Well-lit Darkness

Hi, I'm Kamala Venkatesh currently in an intense situation, so take that as an excuse for the poor introduction.

My mouth is stuffed with more than two bowls of sweets which my mother believes brings good luck before travelling. 'Good luck' aside, I'm positive about feeling nauseatic in my long drive, for sure. 

"Kamala's father, is there space for three more bags in there? I haven't packed food for Kamala yet. The poor girl shall not need to kill her hunger in the drive or after."

"Of course there is! pack five instead of three"

And those, are my parents, who're presuming me to eat five handbags full of food like a hungry bear on my way to a family friend's place. I've learnt by now that a vanilla plain "no" doesn't work for refusal according to them. So after a near-violent "NO" we managed to settle for three bags of food, four bags of clothes and five bottles of cold drinks...for a one-day trip...yeah, read it and believe it. 

My bags had left just enough space for the driver and me to sit. I'm hoping the hosts don't mistake my car for a goods carrier vehicle and shut the door close on my face. My tiny Nano looked out of place in front of the gigantic palace of the Kapoors. Another bungalow facing it looked somewhat identical to the Kapoor's one. 

They rushed in haste to help me with the luggage and insisted me to go straight in my room to freshen instead of worrying about the bags. 

I appreciated their warm welcome and after some small talk headed for my assigned room. I hadn't met the Kapoors before, ever. But my parents had been close enough with the couple to let me stay at their place for a day while I had important work near their residence.

"We'll treat her like our own daughter, Mr Venkatesh...In fact, she is like one" Mr Kapoor had assured my father. He sounded more young on the phone than how he looked now. 

As I made my way till the Kapoor's house, I couldn't get my eyes off the other bungalow. It was clean, the grass in the lawn was levelled neatly, the windows were stainless...it was just too well maintained for a vacant bungalow. Mrs Kapoor noticed my gaze towards the bungalow and initiated a conversation to get my attention. She failed, though...I was busy drowning in an ocean of thoughts, and memories.

I remembered my mother informing me about the tragic death of the couple who owned the other bungalow. They had been close to my parents, even more than the Kapoors are. In fact, it was at their funeral that my parents met the Kapoors. I was supposed to offer my condolences to their son if I came across him. That could be a good reason to have a look into the bungalow, the way I'd always wanted to. For no particular reason, however.

"Mrs Kapoor, I'll be right back..." I started moving towards the other bungalow as if already under it's magnetic influence.  

"Kamala, you've come just now! I think you shall take some rest...the journey would've been exhausting"

I was in two minds whether to phrase a convincing speech on why I am so eager to go in the other bungalow or just have some rest. 

Just then, I heard some people who were supposedly from the electricity providing company say that they had disabled electricity supply of the Kapoors due to the pending bill amount. 

I was allowed to hear only as much before forcibly made to "rest" in my room.

I woke up in the evening after an unintentional long nap. Crickets were seen to creak more than usual. The weather seemed to be as if it couldn't be worse. Thunderstorms and crickets were an odd combination for 'music' but I hardly had any choice.

The lights in the room strained my eyes. I looked through my stained window which projected the view of a long wire which was cut before it reached the opposite bungalow, the bungalow which was now drenched in darkness. While where I stayed was brightly lit up. I heard unintelligible whispers out of nowhere which kept increasing in volume until they reached a deafening state. 

No sooner had the voices come into existence than I heard a familiar voice from behind yell...

"Lights off!" 

The dark voice swallowed all the light in my life after that, forever.