The Puppet's Show
Dec, 2009
Kalka Railway Station, Himachal Pradesh
"Don't worry Maa, I've reached here, soon they'll pick me up. I'll call you in the morning, and please don't worry, I'm a big boy, now.", said Advik on a call.
As the call was disconnected Advik lit a cigarette and went to his silent thinker mode. Advik was lost in the light coming from a lamppost standing tall far from the bench he was sitting. Suddenly a car tearing silence with horan stopped by him and driver came out, asked him, "is it Dr. Agnihotri?"
Advik wearing a long trench coat with a big hat was lost somewhere, he didn't answer driver's question.
Driver saw Advik's suitcase where it was written Dr. Advik Agnihotri, So Driver carried luggage and asked him to sit in the car.
Next DayGovt. Hospital, Shimla
"Send that new doctor to my cabin." CMO ordered his assistant.
A fair, strong built, medium height 28 years old man entered in CMO's cabin.
Advik : Sir, Did you call me?
CMO : Yes, Dr. Agnihotri. Please have a seat. What would you like to have?
Advik : Nothing. Thankyou.
CMO opened a file and applauded Advik, "You have a tremendous academic records. I'm impressed."
Advik : Thankyou Sir.
CMO : Actually the main reason for having this conversation is to talk about an abnormal case which no doctor is handling and I want you to take it.
Advik : What's the case?
CMO : We have a 10 years old boy in our hospital who has some kind of mental disease. He's been admitted here for past 6 months and no improvement has been seen yet.
Advik : Don't worry Sir, I pledged to help and cure. I'll take this case.
and Advik left the cabin with case's file.
Room no. 13
Advik entered in the room no. 13 where he saw a skinny kid sleeping over bed, he barely had any flesh on bones. Advik sat near him and waived hello but he didn't respond, again Advik asked, "What's your name?"
"Iftaar" an old, skinny woman replied to Advik.
"Is he your son?"
"Naah, he is my grand son."
Advik started reading some reports and said,"His neurological reports are normal, he must be mentally stable. He is just malnourished. Don't worry, he is going to fine."
Old lady smiled and said, "No one can save my grandson, he won't let my grandson live."
"Who is he?" Advik asked.
"Sir, Don't listen to this old lady, she is in shock with her grandson's conditions. She makes stories." a nurse shut old lady.
"I'm not afraid of my kid, I'm afraid for you Doctor. Ha Ha Ha" Old lady shouted.
Advik was disturbed with that strange behavior from old lady and he wasn't feeling well. Soon Advik's phone rang.
"Beta, Where were you? You didn't call.", Advik's mother was on other side.
"Maa, I'm at hospital. I'll call you later." Advik disconnected call.
Jan 26, 2010
Major staff didn't come to hospital on Republic Day. Due to lack of staff, Advik stayed at hospital for night too. At midnight a power cut occurred, Advik lit a candle and called power authority of hospital. "What happened? Suresh", asked Advik over call.
"Nothing, Generator was tripped due to overload, Wait 2-3 minutes." Electrician replied.
Someone shouted in the dark, and voice came from room no. 13.
Advik ran towards that voice and as he reached to room no. 13, Power cut had gone. After 5 minutes situation was under controlled. That old lady again came to Advik and Shouted,"He came in the darkness, he could have taken my kid but he let him live because he wants him to suffer. He'll again come."
That old lady wasn't finished yet, Suddenly, some external force started dragging Iftaar here and there and threw him on walls due to which Iftaar lost his consciousness. Iftaar fell on ground. Advik was afraid and couldn't believe his eyes, now Iftaar was lying on ground no movement was seen for a while. Advik picked Iftaar in his arms and took him to bed.
"I told you, he came. He was here and he'll take my kid.", Old lady screamed.
Advik looked at her and left.
Advik's house
It's 2:23 am in clock, Advik was lying in bed with open eyes, he was unable to sleep and he was thinking about the incident just happened. Advik stood and went to bathroom, looked in the mirror and splashed some water over his face, he again looked in mirror,"What the hell", He moved backward, started gasping and shouted and fell down. He was afraid for a while but he gathered himself and picked himself up and moved forward to see in mirror again.
He saw Iftaar's face in the mirror.
Advik lit a cigarette and started searching something on his Laptop.
"Yeah, it can happen. People starts hurting them self in these kind of mental disease. It was nothing, it was his mind which was torturing Iftaar." Advik's mind convinced Advik.
"Iftaar must be suffering from self-mutilation." Advik thought.
Feb 02, 2010At Hospital
It was around 3 am and Advik was operating a critical patient.
"Congratulations, guys. This operation is a grand success.", Advik applauded his colleagues.
Advik came out of operation theater. He went to bathroom, was washing his face, He looked up and clean vapor from mirror and saw dark black shadow moving. He turned and there was nothing, He again saw in mirror and there was nothing too.
Advik came out and started walking in hospital's lobby. He was lost in some strange thoughts,"What am I seeing?, What are they?."
His phone rang
"Hello", Unknown person spoke other side.
"Hello, Who's this?", Advik asked.
"You are treating Iftaar?", Caller asked.
"Yes, who's this?", Advik again asked.
"She is not his grand mother, leave them. It is not what it looks.", Caller said and disconnected call.
And then someone started screaming, and the voices were coming from room no.13. Advik ran towards Room no. 13 where he saw that dark shadow was dragging Iftaar with tying a metal chain around his neck.
That dark shadow dragged Iftaar in lobby, threw him outside the hospital and left.
"What was that?", Advik shouted
Advik looked at his staff, they were frightened with the incident, Their faces were pale with fear.
Advik went outside and lift shivering Iftaar in his arm and took to his bed.
"I told you, He won't let Iftaar live.", Old lady cried.
"Who is He?, Do you have any answer? Who is He?", Advik shouted over old lady.
Advik left the room with many unanswered questions.
Next Day
Advik was going home in car. Suddenly car stopped.
"What happened, Mohan?", Advik asked to his driver.
"I think, It is punctured.", Driver replied.
"Sir, can you please take bus to home?, I'll take this car to mechanic.", Driver said.
"Don't worry, I'll book a cab.", Advik said.
"It is not a metro city, Sir. You won't get cab here. You've to take a public transport.", Driver smiled.
Advik lit a cigarette and moved towards bus stop, There he saw a man wearing rugged clothes, had messy hair and a thick beard, who was staring him constantly and smoking a pipe of tobacco. As Advik became uncomfortable with him and lost his temper, the bus arrived. So Advik left the place.
Next day, Advik was going to hospital in his car when he saw the same man opposite side of road from his car's window. It was quite disturbing for him.
That man started stalking Advik at hospital, at home, at mall, at everywhere.
Feb 15, 2010At Advik's Home
Advik just woke up and went to kitchen to brew morning coffee. He went outside of his house for newspaper with having coffee mug in left hand, he just picked newspaper and saw that stalker in front of his house. Advik shouted, "Who the hell are you?".
He threw coffee mug and paper in anger and ran towards him, after catching him.
"What's your problem? Why the hell are you following me?", Advik shouted.
"Ask something relevant, I can answer your every question. Ask precisely." Man replied.
"What question? What do you know? Why are you following me?"
"Listen Son, Iftaar won't get fine. It is a well designed curse, which comes after every 10 years and It takes life of a 10 years old kid."
"What curse? I'm a doctor, and science has no place for it."
"Can your science explain what you saw?" That man smiled.
Advik was silently looking at him.
"This curse will take Iftaar with him on upcoming Amawasya which is on 15th March, so you have one month to break it."
"How can I break it?"
"If you are able to find and destroy the object, on which this curse was cast. This curse will break."
"What object? Where can I.....", Advik was still saying, but that man went in front of running bus and killed himself.
Advik was in shock with what just happened. He was frightened. He was feeling lost.
After that incident Advik started searching that object everywhere, He went through all of Iftaar's belongings.
March 10, 2010At a Bar, Shimla
Advik was boozing there, and was feeling a guilt for not getting any clue to save Iftaar's life.
A young lady was staring Advik for a while, she approached him.
"Hey"
"Hi"
"You seem lost. Is everything okay?"
"Naah, Nothing is okay. Do I look okay?, I've gone mad. Science won't believe. Previous version of me also won't believe. I don't know anything, but yeah I'm not okay." Advik vomited everything.
"Chill man. I can give you my ear, if you wanna share something?"
"Sorry, I think, I've drunk too much.", Advik apologized.
"Listen, I'm a Nurse. I can understand your science shit and I know you're up to something. I'll understand."
Advik drank too much, he was unable to shut his mouth so he discussed complete scenario with her.
"By the way It's Prerna.", Lady introduced herself.
"It's Advik.", Advik replied.
Next MorningWildflower Hotel, Shimla
Advik woke up in room no. 138 and he found himself an unknown place.
"Don't be panic.", Prerna entered in room.
"Last night you were not in control so I brought you here.", Prerna said.
"What happened last night?", Advik asked.
"It would've to be my line. Ha Ha Ha.", Prerna laughed.
"You were narrating me a story, related to some curse and all.", Prerna was saying
"It is real.", Advik interrupted.
"Yeah, I know. Last night I've searched Iftaar's hometown. We are going Kangra, I've booked tickets." Prerna said.
"We?, Why are you going?", Advik asked.
"I liked this situation and it is kicking me.", Prerna smiled.
"Suit up man. We are running out of time.", Prerna exclaimed.
March 13, 2010Somewhere in Kangra
Advik and Prerna reached to the place Iftaar used to stay with his parents.
"Iftaar had no one expect his parents, and after their mysterious death, he was all alone.", A neighbor said.
"How did his parent die?", Prerna asked.
"No, one knew, one night they went to sleep normally and never woke up. After that incident Iftaar started behaving like this otherwise he was also a normal kid." Neighbor replied.
"He has his grandmother with him?", Advik was asking but Prerna interrupted him.
"Can we see his house?", Prerna asked.
"Yeah, can we see his house?", Advik also asked.
Neighbor took them to a building which was completely devastated.
"You won't find anything here, Everything is gone.", Neighbor said.
"Where is that object?, How to break that curse?." Advik was murmuring.
"Do you have any belonging of Iftaar? anything related to him?.", Prerna asked.
"Actually, my son found a wooden toy here, after his gone.", Neighbor replied.
"That's the thing.", Prerna smiled at Advik.
They both were like, they won a battle.
They both took that toy and brought back to hospital.
March 15, 2010Govt. Hospital, Shimla
Advik and Prerna took that wooden toy to Iftaar's room. Iftaar's grandmother screamed at Advik, "What have you brought here?, I'm not feeling well. You won't be able to stop him. He'll take my son."
"Don't worry, Iftaar will be alright.", Advik sympathized her.
It's complete dark no moon night. It's the time.
Advik started burning that toy. As he flamed that toy, Iftaar started squirm, his face was covered with sweat. He fell down in front of Advik.
Advik smiled, and said, "At last, I saved him."
Advik went to pick Iftaar, Iftaar's facial color fell pale and a tear came out of his right eye.
"You were a pawn.", Iftaar whispered slowly in Advik's ear and died.
Advik looked back, there were no one. He was all alone in that hospital. Prerna was gone, Grandmother was also gone.
Advik started thinking all the things again, Prerna interrupted him when he was asking about his grandmother to neighbor, Advik was the only person who saw grandmother. Prerna looked like that nurse who scolded grandmother. That man talked about that object and that object was that nurse, grandmother was that witch who caste that curse. That toy was saving Iftaar from Dark Magic.
Advik was lost. He cried. He wiped his tears and left hospital.
After 10 yearsSomewhere in Chhattisgarh
"Doctor please save my kid", A old lady was crying.
Again a dark shadow pulled that kid.
Again the same old lady brought a kid to hospital. But this time that dark shadow became victim kid and Iftaar became Dark shadow.
That Old Lady cast a spell over these two souls to take revenge from each other till the end of time.
They both kill each other turn by turn after a 10 years. That old lady feed herself from their greed of revenge, and from fear.
Advik was still afraid, and He was feeding that old lady with his fear.
It was just a puppet show.
