Thriller The ultimate choice 13

Episode 13

Archana's jaw stiffened! How dare he called her Honey?

"You are about to begin your second task. Remember that you have made a solemn oath in front of your revered Lord that you would obey all my orders."

"Oh God! Why have you put me in this quagmire?" Archana's shoulders droopped, and her head bent downwards.

"Oh Honey! You don't have to worry at all! This second step is the easiest of all the steps. All you have to do is to do skinny dipping in this lovely pool in front of those three masked people. They will stare at you. They may make some obscene gestures. But, I assure you they will not touch you."

Archana's childhood was spent in a semi-urban area, where ponds were in abundance! Archana's uncle had a peculiar way of teaching swimming to his wards. He would simply throw them in the pond when they were as young as 3 years old. The children would get the shock of their life, they would try their best to remain afloat. But, eventually, the drowning would start, and at that moment the uncle would jump on to the pond to save the children. He would repeat the act again and again until the child learned swimming. No one approved his method, but it worked. All his wards became good swimmers eventually. 

Therefore, Archana had a date with swimming from a very early age, and when she attained 8 years, she became an expert swimmer. Bathing in front of other people was neither a new thing to her. But, the womenfolk in her area never did skinny dipping! That was beyond their imagination, simply unthinkable. How could she skinny dip in front of 3 strangers? No she could not do it.

"You know what, Honey? God, yes, your God, has created both men and women. Don't you believe that? Don't your freaking holy books teach that? Do you think that God has made the body of a woman so beautiful to keep them wrapped under a veil? No, Honey, no! Beauty is for flaunting. If you have read your holy scriptures carefully, and if you have the minimum IQ to interpret them, you will realize that for a very long time the womenfolk didn't cover their bosoms. If you interpret the Mahabharata without jaundiced eyes, you can clearly understand that even Draupadi never covered her breasts. Have you ever visited the temples of Khajuraho? Haven't you noticed the celebration of nudity there? Now, the time has come for you to keep your tradition. Show your beauty in front of these three strangers. There is no shame in it." The same nasal voice preached. Archana again tried hard to find where the sound came from in vain.

Archana looked at herself. When she left home for New Delhi, she was wearing a pink kurti and ochre leggings. But, when she got back her sense, she was wearing an orange tee-shirt and an orange pant, almost similar to the dresses worn by convicts. That meant somebody had changed her clothes without her knowledge and permission. That meant somebody had already seen her body. Very reluctantly, as if tons of load were put on her hands, she took off her tee-shirt. The moment she did it, she heard a shrill whistle!

Shocked and displeased, she looked around to find that the shortest, plump guy was making lewd gestures at her. The other two men stood as if they were statues!

She stopped instantly, covering her bras with both hands in embarrassment, and cringing a bit backwards!

After waiting for a couple of minute, the nasal voice said, "Don't stop Honey! This is a test. You have to pass it, otherwise you will never be freed."

Very hesitantly, the moment she took off her pant, the short guy jumped and clapped with great enthusiasm! This obscene gesture again made Archana wince. Now, she was in bra and panty. How would she take them off in front of these lumpen elements?

"Don't forget Honey, your husband is in our captivity! And, you have no idea what we can do to him!" This time the nasal voice sounded very rude!

The words acted like an act of whipping to Archana! After a very long time, Archana again realized that the life of her husband was very dear to her. Thus, casting off all her senses of fear, shame and insults, she took off all the remainings, and jumped on to the pool in a flash.

The short guy was making all kinds of obscene gestures, with intermittent wolfwhistling. But, Archana's mind was in such an emergency state that she could not pay attention to it.

                                    --------------------------------------::::::::::::::::-----'xxxxxxxxxzzzz

Had Rajan been made of wax, he would surely have melted to avoid the embarrassment of watching his wife skinny dipping in front of two strangers, who were making all kinds of lewd gestures. Sometimes, the thought of killing the short, plump guy appeared to his mind. But, the Joker with a nasal voice, who made him captive, had directed him to to remain as a mere spectator during that 10 minutes of that humongous mental torture.

After that 10 minutes of severe thrashing he received, he had been taken to a comfortable room, and given treatment. There was a 42" television monitor on that room, which operated on its own will. When Rajan had been almost dying of hunger, the joker's face appeared on it. The joker told him that Rajan's life was in his hand. He would have to obey whatever directions he would be given. He would have to pass 5 tests to get his freedom back. Disobedience, he was given a stern warning, might lead to his death. Watching his wife skinny dipping in front of others without interfering was his first test.

Later on the day, the joker congratulated him on passing the test. As it seemed, he was given pizza in the dinner as an award for passing the test. But the award came with a rider. He got a chit, which said, "Tomorrow 5 AM."

Rajan could not enjoy the pizza at all. He was thinking what predicament would be waiting for him.

                                 --------------------------------_____________________--------'xxxxxxxxxx

Since coming back from the pool, Archana sat in the divan of the cosy room that she had been allotted after she agreed to obey the Joker's conditions, like a statue for hours. Tears never stopped rolling down from her eyes during this period.

There was a heat pump in the room that kept the temperature at a comfortable level. Apart from that white divan, there were one small bed, whose cover had been changed regularly by the Joker's masked men, one 3-shelved glass table and a tv monitor hanged on the white wall. There was no window in the room.

There was a nice attached bathroom with all the modern facilities with that room. The bathroom didn't have any window either. The exhaust fan ran continuously to compensate the unavailability of a window.

There was a glass jug and a glass of wine on the  glass table. Archana took a sip from the glass. She was in such a mood that even that water tasted bitter to her.

Why was she put in this horrific condition? First, beating her husband to pulp with her own hands, and then this shameful skinny dipping in front of scoundrels! What else was in store for her?

                                                       The next episode will be published on Wednesday night 9 PM IST

Thriller The ultimate choice 12

Chapter 12

"Oh God! Mercy! Please show mercy on me." Rajan screamed when he was hit by couple of hosepipe strikes. He had no idea that a hosepipe strike could be so excoriating! Couple of more strikes made him feel that his skin was being peeled off. He was very weak due to hunger and anxiety. Couple of more hits, and he could not take it any more. He lost his consciousness, and fell on the floor like an object.

But, that ghost-man saw this coming, and in a flash he saved him from falling. He laid Rajan's body on ground with care. Hesitantly, he took off Rajan's shirt. Rajan's back looked horrible with red marks. Droplets of blood were oozing from his wounds.

Did the ghost-man have a heart inside his coarse exterior? Very mercifully he dressed his wound, and left the scene.

                                            __________________________________________

"Congratulations! You have passed your first test!" The nasal voice declared cheerfully.

Archana was still heaving heavily. She was so exhausted, both mentality and physically, that it appeared to her that had she been a doll made of clay, she would have been shattered into thousands of pieces. No doubt, she had been hating Rajan for quite some time due to his complete neglect towards her. Sometimes, she thought of slapping him. But beating him to a pulp was beyond her imagination. Rajan's screams, his pleas for mercy were still reverbating in her ears. She could still visualise the red scars on his back. She cringed again. She could feel a lump on her throat due to building of emotions. She needed to cry loudly.

"I can't do it any more." Archana cried.

A complete silence prevailed in the big air-conditioned hall where she was standing. She had come here for couple of occasions before. This was the hall where the nasal voice called her to give directions. However, she had never seen him in person. All she could see was a masked man appearing on a television. The mask was that of a joker.

There were a couple of sofas clad in white velvet inside the room, and a small glass table. Once, she was asked by the joker to sit on one, and have few sip of water from a glass placed on the table. Today, the joker didn't say any such thing so far.

"Do you remember the pledge you made to your revered God?" This time there was no hint of cheer in the nasal voice.

"In case you forgot........".

After a gap of 10 seconds or so, Archana was shaken to see herself on the monitor. With folded hands she had been taking an oath to obey the directions given to her. That meant every moment of her captivity was being recorded! This seemed to be a very organised, and tech-savvy gang to her. Could she ever escape from this hell was the question that seemed to have no answer right at that moment. Archana was silent for couple of minutes!

"Of course, you can get back your free life, but there is only one way of doing it. I repeat only one way!" 

Again Archana was shaken, and this time she could not hide her reaction!

"The frigging agency can even read my thoughts! How come? I didn't say a single word, or even opened my mouth?" Archana was surprised to the core.

This time there was complete silence! So, Archana asked,

"And what's that only way?"

"As I told you many times, you have to pass all the 5 tests. The good news is that you have already passed the first test with flying colours! It appears to me that you have the ability to make it."

"Five tests! Of this type? This was the first one, meaning easiest of all." Archana dared to think what the last one could be!

Will she be able to sustain up to that?

Again the nasal voice spoke, this time with a rather grave tone,

"It's true that everyone doesn't make it. In fact, only one lady has passed all the tests so far, and she was freed."

"And, how many have tried?" Some desperation seemed to have taken over the otherwise timid soul of Archana.

"Not many dear! Only 19, 8 of them were men, and the rest were women. Best of luck to you for the remaining tests! You can go back to your room now. See you on tomorrow sharp at 1 PM."

Archana looked at the wall clock. It was 8 PM. That meant she would get 17 hour to cry her heart out. Who knew what the second test would be! With her heads down, Archana lumbered towards her room.

                              ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Archana was blindfolded, but she could understand that she was taken inside a lift, and the lift went downwards. Then she was made to walk for 15 minutes in various directions. When the masked men, 3 of them in number, who accosted her, opened her eyes, she was again taken aback.

"Welcome to the pool!" The nasal voice announced cheerfully.

It was true that Archana was mesmerized by the impressive look of the pool, its crystal-clear blue water, the lush green surroundings, its vast size, but she was quick enough to look at three masked men. Archana could not figure out who spoke those words!

"Ha ha! You seem to be so perplexed! Don't look at them, as they are mere servants of ours."

Still, Archana could not divert her gaze from them. One of the men, with a strong body, seemed to be around 5 ft 10" tall, the second one, medium built, was around 5 ft 6", and the third person was the shortest of the three, hardly 5 ft 4" in height with a plump body. All of them were wearing black vests and black pants. 

She could see a big field, which she was pretty sure was a golf field on the front side of the pool. On her back, she saw a massive 10-storied building! Had she been kept in that building? The surroundings gave her the impression that this had to be a rural area. The building looked very odd in the otherwise serene, natural atmosphere. On the two sides of the pool were vast open fields followed by lush greenery.  When she was done with her little detective skills, the nasal voice spoke again,

"Now it's time for business, Honey!"

                         The next episode will be published on Saturday night 9 PM IST

Joining a new place of work:

Butterflies in stomach, heart sounding like a drum, sweating like a marathon runner, feeling of thirst as if you are in a desert, trembling knees or fingers etc are all symptoms of nervousness, which can occur when you face some challenges, and you are not confident of yourself! Joining a new place of work is not at all a big deal, I think. Just imagine how a cricketer feels when he is facing the last ball of the match, and he has to score a six to win the match! The burden of expectations of the entire nation is on his soldiers, and he has to deliver. You can also take the example of a commando when he sets off for rescuing hostages held by terrorists! Think of those difficult situations, and you will soon realize that joining a new job is as easy as skating on ice.

Thriller The ultimate choice 11

Episode 11

Everything went according to his plan. After dropping his children along with the luggage in his ancestral home in Visakhapatnam rural mandal, he wanted to meet Mr Reddy, a bank manager, before meeting his college friend Suresh Rao in Hyderabad. But, within 15 minutes of his walk towards the bus stop, someone tripped him on the road in a desolate place, and he fell down. Since then he found himself here in this dark room with his hands tied with a chain.
   
Suddenly, a very dim blue light lit up the place where Rajan had been lying. It took around couple of minutes of squinting before Rajan could guess that he had been lying on the basement of a house. However, there was nothing on the dusty floor. Rajan, quickly looked at the door. As expected, the metal door was closed, and it seemed to him that the door could be operated by a remote control, as there wad no knob or handle from this side.

Rajan was hungry, but he still had some energies left. He climbed towards the door, and banged it with all his might. Newton's third law made his weak fist very sore after three hits, and quickly he retreated. Rajan shouted with all the power of his throat, 

"Help! Please Help me!"

Rajan shouted there for few minutes, and waited with bated breath in front of the staircase. As the light was switched on, he was damn sure, someone had arrived outside.

Rajan's joy knew no bound, as within a minute he heard the sound of footsteps of someone. Rajan stepped a couple of steps backwards as the door started to open.

"At last, the God has listened to my prayers." Rajan thanked God with folded hands.

But the guy who arrived inside the basement didn't seem like a God-sent guy from his mere  appearance. He was wearing a complete black dress and a ghsot mask, which people wear on the Halloween. As if that was not enough to frighten a god-fearing guy like Rajan, he had a rubber hosepipe in his hand.

Rajan was scared, but he tried hard to belie his real feelings. A Hindu religious guru told him not to lose hope under any circumstances. What appears on the face of it may not be true always. The arriver might have a scary look, but in reality, he might have come to save him. Remembering his guru's face, he garnered some courage to say,

"Hi! I am Rajan! Somebody has incarcerated me here. Please release me, and let me go out from here." He pleaded with his chained, folded hands.



The arriver, wearing the mask of a ghost, didn't respond. He took a remote from the pocket of his black pant, and closed the door. Again, this move didn't augur well to Rajan. If he was on a rescue mission, why would he close the door?

But, Rajan didn't lose his hope, and he repeated the same words thinking that the arriver didn't hear them last time.

The arriver looked at Rajan. Rajan was hopeful. He pleaded, "Please rescue me from here."

But, the arriver turned his focus from him. He was searching some thing in the room. He went to one corner, and he brought a box from a nook. It seemed to be a medical box to Rajan. At last, Rajan got assurance that this guy had come for his aid. He said,

"Yes, I am hurt, and need some treatment. But, that is not essential at the moment. You release me from here, and take me to a hospital."

The guy seemed to pay no hiddance to his prayer, and put the medical box near Rajan. From the insousiant reaction of the guy, it appeared to Rajan that he didn't  understand English. Rajan knew this was India, and every one in India didn't understand English. This gave him a feel of comfort, and he spoke in Telegu, his mother tongue and the local language of the state.

But that guy didn't seem to understand Telegu as well, as he opened the medical box completely ignoring Rajan, and he seemed to be checking it.

"Oh, this guy must be Tamil." Rajan consoled himself, and translated his prayers in Tamil.

But, he didn't react, and closed the box giving an impression that he was satisfied with the content of the box.

Rajan tried Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi, all the other three Indian languages he knew in quick succession.

"Is this guy deaf?" Rajan wondered!

"No, he is not deaf. His mother tongue is Bengali, but he understands English and Hindi. He is not talking, because he doesn't have the permission to do so."

Rajan was shocked to the core.

"Who said this? How could he know what he was thinking?"

Where was that spooky voice coming from? Rajan looked frantically throughout the room. There was nothing on the floor, but a few nooks on all the walls, 4 bright fluorescent tube lights on the big room, two ceiling fans  and two industrial fans. Rajan himself was a software engineer, he was well aware of CCTV system. But, Rajan could not see any camera with his naked eyes. But, what the nasal voice said just now was just a thought of his. Did that mean that there was a lipreader, who understood Telegu?


Confused Rajan didn't know how to react. However, as an afterthought, he garnered enough courage to ask this pertinent question,

"Who are you Sir? I am in deep trouble, Sir. Please release me from here."

"Me? Ha ha ha ha! What's the hurry man? You will know. But, for the moment enjoy the treatment." The voice stopped despite Rahjan's various pleas for the next 5 minutes.

"Treatment, is he talking about medical treatment?" Rajan didn't understand.

The ghost man advanced towards Rajan with the the orange hosepipe in his right hand in a threatening manner.

Now Rajan was really scared. He pleaded, "Please, don't beat me, Sir! I didn't do anything." Rajan tried to hold the legs of the ghost man in a manner of pleading.

The ghost-man seemed to be a butcher sort of guy with no heart. Even the Gods would have responded to Rajan's earnest and sincere pleas. But, this ghost-guy pushed Rajan as if he was an untouchable. Rajan fell onto the floor like a toy. The guy didn't waste any time in beating him mercilessly with the hose pipe.

Forget about hosepipe,  Rajan had never been beaten by anything since he was 6 years old. He had never been involved in any brawl. Being a very good student, he had never been beaten by teachers in his school. He was such a good guy that his relatives couldn't even thought of putting their hands on him. In the IIT, like every other student, he too was ragged when he was in his second year. But, that was of very mild nature. He was totally unaccustomed of this kind of brutal beating.




                         The next episode will be published on Wednesday night 

Thriller The ultimate choice 10

Episode 10

Archana waited there for another 6 hours. Despite the injury on her head, Archana got a sense of hope from the fact of being freed from the chain. She used her brain power to the hilt to guess how she got entangled into this mess! Who could be her captors, and what could be the motive? She tried her best to find out what happened after she boarded the New Delhi bound plane! But despite her brain storming, she could not remember anything. "Is this memory loss because of the head injury?" She apprehended.

Sometimes walking can freshen the mind. Archana stood up after some effort, and started to walk, after a few unsteady steps, to and fro inside the small room. She looked minutely at the door. Rat tat tat! She knocked it with her fist.

"Ouch!" She screamed, as it hurt. But, she didn't mind. From the sound of the knock, it appeared to her that the door was not made up of a thick wood. She thought she could break it, if she got a rod or any hard object. But, all she could see on the floor was thick dust.

Archana shook her head in disgust. She hadn't have the luxury of having any domestic help in her house in Chicago. She had to do all the household chores, be it washing or be it cleaning, herself. Even gardening was imposed on her by Rajan. However, this workload had a positive impact on her body. It made her so strong that she had never fallen ill in the last ten years.

"Why don't I try my bare hands", she thought. It didn't take even a second to implement her plans into action. Bang, bang, bang! She used all the force she possessed to break the door which she thought was ramshackle. But, within 10 minutes she became so exhausted that she fell on the ground. Her reflex  prevented her from getting another injury.

Her head was spinning. She could barely open her eyes. Very quickly she realised that she was sapped of all the energy. It appeared to her that she hadn't eaten anything for eons, and she had the thirst of a desert.

"Help me! Please give some water!" She garnered all the power to say something audible. 

"Feeling thirsty? Ha ha ha!" A voice, slightly nasal in tone, asked the question in a sarcastic manner.

Archana felt slightly better by then. She looked up to check whose voice was that. But she could not find anyone in that room. She, slowly, sat up with the help of her hands. Her head was spinning.

"Looking for me? You can't see me." Again, the nasal voice spoke.

"Who are you? Give me some food. I can't bear it any more." Archana almost cried.

"Ha ha ha ha", the nasal voice laughed as if Archana had cracked a super joke!

"Who am I will be revealed to you in due course of time.  But, food should be your first concern. Ain't It?"

Archana was almost dying of thirst and hunger. That argument seemed very logical to her. She instantly agreed, and said, "Ok, give me some food and water."

"You will get it. But, you have to make a deal with me." This time the voice was very economical with his words.

Archana's brain was still functioning, in spite of her empty stomach.

"Deal? What deal?"

"You have to obey my orders. You don't have much choices, though. You are completely under my control. I can take your life any moment, if I wish so. But, I don't want to take any harsh measures. That's why I want you to cooperate."

Archana realized that without food and water she would not last long. The blue light was on, but light was fading in her eyes. The dizziness in her head was increasing manifold with the passage of each minute.

"What are you thinking? Your pulse has gone down to 50. You don't have much time to waste. Agree, you will get food and water. Else...."

"How the hell does he know my pulse rate?" Archana didn't have too much time to ponder over the question. She said, "I agree."

"No, no! Not like this! I know you Hindu women are very God fearing. Take an oath in the name of your deity."

"In the name of Lord Shiva, I agree." Archana could hardly finish the sentence, as she collapsed on the ground.
                                       

                                          ----------------------'xxxxxxxxxxxx--------

Rajan remembered that it was Siddharth, who after a staggering hours of discussion convinced him to drop the idea of suicide. It was Sid who told him to start life afresh in India. Rajan was hesitant thinking about the kids and Archana. Sid convinced him that Indian institutions were no inferior. When Rajan opened the matter with Archana, he was taken aback by no resistance from her. She said it didn't matter to her.

So, Rajan finalised all the plans, and no doubt he was master at that, to start life from scratch in his hometown in Andhra Pradesh. But, he got a huge setback just a day before his bidding farewell to America. Archana left the house leaving a note. The note said that she was leaving him for ever, and he should make no efforts to find her.

When someone gets a huge shock in life, his life gets upside down. But after due course of time, he becomes accustomed to his new situation. He doesn't feel the same impact of another shock. Exactly, the same thing happened to Rajan when he read that note. He never imagined that Archana, a docile wife who obeyed every decision of him with earnest dedication, could resort to such drastic step. She never gave a hint that she was getting estranged from him.

But this turn of events didn't make Rajan abandon his plans. In his heart, he realized that everything was not normal between him and his wife. Archana wrote that she would be happy to leave him. Rajan, also, wanted to see her happy. So, with a heavy heart, Rajan let it go, and gave final touches to his plan. The fact that his two children were firmly on his side gave him the necessary encouragement.

                                         To be continued on Saturday night 

Thriller The ultimate choice 9

Episode 9​

Rajan might have lost interest in his wife, but in his entire 48 years of life, no one could accuse him of having any homosexual tendencies! So, he was in utter surprise to find himself on the stretched arms of another man. It didn't take too long for him to come back to his senses, and Boy! Didn't he blush?

"What is this Rajan Anna, what were you doing? Have you gone insane?" Putting the entire 65 kg weight of short-stature Rajan on a wooden bench, Sid asked the question angrily. He was huffing and puffing like a steam engine.

As Rajan didn't answer, it appeared to Sid that Rajan still could not come out of his stupor. So, Sid sprinkled cold water on his face. That made Rajan shriek, "Stop! What are you doing? Do you want me to die of pneumonia?"

At last, a hint of smile could be seen on Sid's face for a second. But, he asked the same question again.

Sid was very close to Rajan. He had always considered Sid as his "sodarudu". So, Rajan broke down in tears. Sid hugged him, and gave him plenty of time to recover. When Rajan stopped crying, he said, "Let's get out from here, otherwise the stupid watchman will barge into here. I had to bribe him heavily for only 10 minutes."

This time Rajan had a hearty laugh, and said, " Okay, let's have a cup of coffee at ridgeport Coffeehouse."

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Having born and brought up in a Hindu family, Archana had heard a lot of stories about heaven and hell. Archana's grandmother was a master story teller. In her childhood, she told the children a lot of scary stories about hell. Archana's childhood passed by listening myriad stories of "yamdoot" torturing the sinners. Despite living in the USA for many years, a country well known for her liberal values, Archana still had plenty of qualms about her relationship with Sid. So, she knew when she would die, she would land in hell, where the yamdoots would be waiting for her to put her in the hellfire.

She didn't know that the hell was so dark. The darkness was so severe that it appeared to her that it would swallow her like a blackhole. Just when she comforted herself from the fact that there were no yamdoots to torture her, she found someone was coming towards her.

"Who are you?" She shouted, as she couldn't see the face of the intruder.

"Yamdoot!" Someone replied with a gruff voice followed by a hysterical laughter.

"Oh my God!" Archana shrank, as her worst fear was turning out to be true.

"What did I do? Why have you come?" Archana could utter somewhat audible after putting tremendous amount of work, as her voice was not cooperating with her in fear.

Again the yamdoot guffawed and said, "But let me see your face first, and then I will decide whether to fry you in my giant wok or put you in the tandoor."

He followed up by directing red lights that came from his fearsome eyes on Archana's face. Archana couldn't withstand the light, as it seemed to her that she had been kept in darkness since time immemorial.

She screamed, "Please take off the light! My eyes are burning."

But, the yamdoot was unrelenting. He advanced towards Archana, and the brightness of the light seemed to have increased manifold. It appeared to Archana that someone was piercing her eyes with needle, and she cried, "Kill me. But for God's sake, stop the light."

At that moment, her dream was broken, and she was astonished to see bright light in the room. It took some times for het eyes to adjust to the bright blue light. After few minutes, for the first time, she could see the place where she had been incarcerated.

It was a grotty, small room, hardly 8'x8'x10' in dimension. There was no furniture in the room. There was a door, which seemed to be closed from outside, but no windows in the room. Archana wondered how she was breathing in this suffocating environment! See looked up, and got the answer. There was only one, small air vent on the top of one wall. There was a LED blue light bulb on the same wall. There was a ceiling fan on top.

Now, Archana looked at her own condition. Voila! She got a sense of relief to find herself out of bondage. She couldn't see the chains anywhere on the bare, dull, cement floor of the room. Archana was in turquoise kurti and ochre leggings. She remembered this was the dress she had worn when she boarded the New Delhi bound plane with Sidhharth on Saturday at 6 PM in evening from Chicago.

"New Delhi", "Siddharth", these two words struck a flash in her mind. But, she couldn't remember how she came here.

"What's the time now?" She frantically searched her mobile, the device that made the wrist watch a redundant thing. But, it was no where to be seen. The azure Apple iPhone 6 was perhaps the best friend of her in her boredom. She always kept it with her, whether she was in toilet, or she was doing her half-an-hour of workout on the treadmill. She kept it on the side of her pillow, even though it was switched off during her sleeping hours.

Flabbergasted, Archana now looked minutely at herself to know which parts of her body were hurt. She checked her hands, legs, ribs, chest etc, but there seemed to no injury. At last, she touched her head, and she immediately screamed in extreme pain. There was a huge bump, of the size of a large potato, on her head. It seemed that she was hit by some blunt object on her head. Blunt, because she found no evidence of blood.

To be continued on Wednesday night ​

Thriller The ultimate choice

Episode 8

"What are you doing Archu? This is wrong!" Somehow, Sid could release himself from the lip-lock.

"What is wrong in it baby?" Archana's pupils expanded in astonishment. It seemed to her that Sid had asked the stupidest question in the world!

"You are a married woman! You have a husband." Sid was very nervous. His voice trembled, and he stammered a bit, not to mention his heartbeat sounded like drums.

"Oh come on baby! You are not a puritan. You address me Honey. Don't you?" Archana was in no mood of wasting time. So, she bowled a yorker.

Sid again fumbled, as no satisfactory answer occurred in his head.

"Or, are you engaged with someone else?" Her voice raised in anger, and Sid was again caught off guard.

Sid himself was caught in a dilemma between his desires and morality, and he could understand that the hormones were getting the upper hand. Now those questions made him with no option but to surrender himself to the situation.

From the body language of Sid, it didn't take more than a second for Archana, even in her intoxicated state, to understand that now it was the moment that she had been expecting for long. So, without wasting any time she took off her saree. She stood in front of Sid opening her both arms in invitation. As dumbfounded Sid sat standstill, Archana took her blouse and petticoat off. Now, she was in only bra and panty, the hot lava of desires burning her soul.

"Oh my Gosh", was the expression that came out spontaneously from Sid's mouth. It was not that Sid hadn't seen women's body in adult films, but this was the first time in his life when he realized that sitting in front of an amorous bella donna could be so rapturous! If he was a  candle, he had been completely melted. If he was TNT, he was ready to explode.

Archana was still standing with her arms stretched. Sid could no longer ignore the invitation. So, he stood up, willing to take Archana in his arms.
                                     
But suddenly, his phone announced, "Malati calling, Malati calling", and started to ring.

"Holy shit!" Both Sid and Archana uttered the expletive simultaneously.

"Who the hell is this killjoy Malati? Cut the call." Archana hissed.Sid's face turned pale, and the romantic vibes vanished in thin air. Because, Malati was the lady whom the entire staff of his company feared. She was the face that the management had been using when they needed to sack someone. She had warned everyone to answer her calls within two rings, else they knew what could happen.

It was well rumoured in the company that she had once fired a Pakistani guy for absenting without informing the management for only 3 days. There was no reason for Sid to disbelieve the story, as the contract he signed with the company had stringent conditions, and many things depended on the good will of the management.

Today, Sid absented from the office without informing anyone. He knew Malati never granted any leave without valid reasons, and nothing stopped her from ferreting the real reason. So, it took no time for fear to take control of his mind, and the romance seemed to have been given a punishment of lifetime imprisonment.

"Show up within half an hour" was the crisp but stern message she delivered before cutting off the call. Sid darted towards the door like a bullet.

                                                   _______________________________________

No light was coming from anywhere in the room. Despite remaining here for more than an hour Rajan could not see anything. How can it be so dark inside the room, was there no window or door here, Rajan wondered! Rajan felt sharp pain in his forehead. It appeared to him that he fell on his forehead. As no other body part was paining, Rajan inferred that it was his forehead that took the entire impact of the fall. Rajan was happy for a moment, but very soon he realized that he was as hungry as a lion who hadn't eaten for a month.

"Hello? Is there anybody here?" Rajan cried for help. But, like the last time no one answered. Intermittently, Rajan tried his luck for at least 2 hours. He could tolerate pain, but he couldn't ignore hunger. In his childhood, when the provisions were in short, he drank jugs of water whenever he felt hunger.

Flabbergasted, Rajan resigned to his fate. He tried to think what happened after his loss of balance on the railing in the roof.

                                               _________________________________________

To be continued on Saturday night