed it would be a pity.. Yes.. Boy.. Your death will be untimely in that case….
S –U think you know a lot about me? But you don't if you ask me such a ques. Of course I am with Sinha's.. What for would I live, if not for them? Take them from me and wouldn't I die in that case too…
L –I see… Oh yes I can.. Even though you can't haaahaaa…. No you can't, but you are sure about this… You are on the sinking ship.
S –Maybe… but I can't see that and I swim well. But then I never side with the losing side… And any1 who goes against me, is, always on the losing side.
Sujal said in his most smug, confident tone, feeling good about himself, for being able to talk to his death fearlessly. He suddenly heard a quick motion and a tiny prick on his neck. The last thing he heard was the death lady saying
"Uh! Indeed, such a pity!"
*********
"Jake? It's me Kashish. Sorry to wake you up. I need a favor….. No.. Yes, I am alright…… no it ok. Listen, Jake.. I need you to find a corpse detail for me. I got it's id no…… no its not in the office comp. The corpse is older than 10 yrs…. Yes it is imp, please… Ok I'll msg you the id.. Let me know as soon as you find out, I am at city hospital….. Yah Nick is fine, bye."
Kashish marched up the hospital corridors, she was worried very worried. And it didn't help her mind that her brothers and father were all acting so secretive, why weren't they telling her anything? How was Sujal a victim? Sujal…. Again a Kashish shivered… He was Alone!!! If anything made any sense was that some1 was mortally threatening her family and they were starting with Rin .. Maybe Sujal… and god no..Nick too.. Whoever this was, her father and brother were taking him, no her, seriously and not calling this whole affair coincidence. If Kaveri and Rin were together now, obviously not wanting to be with "Sinha's" and Sanskriti too was sent away…. Then that left ….oh my god!!!!!
Kashish ran to the corridor where she had last seen Sujal and heart stopped beating when she saw a figure lying carelessly on the waiting seat. Sujal never slept like that. All the numbness which was keeping her sane left Kashish and in came panic, dread and horror.
Kashish walked up to Sujal and checked his pulse… it was slow but present, relief filled her. Kashish shook Sujal, but he didn't wake up. Kashish shook him harder, panic fogging her mind and driving her insane.
No!!!! not him!!! Not Sujal!!! He doesn't deserve this… Not him please god no!!!! Wake up Sujal Please!!Please!!!! What will I do without you?
The thought caught Kashish in middle of her shaking and she stopped.
What am I doing? Sujal isn't family.. Yes he is very close but not blood family… Why should I be anymore concerned about him than nick?
Logic cleared her mind but Kashish still felt the dread pulling her heart back into mad fear, coz some part of her told her tt she did care for lot Sujal.. and she would indeed be lost without him.
Pulling Sujal in a sitting posture, Kashish slowly examined him and called for a nurse, she spotted the prick of a needle on his neck and deduced that he was drugged. What else was given had to be found out by blood test. Since most ppl knew kashih at the hospital, sujal's blood was quickly examined and it wa found that he had been drugged and given some chemical to which he was particularly allergic. Since Kashish had found him in good time, they neutralized the allergy and placed Sujal in the room with nick.
Not wanting to panic her family members more, Kashish called her dad and brothers at home and told them that she was staying with nick and Sujal at the hospital.
*********
"Hey princess is it you there?"
Kashish bolted from the makeshift couch and ran to Sujal, she had been memorizing name of all the chemicals and stuff to which each member of her family was allergic and researching antidotes for them, the simple clerical work helped her from going mad with anxiety, but now that Sujal was awake, she was anxious as hell.
"SUJAL!!!!!!!!"
Kashish leaped on bed and hugged him not thinking anything, the relief was so intense.
"You are okay? Aren't you? You are right? Sujal? What had happened? How did you get drugged? Does it hurt anywhere? Sujal do you need-"
"Kashish!! Kashish! Calm down!!! I am fine princess. And your concern makes me feel even better."
Sujal hugged Kashish back, disturbed yet happy by her reaction. He could feeling the tension in her body, she was highly bothered by something and he could feel the relief she was feeling by being near him.
"Now would you please tell me what in blazes is going on? First evry1 goes.. Send away Sanskriti.. Then the mad lady shows up sticks a needle in me and now your acting as if you just got your life back. Hats wrong Kashish, do you know who that woman was. No first tell me what's bothering so much?"
"Mad lady?.. Oh Sujal!! Oh no.. No…"
Sujal getting alarmed by Kashish's behavior finally managed to drag out the whole story from her.
"And when I was getting back from office I suddenly realized that you were all alone and look what happened to u…"<sob>
"Hey.. Don't cry.. I am fine am I not? and it was a really old lady you know… she can't do more than stick some needles and send notes… whatever else happened is coincidence… nothing more. Don't let the enemy get into your head.."
"Don't let her get into my head Sujal?? She already is there!!! Don't you see? She gave you the exact thing you were allergic to!!! How could she know this? Only me and nick about it!!Sujal.. I dint believe it too 2hrs ago, I didn't but.. I am not sure anymore.."
"Well then maybe she got files and info on all of us.. So what? He could have found that from medical file.. You can get that by bribing the right ppl, right? What else? Her behavior.. She observed us well and knows our weak points.. But she is just an old woman at the end and there are so many of us.. Don't think s much about it."
"I don't know Sujal.. I don't know.. I don't like this.. I..I'm.. I'm… I just want all this to end…I… I'm scared."
"Shhh… it's okay. Nobody would let anything happen to u"
Sujal hugged Kashish tighter, it was the first time he had seen her crying coz she was afraid and not hurt..He won't let any1 get to her. He would protect her no matter what.
*******
Next day Kashish went to her office and went about doing her work mechanically, logic failed her and too much thinking scared her.
For the first time Kashish was living in fear and read of unknown
"Hey Kash!!! You look bad!!… Nick okay?", Jake came into K's office smiling, hoping to cheer her up. Sometimes he wished he could take away all her problems, but he knew couldn't. It wasn't his job to ease her pain…
"Uh…yeah.. He's better, something went wrong with his medicine dose and caused a reaction everything is fine now."
"<grunt> These hospitals are getting so careless these days, but then we shouldn't complain, after all it means more business for us!!", Jake grinned and plopped on the visitor's chair.
"No!! Don't say that!! I am sorry, I am just tired I didn't mean to snap. Did you get the..Uh..Info.. I "
"About that 10 yr old id? I inquired… They would send the report early evening, take it before you leave. Don't overstress ok?"
"Yah..Um Jake.. How did you know that Nick was in hospital?"
"How did I know? Well.. Your ppl couldn't reach you last night maybe signal prob so they called me.. Why are you asking?"
"Nothing I just… I don't know what I am saying… Bye Jake thanx for the help"
**************
The report hadn't arrived and for some reason Kashish was dreading going home. She had the insane idea that if she didn't know what the whole prob was, then she couldn't be hurt. Wanting to stay away from home Kashish called and informed that she would be late getting home.
Around 8 p.m., when every1 had left the office, the report which she had asked for, was finally delivered. Kashish sat down and opened it. She had been mentally preparing herself for the report results she had thought about all possible scenarios… But nothing prepared her for what she saw.
Kashish sat frozen in her chair. Her whole being chilled to the core, her eyes again and again read the name on the report and her brain refused to understand, just then some1 touched her shoulder. She had been so engrossed that she didn't even notice that some1 had entered her office and was standing behind her and she was unable to see the face, but the harsh voice she heard was oddly familiar…
"Hello Kashish, so you finally found out whose hand it is huh?"
Kashish whirled around in her chair, but was unable to complete her motion or scream, as a quick hand shot out and pressed a foul smelling hanky to her face.
********************************************
Sam –Dad… Kashish is gonna be late tonight and anyways… I think she has some idea… But, you have to tell Sujal. He has the right to know and choose like Rin and Kaveri.
A –I know… I just don't know how to tell him.. He is I not my son.. But he is almost like one.. I… I just don't know how to tell him.
Sid –Just like your son? Doesn't that endanger him even more?? What if his accident hadn't been an accident? Would still hesitate in telling him. He has the right dammit. He didn't choose to become blind or anything worse when he chose to be with us. So you have to tell him!!
S –Tell me what? Bhaiya why are you talking to uncle like that? What do I have to know? That I may die coz I am with you ppl?
Ahoke hung his head in shame while Sam and Sid looked at each other uncomfortably…. They all hadn't actually thought of death as the end..
Sujal –Well? If that is it then I already know… I was told yesterday by an old woman.. I told Kashish about it-
A –Old lady?!!!
S –Yes.. Why are you all so afraid of some old hag? What more can she do? She may know our weaknesses but she doesn't have the resources to hurt us.. She can't get inside the house and shoot us. She is too old for that.
A –U don't know… you don't know!!!!! She is not just any old woman….
Sam –And I for 1, don't think she is making idle threats…
Sid –Yah… If you have enough money then you can have any resource you want. Don't you agree Sujal?
S –But hired guns always come back and blackmail!!And she wouldn't know where to find them in the first place.
A –Oh!!! She would.. She would know everything about every1 of us and also where to find ppl to use against us. Hired guns? She isn't afraid to die.. After her work is done.. I doubt she would want to live anyway…
S –You make her sound bad uncle… Maybe that's why you all are so afraid of her. I guess then you should tell me who this widow spider really is…
*********************************************
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