Chapter- 7

In Namrata's house :

Nimit was searching for Hrida but he couldn't find her and asked Namrata whether she had seen Hrida somewhere. Namrata replied," No, I haven't. Did you check outside, she might be playing?"

Nimit answered in a concerned tone," Yes, I checked every corner and around but she is nowhere. I think she might have heard my sister's words and left us. I should have been there inside to make her stay here till she became well. But I-" His mouth froze when he discovered the same doll lying at the center of the room. He took the doll in his hand and closely observed the designs made by Hrida, which looked a little messy but still, there was beauty in it.

Namrata saw a piece of cloth on which something was written, so she knelt, held it between her fingers, and read aloud," Thank you for being so kind. Thank you for everything. And don't worry enough to chase me because I am a fast runner so please let me go. I left behind a piece of my heart that yours to have. I hope you take care of my heart. Bye."

Nimit sighed," She speaks quite smartly and sounded wise as well. But I will miss her." Namrata expressed, " Me too especially her rambles. However.. we still have a piece of her that she shared with us….this doll. I am glad that she gave us her doll which will remain as essence of her presence. Hope so Hrida finds her home soon."

Back to Hrida:

Hrida again started moving forward and had already walked a few meters ahead and the rain was still ongoing. Suddenly something snaps inside her brain and she turns back and walks in the same direction from where she began her journey. Tapish purrs at her, hops on her shoulder, and closely inspects her face as if trying to figure out what is going on inside her mind.

Hrida just continued walking passing by the Namrat & Nimit's house, then that madman's flat, and also bypassed that park where Tapish got bruised. This continued until she came across a jam-packed market filled with various kinds of stalls.

Hrida and Tapish felt drawn to two different stalls; one held a pretty accessories stall which consisted of earrings, bangles, hair clips, rubber bands, and her favorite headbands. She wanted to buy it but she couldn't spend her left money on this. So, Hrida just gawks at those pretty headbands and imagines how she would look.

On the other hand, Tapish's sharp nose took him to non-veg snack items, his mouth was watering with the welcoming delicious scent hitting his nose. He stood in front of a few people standing by that stall and tried to enchant them with his cute meows and pretty eyes but people were too cold to melt so his efforts were in vain. 

Surprisingly, a hand forwards in front of his face holding a pair of fish sticks, he immediately seizes the snacks into his paws and eats while savoring the whole snack. He heard a familiar giggle, so he looked up and there stood Hrida gazing at him with a kind smile. Tapish meows softly and rubs his head against her leg.

Hrida comments," Tapish, I didn't know you had such charming tricks that could melt anyone. And these people might have ignored but I know they are melting inside even though they don't want to show. Right! I know you used to get non-veg meals occasionally in my previous home and I couldn't help you at that time. But now, I can, so, enjoy your treat. Till then I will explore the stalls around and I won't wander off too far although you will find me even if I get lost. Still, I don't want you to take extra trouble for me."

Hrida wanders and goes to each stall but she can only do window-shopping right now. She hums a few tunes of her own and observes people with a curious gaze. She noticed a few college girls who were buying tops, shorts, dresses, etc., an elderly man bargaining with a vegetable seller, and many young bhaiyas strolling from here and there while talking loudly which was disturbing and was visible on many people's faces. 

  She heard a loud whimper and growling at the next moment. She scanned around and saw a dog being hit by stones thrown by a small 5-year-old kid. She was fazed by this scene and again that familiar yet unfamiliar rush of chill traveled through her arms. Her eyes straightened over the kid's shadow and noticed the shadow appeared darker shade than other people's shadows. Hrida couldn't pinpoint this feeling and increased appearances of these strange shadows and that troubled her mind more. 

She purposefully distracted the child by asking him stupid questions and within that time, the dog ran away and she scolded in a lighter tone," You shouldn't hurt animals. Would you feel good when someone throws stones at you? Next time, don't hurt animals, okay."

The kid rudely replies," Didi ( elder female), don't lecture me. Who are you to scold me? And I wasn't hurting him, I was just playing with him. All elders act like they can do anything. But I won't listen to you because I don't know you. Even if I did, I wouldn't listen to you. BYE."

Hrida can't help but pout in disbelief and rants," How rude. Doesn't he know any manners about how one should talk to an elder? Oh God! These days I have met such crazy people except a few people that I can't help but feel utterly disgusted. Ughhhh.."

  Hrida felt cold suddenly and again that familiar feeling. She looked around and her attention drew towards a couple standing underneath a shoe shop and they appeared slightly agitated. She felt an urge to keep watching, so she kept an eye on them. The man looked educated and diligent still though his expressions were like wild angry bull and the woman stood bold and fierce against his verbal throws. 

Hrida felt a tingling sensation before that man violently pushed her to the ground and that man didn't stop there, he advanced towards her like a hungry predator and he looked quite scary and she observed one thing, he had the same creepy grin on his lips and madness in his eyes. 

The environment emerged ghostly as suddenly the sun vanished and the dark grey clouds took over but this time the silver lining upon the clouds was gone and a long grayish hue spread over that place. All the people present there are interested in the couple's disputes and are enjoying the scene like they are watching a circus show.

Hrida looked for most of the people's shadows around them and she saw a distinguishable change of shade of their shadows. The shadows were no longer black rather they were void black, which looked like a swallowing pit to her. 

She heard a scream and she looked in front, there that woman on the ground with one hand covering her cheek, tears rushing down her cheeks and her hair being grasped by the hands of that dangerous and cruel man.

The man snickers and tugs her hair hard making that woman hiss," You shouldn't have argued with me. I have been tolerating your tantrums till now but not anymore. Just because you are a working woman, you think you have power over me. You can make decisions about my life. Tchhhh. Poor Vanya thinks she can refuse my choice and choose a different one that is better than my choice according to her. If you ever go against me, then you will face the cruel side of your husband, dear Vanya."

Vanya tears up and nothing comes out of her mouth but she pleadingly looks at those people asking silently for help. But none of them helped instead they were just neutral and seemed normal as this is normal and nothing has happened.

Vanya felt even more scared when she caught enjoyment, fear, and neutral expressions hidden in disguise. Vanya gathered her courage and defended," I won't go with you and I refuse to accept your rubbish opinions. I never thought a sweet, modern, and diligent guy would be an egoistic and cruel monster. You are a monster, who doesn't know how to treat a Person. 

How could you slap me? Who gave you the right? I never forced my choices and opinions upon you and I always wanted to just help you and take care of you as a wife. But it seems my efforts were futile and wasted upon you. And right now, leave my hair otherwise you will face the new side of me as well."

Vanya's husband laughed out loud at her statement and most hurtful is that most people are snickering and mocking at her statement and this made Vanya powerless and hopeless. In Hrida's view, the shadows seem to mocking her as well.

Then a loud metal sound was audible to everyone's ear and Hrida felt scared to wits and subconsciously started rubbing her palms. She couldn't take her eyes off and not only her, everyone's eyes were glued to the scene.

Vanya lay flat on the road, her hair covering her face but blood pooled formed beneath her face and small drips of blood drizzling from the blood-stained heel shoe held in her husband's hand. He raised his head with a prideful smile and the creepiest smirk flashing upon his face. 

He challenged everyone's courage with his one creepy look and this sent terror to a few people, others looked satisfied and a small amount of people felt pity for Vanya. Everyone present there silently agreed upon keeping their mouths sealed and behaving as if nothing serious happened.

Hrida herself felt scared when that man directed his gaze towards her with familiar recognition and flashed a spine-chilling smile, She ignored his gaze and looked towards the ground. Hrida followed her gaze to Tapish, who was currently moving in the direction of that man with knife-sharp eyes.

She held him back trapping him within her arms and whispered to Tapish," WHAT are you trying to do? I know you want to help, I wanted to help too… But… He is a danger and my mind doesn't agree to oppose such a person. I know I am behaving like a coward but sometimes bravery can turn out foolish and life threatening. I won't let him hurt us in any manner.

Sorry, Tapish, I know you might become mad and stay angry at me for some time. But there is nothing that I can do."

Tapish meows softly and licks her hand as if sending her some message. Hrida thinks and thinks while walking away from there. Tapish meows insistently but she didn't stop until she recognized a familiar face at a tea stall outside the market. She wildly searched for a paper and she found a dirty crumpled piece of newspaper. 

Hrida picked out the same blood-marked tip pen and wrote something like ' Hurry to the market ahead. A lady is injured because of her husband's vicious hit. The lady's name is Vanya. Please hurry, the cruel man might escape from there. Hurry immediately! ' She crumpled the paper into a ball again and threw it at that young police officer whom she attacked in defense.

The officer felt something hit his back and he looked down and found a crumpled newspaper and some scribbling written in bold. He picked up and unfolded the paper, read the message, and immediately bolted into the market. Hrida and Tapish followed him while maintaining a good distance.

He reached in time for the horrifying scene where Vanya's husband was attempting to hit her again with that sharp heel directed toward her face. Before he could hit, he was tackled to the ground by the police officer and he single-handedly clutched his wrist in arrest bands. The culprit was justifying his action but the police officer didn't pay him any attention instead he looked at those people standing like ghosts with a disappointed gaze.

He asks them while exposing that newspaper piece to them," Who wrote me this letter? Who is that person who still had the shame, and courage to do this? Please come forward! "

Hrida silently watched the scene and she didn't appear in his view, so he declared," If you don't want to appear, then it's okay, I just want to appreciate your help. You saved Vanya from death's grip." He claps for her after finishing his sentence.

Hrida felt better now but still, she felt ashamed of her act of almost being ignorant and running away from there. Tapish licked her hand again as he saw her eyes filled with shame and guilt. Her gaze focused upon him and he meowed letting her know that everything was alright.

Hrida disappeared from the crowd and was far away from that police officer. Hrida and Tapish took a break at an isolated bus stop and sat there for hours. 

Hrida is lost in her thoughts and Tapish snuggles against her torso while lying on her lap. Hrida thinks," It's strange how these crazy people that I encountered had creepy shadowy presence. It can't be a coincidence. I almost saw the enlargement of his eyes and inky blackness spreading in his eyes and on his arms and neck region.

Was it a fig of my imagination? It can't be, it appeared too real to be just an imagination.  Wait, maybe something is growing behind the people's eyes and it is surely not good. But what is that, I don't have enough idea about it. I have to find out my truth and this thing as well. I just pray that Vanya didi ( elder female )heals rapidly."

The rain drops pitter-patter against the metal roof of the bus stop and Hrida just closed her eyes and relaxed and concentrated upon the soothing voice of rain and other noises faded behind the rain's comforting whispers to her ears.