Strangely Familiar

“Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything” - Alexander Hamilton

Voice buzzes

A severe cyclone hit the regions in the southwestern part of the country, resulting in heavy rainfall. Death tolls top 5200. Villages have drowned while the nearby cities are bracing for floods that are most likely to happen in the next ten hours.

Let’s see what our reporters have to say.

The video was clicked and paused as the listener smashed his head in his palms heaving an incoherent whine.

“I told you not to listen to it every day.” Naina pushed the phone away, pointing at the news flash. “What do you expect to hear? Things have been magically solved, and everything is back to normal.”

The irony didn’t escape him.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want to hear.”

Samraat tilted his head to uncover half his face, straining an eye before laying his head back down on the counter, snuggling his arms close.

Naina twisted her lips funnily and looked over his form at the unannounced visitors. The three of them were still together, camping at one corner of the hall. They refused to take a room, which would have been far easier than lying on a hard floor.

Although with time, Tia and Mr. Kazmi appeared rather friendly around them. They chatted, helped them with daily chores, and appeared on their best behavior. Whether they had accepted the truth of the Mansion or merely dismissed the entire thing as a false tale, she could not tell.

It was only Ayaan - the suspicious one, who was still holding grudges against the residents, blaming them for their audacity to play cruel jokes, tossing glares now and then. Snorting at the incredulity of the situation, she couldn’t help but return the feeling.

It’s not like she was wrong. She reasoned inwardly.

It was nearly a week ago. They had a tough chat with the group of three outsiders right before their only van was destroyed. Having no other option but to stay, the outsiders - mostly Ayaan, decided to ignore the resident occupants cooping themselves up, claiming one corner of the hall. His partners, on the other hand, though not very vocal about their feelings, clearly didn’t believe them either, or that’s what Naina thought. They wore expressionless masks. Shrugging in response, she went back to her room. She was sure they would know eventually.

Like she did.

However, the portrait has been exceptionally quiet and well-behaved since then. So much she started to scowl in his direction every time she passed by him, mentally challenging him to act. However, he was effectively proving her entire family wrong and insensitive.

The week went into a cold war between two groups. Well, mostly two people.

Samraat was watching his sister thoughtfully.

“What do you think he wants?” He asked.

Naina didn’t need to think twice. She answered plainly. “If only I know.”

“The week has been easy and difficult at the same time,” he remarked.

She raised her eyebrows inquisitively, resting her elbows on the table while sitting across from him.

“He didn’t summon anyone.” He almost complained.

“That’s a good thing.”

“And a bad thing. He made us appear like fools in front of,” Samraat paused briefly, his eyes revealing mixed reactions, and spoke in a low voice, “others.”

“That concerns you. Why?”

“Well, it makes me - us look bad.” He quickly corrected himself.

“You mean it makes you look bad?” Naina summarised, an amusing gleam visible in her eyes.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Heat crawled up his face as he looked at anywhere but her.

“Oh,” Naina took a dramatic pause, tapping a finger to her chin absently, feigning innocence. “Well, it could be that you suddenly became as neat as a pin, started participating in household chores with interest, or the fact that you assumed you were being discreet when you pass those sneaky glances at certain someone when you think no one’s looking.”

“You are overanalyzing.”

She gave him a flat stare.

“Stop that.” He got a faraway look in his eyes.

“You are bluffing no one.”

“Fine,” he puffed his cheeks out in frustration. “I may feel attracted towards her. I find her cute.”

“Thank you.” Naina flicked his forehead, erasing the frown lines, releasing his tense state.

“But it’s no use. Thanks to him.” He pointed meaningfully at the portrait with his eyes, a sour look on his face, and mumbled under his breath. “She must think of me as an insensitive liar.”

Naina slouched her shoulder at his statement. Her brother had never been the one to be easily disappointed. Perhaps, attraction is a strong feeling if it is capable of making such a huge difference in one’s attitude.

Leaning forward, she patted her hand upon his shoulder in reassurance.

“Oh no, don’t worry. I’ll tell her you can be insensitive, but you are not a liar.”

“You are hopeless.” He wilted into his chair, resting his forearms to cover his eyes.

She grinned in response. Her eyes traveled over to another retreating figure.

“Hey.” A soft voice came from beside him.

Samraat shifted himself so precipitously, the chair almost lost its balance, ending up swinging on one side before resting back in its original position.

“Oh, hey! You are up.” He tried to sound smooth.

Naina, half amused at his reaction, couldn’t help but scoff lightly, “Of course, she’s up. It’s nearly noon.”

The glare directed at her was easily ignored, and she diverted her attention back to Tia.

“Do you need something?”

“I want to talk if that’s okay.” She answered politely.

“Yes, sure,” Samraat held out the chair next to him and gestured for her to sit. “Feel free. I can send her away if you’d like.”

He pointed at his sister, who gaped at him in annoyance.

“No, no, please stay. There is something I want to speak about but,” Tia paused, as she took her seat, contemplating, her lips pursed. “I don’t know how to word it out without sounding mad.”

“Don’t worry. We crossed madness a while ago.” Samraat rolled his eyes. If only she knew.

“Huh?”

Naina kicked him underneath the table. He winced slightly. “What he means to say is nothing surprises us anymore.”

Tia was hesitant for the following seconds. Twiddling her thumb now and then, she waited as if mentally preparing herself to launch.

A warm palm rested on hers. She looked up in anticipation at Samraat, who was giving her an encouraging smile. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Smiling softly in return, she said, “It’s silly, but the thing has been bothering me for two days.”

His grip on hers tightened slightly, he signaled her to continue. Naina was watching the duo with interest. It’s been a while since her last dose of entertainment.

“I had this dream. I mean, I think it was a dream but it felt so real.”

Tia’s smile dropped slightly. Her face twisted as she tried to replicate the details inside her head. “I saw this beautiful woman asking for help. She said she would come when the time is right, and that I should be prepared. The rest was balderdash, some alien language, and then everything blurred and gradually vanished.”

Samraat knit his brows, purposely delving into deep thought.

“What is bothering you?” Naina asked.

“I don’t usually remember dreams. When I do, it’s about people I’ve already met in life. This woman is a stranger. How can I dream about someone I’ve never met?”

Naina partly agreed. The subconscious mind can remember people we’ve only ever met once. “Has it reoccurred?”

Tia shook her head in response.

“I tried to talk to Ayaan but he insisted that I was overthinking, and,” she paused, unsure to continue.

“And?”

“And the fact you guys said something about the mansion being haunted is taking a toll on my already tensed mind.”

Naina and Samraat exchanged impassive looks.

“You don’t believe us, do you?” Naina asked, sitting cross-legged across them, fingers clasped firmly upon her knees. Her posture became stiff.

Tia locked eyes with her subconsciously, pondering over the current scenario. “I do. I think I do because, ever since the dream, I wake up every day with this weird feeling that I can’t seem to shake off.”

Samraat took her words in. His grip still resting tightly on hers, clenched further.

“Ahem, Sam,” Tia asked in a small voice. “I’m fine. You can let go of my hand now.”

Almost instantly, his hand jerked back inside its sanctuary. “I’m sorry!”

Tia smiled bashfully, her insecurities momentarily forgotten. “That’s alright. And I don’t agree with Ayaan. You guys are not insensitive at all.”

“But your friend is,” Naina said rudely.

Tia shook her head. “Give him time. He’s been through a lot. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

Samraat, after recovering from awkwardness, quickly recomposed himself and asked, “A man and now a woman. What does that mean? You would think that place has two of them now.”

“A man?” A puzzled expression crossed Tia’s face.

“Mr. Immortal over there,” Naina grumbled, still hesitant over disclosing the information, and unsure about her progression, nonetheless pointing at the portrait. “Shaurya Lomhani, the first owner and creator of the mansion. He summoned me a few days back.”

Tia’s eyes bulged out. “This is who you were warning us against.”

The other two nodded.

Samraat looked at Tia with a range of such conflicting emotions in his eyes that it was difficult to differentiate any. “I’m sorry about your loss. Not only do you have to bear everything on the way, but now you also have to deal with the Mansion’s magic.”

“But that’s hardly your fault.” Tia’s smile was comforting.

They looked at one another with such intensity that for a brief moment Naina wondered if she was interrupting their moment. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

“I’ll leave you guys to-,” bond over? catch up? Words flashed in front of her but she wasn’t able to pick any, “I’ll just leave.” She nodded, smiling slightly, feeling a silver lining in the ever-dark clouds penetrating through the walls around them.

Contented with some sort of closure, she walked steadily outside and within the grounds of the Mansion. Her vision hovered in the skies above where darkness was still stretching its wings. The strong wind made her curls float making them, even more, frizzier as she tried to smoothen them down.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?”

Turning around, she came face to face with Mr. Kazmi, who was looking a lot better than before. His wounds were now healed, thanks to the remarkable efforts of one budding doctor.

“Only the darkest clouds ever bring rain.” She shrugged, tying her hair into a bun.

He smiled, his hands inside his jacket pocket, and stood beside her. “I mean this place. Looks even scarier at night.”

She quickly scrutinized the situation. It was difficult to conclude if he was mocking her over her first warning, or merely stating an eerie feeling that not many could escape.

“I believe you, you know.” Mr. Kazmi said, looking ahead as if secretly sensing her thoughts. “I knew you were speaking the truth since day one.”

“Because you are a good judge of character?” Naina tried to come up with an intelligent guess. He was an undercover detective after all.

Mr. Kazmi remained floundered for a moment before replacing it with a hearty laugh. She frowned, unable to figure out the sudden source of his amusement.

“I have made several mistakes when it comes to behavior judgment. But I suppose that’s how one learns.” He continued, his voice becoming suddenly serious. “But no, I believe you because... the last time I was here, I lost someone very dear to me.”

“You have been here before?”

“Not intentionally. Years ago, it was. Our bus ran out of fuel and...”

Naina interrupted him and exclaimed in bewilderment.

“Shaina Arani.”

She whispered, the air flowing around taking the syllables away, making it barely audible. Either he heard her or merely guessed by the movement of her lips, she could not tell.

He only nodded in return.

“You were in college back then. You were among those students back in nineteen-ninety.”

He nodded again.

Searching for any clue on his face but unable to find any, Naina squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to wipe off the image of the girl that surfaced on its own.

“I’m sorry! This place seems to have done a lot of damage to the lives of people.”

Mr. Kazmi smiled tensly. “I vowed to never come back, but fate seems to have a different idea.”

“And now that you are here you won’t sit quietly.” Naina never praised herself but she has rather an impeccable talent in understanding human behavior. “Would you?”

He walked a step or two, kicking the pebbles aimlessly, his eyes glinting slightly in the shade she was unable to distinguish. He only smiled in return. “What gave that away?”

“This place has brought buried feelings back to life. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me, Mr. Kazmi, you and Miss Arani were not just friends, were you?” Naina asked confidently.

She could see his face twisting and wincing in pain as the memories flashed through his mind. “No.”

He didn’t speak anything further. He didn’t need to. She understood why.

Inclining her head in agreement, she decided to trace back to the wing when he spoke suddenly. “I need your help to uncover the secrets of the Mansion.”

Naina whipped her head around hoping she heard him wrong. “Come again?”

Mr. Kazmi wore a blank face. “I read about your family history enough to know about their link with Shaurya Lomhani. I need your help to reach him.”

The expression wiped off her face, she looked at him gingerly. “How do you know about him?”

Mr. Kazmi twitched his lips. “Saw his portrait in the hall.”

“Why him? He could kill you.” Naina did not know why she was even entertaining that thought. Trying to reach him? It was crazy.

“He could.”

He refused to elaborate on anything further. She did not know what to make of it. Dropping it for the time being, she asked. “Why do you think I can help you?”

“You were the one to warn against taking a stroll at night. Not to mention, the scowl you throw his way shows some form of hatred.” Mr. Kazmi said, continuing to answer her unasked question. “I was an undercover agent once, and detectives can a sense clue from a distance.”

Taking a deep breath, calming her nerves, Naina responded. “My brother and I tried to break into the west wing but the door-”

“Wouldn’t open.” He finished the statement for her. “It won’t.”

For the second time in the last thirty seconds, she looked at him guardedly.

“It only allows people it wants to lure in,” he said.

“You seem to know a lot more about this place than you let on.” Suspicion laced her tone, she took two steps back almost without realizing it.

“I think you would agree that there are things far more dangerous than my knowledge.”

Naina didn’t know the next step. Surely, they can’t just sit and wait for Mr. Immortal to act and make them move like puppets. Following the path in front of her, her gaze stopped at the wing, squinting briefly.

A sudden light sparked her eyes. For a moment she felt like it was floating on its own before disappearing entirely.

“What was that?” She mumbled to herself and sprinted in the direction where a sharp glare of red once appeared.

Mr. Kazmi quickly followed, and ran after her, gripping her arms in an attempt to stop her.

“Wait!” He commanded.

She halted, pausing briefly. Her breath returned to normal seconds later. “Didn’t you see the light? It’s coming from inside the wing. Surely, if we go in there, we’ll find something.”

She was so close to finding something significant about the place that became the reason for her regular nightmares.

The grip on her arms tightened, his head shaking in disapproval.

“Didn’t you just say you want to figure out the mystery?” She yanked her arms away from his grip and rubbed to soothe the pain.

“Not on his watch.” Mr. Kazmi narrowed his eyes and spoke like a true undercover investigator. “Not on his command.”

Naina blinked away her tears, flinching slightly at his tone.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t let him control you.” He spoke, ducking his face in silent apology.

Naina blinked once, and then twice. Her eyelids felt heavy. She was suddenly feeling very tired. She wanted it to end. “Look, I must go in. It feels right. Trust me, I’ll be fine.”

“That’s what Shaina said.”

Her steps slowed a bit. She did not turn around, her gaze hooked on the entrance.

“When I tried to stop, that’s exactly what she said. ‘It feels right, I’ll be fine.’ And we all know what happened.”

“Do we, Mr. Kazmi?” She asked in a voice far different from her own, her thoughts starting to dawdle.

Mr. Rahil Kazmi frowned deeply. He could observe her demeanor shifting rapidly to the point he could barely recognize her anymore. Almost cautiously, he held out his hand to reach out again.

“C’mon, Naina. Not today.”

She didn’t slap his hand away this time.

Gritting her teeth, Naina felt a throbbing sensation inside her head as she tried to fight it off. Holding both her hands against the side of her head, she pressed tightly.

“Damn it, my head hurts badly.” She screamed, bending her knees down to the ground.

“Let’s get you inside.” He helped her stand to lead her back. Halfway through, he asked promptly, silently gauging her reaction. “What was that?”

“I don’t know.” Naina whimpered, her voice shaking, as the pain gradually started to drift away. “It was like a force pulling me in which doesn’t make sense considering we were trying to get in just last week.”

She ceased her movement for a moment, shuddering a bit, and glanced at him curiously. “You didn’t see anything, did you?”

It wasn’t a question. He knew she knew he was looking in the same direction as her.

He simply declined, choosing his words carefully. “I may have missed it.”

His tone, though honest, was surrounded by sheer uncertainty. She pursed her lips and continued walking.

Mr. Kazmi asked as they reached the door. “Who do you think knows more about this place than anyone?”

“My mother, maybe. Although, I don’t think she knows much.” Her face betrayed her as she couldn’t contain her expression.

“Then we know where to start.” He answered, holding the door open for her.

Naina didn’t speak a word as she stepped inside with newfound determination.

It’s time she got some answers.