The tale of thousand pearls- part-2

PART- TWO: CHAPTER:3 SINISTER OR SAVIOUR?? 

Continuing from part-1… this is part-2 of the story

Sheena tried to recall the experiences of the wish she had received till now. She mumbled herself ,” what am I going to do? Was this the heavy price I am indebted to him? The scooter, my face, Atul’s surgery and now next what is he going to do with me? These incidences have occurred in my life’s past and I don’t recall any of these memories. May be this was the price of using those pearls for wishes. But after this, I don’t need anything from him. I will just thank him for granting me the wishes and bid a goodbye forever. I will never ever step into the forest or to the cave. If this persists, I might become mad in future.”

“ why you will become mad Sheena?” Asked a voice near to her. It was her friend Mohit who was passing by their home in his motor bike. Atul and Sarthak both left to play in a ground and Mohit was searching for Sarthak since it was quite a time that they left their home for playing. Mohit said,” I think you should search for your brother Sheena, it’ s already past 7 and they both are no where to be seen here. Shall we go on a round to catch those brats? Sheena are you listening to me??” 

Sheena bluntly responded yes to mohit. She hopped on to his bike and they drove through the night roads. Mohit as if curious to ask a question expressed his thought to Sheena.” Are you alright Sheena? Because now a days, you aren’t that friendly as you were before. “ Sheena who was already in confusion became tranced after Mohit’s sudden question.

“ What ! How come I could be not friendly to you Mohit, we both are buddies since childhood. How could I be rude to you in anyway? Whenever I needed a support from anyone, you were the only friend in the school, who give me help and solace in the needy situations. During exams or either during our assignments, you would give me your materials and stuff , books which I couldn’t afford due to lack of money and..”

“ Lack of money seriously! You still need more money than this you have in your pockets. I can’t believe you Sheena. What have you turned now? You have become more self-centered and selfish that you have no friends including myself in the school. Ever since, your aunt had found a job in security division for government, you people have become damn rich. And our family especially my parents who would despise from my early days have turned poor after my father’s business spiralled down to bankruptcy and corruption charges. My Father was conned by the person for whom your aunt is currently working as a body guard and feeding him the so called security he doesn’t deserve to have. I have never treated you like the way your family treated me and my younger brother, my parents, who had done nothing wrong in their side expect the patriarchy my parents distinguished on you and me. It’s been three months, we had this kind of long conversation. I am disappointed by you Sheena.!”

Sheena was even more perplexed by Mohit’s harsh reply. So much had happened, and she had again no memory of anything. Sheena since her childhood days, had a great rapport and friendship with mohit. He was that kind bestie we all wanted to have, to share our feelings, to have someone when we are in crisis. He helped her throughout without expediting anything but relation of being her friend. Mohit in fact had developed feelings and sympathy on Sheena after her parents inexplicable death. Sheena who was thinking all about this suddenly popped a question to mohit regarding her brother and Sarthak’s friendship. Mohit tried to dodge the question but in vain.

In the end he answered saying that an year before when his cousin Sarthak became ill and was immediately needed to have the transplant surgery, their family business went downhill at that time and they were in need of money. They had probed so many money resources, but in the end no one came forward to help them in giving Money. Mohit said he had requested her great aunt Malini who was at that time earning some considerable amount from the security services. Mohit and his family begged for help, but no one even Malini his close friend’s aunt refuted to help them citing reasons. Sheena said,” it was my my aunt’s mistake not mine. How could you blame her mistake on mine and just like that break our long friendship! Your brother is having a good rapport with my family, even though I don’t have anything to do with him.!”

Mohit’s reply again made her dumbstruck with no words coming out from her.” It was you who broke this relation. Anyway lets not dig in to the past. If you really regret your mistakes, then we can once again reconcile. “

Sheena who was still confused as to what mistake she did in the past along with her aunt a year before that her close friend had turned his back against her. Sheena and Mohit after driving few more rounds, found Atul and Sarthak having conversation after playing in the ground. Seeing Atul smiling and giggling with some other person after a long time instead of being locked in a home made her shed some tears. At the same moment her mind was in complete dilemma as to what decision she should take now to stop Sparsh from interfering her life. Sheena thought all that Sparsh did was only granting the wishes she asked for. “But why Mohit is mean to me now?”, : did Sparsh created a misunderstanding between us in that forgotten past? ”Sheena’s mind was circled with so many unanswered questions.

Mohit noticed her confused face after the conversation they had while driving. He realised that Sheena is frustrated or struggling with something that she had never revealed to anyone even to her family or friends. His mind too was bombarded with questions of dilemma and his bewildered face raised eyebrows of his brother Sarthak who saw his face in the side mirror of the bike. “Bro are you okay, did you guys fight again like last time?”

Mohit silently nodded yes to his question. He said,” I am so perplexed regarding my friend Sheena. I don’t know why I think she is struggling or fighting against something on her own. Her troubled face gives me so many answers regarding her mind. For the past few months, she was alone in the class and in fact she would always talk to me at least before in our teenage and toddler days, but now, she looks like she has isolated from everyone around her after her aunt got quite big bucks from the company she is earning. I don’t know if she is even satisfied with her life or living. She looks kinda sick or depressed. Though she h has everything now, her cured brother , a good lifestyle she had yearned for years, she is still feeling that she is deprived of something. What could it be?”

Sarthak gave a witty reply. “I think it’s you”” I know the way you think of her. Not as a friend. But as a…”

“ a partner or a love!” Was the response from Mohit. “ from our young age till now , we always stayed together more like friends even in the difficult situations thick and thin. I don’t know why she is distancing from people!”

Sarthak and Mohit while having a good conversation about Sheena drove to their home. Now their home was the house where Sheena and her family had lived before. Sheena and her brother were wandering in the streets randomly. Atul scolded his sister,” di you are absent minded again! What has happened to you di? I thought you cold be the happiest one who will see your younger brother jumping and playing with others? But now I feel that your brother wont depend on his elder sister and will gain the freedom to live the life on his own. You dislike this fact now aren’t you?’

Sheena turned towards her brother with teary eyes and said,” I am already tensed with so many stuff on my mind. Please don’t prick me with those words. Who said I am not a apart of your happy life? I am indeed happy and grateful for your recovery. I just don’t know where am I leading my life? Where is our home?” And she scrambled her head with hands in bafflement.

“ Shall I drive you to the dream home we live now?” Asked Atul. Sheen nodded yes. The siblings hooded hands together and Atul ran faster to the home at the corner of the street. From distance, Sheena tried to have a look of her house and to her amaze,the corner house was the tallest one in the whole colony. Sheena was baffled by the house, her life and the turns that are taking after asking for wishes she had desired for. Atul and Sheena stood outside watching their home. 

Sheena was devastated to see the fact that now she resides in Mohit’s mansion. While Mohit’s family had taken her home, Sheena found that she is now living in a mansion of luxury and richness. Atul said,” come di, why are you behaving as if you don’t know anything?” “ home sweet home” shouted Atul from distance. From inside, Malini opened the door. She was wearing a curved black tight strapped dress and pearl embellished and designed heels. Every accessory she was wearing had an element of pearl in it. Sheena looked at her home and to her shock, she saw a big pearl shaped ball on the top of the house which looked more like a cherry on the top of a beautiful cake.

Sheena was welcomed warmly by her aunt Malini into the home. Every element in that home had pearl in it. As she entered the home, she saw a painting right straight in the hall. The painting looked so familiar and touching to her. She said,” aunt that painting, I saw it somewhere!” Malini said,” what do you mean somewhere? We bought in an exhibition last year. I think from the place I worked before. The painting , I always had an eye on it and when finally things turned favourable for us, we both bought it in an auction conducted by the museum. The painting is so expressive isn’t it?”

Sheena’s eyes suddenly turned red in tears and she was having a mental breakdown within herself. She proceeded near the painting and said,” it looks more sad than expressive. It looks more depressing as to each time I see this.” She touched the painting and suddenly a flash of memories bombarded in her mind as a nightmare. She fell unconscious in the ground after touching the painting. Malini who was stranding beside her came to her rescue.” Beta take care of yourself. Oh my goodness…” and Malini tried to Lift Sheena. But Sheena’s mind was uttering a name and it was Sparsh! 

“ who are you really? Do we know each other in the past? What does this painting mean to me?…”Sobered Sheena within herself and was deep in sighted to know the truth about Sparsh.