(Thanks for your wonderful comments)
“Who Anjali aunty?”, I asked Nikki. “Mumma, the girl who crawled out of the bed when I was playing with my toys, she looked just like you mumma”, said Nikki smilingly. I was shocked. Is she imagining things? Is she hallucinating? Is the house really haunted? These questions kept rising in my head. I sat up. “Is she still there?”, I said, don’t know what came over me that I asked her this. “I don’t know, but if you sit with me, then she will come out”, she said and held my hand. “Come I will introduce you to my new friend.”
Before I could say something, she pulled with holding my hand taking me to Manik’s side of bed. I sat down beside her. I stared at the space beneath the bed praying nothing is there, I was scared. “Mumma, look she came, she’s sitting in front of us”, said Nikki and I slowly looked up. There was no one. “Who are you talking about Nikku?”, I asked. “Don’t joke, she’s sitting right there”, she said pointing in front of her. But there was no one, what is she talking about? “Mumma, I want to play with my new friend Anjali aunty”, said Nikki. “Can you bring some more toys for me please?”
I nodded and stood up going to cupboard looking at her again and again. She was saying things, as if there is really someone in front of her. I took out her toys and gave it to her. I stepped on the toy car beside my feet unknowingly and fell on my back. “Aahh”, I screamed and stared at Nikki. Manik woke up. I quickly went to Nikki and lifted her off the ground in my arms and took her to bed. “What happened mumma? Let me play”, she said trying to get off the bed. “Stop, promise me you won’t talk to any stranger?”, I said forwarding my hand.
“But why mumma? She’s my friend”, she protested. “Promise me?”, I repeated. She frowned but then promised me. “Good girl, OK now go downstairs I will come and give you something to eat”, I said kissing her and she went. I went to the side where Nikki was sitting. The toy car moved towards me on its own. I was terrified. ‘Nandu, you OK? Is it paining?’ He asked and I nodded in negative. I must be seeing things, never mind. I put all the toys back and was going when he pulled me and I turned to see his brown eyes staring at me.
He was sitting up and made me sit beside him and pulled me in a hug. “It’s good you woke up,” I said hugging him back. “Aww missing me?”, he asked. “Yes”, I said. He broke the hug and cupped my cheeks. “Now tell why were you terrified?”, he asked and I laughed pretending I saw nothing. “It was just a lizard”, I said and he laughed. “Lizard? It seemed as if you saw a ghost”, he laughed even more. “You look cute”, I said. “You too”, he replied. “Now let’s go down, I m hungry.”
We went downstairs hand in hand and sat beside each other. First Manik then me then Nikki then uncle then aunty. I served everyone and ate without talking. When I was done eating, I went to the library in the room and it was very beautiful. I thought to clean it as it was dusty. I cleaned everything and saw a piano, I cleaned it as well and played it. I didn’t knew I can play so well. Then I stood up and went out of there.
Later that day, uncle was gone to office and aunty and I were busy in chores. When it were all done, I went to my room and saw Nikki scribbling something in a diary. “Nikku”, I called. “Yes mumma”, she replied while writing. “Sleep early, we are going for your admission tomorrow morning”, I said. “Ok mumma”, she replied in her sweet voice and I kissed her and sat on the bed.
Soon night approached, I was making the bed when I felt someone else in the room besides me. I looked around, there was no one. I continued with my work and my gaze shifted on the diary in which Nikki was writing something. I thought to read it, no no, it might be a private diary, but I m her mother, and a daughter’s best friend is mother, I should read it. I turned to the first page, others were empty. There was written, ‘I got a new friend today, Anjali aunty, she’s just like mumma, I even made mumma meet her but she couldn’t see her, she was scared but don’t know why. She said not to talk to any stranger, I agreed, maybe she is right, but I will have to play with her secretly.” What is all this? Anjali and all? How did she crawl out of bed? How did the toy came towards me on it’s own and how Nikki could see her but I couldn’t? I will have to find out the truth.