The Neighbours
Priyangana and Prateesha were looking forward to see their new neighbours. They knew they would move in to their adjacent apartment soon, however, they were not sure how soon. Priyangana and Prateesha are very friendly and they love it when there are people around. Unfortunately, in this floor, they were the only ones staying in one of the apartments. All the three apartments on their floor were vacant. They used to have neighbours, but again, they would come and go. They were looking forward for some permanent neighbours so that they could visit them often, talk, chit chat and have some time socialising.
In the morning at around 10, Priyangana heard some hustle bustle in the adjacent apartment. She told Prateesha, ‘I guess, they are moving in today.’ Prateesha replied with an unsure note, ‘Well, we can hope but we don’t know. They might be getting their furniture and other stuff today. They might not be staying from today itself.’ ‘Hmm, let’s see’, said Priyangana.
The hustle bustle continued. Priyangana was right. The neighbours were staying from tonight itself. Prateesha went out and waited in front of her apartment door to see who the neighbours were. There were two boys. They must be in the early 30s. One of the boys told the other, ‘Karan, it’s going to be fun.’ Karan smiled and said, ‘Yes Kundan, it is going to be fun.’ Prateesha looked at the boys stealthily. They were good looking. Prateesha went inside and told Priyangana, ‘Guess what, two hunks are here.’ Priyangana said, ‘ How does it matter? Moreover, it would have been nice if there was some family coming and staying. These boys would anyway leave for work. Remember our last neighbours. Their baby girl was so cute. Whenever, I went near the cradle and moved it, the baby would giggle.’ Prateesha then said, ‘ hmm, it was fun carrying the little baby around. However, they left soon.’
Meanwhile, Karan and Kundan settled down in their new abode. Karan asked Kundan, ‘So, are you excited?’ Kundan was fixing his camera. He replied, ‘Yes. I am. But do you think, we will be able to complete the task?’. Karan said confidently, ‘ We will.’
Just then the door bell rang. Karan looked at Kundan. Kundan looked concerned. Karan asked, ‘Will you get the door or shall I go ahead?’. Kundan said, ‘ I will get the door. You know what to do, right?’. Karan said, ‘ Go ahead. I will do what is needed.’ Kundan opened the door. It was Prateesha. Kundan said, ‘ What do you want?’. Prateesha did not say anything. Kundan asked again. Prateesha was quiet. She then went away without saying anything. Kundan closed the door and sat on the sofa. Karan came and sat near Kundan and said, ‘Our neighbours seem pretty interesting. We will meet them tomorrow properly. At night’, saying that he giggled and winked. Karan and Kundan then went ahead to prepare dinner. Their kitchen window faced the kitchen window of Priyangana and Prateesha. Karan was chopping vegetables when he saw Priyangana. He immediately left the kitchen, and rushed to the living room when Kundan was watching TV. Karan pulled Kundan’s hand and said, ‘I told you. Our neighbours are interesting. See from the kitchen window.’ Kundan came and looked at the kitchen window of their neighbours. Karan was right. He could see their neighbours busy in the kitchen.
Karan and Kundan looked at each other and Kundan said, ‘ We must meet our neighbours properly tomorrow.’
Next morning, Karan and Kundan went to work. Priyangana told Prateesha, ‘See, I had told you yesterday. These guys will go to work. We still have no one to talk to.’ Prateesha said, ‘But these guys are better than our previous neighbours. Atleast they opened the door and asked me something.’ ‘Hmm’, said Priyangana. ‘True’, continued Priyangana and then said, ‘What I understand is, they are willing to stay here and they might come over here in our flat and talk to us too. I so want that to happen. Only then will we be able to talk about everything in details.’
As evening dawned, Kundan and Karan got ready. They knocked at their neighbours’ door. Priyangana opened the door. Without saying anything, Kundan and Karan entered. Prateesha too came out. No one said anything. Prateesha then gently held Karan’s hand and took him to the bedroom. Kundan took out his camera and voice recorder and switched them on. Priyangana followed Prateesha and Karan. Kundan too followed them with all the equipments. Prateesha pulled karan towards a heap of letters in a box and threw all the letters on Karan. While Kundan recorded the spate of events, Karan started reading the letters. He then took the entire box of letters and said to Priyangana and Prateesha, ‘ I will ensure your work is done. We will come again.’ Meanwhile Kundan recorded every conversation. Prateesha then held Karan’s hand and pulled him to the other bedroom and showed him another box. Karan bent and pulled out the heavy box from beneath the bed. Kundan knew Karan struck gold. This box was the only way to get the task done. Karan tried to open the box. Prateesha and Priyangana pushed the box and made Karan understand that he had to open the box in their apartment, not here. Karan and Kundan carried the heavy box and went back to their flat.
Karan and Kundan were sweating profusely. Kundan called up Jayesh and said, ‘Seems we solved the mystery. We found what we needed.’ Jayesh arrived in half an hour with his team of police officers and opened the stinking huge box which Karan and Kundan had recovered from Prateesha and Priyangana’s home. There were two skeletons.
Prateesha and Priyangana were murdered by their abusers in this apartment. After that, their spirits wandered there. No one stayed in that floor because the entire floor was haunted. The souls of these murdered girls needed peace and that was possible only if the culprits were put behind the bars and the dead bodies were cremated with full rituals. Karan and Kundan being ghost hunters/paranormal activists, were able to find the evidence in the form of letters in the box and the skeletons.
Well, Karan and Kundan realised the spirits were there when they heard the door bell and no one was around. In the kitchen also, they only saw vessels moving and some shadows. The people who had come to live earlier in the apartment where karan and kundan were staying, fled from there because the baby cradle kept on moving on its own, the baby was carried by invisible entities. Jayesh, the police guy, who is in charge of the investigation, is now going to ensure that the dead girls get justice their souls rest in peace.
