Chapter 14 (installment 4) :

Arjun expired from the room with two ladies and approached towards the kitchen area. They decided to inspect the remaining area on their way to upstairs and look for the other secret passages.

They were in corridor while they heard some noise. Arjun and and Aisha exchanged glances and made some quick plan silently. Aisha hold her gun ready and approached forward when Arjun was waching her back. She signaled clear & Arjun overtook her. Aisha signaled Saakshi to go after Arjun. Then Aisha moved to the end of the corridor and waited to assume the situation.

Saakshi tried to move towards Aisha but Arjun stopped her by spreading his right hand on her. He made her lean against the wall beside him. But saakshi gave a tight slap on his hand. Arjun looked at her, surprised and irritated. He asked her through eyes "What?"

Saakshi moved her fuming gaze to his hand and raised an eyebrow. She was angry as if she would hit the roof anytime.

Arjun followed her gaze, immediately removed his hand from her, and turned his head to opposite side. His face was as red as a tomato. But Aisha saved him by signaling "Clear." He hurriedly moved to the opposite wall to the corner of that corridor.

They reached at the door behind which those sounds were coming. Aisha and Arjun took the both sides of the door, counted the time and burged together into the room.

The room seemed empty and the sound also stopped when the get into the room. It is the kitchen area, All dirty. They were stood at the door and tried to figure out the situation...the sound was started again. Both armed person approached to the sound holding their weapons ready. They reached at the kitchen counter and moved to the either ends of the counter that the soundmaker had no escape.

And behind the counter...the scene surprised them both. It was a turned turtle steel bowl moving aimelessly. Aisha was disappointed and put her gun back into the holestar.

Aisha : Aab yeh vi dekhna baaki tha... a moving bowl?

Arjun tucked in his gun at it's place and sat beside the bowl. Then he held it firmly...and picked it up.

Trio was looking amusingly to the beatle... who've just freed from this bowl prison.

Saakshi : Pehle sirf discovery main dekha tha ...aaj live dekh lia... "Beatle the Herculis of nature."

Arjun : Right...beatles have this extraordinary capacity to carry and push heavier  things than their weight.

Aisha : So you want to say that this beatle was taking this bowl with it?...come on sir...this is insane. Yeh bowl se kya karega?

Saakshi : May be this bowl fell on it?

Arjun : How...look around. Each and every thing is in their places...nothing is broken , all cabinates are closed. where this bowl came from? Unless...

Aisha : Somebody put it on this beatle deliberately.

Arjun : Exactly... he grabbed our attention, dragged us here and now...

Saakshi : He managed to flew away.

Arjun ran to the corridor as if he can catch that culprit ... others followed him.

Arjun stopped at the corridor, thinking where that so called ghost go, he heard footsteps and turned around, it was them.

Aisha : Sir?

Arjun : Yeh harr bar gayab kaise ho jate hain... Saakshi, come here.

Saakshi moved to Arjun,but a scream stopped her...and shocked also.

"GOT YOU"

Someone held Aisha tightly from back, Aisha was also about to hit her elbow on his stomach but his familiar voice stopped her. She stood still in his arms.

Arjun also turned to the voice and he looked quite amused to the scene, though his face was straight. He couldn't stop himself from putting some remarks on that.

Arjun : Haan, bilkul. Galat time pe sahi cheez pakad lia tumne, Rathod.

ACP Sameer Rathod just looked at the imprisoned person into his arms, and he felt his earth below his feet is moving away. He blinked his eyes several times to confirm if he was hallucinating or not. Then he looked around and found three pairs of eyes staring at him, he also saw Arjun said something but he couldn't hear that. He released Aisha at once and removed the earplugs from his ears.

Rathod : What?...kya kaha tumne?

Arjun : Nothing... tum yaha kaise?

Rathod : Just finised our work upstairs and came down... We're going to check the backyard, but Shree saw a feminine shadow on the floor, we thought it was that lady in black and I jumped to catch her.

All looked at the shadow of Aisha and Rathod on the floor that created by the sunlight coming through the window. Saakshi was about to say something while Arjun cut her between.

Arjun : which lady in black ? (he looked at girls, as both wearing black shirts today).

Aisha : That lady in black gown we saw in the master bedroom.

Rathod : No, that lady in black saree, we saw her in bathroom.

Saakshi : What ? Sareee????? Yeh voot hain ya film ka heroine? Sameer, tell me one thing, yeh vootni piche se Aisha jaisi laagti hain kya?

Rathod : No...she's kind of preety.

Saakshi : That means Aisha's not preety?

Rathod : Haan...no...maine aisa kab kaha?

Saakshi : Toh aab kaho...saaf saaf...(with a naughty smirk)

Rathod was between the devil and deep sea; he looked at Arjun for help who was standing with a straight face while his eyes were laughing loudly. Where Saakshi, Shree & Chotu were smiling and Aisha was trying to hide her blush.

Arjun : Shree, what with your communicator? Why you two were not answering to us? & ladies, you too?

Shree : Woh sir...the music started and we started feeling awkward, so I suggest Rathod sir to cover our ears. Then we removed our earpieces and wear these earplugs.

Arjun looked at Aisha for an answer.

Aisha : We found a secret passage, we entered and trapped inside, there maybe was no signal and our communicators were dead.

Shree : Toh tum dono bahar kaise aaye?

Saakshi : Ek secret door prop room kii ek cupboard main khulta hain, wahi se...

Arjun : Ok toh yahi hain yeh sab ka explanation... but Rathod, communicator nikalne ka idea bakwaas tha. Datt ke khare rehte to 2 minute main darr yun gayab ho hi jata, lekin yeh sab karke tum log usko pakadne ka bohot bada chance kho dia.

Rathod : Achcha !!...toh Chotu kahan hain?

Arjun : Bahar.

Rathod : kyun veja?

Arjun : Maine nahi veja...woh khud gaya.

Rathod : Seedhe seedhe bolo who daar ke mare vag gaya aur tum usko rokh nahi paye. Aur aaj mujhe kisi vi haal main yahan se vaagna nahi hain. Upar se iss darrpok kabutar... laath bara zor se maarta hain. & trust me... these earplugs did worked.

Arjun : Matlab problem uss fog main nahi, kahin aur hain.( he was thinking something)

Saakshi : Haan?

Arjun : kuch nahi...pura ghar cover ho gaya na?

Aisha : Hum terrace pe nahi gaye..aur top floor ke kuch rooms vi...

Arjun was about to say something when he noticed Rathod looking at something behind him, he turned to see that owned of the voice & bumped onto Saakshi.

Saakshi : Sorry.

Arjun looked over her shoulders and stared at him. He was angry. Saakshi followed his gaze and turned around. It was Chotu.

Arjun : Tum wapas kaise?

Chotu : Sorry sir...woh aapko yun akele chorke jana thik nahi laga...toh.

Saakshi : Kyun, aab darr nahi lag raha?

Chotu : Laag to raha hain par sab ko aisi jagah pe akela chorna thik nahi laga...

Aisha : Yeh bolo akele vaagne main darr laga. Tum vi na !!

Arjun : Chit-chat baad main karna... come.

Rathod : Lets go...

Rathod didn't even finished his line, he saw someone moving behind Arjun. He called him to stop and ran behind him, rest follow him.

That unknown figure brought Rathod out of the mansion through backdoor and just vanished in the air. All of them spread out to find him but in vain. At the same time Arjun saw Sonali coming.

Arjun : Sonali... tum?

Sonali : I was getting bored there... so thought of taking a walk...you want to join?

Arjun: We asked you to stay in the SUV, this mansion is not safe for you, then why you came ?

Sonali : I'm still out of this mansion, see? & who told you I was coming inside?

Arjun : Look Sonali...don't play with me...

Saakshi : Koi nahi... Isko samhalna tumhari baas ki baat nahi. (she came out from another corner)

Arjun : ( To Saakshi) Mila ?

Saakshi nodded negatively. Making a face.

Arjun : Sonali tum kisi ko vaagte dekha hain?

Sonali nodded negatively.

Rathod : (In communicator) Guys we're going up.

Saakshi : wait for us.

Trio rushed to the backdoor , where a staircase lead them to the terrace.

...
How is it?