Posted:
Prologue :
"Nahi! kuch bhi ho jaye main tumhain yeh raaz kabhi nahi bataongi! " The man with the mask tracked a random sequence on her arm with the tip of his knife, the pain pain made her scream.
" Ab bhi waqt hai, agar bata dogi to tumhari jaan bach sakti hai, nahi to yun hi tarap tarap ker mer jaogi ", despite all the pain the girl managed to give a faint smile, " kabhi nahi! "The sound of the footsteps made them turn towards the door, a women walked in, "kuch kaha is ne? "
" Ji nahi" the man looked reluctant to meet her sharp eyes, but instently handed the knife to her when she held her hand out to him, the girl who was lying on the floor in her own blood, stared at the women with hatred, n twitched with pain when the women grabed her hair. Before she could say anything, the girl raised her weak hand, " kabhi nahi" and the women slashed her nek her open with knife.
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Part 1 :
Arman jumped out of the couch, he screamed as he sensed something trickle down his neck. He checked it with his finger and sieghed with relief when he noticed it was only his sweat. " The stupid dream's...." he stopped when the door bell rang, he opened the door, " Nikhil! ", before Arman could say anything else, Nikhil enterd the apartment and eased on the couch. " Are u ok? You look as if you seen a ghost! " Nikhil asked with a sense of curiosity more than concern. "Haan theek hoon, bas wohi khwab.... " Arman sat dwn on the couch beside Nikhil.
" To tumse kisne kaha tha ke so jao, sara kaam wahin para hai aur tum khwab dekh rahe thai. " Nikhil was looking at the half painted wall, and the paint and brush on the floor, Arman was supposed to finish it but he fell asleep when he decided to take a short break, " Yaar mujhai yeh samajh nahi aata aakhir is khwab ka matlab kiya hai, her bar bas yehi dekhta hoon ke woh aurat aik raaz jan ne ke liye us lerki ki jaan le leti hai, aakhir woh raaz kiya hai! "
Nikhil looked slightly annoyed and couldn't keep it from his voice, " Aur mujhai yeh samjah nahi aata ke tum aik khwab ko le ker itne tensed kiyoon ho! " Arman gave him an empty stare which made Nikhil slightly embaressed. " Acha dekho, agar tumhain waqai lagta hai ke is khwab ka koi khaas matlab hai to tum kisi se ja ker baat kiyoon nahi ker lete, tumhari sab tension khatam ho jaye gi. "
"Hmm...." Arman had been considering this option for a long time, but he wasn't sure if it was indeed related to some psychological condition or just a dream. But within last few weeks, Arman was seriously thinking about it because the dream has become more clear and sometimes it came when he wasn't even asleep.
"Ok let's get on with the work, we have to finish it today! " Nikhil has already picked up a paint brush and Arman followed him.
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Both Arman and Nikhil were sitting at the dinning table finishing their dinner, tired but happy with the job they've done at the aprtment. It looked much better than when they first saw it a week ago.
"Bhai main to chala sone, subah college bhi jana hai. " Nikhil said as he stood up and almost ran to his room. Arman smiled at the way Nikhil raced towards the room as if there was a fortune waiting for him inside.
Arman turned as he heard someone calling, "Ridhima, Ridhima kahna ho tum? " Arman got up and opened a door he'd never noticed before in this apartment, infact the whole apartment looked different, there was no door to Nikhil's room, everything was changed. " Ridhima! ", he unvolounterily smiled as he saw a man with a boquet in his hand. " to tum yahan ho aur main tumhain pata nahi kahan kahan dhoond raha tha. " The man appeared to be talking to Arman, " Rahul? " Arman said the frst name came to his mind, and he knew he was rite. Rahul smiled and then his cell rang.
The whole scene changed and Arman was standing beside the dinning table, he was back in his aprtment.
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Part 2 :
Arman walked in to his room and fell on the bed, he was too tired because he did not get to sleep properly last nite. He tried his best but he couldn't get that scene out of his mind, it was the first time when he saw something other than that girl getting killed or tortured. Nikhil advised Arman to go home and get some rest after he got kicked out of the class for not paying attention. But he wasn't too botherd about that, he hated the teacher anyways.
He got up after a few minutes and went into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee when he heard the door bell. There was something strange that made him uncomfortable. He looked around to see if he was dreaming again but everything looked normal. The bell rang again, even more disturbing that it made Arman run towards the door.
" Mera naam Bhushan hai aur main is building ka counciler hoon." The person shook Arman's hand with a smile, but the touch of his hand sent a chill down Arman's spine, he involountarily pulled his hand free of the man's grip. Although he regreted that when he saw the smile fade on Bhushan's face, Arman managed a nervous smile, " Aap kisi khaas kaam se aaye thai? " He did not mean to sound rude but this man's voice made him too uncomfortable. "Ji main sirf yeh poochne aaya tha ke aapko yahan koi takleef to nahi hai, aur.." Arman cut him before he could finish, " Ji humain koi takleef nahi hai ". Bhushan looked a bit annoyed, but he smiled, " To phir main chalta hoon, agar koi kaam ho to aap mere office call ker sakte hain. " Arman felt so scared that he even forgot to ask for his number " Ji " and he closed the door before Bhushan could even turn around. Just then he realized, how rude he had been, he opened the door where he found Bhushan still standing in deep thoughts, probably thinking if Arman was insane, but he looked up when he heard the door open. " I'm sorry, main zara jaldi main hoon, nahi to aapse ander aane ko zaroor kehta. " Bhushan din look too satisfied with the excuse but he smiled, " koi baat nahi, mujhai khud bhi kuch kaam hai. " Arman took a deep breath when he saw the man take the stairs down, as soon as Bhushan disappeared from his sight he felt the chill disappear as well.
He went back in the kitchen and poured himself a coffee, came back into the living room, and then just when he was about to turn the tv on, everything went dark. He left the cup on the table and walked towards the kitchen to find a candle.
Suddenly he noticed a presence behind him, but before he could turn to look, someone grabed his arms and tieghed them togather with a rope, he resisted but it was no use, the other person was too strong, " Kon hai? " and he felt a sharp cold edge on his neck, which he figured was a knife, "Shh... agar zara bhi awaz nikali to tumhain jaan se maar doonga! " The voice was somehow familiar, the person dragged Arman a few steps back in a faint light and made him face a women, the women Arman knew from his dream, the one who killed the girl. Arman froze when he saw her coming towards him, " Dekho meri tumse koi dushmani nahi hai, mujhai sirf itna bata do ke Rahul is waqt kahan hai? " Arman tried on the rope but it was too tight and it started sinking into his flesh, the man still held his right arm, and when Arman din say anything he shook him, " Tumne suna nahi madam ne kiya poocha hai! " "Mujhai nahi maloom! " The man was about to slap Arman but the women raised her hand to stop him, " Dekho Ridhima, tumhari bhalai isi main hai ke tum mujhai sab kuch bata do, Rahul ke liye apni jaan khatre main mat daalo " Arman couldn't think of what to say, " Madam yeh aise nahi bataye gi. " The women stared at Arman for a long second and then walked towards the door, " Theek hai isse saath le chalo " and the man dragged him behind her, Arman resisted and tried to kick the man but he somehow knew Arman's intentions and held his leg in the air. With his hands tighed and one leg in the air, Arman couldn't keep his balance and fell on the floor. Arman saw the masked face of the man who bent down to pick him up before he blacked out.
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Arman opened his eyes when he heard loud music, he saw Nikhil sinked beside him into the couch with a bag of chips in his hand, Arman looked around him, he was in his living room, " Yaar sona hi tha to apne room main araam se so jate ", Arman sieghed as he realized it was just another dream, but his wrists burnt like anything, Arman held his hands out, " Arey yeh kiya hoa? " Nikhil asked as he noticed the red marks of a rope on Arman's wrist, " Pata nahi, mujhai to laga tha ke woh sab..." then he told Nikhil about everything that had happend, to him. Nikhil swore that the door was locked when he came back and Arman was on the couch asleep with his coffee on the table, untouched. They called the security who assured them that no one has entered this building who can fit the discription Arman gave of the masked man and the women. Both him and Nikhil couldn't figure out what to do. "Mujhai lagta hai woh mera khwab hi tha." Arman said after a long silence, "To phir yeh nishan? " Nikhil asked who looked more worried than Arman, " Zaroori nahi ke yeh nishan wohi hoon, tum fiker mat kero. Chalo kuch khaane ko banate hain, mujhai bohot bhook lagi hai " Arman stood up when Nikhil held his hand, "Tum betho, aaj meri baari hai. " Arman smiled and Nikhil went to the kitchen. Arman sat on the couch, still thinking about the marks on his wrists, and one more thing that disturbed him the most.
The man in his dream had exactly the same voice as Bhushan, the councilor of their building.
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Part 3:
Arman sat with his head bent, Nikhil sat beside him on the other chair and his face told that he was having trouble keeping his anger down. On the other side of the table was a man in his late 40's with a corny smile on his face, "To ab aap kiya suggest kerainge? " Nikhil asked trying to calm himself down, this man was a psychiatrist and he was supposed to be helping them, but instead he came up with a theory that was not even relevent to what Arman was going through.
" Like i said, Mr Arman ko koi serious problem nahi hai, bas kabhi kabhi zyada kaam ki waja se, yah jis environment main aap rehte hai uski waja se aapke zehn main soch khwab ban ker aati hai, to aise main behter yehi hoga ke aap relax kerain aur main aapko sleeping pills de doonga, woh lete rahain taake aapki neend pori ho sake. "
Nikhil stood up, but Arman was still straing at his feet, "Let's go ", Arman looked up as if he just woke up and then got out of the chair, they both said thanks to the psychiatrist and left the clinic.
"Yahan to bas time hi zaya hoa. " Nikhil said annoyingliy, Arman was still very quiet but his mind was filled with thoughts, how can a person's voice make him so scared like it did the day before, and the rope marks on his wrists, and who was Ridhima!
Arman started the bike and Nikhil climbed behind him. Arman checked the mirrors and he was shocked to see the face there. It wasn't him, it was the girl from his dream, only she looked fine and not coverd in blood. Nikhil shook his shoulder making him turn back, and when Arman looked back he was looking at his own reflection.
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Arman was looking through a window in a room that looked like an office. Rahul was sitting on a chair behind a big table facing Arman but couldn't see him because the blinds were drawn. Rahul was talking to someone on the fone and he looked vry depressed, Arman turned around to find out that everybody has left. He decided to go in and talk to Rahul. Rahul looked up when he saw Arman entre the room and gave him a smile, " Tum abhi tak gher nahi gai, chalo main khud tumhain gher chore aaon ga." Only then Arman noticed a girl standing in front of him. "Rahul mujhai tumse kuch baat kerni hai. " "Haan bolo sweetie." Rahul has now turned all of his attention towards the girl. " Main dekh rahi hoon ke pichle kuch din se tum buhat pareshan ho, koi baat hai? " "Arey nahi main pareshan nahi hoon, main to..." " Mrs Arora kal mere gher aai thin." She cut him off in the middle and her statement left Rahul in disbelief. He got up from behind the table and walked towards the girl, he held her shoulders and made her face him, and this time it was Arman's turn to be shocked, he was looking at the girl from his dream, "Usne tumse kuch kaha?" "Rahul tum mujhai sab kuch bata kiyoon nahi dete! " "Ridho main tumse kuch poch raha hoon". The girl sieghed and turned towards Arman, "Mrs Arora ko lagta hai ke tumne unki behn ka murder kiya hai." Rahul took a step back in disbelief, after a while he managed to give a nervouse smile, "Ridho, tum janti ho, main aisa kaisa ker sakta hoon." Ridhima nodded and turned to hug Rahul.
Arman was now in a bedroom, he saw Ridhima entre the room with a video cassett in her hand, she put it in her closet and then locked it, then she took it out again, she reached down her bed and pulled out a small box, she placed the cassatt in the box and then locked it. More satisfied she placed the box in the closet. " Tumhain pata hai is cassett main kiya hai? " Appearently she asked Arman because there was no one else in the room, Arman shook his head, "ismain woh sab hai jo woh log dhoond rahe hain, Rahul, Mrs Arora aur uske log, Police." Smiling, she walked closer and then she whispered in his ear, " Mrs Arora ke her sawal ka jawab! " Arman looked at her but she wasn't there, he looked around and then walked towards the closet, he was about to open the door when he caught Ridhima in the corner of his eye, standing beside him, he turned to look but it took him a minute to realize that he was standing in front of a mirror but the reflection it showed, was Ridhima. Arman was about to touch the surface with his hand and Ridhima was doing the same, when he took a deep breath. He was in his bed, dreaming. Arman jumped out and stood in front of the mirror for a long time but everything was normal, he can see himself now.
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Part 4 :
Arman woke up very late as he couldn't sleep after Ridhima told him about the vidoe tape last nite. He just couldn't figure out why she was showing him everything and wheather all of this had a meaning. He took a shower and came in the kithcen, Nikhil had already left, Arman made himself a cup of coffee when the fone rang, he went to pick it up.
" Hello Mr Arman, Dr Kumar bol raha hoon. " " ji, kaise fone kiya aapne? ". "Mr Arman actually main ne aap ke case keliye apne aik colegue se consult kiya tha, woh aik hypnotist hain aur unke khiyal hypnosis se aapka ilaaj kiya ja sakta hai. " " Hypnosis??? " Arman did not know hw to react, he was already feeliing bad for consulting a psychiatrist as the dreams have become more disturbing after he saw the dr. " Main sure nahi hoon." "Aap try ker ke to dekhain, aksar yeh hota hai ke hypnosis se aap apne zehen main chupe purani yaadon ko bahir nikal sakte hain, aur main ne aapse pehle bhi kaha tha ke aapke case mujhai yehi lagta hai ke jaise aapke bachpan ki koi yaad aapko aik alag soorat le ker pareshan ker rahi hai." Arman wished Dr Kumar was rite, but deep down he had the feeling this was not to end that easy. "Agar aapko theek lagta hai to theek hai. " "Phir aap kal shaam Dr Shishank ke office main hi aajain, main bhi wohin aajaon ga" Arman wrote the address down and promised he'll be there in time.
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Arman felt a chill run down his spine when he enterd the building, the building itself din look too scary but for some reason Arman had the feeling he should not go in. He waited for the lift as he looked around. Dr Shishank's office was on the 3rd floor, Arman thought on taking the stairs but then the door opened, and he got on the lift.
Everything went dark and Arman felt if he was blind folded, he tried to take the blind fold off but his hands were tied. Arman was too scared, he din know what to expect. Then he heard the door open and he was forced out by someone from behind. The minute he stepped out of the lift he was able to see again. He turned around to se who pushed him out but the lift was empty. Arman stood there for a minute, he still wasn't sure . he shook his head and looked for Dr Shishank's room, he turned around when he felt a hand on his shoulder, it was Dr Kumar, they exchanged smiles and Dr Kumar opeed a door and entred the room. Arman followed.
Inside Arman saw a man sitting behind a table, he smiled as he saw Dr Kumar, Arman felt like going up to the man and hug him but he resisted the urge, the man's face looked all too familiar and loving to him. He couldn't remember where he saw him. Arman shook hands with him. His fear has lessend although not completely gone. Arman felt safe in this room.
"Please have a seat Mr Arman" Dr Shishank pointed towards a couch beside his chair. Arman sat down quietly but he couldn't take his eyes away from Dr Shishank. Dr Shishank and Dr kapoor talked for a while about Arman's situation, Dr Shishank has already gone through Arman's case history. Dr Shishank turned towards Arman after a while, "Aapko kiya lagta hai Mr Arman, yeh sab waqai aapke bachpan ki kisi yaad se relate kerta hai? " " Nahi! kiyoonke mujahi aisa kuch bhi yaad nahi hai, aur na hi mere parents ne mujhai kabhi Aisa kuch bataya. "
" Hmm.... Usually is tarah ke cases main hypnotise hone ke baad aap per apka past poori tarah se saamne aajata hai, ho sakta hai koi aisi baat ho jis ka sirf aap hi ko pata ho lakin aap bhi woh baat bhool gaye hoon. Why don't you lie down and relax while i'll try and fix this for you. Hopefully 3 yah 4 sessions ke baad aap bilkul theek hojain ge." Dr Shishank gave him a smile, but even though he tried to, Arman couldn't return it. He just lied down. He was scared and excited with the idea of finding about this, could it really be just a mere incident that happened when he was a child and was still haunting him, then who was Ridhima?
Arman closed his eyes and Dr Shishank told him that he is now falling asleep and Arman felt himself sinking into blackness untill he could not hear Dr Shishank anymore.
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( :: plzz dnt mind spelling mitakes, thts nt sumthing i'm good at! :) )
Tum Se Tum Tak
Ganesh Kartikeya
41