Yash Thakur

Thriller Others Children

4.0  

Yash Thakur

Thriller Others Children

THE BOOK

THE BOOK

9 mins
262


Charu was informed her grandmother was seriously ill. It has been six months since Charu started her studies at NYU Law School, which she had joined amidst many refusals and objections. She took the immediate next flight from New York to her native place Fort Kochi and landed at Cochin International Airport.

Charu never liked her life at Fort Kochi. The old home, the ancient traditions and the old lifestyle. She lost her mother when she was 12 and it was her grandmother who raised her. Her father, Mr. Mani Oomen, was a carpet exporter. He has two stores at Fort Kochi and one at Ernakulam. When Charu disclosed her interest to study law, he refused her decision outright. And now she is going back to the same place. Her mind was full of thoughts and she was in no mood to think about anything else except her return date from India.

From the airport, she took a self-driven taxi and drove to Fort Kochi, 20 k.m. away from the airport. It was 7 p.m. and the lights were all lit. She directly went to her grandmother's room and saw her, there were many machines attached to her. There was a nurse beside grandmother's bed. Charu went to her room and slept soon, as she was exhausted.

The next morning, she took a stroll to David Hall Road. The weather was breezy and the birds were chirping good. On David Hall Road, she saw the library open. There was a bookstore attached to the library.

'Old books for sale. Rs. 250 per KG,’ a board declared before the gate. She grinned. An avid reader that she was and since had nothing to do, she went inside the store. She picked seven books, paid for them at the counter and headed home.

The maid gave her a cup of coffee. Sipping her coffee, she started checking the books. The fifth book's cover intrigued her. It was a beautiful abstract painting of a woman with no eyes but had tears, nose and lips.

She skimmed through the pages. At page 67 there was a polaroid photograph of an old villa. She took out the photo and examined it. On its backside there was an alpha-numeric code written with a small map that showed directions to the villa. The code read: MV02FK09. The map had a starting point at 'Hotel AB*** and extended till the villa. The end point was a drawing of the villa that read ‘Home.’

The photograph created a bug in Charu's mind. She was thrilled. She had a feeling that this photo was familiar. She thought to find that out. But all new things should be started from the light of a new day. She went to her bed and started the book that had that picture.

The book was a biography written by Osman Maini. The book said the story of women who died due to cancer when her little girl was only twelve. Charu was also twelve when her mother died. She also died due to cancer. Such a coincidence. She spent the night reading the book under the study lamp.

The morning light bought the time Charu had been waiting for. She opened her laptop and started on her research. For going to that villa, she first needed the name of the hotel. She scanned down the list of hotels in Fort Kochi and made a list of the hotels starting with letter ‘A’. Yeah, she learnt something by being a first-year student of law. At the end of the research, she came up with the hotel’s name. ‘HOTEL ABLIC’. This was the hotel’s name. Now, she needed to go to this villa and find out what is this villa about.

The day passed as she packed her backpack for the trip to HOME. Torch, a knife for safety, and various other stuffs. Something was there about that villa and that women’s photo. And, Charu felt like she is connected to both of them. But how she is connected, she didn’t know that. That’s why she was going there, to find out something about the feeling of connection.

The day passed and the night finally arrived. She took the blessing of her grandmother and headed towards her goal. Hotel Ablic was a little far from her home. By the time, she reached the hotel, her stomach was revolting for energy.

And it turned out, that Hotel Ablic had a nice service. She ate at the hotel so that she doesn’t feel hungry in the time of mission. Then, she started. She reached the villa in about an hour. The villa was made on the outskirts of the city. So, basically the area was quite enough. And it was also surrounded by dozens and dozens of trees.

The villa didn’t need any guard for protection. First, there were owls sitting on the top of trees like CCTV cameras. And secondly, creepers covered the way to the villa. Thankfully, Charu had bought a knife with her and watched enough Man vs. Wild to cut the creepers. Everything in the surrounding created a weird environment. Like, something haunted and paranormal.

Charu reached the door of the villa. The big metal doors were locked with a lock from inside. How can someone lock his or her house from inside and the come out? Probably, there were enough gap between the bars of the doors to lock from outside. Charu took out a hairclip from her hair and inserted her hand inside the doors and slowly tried to open the lock.

CLICK!

The lock opened with a metallic click. She took out her hand and slowly opened the gates. Even, she was trying to open the doors, slowly the gates created a weird sound like they required grease to function properly.

She entered the villa. It was fantastic. Dazzling lights brightened the villa, but it was quite mysterious that she was not able to see the lights from outside. The villa was a two-storey. Luxurious sofas filled the main room. The silk carpets filled the floor and the windows were covered with velvet curtains. The place was madly fascinating. Charu thought which billionaire would have been living here.

“Who is here??” a manly voice came from somewhere.

Charu looked around to find the speaker. Just then, someone came out from one of the rooms on the second floor.

The person looked familiar. He had got dark brown curly hair just like Charu. A white beard covered his face. His sea blue eyes were also familiar. Little wrinkles were present below his eyes but without it, Charu was sure that he would have been handsome in his young days. The man was wearing a bathrobe made with fine cotton.

Suddenly, a bell strikes in Charu’s mind. She knew why he looked familiar. He was Mr. Mani Oomen. The carpet exporter.

Her very own dad. She never liked her dad. Partly because he never visited her. He always stayed out for his exporting business. And, partly because he was never in support of her doing law. Mostly, because he didn’t even show up when her mother died. But her grandmother supported her always.

“You?” Charu cried.

“Ah…my daughter. That beautiful face of your mother. That attitude. It reminds me of your mother.” Mr. Mani said.

“Yeah…if you loved her that much then why you didn’t even come when my mother died?” She asked.

“Your mother…She was beautiful. But, alas, business cannot be left beside. Your mother was dead. I had to bring you up. So, I focused more on my business.” Mr. Mani answered.

“Then why aren’t you with my grandmother? Taking care of her?” Charu questioned.

“I knew you would ask that question. Leave it. Leave family behind. No, one will come to your help when you are in danger. Only, money will save you.” Oomen said.

“No! I care for my family more than money!” Charu shouted.

“Ah…that feelings also. You remind me so much of your mother.” Her dad said.

“But, feelings aside. Let’s get back to the business.” Mr. Mani said.

“What business? I am not going to do any of your work.” Charu said.

“I have a special prize for you. Law at Harvard University.” Mr. Mani offered.

He strikes the arrow at the correct point. Charu had a dream of doing law at Harvard University.

“What you want?” Charu asked hoping some easy task would take her to Harvard.

“It is difficult.” Mr. Mani warned.

“I will manage. First, spill what you want me to do?” Charu said with confidence.

“Ok. I want you to kill someone.” The carpet exporter said.

“Kill?” Charu asked. She had expected something difficult. But she didn’t expect something that involved someone’s death. She can’t let someone die just for her law college.

“No. I am not doing your work.” Charu answered.

“Think again.” Her father said.

“No means NO!” she shouted.

“That’s sad enough. I had got something for you.” Her father said and clapped three times.

Two women came out from another room with a lady in custody of them. The lady had had her hands tied behind her back and she was wearing a beautiful gown woven with silk and golden threads. Her eyes were covered with black cloth otherwise her face was beautiful and recognizable. Her hair was curled down till her shoulders and beautiful jewellery added glory to her face. Charu knew she had saw lady somewhere. Where? Somewhere in Fort Kochi only. In recent days only. But why were her eyes covered?

Eyes.

That unlocked the lock. Charu remembered where she saw her. She was the same woman whose picture was there in the cover page of that biography.

“She is the lady from that book.” Charu said.

“Excellent! You guessed it correctly. Now guess who is she.” Mr. Oomen said and again clapped but one time.

The women untied the black cloth and Charu could see the whole face now.

No. This cannot be possible. Never! Charu’s brain exploded with surprise.

But it is. That beautiful face. That hazel eyes. That little but warming smile. She is the one only.

The lady was none other than her mother.

“Mom.” Charu said as she exploded into tears and hugged her mom. Sadly, her mother could not hug her back as she was tied.

“Oh…untie her hands. Let them have some mother daughter love.” Mr Mani said. As wished, the two women untied her hands and then her mother hugged Charu back.

“My daughter.” Charu’s mother said.

“Hey… Charu let’s get back to work.” Mr. Mani said and the two women took the lady back and gripped her.

“Why? Why are you not allowing me to meet my mother and hug her as much as you want?” Charu questioned.

“You do my job and you will have your mother with you forever. Otherwise, your mother will be in my custody and you will never meet her again.” Mr. Mani said. He was trying to make a tough deal.

Charu loved her mother more than anything. She would do anything to get her mother back.

“Charu, please beta, never ever do this man’s work.” Her mother pleaded.

“Wait mom. I will do this man’s work and together then we will be free.” Charu said reassuringly.

“Whom you want dead?” Charu asked her dad.

“Ah…that’s the spirit. You will have to kill your colleague Nicolson Jackson in short Nick.” Mr. Mani said.

“Nick?” Charu asked in surprise. Nick was one of the only people who helped her in NYU. He was helpful and kind. This was a catch. On one side her mother, on other her best friend.

“Yes.” Mr. Mani said.

“I will do.” Said Charu and she went out of the villa to have this murder done just for his mom.



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