Chapter 8
It was nearly 9 o'clock when Arnav woke, this he had been doing for the past four days. Unable to sleep at night and the nightmares had gotten worse. Before, they had been vague and disjointed. But now there seems to be a Patten to them. Though the people in the visions were still vague and fuzzy. The place were becoming clearer. And the girl he could almost see her full clean beautiful features. She was the only good thing about his nightmares. The feelings she evoked, left him with longing. How he wished she was real.
He had accepted that it was Kundanpur the held all the answers, the places in his nightmares were places in Kundanpur. The Havali, the groves where his eyes had followed the girl with hazel eyes, her laughter and eyes beckoning him. They had made love there, but he wasn't sure if it was about him or someone else. The emotions he felt at the sight of the girl, the love and the heart breaking pain, was crushing and always left him in a vortex of emotions that he could not break out of.
Two nigh,t after staying at the Havali and the nightmares had started with a vengeance, he had been so disturbed. Over all that, the strange things that happened at the Havali mostly in the east wing, had left both Akaash and him shaken. But he had refused to believe in any ghost stories. And had put his foot down that no tantric or ghosts busters were to enter the Havali. While Akaash had been enthusiastic, to watch a real life tantric in action, and a couple of ghosts too. Arnav had dashed his hopes.
"This is not a magic show Akaash, these so called tantric are the same as in the movies, but are only out to make a huge bundle, living of peoples superstitions, and we shouldn't give it any encouragement." He said, "And besides they will only make a big mess for us to clean up late."
"Yeah! But Bhai, it could be fun, and think if there really is a ghost in the east wing, maybe the tantric will capture it in a bottle." Said Akaash, enthusiastically.
Arnav shook his head, his brother always fell for such hocus pocus, like their mother and grandmother. He grinned thinking, Akaash should have been born a girl.
"Besides who knows it might help, with the other problem."
"No forget it."
But by the forth night the nightmares had gotten worse, they become more violent, he could not see the perpetrator to the violence, but the girl with the hazel eyes had been hurt and it had broken his heart. He woke up screaming. And then, had gotten violently sick.
An astonished Akaash had watched him pack his bags, as he had declared he was leaving. He got in his car and drove off leaving a stunned Akaash behind.
Arnav had gone half way to Delhi. But could not go further, something he could not explain stopped him, he felt he was leaving a vital part of him behind, answers that he had wanted all his life were hidden in Kundanpur. and somehow fate had brought him face to face with a part of him he didn't even understand.
So he drove back, and had breakfast with Akaash, "there are answers here Akaash, and I can't leave till I get them. Besides I have a feeling that all the pieces of the puzzle are not here so we have to wait for all the pieces to be in place." He gave Akaash a tried grin, "then let us think about what we are going to do."
"You know Bhai, I've been corresponding with one of the leading experts in para psychology, and he believes that your nightmares and visions could be related to you past life."
Arnav had already give thought to that, as he had realised that the period of this visions were not of his lifetime. But of a different period and time. "even so what can be done about the past, especially a past life, everyone associated with that life are long dead and gone." Lost in thought of the hazel eye girl, he remembered his strange reaction to the girl in the elevator. The girl, with the silly red ribbon in her hair. He thought that after the Architect team arrived he should go to Delhi and find out about her. If she worked in that firm, maybe he could make discreet inquiries about her with the people coming here.
"When are the people from the Architect firm coming." He asked Akaash.
"They should be arriving by noon tomorrow."
Arnav nodded, "good! Listen make sure they know that the east wing is out of bound, till we get it checked out." he sighed whatever was that strange noises coming from the east wing had to have a rational explanation , rather then it being some ghost. Maybe it was some creaking board that was making the sounds of maniacal laughter, and the wind had to be making the howling sounds. These he could fix, boards could be torn out, and wind drafts blocked. But a ghost he didn't know what to do with.
***
Khushi had done all that she could do here at the office, she had made the sketches from the pictures she had received of the interiors of the old Havali. A blend of Hindu, and Mughal structural design architecture, with ornamental carvings and mouldings on the archways and windows. Where the mouldings had given away she had already make working sketches to make prototypes for the moulds and carvings, but those could only be finalised once she saw the real structure.
In order to restore the structure to its original motif, it was important for her to see and get the feeling of the building. She always dug below the surface to find the true story and face of the building she restored. That was her talent and love for old structures. Khushi instinctive insight into the reality of an old structure or building made her very good at her job. And she could not wait to get started.
From the pictured she knew the Havali was huge, and a part of it was closed off for she didn't get enough material to cover the aesthetics of the entire Havali not according to the area and measurements of the present structure, there was a lot missing and the only way she could get a proper scope of her work was by looking at the building first hand. And she could not wait the get to Kundanpur.
For some strange reason Kundanpur had a huge draw for her, and every minute was feeling like an eternity. She smiled as she gathered all the equipment she would need and then some. Her tool kit, lead and charts. Her drafting board and t-squares, protectors, and set squares, half a dozen sketch books. Clothes all packed and ready.
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Chapter 9
When Khushi and the rest of the team arrived at Kundanpur, it was almost 5 pm. The mini bus provided by the company was comfortable and the journey smooth and uneventful. The entire team was present with the exception of Deepak, who would be joining them in two days, since he had to travel home to visit his sick mother.
Khsuhi found herself fascinated by the small town of Kundanpur. Many of the structures were old about a hundred years or more. She noted with sorrow that many had been converted into commercial office or warehouses. So much history lost. As they got into the old area of Kundanpur, she noted that some of the old buildings still stood with more modern houses and buildings. Rohit pointed out the Raizada property to them.
"That there is what is called the choti Havali." Rohit said indicating a dilapidated burnt structure.
"What happened to it?" Khushi gasped.
"Looks like a fire gutted it." Vishal Dev said. "What ever is left of it will be raised to the ground, and part of the new resort will come over it." he pointed to the groves. "that too, those trees will make place for a golf course."
"They are cutting down the trees." Payal asked astonished, noting the fruit laden branches. "but they bear fruit?"
Vishal snorted "yeah, these strange small towns, apparently the fruit rot on the trees, and have been for around 60 years."
"What!!" Khsuhi asked astonished. Everyone looked at the fruit laden trees with astonishment and disbelief written all over their faces.
"What???" Vishal asked looking at the faces of his colleagues, "Hay! Its got to do with some local folk tale or something, Kholi told me." He shrugged.
"A true tale?" Khushi asked fascinated.
"Who cares, the government worked and tested on the groves for years, with no change, there is a report in the file. The department of Agriculture have stated that the trees are useless as they stand. It better to uproot and use the wood for lumber." Vishal said matter of factly.
"But what about the story, of how they got that way?" Khushi insisted.
"Really Ms. Gupta! Do I look like a story teller to you?" Vishal asked amused. He knew that the quirky Ms. Gupta was a sucker for old stories and history's of a place. Looking and studying the tales associated with the structures they restored and renovated. While he was only interested in the astatics of the structures. He was one of the best in the country, his sense of old world design and structural elegance was unparallel and gave him an edge over his contemporises.
Vishal Dev knew that Khsuhi Kumari Gupta's sense of story and love for history of the old structures gave her and instinctive creativity that belied her age and experience. He was sure she would go a long way in her chosen profession. May be for her the whimsical helped.
"Er, sorry sir." Khushi gave him a winning smile.
Momentary mesmerised, Vishal stared, she was one beautiful woman, he smiled back and cleared his throat. "The caretaker of the property knows the story, a local man, I'll request him to give you a session." His offer won him a dazzling smile from Khushi. Making him wish he was not married and very much in love with his wife. But he grinned, happy to please.
Grinning with glee Khushi plopped down on her seat grinning at Rohit, "Don't you get tired?" Rohit asked amused.
"huh!!"
He put his hands up to his face fingers spread and shook his hands in a Broadway style. "Dazzling' unsuspecting men ,out of their wits. So you can have your way." He grinned.
"What rubbish, I don't 'Dazzle' anyone" she mimicked his action.
"Yes, you do" Payal put it.
"Do not"
Payal and Rohit looked at each other and smiled, "Yes, you do." They said together.
Khushi grinned and turned away as the bus pulled into the driveway of the badi Havali, Khushi gasped in delight. "Wow!! It's beautiful." She pulled out her camera out of her bag.
As they got off the bus they were met by a young local man who introduced himself as Hira Lal. "Good evening Sa," he greeted everyone, "The Raizada's are waiting to receive you. We have prepared refreshments for you. Please follow me."
Khushi whispered to Payal that she will join them shortly, "What where are you going." Payal asked alarmed.
"Don't worry I only want to take some photographs. The lime stone looks beautiful in this light. You carry on I'll catch up later."
"What do I tell Dev if he asks after you."
"Tell him the truth, I gone to take some photographs." She grinned. And took off.
Rohit gave Khushi back a puzzled look and then looked at Payal in inquiry, she just shook her head and mouthed "later"
Khushi walked to and fore over the grounds trying to get the right angles for her photographs, the captured the turrets and steeled towers, wondering if there were rooms inside them. She took pictures of the ornamental railings and Arches. And the gezabo set in one corner of the lawn garden.
She noted that the gardens were kept in perfect condition. So it was obvious that this building would not be raised to the ground, but will be restored to its original grandeur. She had some pictures of the internals and had worked on some rough sketched on how to work on them. But she loved taking her own pictures and testing the colours and trying to duplicate the original paint used.
She smiled with delight. Once again she would restore a grand old house. She couldn't wait to get started. She thought she saw a movement in one of the window's. The window was beautiful, the painted glass formed a patent she could not identify from her position on the ground and decided she needed a higher position. Looking around she decided to climb the low boundary wall.
Using some bags of manure stacked against the wall she hoisted herself gingerly onto the wall, she tried to focus her camera on the window in question. She adjusted the focus of the camera, was someone in the room, she thought she had seen someone's shadow by the window, she looked carefully but there was no one there. Thinking it was her imagination she let it go, and started to click away.
As Arnav entered through the side gate, he saw a girl with long hair, her face covered by a huge camera, standing on the wall. Furious at trespasses he stormed towards her.
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