The Replacement

Chapter 5

I watched Lauren disappear in the dark and closed the door. As a loud music blare shockingly unannounced when the stereo receives the lost power, the stinking house whacked my brain for I have forgotten about it in the past few minutes. I feel I have been watched, it was worrying but not too much to evoke the courage in me to look up to find out if Hannah or Lizzy or both standing upstairs.

“So, you want to eat her food, but not what we cooked for you?” It was Lizzy. Her words wiped my present state of happiness. It was more tiring rather than terrifying.

“…”

“Don’t you know she is bleeding her heart for you, and still you flirt with the delivery girl?”

“…”

“Don’t be deaf to me, you self-centered, arrogant -”

“Good night,” I tried to walk away troubled by her heated words.

“Remember this! Don’t even think of breaking her heart. Where you going? Stop! You avoiding to look at us, isn’t going to help you! Come back!”

I came into the living room, kept my bag to my head and tried to sleep muffling Lizzy’s roars.

* * * * * ​

“Welcome to Golden Bricks, how may I help you?” the lady asked happily, her big smile unaffected by my low-spirited greetings.

“I am here to talk to a friend of my dad,” I quickly threw the words together to concoct a reason that could justify the purpose of my visit.

“Is your friend, sorry, your dad’s friend, working here?”

“I believe so, my dad told me long time ago. I was in the neighborhood, so thought of saying a hi”

“What’s the friend’s name?” her anticipation of meeting a customer, but the annoyance in having to reconnect a couple of friends, was evident on her face.

“Mr. Ayushman,” I prepared to see the shock on her face, and I wasn’t disappointed.

“Mr. Ayushman you said?”

I nodded.

“I am afraid I have a very bad news to you and your dad. Mr. Ayushman is no more. I am sorry,” she allowed a few seconds for me to react to the news.

“Really,” I tried to bring up the emotions to match the horror of the news. I was not succeeding very well, yet I persisted, “My dad would be so shocked to hear this. They were not in touch for very long, I thought I would surprise him by arranging a meetup”

“Oh, so sorry to hear that,” from the way she moved the papers around on an already organized desk was making it clear that she didn’t expect to start her day by delivering death news and following it by condolences.

“Any chance you know what happened?” I asked. From her eyes I can grasp that I don’t look to her as some close friend started to grieve for the loss, but someone resolved to find out how the death happened. All the same, her sigh showed that she is willing to give me the information, and send me away before looking at her work peacefully.

“One evening we were all had to work late because the management of a newly built apartment has started to accept tenants. Ayush stayed till around 7-ish I believe, don’t remember the time exactly, but I do remember that we were all still here, but he took his bag and said he must leave. He hardly took few steps from his desk, next thing we saw he crashed down on the floor. We rang for the ambulance. Unfortunately, he passed away on the way to the hospital. Massive heart attack!”

“So, he couldn’t make it to the house before 8!”

“Sorry, what’s that?”

“Ah, nothing. Was he unwell before”?

“Not sure about that. He lost his wife a year before this incident happened. Then he started to stay late in the office, keeping himself busy, showing around the houses to clients etc. He even used to go out of his way to find unoccupied houses, track down it’s owners and talk to them about putting the house to a good use – letting it out or selling”

So that’s how Mr. Ayushman got into the house? I supposed.

“He used to be cheerful, I have visited him and his wife in his apartment. But few months before he passed away, he had become very stressful, and moody. Only during his funeral, a neighbor told us that he rarely spent the nights in his home. Nobody here knows where he went”

I knew, I thought with frustration. Holding the answer that would amaze everyone, but not be able to reveal is distressing.

“He became a private person after his wife died. We all tried to help him, but only so much we could do. We are just colleagues, not sure about his friends”

“…”

“I am sorry to pass on this news to you. I know it was not something you expected to hear when you came in this morning to see Mr. Ayushman. Our condolences.”

“Thank you”

She looked at me in a way to conclude the conversation as she had said everything she knew.

I thanked her again and left the place leaving her to her work.

Once outside the building, I walked pondering the conversations. I felt sorry for Mr. Ayushman, and was repulsed by my misjudgment of him.

I wondered if Mr. Ayushman would still be stuck in the backyard if he had had the heart attack while in the house, after 8pm? I was not sure if his spirit would have left free, but It made me nauseous to think that his body would still be left in the house rotting.

I wondered what’s with the 8pm rule?

I wondered how long the women were ruling the house?

I wondered if Liam would have found answers for all these questions after escaping from the house.

I wondered if he would be willing to talk to me.

I wondered if he had talked about it to anyone.

(To be continued...)

 

Hi Jillcastle, thank you for your words. Yes, the comments from the readers encourage me to keep writing.
Hope you like the rest of the story.

Thanks

 

That's a good summary of the whole story Stayblessed.

It is cool, isn't it? It's almost makes us to wish that he don't get to escape the house.

Thank you for your compliments, felt really good to read them. Hope the remaining chapters too hold your interest.

Love Thy Enemy - All Chapters is the story I posted 8 years back. It scary to think how fast the time flies..

 

Thank you Tamrakshar, please keep reading and let me know what you think.

 

Thank you Saritha for your lovely compliments. It was a dream I had one night, I thought it would make a good story. I am glad you liked the idea. It is such an amazing feeling when there is someone else who gets you.

And hey, you noticed the font too.

Keep reading Saritha, and continue to post your comments.

 

Thank you Saritha, keep reading for more surprises.

 

Glad you liked this chapter too Tamrakshar. Hoping to hold your interest in the coming chapters too. Thank you for posting your comments.