The Haunted Hostel — #8

Chapter 8: Crazy Mithra

“Now, Sangeet! What do you call them?” she walked away from me.

‘Emotions!’ I said while she started laughing hysterically and loud.

A noise of people talking was heard from outside.

“So long, Sangeet,” saying she dropped a smoke bomb and vanished. My eyes teared up and started to cough profusely.

I could hear the door blast open but my vision was distorted and burning.

“Sangeet! Sangeet!”

Untied my hands and legs. “Hey! You’re okay. Can you see?”

‘Jeff?’

“Yes, my man! Can you get up?”

I tried standing up and my left leg was trembling as my calves fell asleep.

‘I’m good Wilson. How’d you find me?’

“VP called me and said something was wrong. He told me that you needed his car. So, he suspected that you’d come here only. Let’s go.”

‘Wait! Did you check the front room?’ I pushed him and ran outside. The room was clear and I babbled, ‘Wilson. There was a girl tied to a chair here. Before I could reach her, I was banged on my head. And now, she’s gone.’

“Hey! Hey! Chill. Are you sure? Because I walked through and found nothing.”

‘No! Someone was right here. Maybe I hallucinated like you say.’

“Well! For one thing, you maybe right. You’re high and hurt. Let’s go to the hostel and talk about this.”

Light at the End of Tunnel

At the hostel

‘Ah! Wilson, you’re my savior,’ received a cup of Tea from him and asked, ‘Tell me that I’m not wrong’

“You’re actually wrong.”

‘Well! You’re not the only one to say that today. About what exactly?’

“That you can take care of yourself”

‘Look! Jeff. We’ve been over this a hundred times already. I work alone.’

“Well uhn! 13 times to be precise.”

Chuckled, ‘Look who’s counting.’

Finished my tea and kept on the saucer. It broke. ‘Well, that’s a first. What is the matter Wilson?’

“There was an anonymous letter in our council meeting room. And it looks like we have found who’s being targeted next.”

‘Ofcourse! I know it’s tomorrow and it’s obviously Fa…’ and my breathing stopped. ‘Faiyaaz! Holy shit!’ and I looked at Wilson.

“No! I double dare you. I swear if you ever get caught in this puddle again. I’ll kill you.”

‘Well! Looks like, I have become predictable. I just want to talk to him, nothing more.’

When I stepped out and Faiyaaz was pacing towards my room. These instances are getting weirder now.

Heavily panting, he spoke. “Mr. Sangeet. The A….A&E block”, coughs. “Please come to A&E block NOW!”

‘Wilson! Come, let’s go’ and we all ran.

At the A&E block

The teaching hall was open and there was a flood of lights. I never knew so many lights ever existed in the room. Faiyaaz ran inside and I peeked.

Wilson asked softly, “What happened?”

Shushing him by action, I walked in. It was a scene of ruckus. Well, not literally.

Molly was sitting on the floor, with a swollen face and a messy hair due to excessive crying and messy outfit which could probably also due to crying. A knife was lying on the floor far from her. She tried to cut herself but regretted and threw it away. No! Someone must have grabbed it from her hand and thrown it away which explains the angle. Faiyaaz must’ve tried consoling her but she did not hear anything from him because of the guilt. And now I’m so confused with what I experienced earlier. Was it true that her mother killed the father?

Wilson slowly walked towards her, “Mallika! It’s oka..”

She replied in a shrill voice, “Wilson sir! Go away. I don’t want anyone. Please!” and pleaded with her hands.

Faiyaaz in a soft-voice— “Molly.”

She looked at him, “What did I tell you? Leave me alone. Please. Go! I am worried that I may hurt you too.”

He looked at her and walked away. Kept his hand on the door and said, “You did not hurt me. And you never will.”

She began to weep again and I walked across the room to fill some water. Walking with a glass of water in my wet hand and my pinky finger was about to drip. The world slowed down.

Whenever the attack at the hostel happens, the previous day was a glory to the people in that room and now Faiyaaz has been suffering very much. The one person who suffered very much before the attack was warden. He had an escalation and was taking a leave the previous day to reduce the stress. Instead of stress, he was relieved of his life. Now! Sangeet, Think, How would you solve a case even though you know who’s going to die? Stay in his room. No! I’m not crazy enough to pull off another stunt. What is my weapon? Weapon! Weapon! Weapon! My brain!

I screamed in my loudest voice, “FAIYAAZ!”

Blip! The droplet fell and I snapped back from Processing.

Walked towards Molly and offered her the glass of water. She never refused and drank in a gulp.

‘Do you want some more?’

“No! What happened Mr. Sangeet?” she asked. Meanwhile Faiyaaz was still clinging to the doors as support.

‘Faiyaaz!’

He replied, “Sir?”

‘You’re gonna die?’

Now Wilson’s eyes widened and almost popped out, “What? How did.. What?”

Molly pushed aside her hair and asked, “What did you say?”

‘It’s not safe for you, in there, Faiyaaz But..’

Wilson interrupted, “But what? But he has to stay in his room? Are you crazy Sangeet?”

Wilson continued — “Dude! Why are you looking like that? What happened to you?”

Molly filled in for me. “He’s processing! And I also think he found something.”

‘I’m sorry Molly! But I have no other choice.’

Wilson in confusion, “Choice? What choice?”

‘Faiyaaz! Do you trust me?’

With a big doubt in his mind, “Um! Yes….. Mr. Sangeet! Bu….but what if I”

Wilson turned pointed me and said, “I really hope you got plans. You’re nuts!” and he walked away with anger. I took Faiyaaz’s hand, ‘You’re gonna be fine, my friend. Coz I put trust in my methods and my methods, don’t fail me. Isn’t it right, Ms. Mallika’

“What?” she looked concerned.

‘I’m sorry about the father Molly. And I’m sorry to you too. But I got no other choice than calling you out.’

It just did

Faiyaaz’ grip in my hands tightened, “Sir! What are you saying?”

‘I hate to break the news so fast but I came to understand by a few things that Molly could probably be a suspect in her father’s murder.’

Faiyaaz’ brows lifted, eyes popped, “WHAT?”

Molly never spoke. She kept looking at me with a blank look on her face. I could hear the sound of air, silence was loud. Faiyaaz held my hand and I could sense the pulse rising every second. Tears were crying to break out from his eyes. The winds blew heavily and brought the dust inside the hall. The window near my seat was going to close by itself.

Molly spoke softly, “And what made you think of me that way, Mr. Sangeet?”

Exhaled and let go of his hands. ‘Molly! I have seen the worst but my recent experience opened my eyes. I felt high on mind yesterday. Someone gave me a clarity on why you had known so many details about one such thing. Yet! You failed miserably with your greatest weakness.’

She froze and looked at me. Tear rolled from her right eye. She could break any second now. She expressed such strength. I have never seen a girl with so much will-power off-late.

“Indeed sir. Emotions are…….my….greatest weakness”, she wiped the tears off her cheeks and stood up.

‘I have always told you that your mom is a strong woman. But after all, you are her daughter. I told you that your mom gave me the glass of whiskey, but that glass was filled with regrets.’

Faiyaaz whimpered, “Sir! What happened?”

I replied, ‘Your brother is not a suspect.’

“Sir! You already told that my brother is not the suspect. But now you’re telling something odd. Why is Molly a suspect?”

‘I’m not saying she is a suspect. I’m saying that she…’

Molly walked towards us and smirked, “Well! You are the greatest detective.”

Faiyaaz eyes teared up heavily. “Malli!”

“Hey bubbloo!”, she weeped.

Faiyaaz looked at me with a wiery face, “Mr. Sangeet!”

She spoke, “Faiyaaz! I’m sorry I lied to you.” He looked at me and gave a brief look at her and walked out of the room with a heavy heart.

‘Why did you do it Molly?’, I asked.

“Mr. Sangeet! He is not the man you know. He is a different person. If he gets high, that man does not look at me like a father. He was not true to my mom also. Mom wanted to look after the family business because he was literally destroying the empire he built. The family like ours should not have a bad name. She decided to take it forward and he abused her badly. Then, I learnt about the oil. I infused it, in the drink without her knowing. Asked her to take it to the office. And once he drank she went in shock. His brother ran in fear and got caught. This was a perfect situation to lock the brother as a suspect. And then your entry has pestered me a lot. I thought I varnished all the details. How did you find out?”

‘You’re not so bad for a detective mind yet an amateur does mistakes. They examined the fingerprints in the whiskey bottle and glass. But nobody was noticing the marijuana oil container lying near the bar counter in your home. I had it examined and it had a fingerprint. I got a message from the forensics an hour ago and confirmed it to be yours.’

She smirked, “Well! Now you’ve caught me.” Inhaled and exhaled with a sound, “uhhhnnnn!!! Detective.”

With a puzzled tone I asked, ‘What happened? Why are you smiling?’

“Well! For one thing, I’m a murderer. But for the second…”

‘I do not understand. What’s the second?’

“You never understood the whole point of my existence. You always called me by my nickname.”

‘Molly?’

“Well Mr. Sangeet, that’s the short form of my nickname”

‘Excuse me?’

“You’ve no concerns about the records. Only evidences. The greatest detective and yet…. failed the second time to….AN AMATEUR”

‘Wait! You are…ij..j…,’ I started to panic.

She started to laugh maniacally.

~to be continued~