Aatma

Haunted

Mr.and Mrs Mandvi from Mumbai  are busy in packing the packers have come to pack and shift their belongings to Jaisalmer a city in Rajasthan in India .The Mandvi have a beautiful daughter she has completed her studies she is full of life ,very talented and very found of dancing ,the parents always used to joke that when she was born she came out dancing and she has not stopped dancing ,she would dance when she was happy she would dance when she was angry she had all the reason to dance she was that found of dancing .As she was very pretty she also had a huge fan following in the sense many boys used to follow her wherever she went she had at least one boy following her her friends used to envy her and also protect her if the guy would turn out to be aggressive if he was a harmless guy just following her  then they would turn a blind eye as they had by now had got used to boys following her .Miss Nikita Mandvi liked all the attention she was getting .She  used to tell her friends not to be too harsh on the guys as she was used to be followed by them and it would be too boring if any day she had no one following her her friends used to s***k her jokingly and laugh ,they loved her very much .Today all of her friends were sad as they were feeling very sad that now she will not be with them ,they were also teasing her that as they had got used to boys following them they will miss all that fun .In India it is kind of ok and natural for guys to follow girls if they like her though now girls can make a police complain and get the boy arrested ,but bad habits die very slowly .She had planned a night party in a Discoquette all her friends were happy .The Mandvis were well known in their society they were loved by their neighbours they had also planned a small get together for their close friends .The night in the disco was full of fun and letting down their hair .Most of the friends were crying also as they soon realized all this will come to an end the joy they had with Nikta could not be put in words , actually she was the life in their group ,she used to make peace between the friends who had problem she was the peacemaker she, was the force in keeping the group together all looked up to her so secretly they all knew as soon as she leaves the group will not stick together ,

Next day there was a party in the house too where many of her  parents’ friends  had come . Nikita gave a beautiful  performance  on  classical Indian Kathak dance; it is one of the oldest forms of dance . In the party  a very tall dark and good looking guy was awed by her ,he was so smitten by her beauty that he spoke to his parents about his feelings for her and to talk to the Mandvis about his interest in marrying Nikita .The parents were very happy as till know their son had never shown any interest in any girl and here he fell for the girl first sight love ,they took the Mandvis aside and told them about their son’s interest in their daughter  the Mandvis were very happy as they knew the boy from his childhood  and he had good and stable job ,well qualifies so they were more then happy but they said first they will discuss with their daughter as they can not take  any such major step in her life without discussing with her if Nikita agrees then they can meet and talk and get to know each other .And if it is fine with both they are compatible then we can go ahead and get them married but for now as we will be here only for a week if things work out you all have to come to Jaiselmer and the conversation ends on a positive note ,though Mrs mandvi is very glad that a good proposal has come their way before even going to Jaisalmer so this is all a good sign from the universe.All  appreciate the performance of Nikita and tell her that they  felt they were watching it in a king’s palace the atmosphere was such that they all were reliving the past it was so marvelous her moves were graceful her eye moments was perfect she told the whole story by her eye movements and hands .After a very satisfying evening the Mandvis freshened up and decided to talk to their daughter only in the morning as today was too hectic day for all ,so they kissed each other good night and hugged and fell asleep holding each other tightly for living a life of satisfaction in the city of Mumbai where people come from all over the country to make a living .as it is called the city of magic .

In the morning Nikita is still asleep and had not woken up  the mother goes and checks up on her but she is not on her bed she goes and checks the bathroom and knocks the door no response she open the door and checks in she is not there she then goes to the guest room she is neither there ,her mother thinks she might have gone for walk so calls on her mobile but she is not receiving the call either , the father brings her mobile and show it to her it is in the house then where is she they look for her and call out to her and find her sleeping in the balcony on the floor curled up like a cat they are shocked to see her sleeping on the floor in the cold they pick her up and cover with a blanket and sit beside her wondering what made her do that why after a hard day’s work she would prefer to sleep in the open on the floor without a blanket . Both of them are discussing and then they go leaving her to sleep they are worried and were having their breakfast at that time Nikita walks in the room in her usual self yawning and saying good morning Daddy good morning ma hugging them lovingly as was her daily routine and they also very normally as they daily do ,reprimand her for not brushing and taking her first cup of coffee  after she finishes her breakfast her father tells her to join him on the swing she snuggles to her father he kisses her forehead and tells her she had danced so well in the party last night and when the guest were mesmerised he felt proud of her ,he also said that when she dances she look like someone from heaven who has come down to see the flowers and birds and different animals on planet earth ,she hugs her daddy and tells him she dances to keep her soul happy she forgets who she is and it feels as if she is in trance and she is not aware of her surrounding .the father daughter talk a lot on various topic but the father does not know how to ask her why she preferred to sleep in the balcony though many times before they had found her sleeping on the swing or the couch in the hall but this time why did she choose to sleep in the balcony Mrs Mandvi was anxious to know and she was getting irritated at her husband for not   coming to the main point ,she starts gesturing to him ,at that very moment Nikita ses her mother making some facial depression to her father knowing her mother very well she hugs her father and tells her what does the mother want to know as she is getting irritated with him .He asks her did she see a guy yesterday in the party , at this point her mother just walks off from the room as she was anxious to know why her child slept out in the open and her husband was talking about everything but not asking her about her action .So Nikita says what about the guy Dad he tells her he is interested in marrying you his parents also liked you and proposed marriage with you .Nikita tells her dad that she knew him as they grew up in the same locality but after schooling she never saw him and she saw him only yesterday.as a boy he was very shy and was only interested in studies he hardly took part any sports ar game so she has not interacted with him so much as to know him as person but yes he has grown up to be a very good looking guy though .her father is happy he says then should he fix a date for both of them meet and know each other better.