The Haunted Hostel — #7
‘Because it was she, who poured him the drink.’
“WHAT?” she shouted.
‘Yes, Molly! Your mother was in the scene with his brother Shahid… to convince. She liked the father’s strategic expert but not your father. She mixed marijuana oil with whiskey. He collapsed and Shahid panicked. He ran outside. Your mother used the situation. Trapped him! Because emotion ….is her greatest weapon and your greatest…. weakness.’
Faiyaaz spoke, “Sir! My brother Shahid? What happens him now?”
Meanwhile, Wilson slowly walked in and he was looking at me with a frozen face.
I continued, ‘Faiyaaz! Don’t worry. I’ll take care. Now both you, go to your room!’
Wilson panicked, “Hey! Not to the same room” and looked at to resume. “Would you sometimes say things clearly?”
‘You got it?’, asked Wilson about the stuff I requested. “Yes Sangeet! But..”
‘Nothing to worry. But I smoke very occasionally. Last night it got over, so..’
“Wait! So, you hallucinated the whole thing?”, he asked me loudly and the room echoed.
‘No. Wilson! I do that for thinking. I never let it control my thoughts, ever. But it got accelerated when I inhaled that hallucinogen.’
“Hey! and VP asked me to convey a message to you. He said he has worked on the sound proofing for meeting room. You are invited to visit the room.”
‘Thanks, Jeffrey Wilson!’, and he smiled broadly.
At the Council
‘Good Afternoon!’, saying I entered the room. It was well lit, carpeted, with a wooden table too.
“Welcome Mr. Sangeet Hassan. We wanted to talk with you privately”, said the Principal and looked at the VP.
‘I figured! And yes, I volunteered as a victim of the attack, so that your students will be saved and I can solve the case quickly. And I’m sorry about last time,’ and the Principal’s face went pale as I spoke before he questioned me about anything.
VP looked at him and whispered, “He’s like that always.”
VP asked, “Is Wilson on the way?” for which I reacted peculiarly because of miscommunication.
‘I was informed about having a look at the room so I never needed him.’
VP — “Okay, okay! No problem. My bad. I thought he’d come with you. Never mind” and the principal continued. “Mr. Sangeet! I understand that you’re here to solve the case no matter what. But you’re our only hope. Please don’t risk very much.”
‘I do have my own methods, sir. Nothing to worry.’
VP to Principal — “Sir! I’ve followed his previous works. Actually, this is nothing when compared to his….uhh..the one to do with that killer..the the birdman… ahh..forgot the case name”
‘The Birds of Thattekad.’
“Yeah! That was an interesting case where he found out that everyone was a suspect. It was very thrilling to even read that case study.”
Principal — “Alright! If it’s not life threateningly risky, I leave it to you Sangeet. You are our last hope. I know it’s getting hard to kill the Elephant”, saying he left me with VP.
And my phone vibrated for a message from a new number.
“HELLO DARLING! It’s been a while. Meet me by 5pm. Let’s talk about the case you solved. You know where!
~💋JM”
Turned the phone downside and VP asked me, “Something wrong Sangeet?”
‘Yes. Something came up. I’m gonna need your car. And no! I can go alone.’
He gave me the keys and it was almost time for lunch. I went to the mess and saw Wilson talking and laughing with a few professors. As usual, I put some food on plate and went towards students side of the hall. Boys seem to feel sorry for me instead of flocking around like Starlings hearing to my stories.
Clock struck 4 PM
Pacing towards the parking, Wilson called me over phone.
Wilson: Hey Sangeet! What about today’s classes? Students are asking if you’d come?
Me: Tell them to practice. Give them some scenario and conduct it. And convey that the competitions will resume from day after. Put a poster in the notice board too!
Wilson: Okay! Where are you?
Me: Still at the hostel. I’ll tell you when I’m back. I’ve got work.
At the Broken Temple
‘Hello!’, and there was an extraordinary acoustics through the corridor. Lighted up my joint and pulled one.
‘Woo! Holy shit! That’s a good one. Well done, Wilson!’, I continued walking towards the room. The sun was setting and the rays directly hit the core. Wow! What kinda construction is that. I really hope there isn’t a corpse beneath the door. A scream was heard and a stuttered pigeon flew through.
Suddenly the pigeon was flying in a 60fps slo-mo.The scream was definitely a girl. Probably a girl from our college. She is already tired judging by her scream, probably tortured or sick. Drops of water, due to rain from last night dripping from the ceiling to floor was loud. Blip! One foot forward and ran towards the room.
Pushed the door and it was locked. I could hear a person breathing, whimpering and struggling.
‘HEY! FEAR NOT. I’m coming in!’, and the screams stopped.
Tried to push the door with my shoulders. But it was one heavy-ass door to open. Looked around and found a big stone. It was in size of a basketball but it was freakishly heavy. Stood almost 15 feet away from the door, locked the 15kg stone in my arms and ran towards it like a mad rhino. Abruptly stopped at 3 feet distance and released the stone. Bam! The door blast open.
The physics involved with the stunt pinned me to the floor. Woke up, dusted off my dress and fully opened the doors. Hands tied to the chair, mouth tied up with a cloth and with a dusty figure, a crying woman was struggling to break free facing the other side.
Moved forward to break the woman free. ‘Hey! Hey! Relax. I won’t harm you. It’s ok. I’ll free you.’ Before I took another step to see her face, a hard blow on back of my head. Hit my forehead to a pillar and immediately got dizzy. Fainted!
Slowly tried opening my eyes. It was bright and I felt high as fuck. The weed, the blow at the back of my head and probably I was also drugged. My head was now spinning like a Carousel. Intense pain in my forehead and it was wet. Probably bleeding. Tried taking my hand to feel it but my hands were zip-tied behind the chair. My ankles were tied to the wooden chair’s legs. I looked around and realized it was an another room adjacent to the one where I was attacked. A bright focus light was kept before me which pains to see, in my condition.
‘Hello!? Anybody here?’, I questioned.
A long sharp flute note was heard. ‘jyoj..…JYOTHI MITHRA!’ I shouted.
Hysterical laughing started and intensified. “Well! Hello! My dear detective”, saying she stood near the light and she wore a cloth across her face, draped in dark black cloth like a Ghost along with a big Hood which covered upper part of her face. But the eyes glowed evil.
Struggling myself I spoke. ‘What do you want with me, you big black coward?’
Gave out a short laugh and she replied, “Your solution!”
‘Am I drugged?’
“Yes Sangeet. Because you really were a tough man to handle. You resist when faint. All I want from you is the assumption of your first suicide case after you came here. Tell me, how did Molly’s father die?”
Screamed in my highest voice that I felt my throat splitting and started to speak, ‘First what? Assumption? Fool! It’s a solve. And clearly, it was a murder’ and a lightning struck my mind. When I was in my BrainGround during the hostel attack, she asked me the same question.
She laughed and spoke to me, “Well! You’re wrong Sangeet. I hope, THE MOTHER FRAMING THE BROTHER was your solve. Let me tell you something. The killer …..” came near my face and continued softly, “is the girl, your dear student — Molly.”
‘Bullshit. No! I know Molly. I mean, Mallika is not that kind of girl.’
“How are you a detective and also dumb? Such a cutie squishy pie, your deductions are wrong” caressing my face, she pinched my cheeks.
“Simple and petty things! I solved it when I came to know about it.”
‘How could you? You’re a psycho, a MURDERER’ saying, I coughed pretty badly.
‘Wha.. What did you do to me?’ for which she inhaled and replied.
“Oh dear! You were pretty strong to put down. I used a mild sleeping drug which reacted to the marijuana in your system and knocked you out completely. Boy! The after effects will be pretty wild. But worry not, I have done this a lot.”
‘It will kill you, you monster’, I whimpered.
“Kill? Like how she killed her own father?’
‘What did you say?’ and the world slowed down.
“Now, Sangeet! What do you call them?” she walked away from me.
‘Emotions!’ I said while she started laughing hysterically and loud.
~to be continued~
