"You can't actually be in love with him" Alisha reasoned
" I know it is unexpected, but isn't that the beauty of it?" Nisha tried to convince her sister.
"Nisha, think about it. He is your patient."
" Not anymore. I just certified today that he has completely recovered." Nisha smiled.
" Nisha I have never told you this before even though I m not exactly a fan of your choice of men. Please take it really slow. There is something about this man that gives me creeps."
" Alisha, trust me there is nothing to worry about. I have known him for 3 months now. You have met him just once and should I remind you the circumstances under which you met? He had just lost his family and was himself recuperating."
"Alright. I can't win an argument with you but I sure can protect you. You are all I have. I just want you to be safe." she had tears in her eyes.
"Aww, I will be fine. He is a nice man. You will like him when you get to know him. But no hurry." She wiped her sister's tears.
They truly were all they had. They had lost their mother when they were too young and their father a few years back. She understood Alisha's plight. She herself had been apprehensive when Alisha had started dating someone. Alisha was the naive one and Nisha had always been protective of her. Nisha was almost always a good judge of people. She really thought Arnav was a good man. He was a bit reserved initially but had opened up to her. He was a painter and had that air of a recluse in him. She would keep talking to him and he would look at her like she were some exquisite work of art. It had flattered her when he had painted her. She had never had men who did that to her. She somehow intimidated men. Arnav was the first one to break the wall. Alisha, on her part, was always a charmer.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 weeks later
"You did what??" Alisha shrieked on the phone.
" I moved in with Arnav" Nisha said calmly.
"Are you out of your mind? I m gone just one week for a work trip and you move in with that loser?"
"Alisha don't you talk about him in such a way." Nisha warned.
"Oh, so this man is more important than your sister of 26 years?"
"Alisha, he has had an accident. There is no one to look after him. I had to stay with him.Just try to be in my shoes and think" she tried to make her understand
"Wow! How does he manage to get injured so many times?" she taunted.
"Ok that's enough." Nisha was irritated.
"You listen to me. The moment he is able to manage for himself, I want you out of his house. You get it? You move back in before I reach there or else forget you have a sister." she shouted
"This is ridiculous!"
"Do you promise?"
"Okay fine!" she snapped the phone shut.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A month later
Alisha came home famished. She plundered the fridge but there was nothing to eat. The house looked untouched for weeks. So Nisha had lied. She hadn't yet come back. She was furious. She picked up the phone and dialed her number.
"Alisha! Thank God you are here." Her voice cracked on the phone.
"Nisha, where are you?" her anger gave way to hysteria. What was wrong with her sister?
"Alisha just come to my office in an hour." she whispered
Alisha took a quick bath. Her cupboard was a mess as usual. She picked up Nisha's neatly folded office wear . Thank god she hadn't taken all her clothes! Alisha often wore Nisha's impeccably folded and ironed clothes when in a hurry. Her stomach was grumbling and she felt faint with fatigue. She wore Nisha's heels too. They were a perfect fit. She set out for Nisha's office. She would order something from their canteen, she thought.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nisha folded the papers she had found and stuffed them into her purse. She was horrified and her heart was throbbing against her ribs. She had to get out before Arnav came out of the shower. She picked up her keys and was about to set out. She thought of telling Arnav she was leaving. He would be suspicious if she didn't.
"Arnav! I m leaving for work. Some emergency." she knocked and shouted.
She walked out of the door and shut it behind. She wasn't coming again!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She had reached early. She waited for Nisha. The office boy had brought in some snacks and coffee for her. She was nibbling at the last pieces of the crackers when she heard footsteps. It was still 15 minutes to 9.
"I knew I would find you here." he smiled, opening the door wider and entering in.
"Huh?"
He closed the door behind him and walked towards her.
She was stunned to see Arnav. What was he doing here and where was Nisha?
He paced the distance quickly and put his hand on her mouth, suffocating her.
"Bitch, I loved you so much but that wasn't enough huh? You had to go prying on my past!" his eyes flamed with anger.
"Now that you already know, you will leave me too" he acted depressed.
It was chilling. The way he smiled after that... He pulled out the knife he had been hiding and stabbed her multiple times. Alisha was numb with fear to feel it go inside but as he withdrew the weapon, blood and screams gushed out. Screams that no one could hear..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She had first gone to the investigating officer. That was why she had called Alisha in an hour's time. She had met ACP Tripathi who was investigating the double murder.
"How did you get these papers?" asked the officer
"I have been living with him." she was disgusted to say.
"This says he was being treated for his violent behavior. Your report does not mention any violent streak."
" He is a smart one. He was acted like a typical case of depression and shock over the murders. He is a bloody good actor to have gone undetected."
"What makes you think he killed them?"
" Because he stabbed his pet the exact same way he stabbed his mother and girlfriend."
" Any idea why?"
" His report says his cat went wandering and he was mad at it. I have no idea why he would kill his mother and girlfriend though."
" You have his photograph?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because if he is smart enough, he is already missing. You brought his secret and he knows it by now."
"Oh my God! He is going to come after me. His photographs are in my office."
"We will give you protection. Let us first go to your office."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Madam, you are here! Then who is in with Arnav sir?" the office boy was shocked.
"Oh my God, oh my god! Alisha!!" She ran to her cabin with the ACP and office boy in tow.
Alisha was lying in a pool of blood, dead. Arnav had made it in time and had escaped. The office boy was new. He had no idea that it was Alisha and not Nisha that he had served. They were exact replicas. One couldn't tell them apart. They were identical twins.They had the same trim figure. They had the same fair complexion. They had the same wavy shoulder length hair. They had the same dark brown eyes. They had the same faint eyebrows. They had the same curved lips and they had the same smile. Only Nisha always wore heels which made Alisha look shorter. However, that fateful day, Alisha bridged that difference. She was in Nisha's shoes..
Nisha cursed herself. She should have known better. Arnav was her patient and she was a psychologist..
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was holed up in a cottage, unknown to any of his acquaintances. He needed his space, which also proved an abode to hide now.
The newspapers and news channels were splashing his photos.
He had made a mistake! He had killed the twin. Anyway she deserved it. She always was against him.
The world was against him. Even his mother was against him.
What was the need to warn his girlfriend about his past? They would have lived happily if his mother had not told her about his history of violence. He had heard them talking and had boiled in rage. She would have left him if he had not killed her.
Nisha too deserved to die. He would make the kill.. Only when things cooled down, he would resurface to get his revenge..
" I know it is unexpected, but isn't that the beauty of it?" Nisha tried to convince her sister.
"Nisha, think about it. He is your patient."
" Not anymore. I just certified today that he has completely recovered." Nisha smiled.
" Nisha I have never told you this before even though I m not exactly a fan of your choice of men. Please take it really slow. There is something about this man that gives me creeps."
" Alisha, trust me there is nothing to worry about. I have known him for 3 months now. You have met him just once and should I remind you the circumstances under which you met? He had just lost his family and was himself recuperating."
"Alright. I can't win an argument with you but I sure can protect you. You are all I have. I just want you to be safe." she had tears in her eyes.
"Aww, I will be fine. He is a nice man. You will like him when you get to know him. But no hurry." She wiped her sister's tears.
They truly were all they had. They had lost their mother when they were too young and their father a few years back. She understood Alisha's plight. She herself had been apprehensive when Alisha had started dating someone. Alisha was the naive one and Nisha had always been protective of her. Nisha was almost always a good judge of people. She really thought Arnav was a good man. He was a bit reserved initially but had opened up to her. He was a painter and had that air of a recluse in him. She would keep talking to him and he would look at her like she were some exquisite work of art. It had flattered her when he had painted her. She had never had men who did that to her. She somehow intimidated men. Arnav was the first one to break the wall. Alisha, on her part, was always a charmer.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 weeks later
"You did what??" Alisha shrieked on the phone.
" I moved in with Arnav" Nisha said calmly.
"Are you out of your mind? I m gone just one week for a work trip and you move in with that loser?"
"Alisha don't you talk about him in such a way." Nisha warned.
"Oh, so this man is more important than your sister of 26 years?"
"Alisha, he has had an accident. There is no one to look after him. I had to stay with him.Just try to be in my shoes and think" she tried to make her understand
"Wow! How does he manage to get injured so many times?" she taunted.
"Ok that's enough." Nisha was irritated.
"You listen to me. The moment he is able to manage for himself, I want you out of his house. You get it? You move back in before I reach there or else forget you have a sister." she shouted
"This is ridiculous!"
"Do you promise?"
"Okay fine!" she snapped the phone shut.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A month later
Alisha came home famished. She plundered the fridge but there was nothing to eat. The house looked untouched for weeks. So Nisha had lied. She hadn't yet come back. She was furious. She picked up the phone and dialed her number.
"Alisha! Thank God you are here." Her voice cracked on the phone.
"Nisha, where are you?" her anger gave way to hysteria. What was wrong with her sister?
"Alisha just come to my office in an hour." she whispered
Alisha took a quick bath. Her cupboard was a mess as usual. She picked up Nisha's neatly folded office wear . Thank god she hadn't taken all her clothes! Alisha often wore Nisha's impeccably folded and ironed clothes when in a hurry. Her stomach was grumbling and she felt faint with fatigue. She wore Nisha's heels too. They were a perfect fit. She set out for Nisha's office. She would order something from their canteen, she thought.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nisha folded the papers she had found and stuffed them into her purse. She was horrified and her heart was throbbing against her ribs. She had to get out before Arnav came out of the shower. She picked up her keys and was about to set out. She thought of telling Arnav she was leaving. He would be suspicious if she didn't.
"Arnav! I m leaving for work. Some emergency." she knocked and shouted.
She walked out of the door and shut it behind. She wasn't coming again!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She had reached early. She waited for Nisha. The office boy had brought in some snacks and coffee for her. She was nibbling at the last pieces of the crackers when she heard footsteps. It was still 15 minutes to 9.
"I knew I would find you here." he smiled, opening the door wider and entering in.
"Huh?"
He closed the door behind him and walked towards her.
She was stunned to see Arnav. What was he doing here and where was Nisha?
He paced the distance quickly and put his hand on her mouth, suffocating her.
"Bitch, I loved you so much but that wasn't enough huh? You had to go prying on my past!" his eyes flamed with anger.
"Now that you already know, you will leave me too" he acted depressed.
It was chilling. The way he smiled after that... He pulled out the knife he had been hiding and stabbed her multiple times. Alisha was numb with fear to feel it go inside but as he withdrew the weapon, blood and screams gushed out. Screams that no one could hear..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She had first gone to the investigating officer. That was why she had called Alisha in an hour's time. She had met ACP Tripathi who was investigating the double murder.
"How did you get these papers?" asked the officer
"I have been living with him." she was disgusted to say.
"This says he was being treated for his violent behavior. Your report does not mention any violent streak."
" He is a smart one. He was acted like a typical case of depression and shock over the murders. He is a bloody good actor to have gone undetected."
"What makes you think he killed them?"
" Because he stabbed his pet the exact same way he stabbed his mother and girlfriend."
" Any idea why?"
" His report says his cat went wandering and he was mad at it. I have no idea why he would kill his mother and girlfriend though."
" You have his photograph?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because if he is smart enough, he is already missing. You brought his secret and he knows it by now."
"Oh my God! He is going to come after me. His photographs are in my office."
"We will give you protection. Let us first go to your office."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Madam, you are here! Then who is in with Arnav sir?" the office boy was shocked.
"Oh my God, oh my god! Alisha!!" She ran to her cabin with the ACP and office boy in tow.
Alisha was lying in a pool of blood, dead. Arnav had made it in time and had escaped. The office boy was new. He had no idea that it was Alisha and not Nisha that he had served. They were exact replicas. One couldn't tell them apart. They were identical twins.They had the same trim figure. They had the same fair complexion. They had the same wavy shoulder length hair. They had the same dark brown eyes. They had the same faint eyebrows. They had the same curved lips and they had the same smile. Only Nisha always wore heels which made Alisha look shorter. However, that fateful day, Alisha bridged that difference. She was in Nisha's shoes..
Nisha cursed herself. She should have known better. Arnav was her patient and she was a psychologist..
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was holed up in a cottage, unknown to any of his acquaintances. He needed his space, which also proved an abode to hide now.
The newspapers and news channels were splashing his photos.
He had made a mistake! He had killed the twin. Anyway she deserved it. She always was against him.
The world was against him. Even his mother was against him.
What was the need to warn his girlfriend about his past? They would have lived happily if his mother had not told her about his history of violence. He had heard them talking and had boiled in rage. She would have left him if he had not killed her.
Nisha too deserved to die. He would make the kill.. Only when things cooled down, he would resurface to get his revenge..
7 comments:
Lady, you are only getting better and better at this!
Why, this could make a wonderful novel someday. Serious :)
You make me so happy with your comments :)
Novel is a long way to go :D
So little words to make a long story. I feel like I read a book.. Beautiful!
A gripping story.. Maithili, when I read your stories, I sure think a novel is due sometime soon. You should start in that direction, seriously!
Thank you so much geeth :) That's a huge compliment :D
:D I know it is going to be a novel someday. Only I m building up my skills and learning new things :D As they say, you don't write a novel before you are 30 :D
Only 2 words..spine chilling
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