Charu’s Search – The Plot Thickens

Charu woke up totally disoriented. It took her some time before she realised that she was lying just outside the lake. She could have dipped her hand in the water, had she stretched her arm slightly. She wondered, “How did I reach here?” Memories started flooding her mind slowly.

She remembered that she had gone into the lake and discovered the sword lying at the bottom of the lake. Just when she was about to retrieve it, someone had pulled her back. She remembered very clearly that she had seen mirror image of her own self stopping her from taking away the sword. Was her mind playing tricks with her or was it a fact that someone who looked exactly like her had restrained her? Was it really some other person who was her spitting image or was it her alter ego playing tricks with her mind?

Could it be Sherryl Verghese coming to haunt her to protect her legacy after all those years? Then she dismissed the idea as improbable since Sherryl had been dead for long. Even if she could come back from beyond, she could not be all that powerful in her astral form to stop living beings. Of course, all these ideas were outcome of her disturbed mind. There must be some other explanation.

She was fatigued. Her mind was incapable of thinking clearly. Luckily the person who had restrained her had spared her life. But obtaining sword shall be another matter. The person may not be so benevolent next time if she felt threatened by her pursuit of hidden secrets. She decided to focus upon the immediate rather than taxing her mind about sword.

Since it was already very dark and it was not possible to try again at this point of time (she was not even in mental or physical condition to risk entering into the lake again). It may be best if she came back next day or later. Having the experience of being restrained from taking the sword, she did not want to try it alone. She would need to bring her friend Yuvaan along. It may be good idea if he went into the lake to retrieve the sword. She will also know if she herself/ her alter ego had restrained her.

After reaching home, she immediately collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. Even her father’s questions fell on deaf ears as if coming from far off. Once her father saw that Charu was asleep, he covered her with a sheet and went back to his room.

Although she slept throughout the night and she assumed it was a deep sleep, yet she kept on dreaming all the time. In her dream she was Sherryl. She heard Martha calling her Sherryl and she responded. She heard herself telling Martha that she would protect her mountain at all costs. Yet there was some rational corner of her mind, which kept on reminding her that she was Charu and Sherryl had been dead for a very long time. Even her grandchildren were of her father’s age.

Surprisingly she woke up feeling fresh in the morning. Perhaps it was excitement of discovering long-hidden secrets. The first thing she did was to ring up Yuvaan, who was fortunately available at that time. She asked him to come home.

She told him, “I cannot tell you everything over phone. Come here immediately and I will fill you in.”

Yuvaan was engaged in some important personal work, yet he abandoned that and was at her house just before she got ready. By the time she came to living room, he was having tea with her father. As she entered into the living room, her father excused himself as he had to go elsewhere.

Charu recounted her experience of yesterday. Yuvaan was shocked to know that someone exactly like her had stopped her from extracting the sword. He thought that it was her own mind playing tricks with her. At one level, she had started considering herself as Sherryl and hence, responsible for protecting Sherryl’s secrets. He suggested that it could be nothing else except her alter ego.

While Yuvaan had some urgent business to attend to, he was still willing to accompany her to the lake. Suddenly Charu felt exhausted, although in the morning she was feeling quite fresh. They decided to go to the lake next day with proper diving equipment. Yuvaan promised to arrange proper diving gear, complete with oxygen tank. He also suggested that only one of them dive in the lake and other should keep watch outside.

…..

They walked to the lake with water bottle and snacks as if going for a picnic. Yuvaan was also carrying his diving gear. It had been decided that he will dive into the lake while Charu kept watch outside. They saw many people on the way who only assumed that they were going for picnic. The path became deserted after some time as this was the area where people seldom went. The deserted path did not scare them as it was broad daylight.

Yuvaan was immediately taken by the beauty of lake and its surroundings. He took his eyes off from the beauty of lake to examine the surroundings. He could see that there were not many places a person could hide and attack them in the lake. Even though Charu had been there earlier, she was also enthralled by the natural beauty of the place. Since they had come all the way, they sat on a boulder and took in the surroundings.

Yuvaan told Charu, “I will go into the lake. You keep a watch and ensure nobody comes and disturbs or attacks me. You should warn me if you notice anything out of the way.”

Charu was relieved that she did not have to enter into the lake again. Then she reprimanded herself for being selfish. She went to the edge of water and showed Yuvaan the spot where she had seen the sword.

….

While Yuvaan went into the lake, Charu sat on the boulder, enjoying the scenery. She saw Yuvaan waving to her from a distance before jumping into the lake. He had an oxygen tank attached to his diving gear, so he could stay under water almost for an hour. She saw him surveying the area where she had pointed out the likely location of sword. But he swam further. Perhaps he was broadening the area for scrutiny. After sometime she saw him diving under the water.

….

She woke up with a start. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yuvaan looking at her angrily. She hoped that he had the sword with him. Of course, he was not carrying anything in his hands. Perhaps he had kept the sword along with his diving gear.

She asked him, “Were you able to get the sword?”

He looked at her in a strange way, “I had located the sword. I was about to retrieve it when you appeared from nowhere and pulled me back. No matter how hard I tried I could not free myself from your grip. I woke up only a few moments ago and found myself lying on the ground out of water. I want to know why you stopped from taking the sword. We were so close to the solution and yet you managed to spoil it. I was trying very hard to get out of your clutches, but you seemed to have superhuman power.”

Charu was aghast at this insinuation. She could not get import of Yuvaan’s words. Then she looked at her watch. It had been three hours since Yuvaan had dived into the lake. How so long had time passed without her being aware of it? She remembered having sat on the boulder and after that everything was blank. Since she was lying on the boulder all this while, she could not have stopped Yuvaan.

She told him, “After you went into the lake, I came and sat on this boulder. Perhaps I fell asleep immediately. I could not have entered into the lake to stop you. I was lying on this boulder all this time.”

Yuvaan was surprised by her explanation. His anger was replaced by concern. Then it appeared from his face that an idea had just occurred to him.

He said, “So it was not who stopped me. It was the same person stopping me who had stopped me. Luckily the person did not harm any of us.”

The mystery was becoming deeper.