Wv-4/2

The Whisper Valley-4/2

"What happened???"... Joel was besides her in a moment!

Khushi was trembling in shock and she just caught hold of the kitchen counter and looked at Joel with such a frightened expression, that he stepped forward putting an arm round her saying,

"Whats wrong ma'am?”

She moved away and looked at the kitchen door and asked him incredulously," Did you come through that door way Joel?"

"Yeah! Ofcourse!" He said! 

"I was in the hall and heard you scream so ...well just ran to the kitchen!"

"What ever happened Missie!" Rose rushed in...

"Aunty...er...." Khushi was sweating profusely and Rose looked at Joel saying,"Joel will you take her to the parlour?" I shall get the tea!"

The Whisper Valley

"Now dear! Tell me!" Rose said as Joel went into the office room to do some work, after pestering her in vain...to tell him what she saw...

"....er..."Khushi just looked at Aunty Rose!

Her saviour had warned her not to tell anything to anyone! Many questions crept in her mind! 

Was he genuine? Why should he be so very interested in her well-being! May be she should be telling all this to the police and Nani ji so that she got helped by them! Was he actually the attacker and then was doing all this?

Oh! God! Her head spun! But he was not the attacker! She could distinctly note two men! One who tried to strangulate her and one who saved her! He did save her! It was a fact established beyond reason! She touched her throat, which she covered with her scarf and there was still that mark made by the rope there!

"Please tell me" Rose Mary Sanders egged her on...
He asked her not to reveal anything to anyone!

Did that include aunty Rose?

But she was a darling! This one time she would share!

She sipped her tea and shivered!

"Out with it child! "Rose now was impatient!

"I saw..er... a... ..ehem...something weird... "She looked away and saw the fog in torrents through the window and gulped!

Rose put her warm hand on hers and asked," Trust me... I know! Thats why I am asking! Tell me! Jesus will give you peace my child! I shall pray for you!"

Khushi gulped again and said," You do? But you won't believe me Aunty!"

"Try me!" She said raising her eyebrows in a typical gesture!

Khushi squirmed in her sofa and said," I saw two things!"

"Ok...?" Rose egged her on!

The first was a head that was hung from the door way and it was bleeding!

"WHHHHAAATTTTTT??????" Rose got up from the chair she was occupying!

"Whose head was it?" Rose questioned her! 

"I don't know Aunty! It was a knight's head all right! ! You understand? Complete with the headgear and the gauzed veil like... she paused and looked at the horrified face of aunty Rose! 

Khushi asked her for affirmation " You know... that...with the knights head gear and all?" 

Rose nodded her head in all directions which told Khushi she did not understand at all!

Nevertheless she continued saying,"...the sword through his throat!" She shivered!

Rose hugged her, "Oh my poor poor child!... and...???" She prompted...

"The other was a lady!" Khushi calmed down! Very beautiful in her... "She suddenly remembered the bizarre vision that she had when she became conscious..."..in a white wedding gown! She had a veil across her face and she threw a bouquet at me! So I screamed"

"Where is the bouquet!"Rose asked!

"In the kitchen...er... I dunno!" Khushi caught the back of her head with her right hand unable to comprehend anything out of the incident!

Khushi closed her eyes!

She filled the kettle and turned back and she felt a shadow hover around! 

She turned and screamed as she saw a knight’s face covered in black gauze and a sword through his throat that was bleeding! She was scared coz she could only see his head and there was no body attached to it! It was hung from the kitchen door way and she closed her eyes and opened them to find a beautiful lady in a white gown and veil she smiled and threw a bouquet at her and Before she did anything Joel was besides her!

“Did you catch the bouquet?” Rose was asking her!
I don’t know! She didn't remember! In reflex action she extended her hand she remembered but nothing after that!

"Lets see!"

Rose went in to the kitchen and Khushi followed her and heard Rose scream this time!  

There was a bouquet in the kitchen but it was what that she bought at the Long Road and it was completely vandalized! Every single petal had been crushed and the stalks mashed! Khushi's eyes welled up! Such beautiful flowers! How could anyone do that! She just stared at it dumbly as Rose rang the bell to call a maid to clean up and called the security on the intercom asking them if they saw any outsider coming in! There was none!

'But this is what I got from the market aunty! But I left it at the place where... "Khushi rectified in the last moment and said....".... where I got lost!"

"How did it come here? WHO WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IT?

Who could it be! Khushi went on… as if dazed and then as if remembering something, said, "But this was not the bouquet she threw at me!"

She grew agitated and Rose caught her hand and dragged her out and saying,"... you need rest! Please! Just rest and we will talk after I serve dinner! I am staying back today and we shall talk about this!"

The Whisper Valley

Dinner was stilted affair as Devyani was not to be told all this and Khushi and Rose decided upon this after a meet with Joel and so they had a quiet dinner in Nani ji's room! There was some, lentil soup, rotis with mixed vegetable curry and salad and a pineapple cake that Rose baked celebrating Khushi's arrival!

After dinner, the ladies settled with a cup of coffee... and Khushi who was a little relaxed thought, if she could read a little and then it struck her!

MY BOOK! The Legend of the Whispering Valley!!!!!She stood up in a huff! 

“Ka hua bitiya?” Nani asked looking at an agitated Khushi!

( what happened my child?)

“Er...” She looked helplessly at Rose who immediately said...

“…yeah... please go and get the hot compression stuff... I forgot all about it! Shirley must be ready with it and… as an after thought said," You take it in the dining room! No need to go into the kitchen”… and winked at her!

Khushi ran out thankful for Rose's intervention...

She first took the stuff handed it over and then walked to her room!

Oh no! She lost the book! It was a treasure and now Aron would be cross with her! More so it belonged to the library! It would be so embarrassing! Of course she would offer to pay... that was not the issue! ... or  replace it or whatever! But... she so much wanted to read the story!
She opened the door of her room and walked in switching on the lights!

Suddenly she remembered something!

How did the man get her into her room! There must be a secret passage! Why not! It was an ancient building and there must be some such secret passages!

She started searching! She first rushed into the bathroom and checked the door and searched the over-head exhaust and everything else! But every opening was secure! No tampering! No traces of anything being opened.

She then walked to the window and checked its ledge, the curtain rod and the hinges and the frame! They were not only secure but she also noticed that...they were protected by a very thin mesh which she failed to notice before! Then how could he get her in!

She then checked the walls tapping on them! Nothing! No trace of any hidden door! She went on to the turret and she groaned! There was no way anyone could get in through that, as it was packed!

She came back and sat down on her bed!

Oh! No!!!!

There was a knock on the door and Rose stepped in.....

“How are you feeling my dear?” She asked her!
“I am better thank you”...Khushi pulled a chair for her to sit down and sat on the bed!

“You said you saw… forgive me for asking and scaring you but…” Rose shook her head...

“No! ... No  aunty Rose! I myself am going through the entire incident! Its so...so...” Khushi paused…

"eerie !" Both of them said at once!

“The knight- bleeding and beheaded!” Khushi repeated.

“Well Martha my sister is into this gypsy thing- crystal balls and face reading all that you know? …and all that... beads and stuff!!!!But...er....I don't believe in it! I am a true servant of the Lord!” Rose crossed her heart but said with very bright eyes,

"… she always says beheading... that meant loss of honour! And that implies... you...are...going to be… no! She squirmed in her chair.

Khushi stared at Rose! Did that mean she was going to be...murdered and face death or loose her honour! No! She shook her head!!!

“Just leave it! Just forget it as an old woman's blabber my dear” She tried to play it down!

“Ok! Just forget it!” She said again.

“But I can't! Khushi wailed! I can't aunty! It was such a gory incident and I just can't... can't !!” She was at loss of words!

What was happening! Twenty four hours back she was at peace with her mother in her own two bedroomed apartment! Everything just changed in twenty four hours!!!!

“You saw the Knight but you also saw a lady in a wedding gown and you said that she threw a bouquet at you...”Aunty Rose tried to divert the conversation!

“Yes aunty” Khushi said...

“I was wondering if you knew the significance of it...?” Rose asked her!

“Significance?” Khushi frowned!

“In a wedding, if you happen to catch the bride's bouquet then you are supposed to be the next bride to be! Its an omen my child!” Rose said!

“Oh?” Khushi said and then asked her... “…but you said the beheaded knight is loss of honour! Then this?” 

And did I see them? As in really or was it my imagination she thought!

“How could it be Aunty? Is this house haunted?" 

So many questions she had in her mind!

“I dunno!” Rose averted her eyes!

“Are you hiding something from me Aunty Rose?” Khushi asked!

“Nothing my dear! Just that I personally never saw any thing eerie here but people and the rest of the staff do say... that ...er... the ghosts of Willow and the Knight Raieszaada haunt the place so does the ghosts of Phelomena and the Lord of Eaton!

"Who are they?" Khushi asked!!!

"Oh! Its all in the legend... of the valley! I shall tell you… the whole night is there for that!" Rose brushed it aside and said," Can I ask you something?"
" There is something that does not match!" Rose said scrunching her nose!

" Wh...what?" Khushi asked...

“You said you were lost and then... how did you come back?As in find the way???? back here to Casa Willows!" Her question echoed in the silent room!