In 1964 when I left India and went with my father to Rome, I cried a lot for my beautiful cottage in Almorha where I used to live. After so many years I finally got a golden chance to visit it again. As a child, I used to play in mulberry orchards spread behind our cottage. Delicious were those days and those mulberries.
As I was relishing those days, someone patted on my shoulder. It was the bus conductor.
"Bhai saheb, due to the cold weather the engine of the bus has stopped working. It will take a lot of time to get it fixed. You can come out near the bon fire," he insisted.
"Oh, I am fine here," I gently smiled.
I opened my luggage and took out my camera. I just loved it! The day my mother left, this camera became my best friend. Whenever I see it, a chill sensation pass through my nerves. Deja vu.
Cold breeze fell on my face and I was startled by the fragrance of the sandalwood trees. The woods around me were irresistible. I felt like going around the woods and click the pictures of large trees which were covered by the magnificent moon light. I hung my camera around my neck and went towards the woods. Someone shouted from behind.
"Bhaiya ji, don't go there. People say that these woods are haunted." It was the bus conductor.
I simply tried to ignore and said him, "Don't worry. I have a special connection with these haunted forests." I winked and left.
_________________________________________________________________________________
"Beautiful!" I spoke with my mouth gaping and eyes bulging. What made me feel surprised was that beautiful mansion. There was a typical warmth around the mansion. I felt exotic. I took out my camera and clicked it's photographs from all the possible angles. I peeped inside through the back gate. There was a dead silence all around. I wished to go inside. I rang the bell. I waited for two minutes outside but no one came. I got little depressed. Suddenly, I heard someone comming. It was the watchman.
"Sir? What do you need?"
"I just wanted to look around the mansion."
"Who is there watchman?" said the third voice.
A tall, well built, middle aged man appeared. He looked at me and smiled.
"Sir, I am startled by the architecture and the construction of your house. I wanted to ask if I could see it from inside?"
"Oh yes! Sure! Why not? Come in. This is my Topaz Mansion." he said and grandly opened the main door.
As he opened the door, my eyes glimmered. Everything felt like a dream. Such a beautiful mansion in the woods! Everything was so very much beautiful. The walls were painted grandly. There were beautiful art pieces.
"Can I take some pictures, please?"
"Yes sure. And here comes my wife and daughter."
The lady looked nice. Her beautiful face showed that she had grown mature gracefully. Along with her was a sweet girl of about nineteen or twenty. She looked charming just like the half- bloomed orchids.
"Good Evening," I wished them.
"Good Evening gentleman," both of them spoke in unison.
I was viewing the whole mansion carefully, praising each and every detail. Suddenly, I saw an idol of Devi Maa. On the idol was a glittering and an expensive topaz.
"Is it Topaz? It's beautiful!" I exclaimed.
"yes, it is. It is the most expensive topaz that was found in Tipu Sultan's treasure," said the Mansion Minister.
"Okay. So, that is why this mansion is named as The Topaz Mansion?"
"Yes, you're right," he replied with a grin.
Thunder, storm and lightening started. In that particular weather I felt comfortable in the cosy library of the mansion. Mansion minister and I were talking along with our glasses filled with whiskey.
The clock struck twelve!
"Oh God, I've to rush back," I said in a hurry.
"It's okay, I don't think the bus will move tonight. What a bad weather it is. Why don't you stay here tonight in our guest room?"
"Sir, I need to go. My luggage is still in the bus."
"Go and bring your luggage. You will get another bus tomorrow morning," he insisted.
At last I agreed to what he was saying. I reached the bus and collected my luggage. I informed the driver about it.
_________________________________________________________________________________
I rang the bell. No one came. I rang it the second time and then the third time. There wasn't any response. I felt bad in that terrible weather. Then, someone opened the door.
"yes?" an old man came out.
"May I meet the minister please?"
My voice faded away in the noise of the thunder.
"Oh son, come in first. It's really bad outside."
I entered and I saw the same idol of Devi Maa but the topaz was missing. I went numb.
"What were you saying child?" asked the old man.
"Where...is the minister...and his family? And that..topaz? Over there....it ..is missing?" I was blurting down on my own words.
"Just wait a minute," he said and went in a room near the gallery. He came back with a photograph in his hand.
"Look! This is the minister and his family. In the background is the same statue along with the topaz."
"Where are they now?" I was getting impulsive.
"They were dead 10 years ago in a road accident. they were going for an auction with the topaz. From that day the topaz isn't here. It is missing. No one could find it again," he said with a grim expression on his face.
I tried escaping from there. I was out of my senses. I ran fast and stopped to catch my breath. Later, I realized that I forgot my camera in the mansion. My camera was my life. I ran back.
What I saw was...
There was no mansion and the rain drops were falling off freely. The darkness was spread all over. In the corner, under a sandalwood tree was my camera. I picked it up.
There were no pictures of the mansion that I clicked.
As I was relishing those days, someone patted on my shoulder. It was the bus conductor.
"Bhai saheb, due to the cold weather the engine of the bus has stopped working. It will take a lot of time to get it fixed. You can come out near the bon fire," he insisted.
"Oh, I am fine here," I gently smiled.
I opened my luggage and took out my camera. I just loved it! The day my mother left, this camera became my best friend. Whenever I see it, a chill sensation pass through my nerves. Deja vu.
Cold breeze fell on my face and I was startled by the fragrance of the sandalwood trees. The woods around me were irresistible. I felt like going around the woods and click the pictures of large trees which were covered by the magnificent moon light. I hung my camera around my neck and went towards the woods. Someone shouted from behind.
"Bhaiya ji, don't go there. People say that these woods are haunted." It was the bus conductor.
I simply tried to ignore and said him, "Don't worry. I have a special connection with these haunted forests." I winked and left.
_________________________________________________________________________________
"Beautiful!" I spoke with my mouth gaping and eyes bulging. What made me feel surprised was that beautiful mansion. There was a typical warmth around the mansion. I felt exotic. I took out my camera and clicked it's photographs from all the possible angles. I peeped inside through the back gate. There was a dead silence all around. I wished to go inside. I rang the bell. I waited for two minutes outside but no one came. I got little depressed. Suddenly, I heard someone comming. It was the watchman.
"Sir? What do you need?"
"I just wanted to look around the mansion."
"Who is there watchman?" said the third voice.
A tall, well built, middle aged man appeared. He looked at me and smiled.
"Sir, I am startled by the architecture and the construction of your house. I wanted to ask if I could see it from inside?"
"Oh yes! Sure! Why not? Come in. This is my Topaz Mansion." he said and grandly opened the main door.
As he opened the door, my eyes glimmered. Everything felt like a dream. Such a beautiful mansion in the woods! Everything was so very much beautiful. The walls were painted grandly. There were beautiful art pieces.
"Can I take some pictures, please?"
"Yes sure. And here comes my wife and daughter."
The lady looked nice. Her beautiful face showed that she had grown mature gracefully. Along with her was a sweet girl of about nineteen or twenty. She looked charming just like the half- bloomed orchids.
"Good Evening," I wished them.
"Good Evening gentleman," both of them spoke in unison.
I was viewing the whole mansion carefully, praising each and every detail. Suddenly, I saw an idol of Devi Maa. On the idol was a glittering and an expensive topaz.
"Is it Topaz? It's beautiful!" I exclaimed.
"yes, it is. It is the most expensive topaz that was found in Tipu Sultan's treasure," said the Mansion Minister.
"Okay. So, that is why this mansion is named as The Topaz Mansion?"
"Yes, you're right," he replied with a grin.
Thunder, storm and lightening started. In that particular weather I felt comfortable in the cosy library of the mansion. Mansion minister and I were talking along with our glasses filled with whiskey.
The clock struck twelve!
"Oh God, I've to rush back," I said in a hurry.
"It's okay, I don't think the bus will move tonight. What a bad weather it is. Why don't you stay here tonight in our guest room?"
"Sir, I need to go. My luggage is still in the bus."
"Go and bring your luggage. You will get another bus tomorrow morning," he insisted.
At last I agreed to what he was saying. I reached the bus and collected my luggage. I informed the driver about it.
_________________________________________________________________________________
I rang the bell. No one came. I rang it the second time and then the third time. There wasn't any response. I felt bad in that terrible weather. Then, someone opened the door.
"yes?" an old man came out.
"May I meet the minister please?"
My voice faded away in the noise of the thunder.
"Oh son, come in first. It's really bad outside."
I entered and I saw the same idol of Devi Maa but the topaz was missing. I went numb.
"What were you saying child?" asked the old man.
"Where...is the minister...and his family? And that..topaz? Over there....it ..is missing?" I was blurting down on my own words.
"Just wait a minute," he said and went in a room near the gallery. He came back with a photograph in his hand.
"Look! This is the minister and his family. In the background is the same statue along with the topaz."
"Where are they now?" I was getting impulsive.
"They were dead 10 years ago in a road accident. they were going for an auction with the topaz. From that day the topaz isn't here. It is missing. No one could find it again," he said with a grim expression on his face.
I tried escaping from there. I was out of my senses. I ran fast and stopped to catch my breath. Later, I realized that I forgot my camera in the mansion. My camera was my life. I ran back.
What I saw was...
There was no mansion and the rain drops were falling off freely. The darkness was spread all over. In the corner, under a sandalwood tree was my camera. I picked it up.
There were no pictures of the mansion that I clicked.
It's amazing the way you captured the start and keept me treading your storyline. I strongly request and recommend that you write the second part to continue this adventure.
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