The Malhotras

Episode 7

Supriya fainted. After sometime, she saw everyone staring at her and she was there lying on the bed. Sukumar said, ‘ What had happened to you Supriya. I had just arrived when I saw you unconscious. I immediately called up Arun. What had happened?’ Supriya looked at everyone. The cooks, the househelps, Arun, Ansh, Laksh, Amrita, Akshita, Suyash and Sujay. She felt dizzy again and fell into a deep swoon.

Arun said, ‘ I think we should let her be for sometime. She seems shocked. She will be fine soon.’ Everyone one went away.

At night, Supriya woke up. Arun was right beside her. The moment Arun saw her regaining consciousness, he patted her head and said, ‘What had happened darling?’. Supriya got up, hid her face in Arun’s chest, hugged him tight and started crying. She said, ‘ I am so scared Arun. I am so scared. You might not believe me if I say this. I saw the tiny bottle in the closet. The bottle which had Maya inside. Arun, Arun, it means someone from our family created Maya and, and, and, I I I I saw, someone locking the closet.’ Arun listened to her dumbfounded. He asked, ‘Whom did you see?’. Supriya pulled herself away from Arun’s chest and said, ‘ I saw a shadow. It was, it was,…’. ‘COME ON SUPRIYA, ANSWER ME NOW! WHOM DID YOU SEE??????’, screamed Arun. Supriya said, ‘I saw your mom Anita aunty’s shadow.’ Arun kept on staring at Supriya. He said, ‘Supriya I know you would never lie. If it is Maa, it has to be maa. It means, Maa protects this household. But, who created Maya?’. Supriya said, ‘ I don’t know Arun. But, I am scared.’ Arun hugged her, patted her head and said, ‘Shhh, calm down. We know whatever it is, Maya was created to protect the Malhotras. You will have to forget about it Supriya. Don’t ever open that closet again.’

Supriya slept again. Arun switched off the lights, pulled up the cozy blanket and fell asleep.

It was 2:00 a.m. The front door at the Malhotra mansion was wide open. There was a conversation going on. Anita’s spirit said, ‘It’s time for me to go. The Malhotra mansion is safe now. Maya will always be there.’ The person in front of Anita’s spirit replied, ‘Please don’t go.’ Anita’s spirit replied, ‘ I have to go. Supriya has seen me. What if she wakes up now and sees us talking?’. The person replied, ‘Arun is fast asleep beside her. He is sedated. Seeing him beside her, she won’t come.’ Anita’s spirit laughed and said, ‘Anything for love?’. The person replied, ‘ Yes anything for love. I had created Maya. They would have killed everyone had I not created Maya. They would have killed Supriya and would have ruined all the relationships in this family.They killed you. I could not have let them live. Thank you for guiding me and showing me the truth.’ Anita’s spirit waved the person good bye. The person knelt down, bowed and cried bitterly and said, ‘I will miss you.’ The person then went back to his room. Seeing his bed, he laughed, closed his eyes and said under his breath, ‘You can erase this ‘asleep’, ‘sedated’ illusion on my bed, Maya. I am back to my room. I need privacy with the love of my life, my world, my Supriya.’ The illusion disappeared. Arun curled inside his cozy blanket. Looking at Supriya, he softly said, ‘ I have always loved you. But, without Maya, you wouldn’t have been safe. Hence I had to create Maya first. Sorry about that, my love.’ Arun then slept.

Supriya was not fast asleep. She heard everything Arun had said. She still loved Arun.

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The end…………

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