The Visit

Charu couldn’t fathom the situation. Why did Martha shriek? What could have made her jump so? Charu’s mind was completely muddled and as the day progressed, her sense of uneasiness only increased.

Charu spent the night restlessly. Who could she approach now?

She dreamt of the strange villa and yet again being addressed as Sheryl Verghese.

Once it was morning, she visited her grandmother. The nurse told her that she was much better today. Charu knew her grandmother would have answers to all her strange questions. All of that would have definitely put Charu at ease. But unfortunately, it was not to be. Her grandmother was barely able to speak.

She thought of making another visit to Uncle Vincent’s home. She had to somehow get hold of Martha and speak to her.

Charu went off to meet Martha after having her breakfast. Though filled with a kind of subtle fear within her, Charu was determined to crack the mystery.

She had heard of her grandmother telling her stories of how seven people around the world had the same face resemblance. Charu being from the country of India, was also aware of strokes of rebirth.

Charu used to listen to these stories of her grandmother with interest but never in her wildest dreams she thought it would affect her life. Today, Charu’s greatest question was whether she could be a reincarnation of Sheryl Verghese??

En route, Charu was surprised that people around were staring at her.

What could the matter be? She kept walking straight towards her destination but couldn’t help wondering. She thought that her mind was playing games on her, so tried to ignore the looks she encountered.

“Ding Dong” “Ding Dong” “Ding Dong”

Charu kept ringing the bell at Uncle Vincent’s house. Strangely, nobody answered.

Charu wondered, “Could it be that Martha and Ruth were away?”

Little was Charu aware of the mess her visit had created the previous day.

Martha was rushed to the hospital after she had fainted. Ruth was also bewildered by the sudden effect of Charu’s visit on his mother. Slowly, Martha regained her consciousness but still seemed hysterical to Ruth. She was on the edge and Ruth did have a tough time keeping her lay quiet. The doctor had to administer nerve relaxants to cool her down. Ruth had brought her back home last night.

Charu was bewildered. She moved gingerly to the backside of the house and tried to look around. Charu tried to peep into the house.

She was being observed by Ruth from the top floor of the house.

Ruth was not keen to open the door to Charu as her presence might aggravate his mother.

Charu was disappointed and was just turning back to return home when something caught her eye.

There in the middle of the garden was a mini fountain and in its reflection, Charu saw something or somebody move. She immediately looked up towards the window and sensed the movement. Filled with excitement, anger, and whatnot she didn’t know what to do.

Charu came to realize that Martha and Ruth were at home and yet not answering the door.

What could they want to hide and why should they feel the need to avoid her. Charu was once again put into a dilemma. She tried the door again and was again left in the open.

She took off from there and wondered if she should take the police’s help.

Here, upstairs Martha gets hysterical again and keeps repeating ‘Sherry’ ‘Sherry’. Ruth doesn’t understand what’s the connection between them. He implores his mother to share the facts with him.

After immense pressure, Martha agrees and tells the story of Sheryl Verghese to Ruth. Ruth is initially shocked to know that Charu actually resembles Sheryl. Martha reminisces the past and tells Ruth what had happened even before he was born.

Martha, “I was just a young girl of 16 when I was taken in as personal help to Mrs.Anthony Delsworth. Oh my, what a charming young lady she was.

The couple was really a made for each other kind. So much in love and so much in common. They used to spend lots of time together and at the same time, each had their own interests in mind. Both were ready to sacrifice and do things for each other. A truly enigmatic couple.

Anthony Sir had also constructed a beautiful hotel by the name of Mount Verghese in her name.

But as with everyone, things slowly took a turn for the worse. Once, when they were back from a holiday, I heard them fight and argue over small things. I was surprised but carried on with my duties.

One day, as I was clearing and cleaning the cupboard in Sir’s library, I saw a sword on which was engraved MV02FK09. I was wondering where it had come from. But left it as it was.

In the meanwhile, the tension between the two of them was only increasing and I always found them short-tempered.

Then, one day, the police came to our house and made a lot of inquiries to Sir and Madam. There was a sense of tension that was prevalent then. What it meant I couldn’t know and I didn’t see what was coming too…