THE PROPHECY - PART 7
By Archana Vinod
SIDDHANT'S APARTMENT - EVENING
Siddhant opens the book at a random page with an overwhelming sense of anxiety.
It's blank.
Expectantly, he turns to another page. Again blank!
Anxiety kicks in as he flicks through more pages rapidly. Completely blank!
What on earth!
He turns to the cover of the book. It's the same one! The Prophecy! Then why the hell is it blank?
Confused, he flicks back and forth again. Blank! Blank! Blank! At least the damn novel has to be there!
He sits down on the bed with the blank unprinted book flat on his lap. He is very confused!
I swear I did see what I saw! I can bet on it! Or--- maybe I didn't! I must be losing it... Oh God.
SIDDHANT: (mutters to himself) I must get rid of this now.
He gets up and prepares to walk out with the book but stops as he spots large botches of black ink on his fingertips. Now where the hell did this come from? It looks pretty fresh!
Irritably, he tears out an old newspaper and cleans up. I don't remember handling any ink. He checks his pockets to make sure that none of his pens are leaking by chance. But then, something catches his attention.
Red drops of ink ooze out from between the pages of the Prophecy and drip onto the floor.
He opens the book cautiously. In spite of the oozing ink, most of the pages are fresh and untouched. It seems to be coming from the spine.
SIDDHANT: Arrey yaar. (pulls out his hankie and dabs furiously at the "leaking" ink) Now what the hell will I tell that librarian? I'm going to end up with a fine! Damn book! Ughhh!
He pauses as the familiar smell of rust hits his nose. Hang on...
Siddhant brings the blotched hankie to his nose and sniffs it. That's not ink... it's blood!
He drops the book in horror. It falls flat to the floor with one of its fresh, white pages staring at his face. To his surprise, the red "ink" oozes out from the pages in the form of words... sentences...
He kneels down before it and begins to read:
"24th May, 2015:
Her time is at hand. One protector will fall while the other will rise. Every moment counts. Wasted opportunities will cost you for a lifetime. Your choices are what decide your destiny."
Siddhant is spooked now. What does this message mean? And why is it in blood? Is she in trouble? But coming to think of it, I'm not even sure if she's the one. Maybe this book is just possessed. I must get rid of it.
BHATIA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Roli steps out into the balcony with a bucket of laundry and begins to hang them on the line. She hums a tune and lets her eyes wander around as she goes on at her job.
Just then, she spots an athletic looking guy on the opposite side of the road. He chews on paan masala in front of a shop as he glares at Roli through his dark goggles. His attire strikes an instant code with Roli. Something's not right about him. She feels a deep sense of fear and dread take over.
Determined to block him out of her vision, she tugs hard at the one of the wet clothes on the line and cuts him off sight.
She goes back in with the empty bucket. Her father rattles off in the kitchen. She stops by.
ROLI: Papa! Just tell me one thing.
BHATIA: (prepares dough) Haan beta. Shoot.
ROLI: Is there anything wrong with my face? I mean, do you notice anything odd?
Bhatia checks her out for a moment.
BHATIA: No? Why? What happened?
ROLI: Don't know why... for the past couple of days I've been followed by gawking men. Guess I'm getting really sexy. (winks)
However, Bhatia looks deeply concerned and perturbed.
BHATIA: (very tensed) Where did this happen?
ROLI: One was back at the library and coffee shop. Now I'll be honest. This guy was really cute! Too gorgeous! And you wouldn't believe the story he told me, I'll fill you in with the details later. The other one was just outside our building a while ago. Gaping at me as if I'm stark naked or something! He seriously looked disgusting with all that paan oozing out of his mouth! Eeyuck!
BHATIA: What were they wearing?
ROLI: (surprised) Hahaha! Why? Looking for suitable sons-in-law?
Bhatia doesn't take her joke too well and storms off to the balcony.
ROLI: (follows him) Arrey yaar, I didn't pay much attention "I guess the paanwala outside was wearing a white T-shirt and khaki pants... the other one was wearing a check shirt and jeans.
Her voice trails away as she sees Bhatia peeking out onto the streets from behind the veil of her wet laundry.
Roli is dumbfounded and peeks out too.
But Bhatia grabs her hand and tugs her sharply back in.
ROLI: (gets tugged along) Arrey! Papa! Just chill! What?
Bhatia slams shut the sliding windows to the balcony and begins to rummage around in the wardrobe.
Roli is worried at the sudden change in her father's behavior. Why's he acting weird?
ROLI: Papa. What's wrong?
BHATIA: (in a hurry) There's something that you need to know...
ROLI: What?
To her horror, Bhatia pulls out a pistol from the cupboard and loads it.
ROLI: What are you doing with a gun? Where the hell did you get it from?
He begins to reply, but the doorbell cuts him off.
... TO BE CONTINUED
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