Devil’s day
‘Bhroom…. Ayyo…. Pte..pte… Rajeevetta’!?
Rajeev woke up drowsily. He focused his ears to where the voice came from.
‘Yes, it was from the kitchen. It was Kavitha’s voice’.
Kavitha, his wife, was the only child of her parents; professionally educated but unemployed. Their wedding was held two days back, on a Saturday. The wedding reception function yesterday, went up till late night. After returning from the reception hall, they freshened up, went to bed, and woke up late. He knew that Kavitha had woken up some time back and had gone to the bathroom. While proceeding to the kitchen, she had reminded him about going to office, although she was reluctant to be left alone with his relatives. But she didn’t have much choice as the senior officer had requested Rajeev to be in the office for some time for an important work.
Kavitha told him softly, “Rajeev, time is 6.30, if you go early you will be able to come back for lunch”. From her voice, it was almost obvious that she was not very particular to wake him up so early.
Rajeev, still half-sleepy, was not in a mood to get up. As he held a key position in the office, he could only get two weeks of leave sanctioned for the wedding, that too with a lot of persuasion. He had even showed his displeasure to the senior when he asked Rajeev to report on Monday.
Waking up hearing the noise, Rajeev understood that something happened in the kitchen. A vessel was broken, but there were more voices. He listened closely to figure out what was going on.
He heard his mother’s voice first. “What happened, Kavitha, Rajini”?
Rajeev understood that even his mother was unaware of the situation.
‘Oh, today Rajini is also active in the kitchen’, he thought.
Rajini is Rajeev’s sister, who is a post-graduate. She has been busy applying for jobs and writing employment tests for a while.
“The flask fell down from Kavitha’s hand and broke”. Rajeev heard Rajini’s reply.
‘It is my time to enter the scene. If it really happened from my wife’s side, then she could get into deep trouble’, Rajeev anticipated.
Rajeev got up from the bed, without even looking once in the mirror, he rushed to the kitchen. Kavitha was in the kitchen, slightly upset, drenched in tea on her palm and fingers. Rajeev understood that this was not noticed by his mother or Rajini. They also heard the sound and assumed that the flask with tea fell and broke.
Rajeev looked at her questioningly.
She said, “Rajini prepared the tea. Since you were not awake, Amma told me to store tea for you and Achan in the flask. I told her I will manage that. Rajini showed me the stainless-steel flask to use. But Amma said that its capacity is very less and directed me to use the new flask. I poured the whole tea in the flask holding it in my hand, but it was leaking, and palm started getting wet with hot tea. Before I could place the flask somewhere it exploded with a sound. By reflex, I dropped it onto the floor”.
Listening to her narrative, Rajeev’s mother entered the kitchen. ‘Is she staring at Kavitha for breaking the newly repaired flask? Did she think that Kavitha put the flask down and broke it deliberately’? Rajeev doubted. He pacified Kavitha for this small incident.
The tea was usually stored in the stainless-steel flask. They did not have the practice of storing tea in the flask. This process started recently, after Rajeev’s father’s retirement. He was a government employee, very active, and retired from service a few months back. Recently, precisely after retirement, he was diagnosed with problems of blood pressure and nowadays he usually takes a cup of tea around 11.00 o’clock, continuing the practice in office.
‘Where is he? Didn’t he even hear this explosion’? Rajeev looked around for him. He was sitting on the verandah reading newspaper.
Rajeev slowly moved to the bedroom to get ready for work. Time was past 7.30 am. He planned to go to the office as early as possible, so that he could come back soon and have lunch with his wife and others.
He heard his mother’s voice, “We will prepare tea again”. Rajeev overheard his mother and Rajini talking. But Kavitha’s voice was not heard. She might be still in the shock of the flask accident.
He went into the bathroom and started brushing his teeth.
‘Bhroom…… Rajeevetta!’.
Similar sound came from the kitchen again. But this time there was only one sound followed by Kavitha’s scream. Rajeev finished brushing, washed his face and rushed to the scene. While entering the dining hall, he saw Kavitha looking frightened. There was tea spilled over the entire dining table with some glass particles in it. The second flask has also been broken.
Rajeev’s mother and Rajini came from the kitchen. He saw a smile spreading on Rajini’s lips while his mother was staring at Kavitha. ‘You broke the second flask too’? She seemed to ask her.
Rajeev tried to recollect. ‘There were two old thermos flasks in his house. Both were not in use for a long time as the glass vacuum vessels were broken. His mother suggested that these flasks could be repaired so that it could be useful during the wedding days. He had suggested using the steel flask, but his mother argued that not only did it have a low capacity but also that it didn’t hold heat long enough. Even though it was difficult to get glass vacuum refill vessel for the flasks, he managed to get it after searching in many shops. The shopkeeper had reminded him that the vessels were from old stock and that there was no guarantee. The minute crack on the glass vessel would have burst those flasks on expansion when hot tea was poured’. He wanted to console Kavitha by sharing this information, but she was frantically cleaning the table surface.
His mother prepared tea again, for the third time that morning. Rajeev had his share of tea stored the remaining in the steel flask for his dad.
The steel flask must have become happy as she was considered seriously this time.
Rajeev glanced over to his father, who was sitting on the same chair and reading newspaper. But he realized that his father has been listening to everything going on.
Rajeev browsed his phone for any new messages or emails from the office.
“Kavitha and Rajini, you may take a shower and come for breakfast. Did Rajeev take bath? Breakfast is ready”. He heard his mother’s words.
Without spending more time on the phone, he went into the bedroom and Kavitha followed. Her face was understandably dull. She must be thinking about her mishap. Rajeev told her, “Don’t worry, Kavitha. Those are old flasks”.
She replied, “But Amma said those are new ones”.
“Yes, yes. New vacuum vessels but refilled in old flasks”. He was observing her gestures; she didn’t seem consoled.
He entered the bathroom. After a shower, while drying himself, he overheard Kavitha talking over the phone. She was talking with her parents. After that they had the breakfast and Rajeev left to office.
Time was around 11 o’clock when he received Kavitha’s phone call. ‘Did any more bad incidents occur after my departure?’ Shock struck like a lightning on him.
When he picked up the phone, he heard his wife’s feeble voice which sounded like she was weeping. “Rajeev, the large flower vase made of china clay fell on Rajini’s forehead. Rajini fell unconscious and Achan took her to the hospital”.
“But it was kept above the show-case”. He responded even more shocked.
Kavitha continued and she was almost crying now. “We were having a chat after breakfast. Rajini started showing some old photographs. A few were in the showcase. She tried to open the shutters one by one. One shutter was stuck. I thought that I could give it a try. When I applied some force, the almirah shook, and the flower vase resting on top, fell. It fell on Rajini’s face and she fainted.” She gasped.
He was quite disappointed. It was placed on the top of the showcase only a week before following his mother’s idea. He opposed the idea as it could be unstable on the top and could fall anytime. But she was very adamant and said that ‘it takes a lot of space when it is left on the floor’.
Kavitha continued, “Rajeev, this is the third incident happening today. I heard your mother murmuring, ‘What is happening in this house? Till yesterday, there was no problem. A devil might have entered the house to create this menace’”.
Rajeev replied. “Kavitha, you came to the house two days back and hence, she obviously wouldn’t have meant it to be you. Please dismiss this as her usual grumbling”. But he didn’t have confidence in his own words.
Immediately, he called his father who had taken Rajini to the hospital. Father said that before reaching the hospital she had regained her consciousness. He added that an X-ray was taken for the skull, she was found absolutely alright, and that Rajeev needn’t come to the hospital.
Rajeev reached home half an hour before 1 o’clock. He found that Rajini was taking rest in the room.
On almost every day last week, there were guests visiting the house. They were not able to enjoy lunch those days. Fortunately, there was no guest that day. Mother was in the kitchen, preparing to serve lunch.
Kavitha walked into the kitchen to help her.
Mother commented, “Please do things carefully Kavitha. You will gain experience with time”.
Kavitha looked at her strangely. ‘Is she implying that I am inexperienced and that is why all these incidents took place today?’
“Rajeev likes mango pickle. It is kept in the fridge in a big bottle. Kavitha, please take that big glass bottle out and keep it on the kitchen slab. I will transfer some to a bowl”. Mother said.
Kavitha obediently took the bottle out, handling it carefully and gently and placed it on the slab. She then later started transferring items from the kitchen to the dining table.
Slowly his mother entered the dining hall and arranged plates on the table. Rajeev washed his hands, called his father and Rajini, and sat on a chair. He gestured Kavitha to join. She gestured back that she would join after they started having. Rajini appeared from her room, proceeded to wash basin. Rajeev, along with his father and Rajini began to serve food.
Everything looked normal until a loud crash followed by the sound of shattering glass came from the kitchen. A painful cry from his mother made him jump up from the chair and rush to the kitchen. The scene in the kitchen was really frightening. His mother was sitting on the floor with many blood drops on the floor. Her palm, fingers and the right foot were heavily bleeding, and glass pieces covered the floor around her and on the kitchen slab.
He was petrified. ‘What would have happened’?
Thankfully she was conscious. She said, “I lifted the bottle to transfer pickle to a small bowl. The bottle fell on the granite kitchen slab, broke and a major portion of the broken glass bottle fell on the floor. I was about to catch the bottle and the broken glass pierced on my hand and accidently a sharp glass piece fell on my foot”.
He guessed, ‘The problem came from the thin layer of water formed on the external surface of the heavy bottle. The bottle slipped down from her hand while transferring pickle. She tried to catch it, but it hit on the slab and crashed.’
The following sequence of incidents happened in a short time. He came back to his senses and acted immediately. Rajini brought a bathroom towel. He tore the towel into two halves. One half was used to stop the bleeding on the hand, and the other, on the foot. He took her to the hospital. His father also accompanied them. Three stitches on the forefinger in the gap of two fingers, and two stitches on the foot. The injury on the palm was deep, but no stitch was required.
After spending about one and a half hours in the hospital they came back home.
They had planned to take lunch on time and that was around 1.00 pm; but, even at 2.30 pm they did not have lunch. Rajeev was not feeling hungry. Rajini and Kavitha were waiting for lunch. They asked their mother to take rest for some time, as local anesthesia was given for the stitches and dressing the wounds.
Rajeev made a call to the office and informed that he would be unable to report in the afternoon. He also briefly conveyed the matter to his superior officer.
They finished lunch. All took leave to their respective rooms. Kavitha’s face was not bright; she must be thinking about the incidents.
Rajeev and Kavitha started talking about the next day’s plan. As per earlier discussion, they were supposed to go to her house on the next day after breakfast. While talking about going to her house, he noticed her becoming happier and more energetic.
Suddenly, a sound of a heavy object falling and crashing, was heard from the living room. They rushed to the living room. He was not able to enter the room as it was full of glass pieces. He glanced at the wall near the show case where the new clock was hung. Rajini also came out from her room and stared at him and Kavitha with a smile. His father also came in, as he was outside the house. He heard his mother’s voice, “Rajini, what happened”?
She replied, “That glass clock fell down”.
The clock was purchased just before the wedding, on his mother’s advice. They had gone to a clock repair shop for repairing two clocks a few days before the function. After the clocks were repaired, his mother showed interest on a clock displayed, which was slightly expensive and made of glass. They finally ended up buying the clock.
The shop owner had said, “Its body is made of glass. The whole internal mechanism is visible through the body”.
Rajeev started recollecting while observing the clock closely. It now sat on the floor in pieces and the whole mechanism came out, mostly damaged.
He knew that the clock was slightly heavy. The clamp was made of metal, but while purchasing he had suspected a fracture on the body where the clamp was attached through screws.
The shop owner had argued that nothing would happen as it was not an indication of fracture. He had also added that, “It is the single piece available now, in case something happens, the clock can be returned, and we can arrange another piece for you”.
Rajeev was slightly unhappy and shocked by the incident, even though he was sure that the clock fell by the fracture he had suspected earlier. The fracture near the screw must have propagated slowly and then ultimately failed now. How can it be claimed from the shop owner now that it is in pieces?
Rajeev asked Rajini, “Why are you smiling”?
She replied that, “I narrated the story of buying the new clock yesterday when Kavitha asked me about it. She was admiring the clock today.”
‘The old clock which was used in its place was shifted to Rajini’s room. It would have been jealous of the new clock and must be laughing now’, he imagined the condition of the old clock.
He was observing Kavitha. She became restless after hearing Rajini’s comments also. She must be thinking about his mother’s comment on the devil and its actions in the house. ‘There was no such incident until yesterday in this house. What is wrong with today?’
He was also becoming restless. He doubted if he started believing in supernatural things.
He wanted to calm Kavitha. He said, “It fell down due to its weight, failing the clamp”.
Later that day, Rajeev was lying on the bed tired after cleaning up all the broken things in the house. Kavitha came out of the bathroom and was standing in front the full-length mirror on the tall almirah.
Shocking them both, the full-length mirror fell and crashed, and the pieces came sliding and touched Kavitha’s feet. She cried loudly, as she swiftly moved back.
Rajeev bolted upright and observed the scene. He could not understand what just happened. He watched Kavitha. She was clearly upset, frightened, and speechless.
Hearing the sound, Rajini came up to the door, peeped inside and looked at both. Even she looked terrified.
There was no response from his mother, as she was sleeping.
He heard his father’s footsteps outside the room, which retreated after a moment. He would have understood the scene and realized that he has no role there.
Kavitha regained her presence of mind and looked at him. Rajeev understood that she was requesting him for mercy and safety. She wanted him to keep her away from this house, “controlled” by supernatural forces as they were led to believe, by the day’s incidents.
He told her, “I know, you have not done anything. The glass mirror was new, which was fixed only for you on my mother’s request as she said that the new girl must like the full-length mirror. The almirah did not have a mirror originally. The carpenter was not ready to screw the mirror on the almirah as it could take a lot of time, more skill and labor. In addition, he had also suspected entry of insects into the almirah through screw holes. The glue applied on the polished surface, failed due to its weight and the mirror crashed falling”.
After listening to him, she said in low voice, “I want to go to my house right now!”
Rajeev was in dilemma, ‘Every incident that occurred had a scientific reason; but how did all these happen on the same day, one after the other? Should he take his wife to her house or should they leave the house immediately’?
Rajeev’s father had witnessed every incident on the day passively. However, he had also acted consciously whenever it was required. When the mirror also broke, he expected Kavitha to act aggressively as she was a new member in their house. She might think that all these bad incidents occurred due to her presence in the house.
He decided to intervene and attenuate the situation. “Kavitha, all these incidents occurred naturally. There must be scientific reasons for all of them. It happened either due to the ageing of the items or because of manufacturing defects of these. I know, my son, Rajeev will be able to explain the reason behind every incident. I can assure you that these were not because of any devil’s play and it would have happened even if you were not here. We will go together to your house tomorrow. I will drop both of you after breakfast”.
Rajeev was watching Kavitha eagerly. He understood that she was not fully consoled by his father’s attempt to pacify her.
She slowly approached Rajeev and asked, “Are you very particular in going to my house tomorrow”?
Rajeev replied, “That is the custom. And we had planned that way”.
Kavitha said, “I want to ascertain that these incidents are not because of any supernatural play in the house”.
Rajeev looked at her face curiously.
She said, “We have to replace every item damaged today. Let us see if similar incidents happen again”.
He understood what she meant and accepted her demand immediately.
He promised Kavitha, “Tomorrow we are not going to your house. We will buy every item damaged today and re-install tomorrow”.
Her face became bright and she quickly pointed out, “What if these items are not available in the shop?”
Rajeev continued, “You don’t worry. I will make the arrangements today, to make tomorrow’s work easier”.
Rajeev planned to contact all the shops over phone.
Rajeev informed the flask vendor that both refill vessels broke ensuing a sound like a bomb blast. The vendor laughed it off saying that those were old stock, and there was no guarantee. He considered Rajeev’s request and promised him to replace the old stock with new refill vessels with six month’s warranty.
While informing the clock vendor about the crash, Rajeev understood that the shopkeeper had his own suspicions about the clock’s sturdiness. Fortunately, another design in the same category was available in the shop which was brought for another lady based on her order. He was ready to spare the clock to Rajeev on payment. Rajeev agreed to this and said that he would collect it on the next day.
Upon contacting the mirror mart, he got to order for a similar mirror to fix in the same place. He specifically requested the mart owner to provide six holes in the mirror so that it could be fixed with screws. He informed the matter to the carpenter also and added that the mirror must be fixed with either screws or nuts and bolts.
They called Kavitha’s parents and informed that there would be a change in the original plan and that they will postpone the travel to the next day.
On the next day, after breakfast, both Rajeev and Kavitha, went to the different shops and arranged everything by noon. Everything was replaced as per their requirements. Every item crashed or broken on the previous day was ready looking good as new in their respective places.
And they started waiting.
For the next devil’s day.
