Short Story Psychological Thriller – Shadows in the Dark
Short Story Psychological Thriller – Shadows in the Dark
September, 1975;
It seemed like heaven was let loose that night; Roma struggled to shut the creaking window panes of the huge, old bungalow; the torrential rain outside and the wind whistling eerily through the tall pine trees seemed to be jostling one another to barge into the house. 5 year old Sana crouched in one of the corners of the dark hall, clutching her rag-doll tightly in her fist, her teeth chattering in the cold. Down the hallway, Shantanu lay sprawled on the sofa, oblivious to the storm raging outside and the one that was building up inside Roma.
She knew where he had been the whole day; the stench of cheap whisky gave it away. She tried to wake him up to get some candles but he was lost in his hazy, fuzzy world. Tears running down her face, Roma heaved her 8-months-pregnant frame closer to him and started shouting, her high-pitched voice piercing the darkness around and sending Sana into panic mode.
“Get up, you sloth! Go and get some candles, there is no power. Do you hear me?”
Shantanu stirred and slurred, “Go away… let me shleep… no money… no wishky … no nothing. I am finished with you Roma. Just go away.”
That was when Roma lost it completely;
“You can’t wish me away, you…! You got me into this mess; now you take me out of it, you understand? I am warning you… if you don’t get your divorce through before the baby comes, I’ll make your life miserable, do you hear?”
Sana clutched hard at the curtain and tried to hide behind it, her tiny frame shivering in fear. She didn’t like it when her mother talked like this; she knew what came next. Her Papa would get really angry and beat Mamma and then Mamma would cry very loudly and then Papa would walk out of the house. And Papa was now very angry and he was holding Mamma by the shoulders and shaking her and shouting at her, very loudly. He kept pushing Mamma against the wall and then, suddenly, she saw Mamma fall over the small stool, clutching her stomach and Papa swaggering out of the house, into the dark and for a long time she could see only shadows and hear only Mamma’s screams. That was the night that Mamma had died and Saya had been born.
May, 1990
Ammo walked into the Principal’s room slowly, leaning on her grand-daughter’s shoulder, as they were ushered in by the peon.
“Please come in, Mrs. Singh. You must be very pleased today. Your grand-daughter has passed out of high school today. Are you sending her to college?”, the Principal asked.
“Oh no, Madam, I can’t afford to do that”, Ammo replied, “she will help me with the bakery.”
“Sana, dear, are you happy now?”, the Principal turned to Sana.
All Sana could manage was a shy smile and a deep blush. Ammo sighed, tears welling up in her eyes. The Principal smiled understandingly with words of assurance.
“This hill-station is a nice place for business. It is good that you moved here.”
Once back home, Sana retreated into the bakery, and quietly started doing her chores. She loved being in the bakery and now that she didn’t have to go to school, she decided that she would work there in the afternoon as well. Her school uniform, white salwar and blue kameez now became her work clothes. Ammo had tried to get her to wear jeans and T-shirts like the other girls around, but Sana had always been more comfortable in her ‘behenji’ dresses.
Saya, on the other hand, was a night-bird. Her day started when Ammo and Sana were fast asleep. During the day, she would keep a low-profile but she would slip out of the bakery quietly at night, befriending the truck-drivers who frequented the highway bakery and doling out buns and cigarettes for them. Of course, she kept the money for herself! She would buy skimpy tops and tights from Mall road on her nightly jaunts and once a week, she would walk down to Milan Talkies and catch an action packed English flick, dressed like a diva with her curls cascading down her face. She never attended school and avoided Ammo totally. Ammo had never approved of her; Sana was always the favored one!
September 1993
It was around midnight and Saya almost didn’t see the black car when it screeched to a stop a little away from the bakery, where the road rose into the hill. Loud music burst out from the car when the front door opened and a dark form swaggered out. That swagger… where had she seen it before?
“Hey girl, got some Chocolates?” the form mumbled.
Saya signaled to the form to be silent, while she handed over some bars of chocolate. Dark Form had left his wallet in the car so she hurried after him to collect the cash. Dark Form was telling the woman inside,
“Wifey, I got your Chocolates too!”
‘Wifey’ drowsily replied “OK Shantanu…. Now let me sleep.”
“Here girl, here’s your money; keep the change”, he said walking towards her.
That’s when she saw his face. She remembered with a chill where she had seen that swagger before… Shantanu Dutta … for 15 years she had thought about what she would do if she ever met him again…
November, 1993
Inspector Pradhan was a puzzled man.
“I don’t understand. There is so much evidence around; the body of Mr. Dutta was found on the hill-side. His wife vaguely remembers that her husband went towards the bakery to get some Chocolates. But Mrs. Singh, you say your grand-daughter was sleeping with you all night and that you never open the bakery that late. Is it possible there was another girl? Mrs. Singh, don’t tell me you are hiding another grand-daughter here somewhere?
“Oh, Inspector! Please don’t make fun of an old lady who has lived a tragic life. Sana is the only grand-daughter I have. I would have had another grand-child if my daughter hadn’t died 18 years ago. She was pregnant at that time, but the baby died with her, you see. Now don’t you trouble my Sana. The poor thing is already so distressed.”
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