Chapter 5

[MEMBERSONLY]

Chapter One (PART-3)

Kabir became frustrated, Misha tried to make him calm, but he just became violent. He slammed on the counter of the table and groaned, "Kaun hai yaha ka malik? Bulao usse? Zara main bhi toh jaan lu, aise kaise outgoing cut kar sakte hai yeh log." He continued but this time he faced Misha, instead of Tanushree Ambolkar and said, "Ek toh mobile ka signal nahi pakad raha hai, upar se landline ka outgoing nahi chalta hai. Hum calls kare bhi toh kaise?"

Misha caressed Kabir's cheek and hugged her tightly in her arm by saying softly, "Thakur yaar, it's ok. Itna jada gussa mat ho. I'm sure koi na koi tarika hoga hi hamare parents ko contact karne ka."

Kabir slowly pulls Misha's hand from his cheek and said in crying tone, "kaise Misha? Kaise? Jab tak signal nahi pakadta hain, tab tak hum kuch nahi kar sakte hain. Upar se yeh barish, rukne ka naam hi nahi le raha hai. Bahar bhi iss waqt nahi jaa sakte hai."

Kabir groaned turning his back towards us and facing Tanushree Ambolkar on her table counter. He said, "Apne malik ko bulao, unn se discuss karna hai iss matter ko."

Tanushree shows calmness on her face and nods her head, "1 minute sir." She took the receiver and started dialling number. However, she pressed only three buttons.

Tanushree Ambolkar: Hello sir. Suhas Singh Rathod ke bete Kabir Singh Rathod hotel ke malik se milna chahte hai. Aap yaha aa sakte hain?

I saw her while nodding her head, but her eyes were straight still looking without moving, a single inch.

Tanushree Ambolkar: Ok sir. Aap jaldi yaha aa jaayiye.

She hangs the receiver and ends the conversation by saying, "Sir abhi kuch der main aayenge. Aap please intezaar ki jiye."

I heard the sound of shoes that was clicking continuously on the big marble flooring tiles. I saw a tall dark man, who came in front of us in his blood color suit, along with black formal pant. His hair was gelled and clean-shaved face. On his coat, there was a nameplate where it was written, "Danish Singh"

He gave a serious look and without smiling, he said slowly in a possessed voice, "Hello sir. I'm Danish Singh. General Manager of Rosegad." He extended his hand in front of Kabir and Kabir accepted his gesture. They both shook their hands.

Kabir said softly, "I wanted to meet the owner of this hotel. Mujhe ek manager se nahi milna hain."

Danish Sigh: Sir, aap ki jo bhi complaints hain. Mujhe bataiye. Main aap ki complaints ko solve karunga.

Kabir: Tum karoge?

Danish stood straight and nods his head: Jee sir. Problem kya hain?

Kabir: Problem hain phone. Mujhe dad ko call karna hain aur mere mobile ka signal nahi mil raha hai aur aap ke landline main outgoing service nahi hain.

Danish again nods his head: Sir, agar call urgent hain toh main dusre jagah se call karwa ke, aap ka message de sakta hoon.

Kabir: Mujhe message nahi dena hai. Mujhe khud dad se baat karna hai.

Danish: I'm sorry sir. Par jaha pe hamara dusra telephone hain. Waha mere ya hotel ke malik ke alava aur koi nahi jaa sakta hain.

Kabir: Dekho mujhe tumhare malik se baat karna hain. Unn se kaho, main Kabir Singh Rathod, unn se baat karna chahta hoon.

Danish: Sorry sir. Par malik kisi se milte nahi hain.

Misha frustratedly said, "hum kisi wale main nahi aate hai. Mere boyfriend ke dad ne pura hotel kharida hain, isliye tumhare malik se kaho ke woh humse chup-chap se mile, warna hum yaha se chale jaayenge." She points forefinger towards Danish and warns him.

Danish bowed and looked towards Misha. Somehow, I felt he didn't liked Misha's behaviour. Even though his expression was blank and didn't reacted, but his dark eyes it was different. When he looked at Misha while bowing, his eyeballs were up; still he managed to look at Misha only.

I felt angriness in his eyes, I have no idea whether Misha really noticed that anger in Danish's eyes, but I'd noticed the anger.

I just hope no trouble is going to come in our way. Kabir and Misha were very angry. I can understand their feelings, I've same feelings. But I can control my anger, but Kabir and Misha they simply can't.

"Sir aap pehle aaram ki jiye. Fhir baad main aap ki baat karwa dunga hamare malik se." Danish said in a possessed voice looking straight. But this time he was not looking at Kabir, instead he looked at Misha.

I'd doubted when his eyes were engrossed on Misha. I saw Misha getting uncomfortable with his continuous staring. Misha walked towards Kabir and holds his arm tightly. Maybe she was trying to prove that her boyfriend is there to protect her. I could see a tiny effect of fear in Misha's face and her rough lip that were shivering while gulping her throat.

"Tanushree, bellboy ko bulao." Danish voiced possessed.

"Maine Rehmat ko bheja tha, par woh budha ho gaya hai. Har kaam der se karta hain." Tanushree was simply copycat of Danish. Her voice had same possession.

I could feel this easily that hotel was definitely not, what it seems. The staffs are weird. Everyone talk so similar, it is too difficult to understand whether they are human or a ghost, as per the speculations media had spread in the form of rumours.

Rehmat Ali finally arrived with a bellboy. Finally, I could see a young tall wheatish boy. His uniform was blood color with a black pant, blood color sweater and a black bow towards his neck.

The nameplate on his uniform had a name, "Shankar Menon". He was clean-shaved and his hair was gelled, just like Danish Singh.

He too didn't smiled and was giving a serious look.

Danish: Shankar inn bacho ka saaman leke jaao aur inhe apna kamra dekhao.

Shankar Menon nods his head and bowed in front of us. He talked in a deadly serious tone, just as if he is possessed too, "Chaliye, aap ko apna kamra dekha deta hoon." Every word he uttered slowly.

I gulped my throat and was about to walk. But, Kabir and Misha stopped me.

Kabir: Piya ruko.

I turned behind to see Kabir, who was still standing near the reception counter.

Me: Kya hua Kabir? Kamre main nahi jana hai?

Kabir: Nahi Piya. Abhi nahi. Ruko.

I paused while Kabir looked at Danish and talked to him, "Pehle mujhe iss hotel ke owner se baat karni hain. Unko bulao?"

Danish: Sir, main aap ki malik se meeting zarur karwa dunga. Pehle aap apne gile kapdo ko badal di jiye, isse pehle ke aap sab ko thand lag jaaye aur aap bimar pad jaaye.

When he said last sentence, he looked at Misha, Angad, Ruhi, Me and at last Kabir. Even though, his eyeballs were not moving, but his head moved while looking at us.

I realised that we all were wet and I was already shivering due to coldness. I could still hear the sound of lightning and the rain that was non-stop falling outside, visible through the open doors of hotel.

Kabir and all of us agreed to listen, as Danish promised to talk with his hotel owners and fix a meeting with us.

We walked from lobby area towards the upstairs. Ruhi had tightened her hands in Angad's one-arm. But Kabir and Misha wasn't scared anymore. They were walking normally just like me. The wrought iron staircase looked elegant. Everything on the second floor looked pin drop silence. The clicking sound was coming from our sandals, shoes while walking on the floor.

There was a woman in a pale grey flowery saree, who was wiping the floor with a long laminate flooring brush and a blue bucket filled with water. She turned back and stared at us but her hands were moving by holding flooring brush on the marble granite floor. Her wheatish dark skin blemishes towards the corner of her cheeks.

She was standing near the wall and without smiling, she simply stared at us. The nameplate on her saree was visible too. In the nameplate, her name was mentioned as, "Anita Rawat"

Suddenly, the bulbs on the second floor started flickering.

Ruhi got scared and she voiced shivering: Yeh blub ko achanak kya ho gaya?

She was looking up on the ceilings where hanging bulbs were flickering.

Angad started consoling Ruhi: Kuch nahi baby, shayad bulb main problem hoga.

We all stared up at the ceiling. Unknowingly the corner of my eyes looked towards the sweeper who was busy looking at us. My eyes witnessed a soft smile at the corner of that woman's lip. As if she was thinking something and smiled for a second.

Suddenly, the flickering of bulb stopped. As if, nothing happened. Ruhi was getting too much scared. We tried to calm her, but her emotions were out of control.

Kabir worriedly asked Shankar: Achanak bulb ko kya hua tha?

Shankar: Sir, ghabraiye mat. Yaha aksar barish main electricity jata hai.

Kabir: Generator nahi hain?

Shankar: Sir, generator chal raha hain abhi.

Kabir: Oh theek hain.

We all walked towards our room. Shankar Menon unlocked our rooms and gave keys to us.

Boys were in Two hundred and five, room number and we (girls) were in Two hundred and six, room number.

He left us in our room and then walked out, without taking any money from us. However, Misha offered but he rejected by saying that they don't take money.

We felt a very professional treatment from him, though the staff looked different, but everyone was professional and soft-spoken, even if their voices were strange but no one gave back-answer, especially when Kabir lost his control and got angry on Tanushree and then at Danish.

The room was huge just like any five-star hotel rooms. I don't know why this hotel has not given five-star ratings. The wooden double bed was broad in shape and we three can easily sleep on this bed. It integrated with bedside table, where a small elegant lamp adjusted on the table. Two candles lightened in the wall-attached table that was few inches away from bed. Two resting sofas, wooden table in the middle of the sofas. The room designed with marble flooring and two wind chimes hanging on the ceilings that were making noise continuously.

The balcony door was open, I walked towards balcony which was broad in size. The raindrops flew inside the balcony as the air passed through my way, drops dripped on my face, on my windcheater and I became wet.

Misha screamed from inside: Piya. Bahar kya kar rahi hai? Andar aaja, bheeg jaaogi aur fhir bimar paad jaaogi.

I laughed thinking in my mind: Itni toh bheeg chuki hoon.

However, she was right. As soon as she talked about illness, I started sneezing by holding my mouth with both the hands, so that Misha and Ruhi shouldn't be infected because of me.

Misha teased: Dekha, kaha tha na bimar paad jaaogi? Aab yaha doctor kaha se milega?

Me: Relax Misha. Sirf chikh hain.

Misha: Abhi toh chikh hi hain. Baad main sardi, khasi, bhukar sab ho jaayega.

Me: Hua toh nahi na?

Misha: Woh hone main kitna der lagega? Samjho ho hi gaya.

Oh no! She was again right. Does her tongue have a black spot?

I felt cold and cough immediately as she spit those words by teasing.

Misha groaned: Tujhe kaha tha maine. Abhi jaldi se kapda change kar lo aur fhir doctor ko bulane ke liye kahenge. Warna bhukar bhi ho jaayega.

I screamed at Misha, "bas kar aab. Apni kali jaban bandh kar. Tu woh sab nahi bolti toh yeh nahi hota."

Misha teased, "very funny. Ek toh khud bheegte hain aur mujhpe ilzam lagati hai?" She pointed finger on her chest and raised her eyes.

I got angry and didn't speak to her. Ruhi was in the bathroom. She came out by changing her pink dress into red bandage dress.

Wow! It seems like Ruhi has been infected by all those staff people. Staff uniform has blood color and Ruhi has red rose color.

Ruhi in her sugary voice: Piya jaa. Abhi tu jaa ke change kar le.

I nod my head and from my backpack, I grabbed khaki tight pant and yellow full-sleeves kurti, along with my undergarments and a towel. I'd planned to take a bath on my hair as the travelling was hectic due to rain, wetness and dirtiness.

The bathroom tiles were cold, as I kept my legs on the tiles, foots started shivering.

I decided to take bath with hot water, but as soon as I rolled bathroom faucet, only cold water was dripping in the bucket.

I screamed from bathroom, "Misha nal mai garam paani nahi aa raha hai."

I heard the doorbell.

I was continuously screaming from bathroom, but Misha was not replying me.

Someone knocked at the bathroom door. I opened the door and saw smiling Ruhi.


Continued next post...
abhiya_kapi2012-07-10 07:31:56