The Doll That Talks

#Episode 7

#RhituparnaChakraborty

#thedollthattalks

#thedollthattalksepisode7

Link to previous episodes: #thedollthattalksepisode1, #thedollthattalksepisode2, #thedollthattalksepisode3, #thedollthattalksepisode4, #thedollthattalksepisode5, #thedollthattalksepisode6

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#Disclaimer: This is an original work of fiction with no relation to any person/organism living or dead. Every episode, every character is a work of imagination. Any resemblance to any person, organism, place, character or situation is purely coincidental. There is no intention to hurt or rebuke anyone or any profession through this work. This story/episode cannot be copied, published or reproduced without the permission of the author RhituparnaChakraborty.

Dr. Mathur was quiet. One of the men sat beside him while the other drove the car. The driver called up someone. The call was answered:

The driver: We have the doctor with us….

The person at the other end: Did you guys check properly? He ‘should not’ have any arms with him. Seize his phone and switch it off.

The driver: That’s done

The Person: Once he meets those girls, let him treat the girl. Once the girl recovers, you know what to do with this doctor. And you can take care of the girl’s nanny too. But, the girl should be fine. We need her.

The driver: Okay Sir.

The Person: Do as you are told.

The driver: Ok Sir!

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Abhay asked all that he had to ask Ananya, Amit Trivedi and Sunaina, Sushant Rathod. He had to meet Raina Singhania and Ranjit Singhania now. Abhay could not go to meet Raina Singhania at this odd hour without a female officer. He immediately called Sofia. Sofia was still in shock after seeing the CCTV footage. She answered the call:

Sofia: H…Hello

Abhay: Hey Sofia, you okay?

Sofia: Well…yes….I mean no….Abhay you have to come to the forensic lab now. This is bizarre.

Abhay: I don’t understand.

Sofia: You have to come and see for yourself to understand what I mean.

Abhay: Okay!

Abhay rushed out of the police station and reached the forensic lab. Sofia was waiting for him. Seeing Abhay, Sofia exclaimed, ‘There you are! This is….this is…..crazy. You need to see this Abhay.’ Saying that Sofia held Abhay’s hand and pulled him to the cctv footage room. Dr. Sen was already there. Dr. Sen switched on the footage again. Abhay froze when he saw that. This what the footage showed:

The doll was kept inside the lab in a glass cabinet. Slowly, the cabinet opened. The doll was seen in the closet. All of a sudden, the doll fell down from the cabinet. It was in resting position for around 5 seconds or so. Abruptly, it stood up again. The doll then started walking. And then the doll walked up to the locked door of the room. It stood there for 5 seconds and then….. whooshhh. It was outside. The door was still bolted. The lips of the doll then started moving and the lips opened wide and suddenly there was black smoke, everything went blurred. The doll was then lying on the floor with blood oozing out from one of the wrists of the doll…..

Abhay stared at the screen stunned. He looked at Sofia and said, ‘What does this mean….’. Before Sofia could understand anything or say anything, Dr. Sen said, ‘This cannot be explained by science.’ Sofia told Dr. Sen, ‘Some threads were found in this doll…’. Dr. Sen replied, ‘Yes, threads and ash.’ Abhay said, ‘We have interrogated everyone. Now the only link here is, the Singhanias. The information I got from the rest of the people makes it highly possible that this has something to do with Raina and Ranjit Singhania. We need to rush to their place now.’ Abhay asked Dr. Sen, ‘What about the doll? What should be done now?’ Dr. Sen replied, ‘I have kept it back in the closet. However, I am going to observe it. Could not believe, the doll had actual blood in that wrist. It kept on flowing and stopped abruptly.’ A chill went down Sofia’s spine. Abhay went numb.

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Abhay and Sofia drove to the Singhania house. They rang the door bell. No one answered the door for a while. After 10 minutes, Raina Singhania opened the door. She was wearing a red, floral, satin robe. Her hair was in a mess and she had dark circles underneath her eyes. Seeing Abhay and Sofia she was baffled. Sofia said, ‘Sorry to disturb you at this odd hour, but this is urgent. We must talk to you.’ Raina replied, ‘I am already disturbed. Can we please talk in the morning. My husband is not in town, my househelp is not there, my daughter is unwell. Please….’ Abhay said, ‘Please Ma’am, please cooperate. We need just 15 minutes of your time. Raina paused for a while and then said, ‘Okay! Please come in.’ Abhay and Sofia went inside. They looked at the living room. It was suffused with embroidery work. The primary colors of most of the works were red and black. Abhay asked, ‘Mrs. Singhania, you seem to be very fond of embroidery art work.’ Raina Singhania snapped, ‘Yes I am. Now can you please come to the point? I am really disturbed at this moment.’ Sofia asked, ‘ We need a picture of your house help. Where is she?’ Raina Singhania replied irked, ‘I don’t know where that damn woman is. My entire schedule has gone topsy- turvy. I have been asking Ranjit to come home soon. Damn it. That man is only about business and money.’ Sofia said, ‘Ma’am we are not here to trouble you. You know Mehek is missing and everything is a mystery so far.’ Raina cried, ‘I know Mehek is missing, I know…..I am also a mother. My daughter has been suffering for some days. I have been visiting doctors. They have no clue what’s happening.’ Sofia said, ‘ So sorry to hear that. Can we see her?’ Raina wiped her tears and took Sofia and Abhay to Ishaani’s room. Ishaani lay there on the bed, pale and worn out.’ Sofia saw a gauze dressing on Ishaani’s wrist. Sofia and Abhay looked at each other. Abhay asked Raina, ‘What happened to her wrist?’ Raina sat down on the bed and cried, ‘I don’t know…..it was bleeding….I rushed to the doctor…..Ishaani never got hurt there. And medicines could not stop the bleeding. She bled and bled and finally it stopped. I don’t know what had happened and why……’ , saying that Raina wept. Sofia said, ‘I am so sorry Ma’am. But everything seems to be connected now. Mehek’s abduction, Ishaani’s condition. We have to find out the truth. We have met everyone. Now, we need to meet Ishaani’s nanny.’ Raina replied, ‘That stupid lady is on leave forever. She said, she would come back soon, but damn…..I can’t reach her.’ Raina then thought for a while and said, ‘ Wait…..I may have a picture of her. Let me check my social media. She might be somewhere. I barely put pics of my house helps on social media. My phone had all the pictures but that idiot lady dropped water on my phone while pouring water on a glass. Not just that, she messed up Ranjit’s phone also. She was never like this before. Of late she has become super clumsy. Let me check on my social media account if I can find any picture of that lady somewhere.

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The car reached a secluded place. The driver told his partner, ‘Take the doctor to the girls.’ The doctor said, ‘Can I take off my blindfold now?’

The driver told his partner, ‘Take off that blindfold and take him to the girls.’

The partner removed the blindfold from the doctor’s eyes . The doctor looked around. It was a deserted, old, ramshackle bungalow. The herculean guy told the doctor, ‘Move now. Keep walking.’ Dr. Mathur kept walking till they reached a brown door. The herculean guy took out a key and opened the door. Neeti heard the door open. She turned around. Seeing Neeti, Dr. Mathur said, ‘You are the one who called me, right?’ Neeti said, ‘Yes….please take a look at Mehek.’ Dr. Mathur went near Mehek. Dr. Mathur brushed Mehek’s head. The moment he did that, Mehek opened her eyes. Dr. Mathur’s eyes welled up. The herculean man standing behind yelled, ‘Hurry up, you oldie.’ Dr. Mathur turned a deaf air to whatever the man was saying. He kept on looking at Mehek. Mehek kept on looking at him. However Mehek did not utter a word. Dr. Mathur told Mehek, ‘You will be fine sweets. I will ensure you will be fine.’ Mehek sobbed but she tried not to make any noise. Dr. Mathur then stood up and looked around. He went near his medicine bag and took out a syringe and a medicine. He then casually looked around. He saw the cctv cameras. Outside, there were no cameras. However, inside, there are two cameras. Dr. Mathur told the herculean guy, ‘I will need to check the little girl’s body for rashes. Please turn these CCTV cameras around somewhere.’ The herculean guy shouted, ‘Don’t try to act smart.’ Neeti pleaded, ‘Let the doctor check the girl and you please stand outside and all the doctor is asking is to turn the CCTV cameras other way around. He is not asking you to remove them. Please…’ The herculean guy looked around. The doctor cannot be a threat and the girls were puny. He turned the cctv cameras in the other direction and said, ‘You get only 10 minutes to check this girl. Okay? I am waiting outside.’ Neeti said earnestly, ‘Thank you!’ The herculean guy stepped out. Dr. Mathur hugged Mehek. Mehek hugged him tight and said, ‘I love you daddy.’

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Raina Singhania, finally found a picture. It was a picture with a lot of people. This picture was clicked at some party and at one corner, there was Ishaani’s nanny. Abhay looked closely, ‘This woman….. she is Ishaani’s nanny?’ Raina said, ‘Yes…..’. Abhay asked, ‘And does she have any relatives here?’ Raina replied, ‘No. She lives here alone. Her family is in the village.’ Abhay asked again, ‘Are you sure?’ Raina said, ‘100 percent. She lives here alone.’ Abhay asked, ‘What’s her name?’ Raina replied, ‘Shaanti Kumari….’ Sofia gasped, and told Abhay, ‘Damn!!! The phone numbers, I told you, there was a number which was in touch with Neeti…..the number belonged to some “Kumari”. So, she is the connection to all. And apart from Neeti, she was in touch with some other people as well. Now, she will answer all the questions….’

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To be continued…………………..