by John Harker
That Frequent Visitor
‘Every Face Has A Darker Side…’
John Harker
&
Hari Kumar
An Red Olyfaunt e-book
Paperbacks on Srishti Publishers
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The names and customs of Royal Family mentioned in this book are fictitious.
Other Books by the Same Author(s)
When Strangers Meet
Martin : The First Chapter
Coming Soon
The Anunnaki Messenger (Book 1)
CLICK HERE to PREORDER
Official Facebook Page : www.facebook.com/KathaHariK
Table of Contents
That Frequent Visitor
Copyright Page
Other Books by the Same Author(s)
Prologue
Book 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Book 2
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Book 3
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Epilogue
To Nirbhaya, A Woman’s Courage
‘These wounds don’t seem to heal… this pain is just too real…
There’s just too much that time cannot erase…’
- My Immortal (Evanescence)
Prologue
It was afternoon and the sun did not show any mercy on the tanned Englishman. After walking on the beach for a little longer than twenty minutes, Richard found a small tea-stall in the corner of the yard. There was one customer, whose face cried with hunger, and then the owner of the tea-stall, a veteran of native origin. Upon seeing the stout young white man approaching him, the veteran welcomed him with the widest grin ever seen on the shores of Vypeen Island. He muttered something in the native language. He could not understand what they meant for he had no knowledge of their language; Malayalam. Some words were vaguely similar to the Dravidian language of Tamil. He had spent some time in the Madras Presidency a couple of years back. He spoke Tamil quite well for an Englishman from Calcutta.
‘Chaaya edukette?’ The veteran asked him in Malayalam.
‘Yes, please.’ The word was the same in Tamil and Hindi, Chaaya meant tea and he could surely make use of the tea to strike a conversation with the native. Wasn’t that culture in England and the custom in India, just that white men liked it black and brown men liked it with milk.
‘Saar Englandil ninnaano?’ The native asked with the same wide smile.
Richard looked around; the other customer was eagerly waiting for Richard’s reply as well. He smiled at him, exposing his bright white teeth. Richard forced a smile.
‘I… I do not understand. Yenna sollarathu?’ Richard tried asking in uncanny Tamil, hoping that the native would be able to understand.
‘You…’ He said pointing at Richard’s chest, ‘England?’
‘Oh yes. I am.’ Richard replied instantly.
‘You kill India? We Simon go back you.’ The tea-seller chuckled. Beneath the chuckles lay an innocent warning of what they would do in case the white man showed his true color again. The mutiny and freedom struggle were still fresh in their minds. Although it had happened way up in the north, even the natives of the southernmost tip were well aware of the slogan.
‘No…no… I want to buy that house, up there on the cliff.’ Richard declared pointing his walking cane towards the picturesque frame.
Suddenly, an expression of pity and uncapped fear grew on the tea-seller’s face.
‘Athu pretha kottaaramaanu… Venda Saaiyippe. Buy… no…no!’ He said.
‘Yes… yes… I want to buy it.’ The Englishman spoke without recognizing any word other than ‘buy’.
‘Pretham… Bhootham in house!’ He tried to make the white man understand.
‘Yes, the house. Who is the owner?’
‘Ownera?’
‘Yes… yes… the owner, where can I find him?’ Richard was delighted to see recognition in the native’s tone.
‘Owner dead. He no come.’ The tea-seller slackened the porous cotton cloth that was adorning his hip, ‘You talkku Saami, Broker Saami.’ The sun shone its brightest ray on his balding head.
‘Sammy?’ The Englishman reconfirmed.
‘Saami. Go Tripunithura, Saami thanthri in big Vishnu temple.’ The native spoke each word distinctly as if he were teaching a three year old the first words of her life.
‘You mean, Saami is a priest in the big Vishnu temple in Tri… Tripunithura?’
‘Yes!’ The tea-seller smiled, but it was short lived as an expression of grim terror replaced the smile again. He moved towards the Englishman who was placing the hat on his head, preparing to leave, and warned ‘Avide Bhootangalude nivaasam undu. The house is haunted by a visitor… That Frequent Visitor…’
Book 1
The New Arrivals
Chapter 1
Raj Path, New Delhi
23rd December 2013, 18:30 hours
‘As you can see behind me over ten thousand youngsters have assembled here at the India Gate despite of the chilling cold to claim justice for the Delhi braveheart. This is modern India’s biggest gathering of youngsters till date in protest against the system that is incapable of safeguarding the veil of an Indian woman.’ The TV news reporter announced on her microphone looking at the camera in front of her.
She continued, ‘We have students from nearby cities of Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and even from far away cities like Rohtak, Ambala and Mathura.’ She turned around and started moving towards a cluster of youngsters adorned in black jackets. The cameraman followed her with the camera, ‘We have this particular group that is sporting black jackets over black shirts and jeans like a uniform. Let’s ask them some questions.’
The youngsters were excited at the arrival of the television camera and the gorgeous reporter. The group consisting of a dozen boys and ten girls diverted their total attention towards the reporter for a moment.
‘Please tell us where you are from?’ The reporter asked.
‘We are from Piramal College of Arts, Ghaziabad,’ One of the students replied.
‘How long have you been here?’
> ‘We have been here since Friday. We plan to protest continuously until Nirbhaya gets justice!’ claimed one of the girls who seemed to be in-charge of the group.
‘Why are you all sporting these black outfits? Is this some kind of a uniform? Does this symbolize your cause or is it simply because it is too cold and black keeps the body warm?’ The reporter asked the obvious eyeing the jacket worn by the girl.
‘Black is the symbol of darkness, shame, grief and we are in a moment of darkness. Therefore, we are wearing black and we request all our friends who are watching this to wear black to support this protest. Use a black image as your profile picture on all social media sites.’
‘This is the statement of youth…’ before she could complete her statement, the reporter felt a buzz in her sweater’s pocket and she recognized the pattern.
A high priority call!
She excused herself from the group and moved inside the news van parked few hundred meters from where she was reporting. She closed the van’s door and answered, ‘Yes Sir?’
‘Are you at the location?’ a voice spoke rudely.
‘Yes Sir, I am here. Any updates on…’
She was quickly interrupted by the rude voice.
‘MC will arrive there in exactly nine minutes; he just left from the High Commission of Malta, so will be entering the protest zone from Man Singh Road. I have not tipped any other news channel, but he is on foot. Make sure you interject him at the new U-turn before anyone else does.’
‘Obviously!’
‘Don’t forget my reward. I would like it wrapped in silver at my Gurgaon apartment.’ The voice reminded her.
The reporter easily detected the greed in the man’s voice.
‘Good luck, Ms. Pakhi Dutta!’ the voice said and hung up.
Pakhi Dutta, one of the most popular journalists among the youth of the country worked for MANORMA 24X7. She knew very well how to get things done and whom to use and when. She proudly got out of the van, stuffing the iPhone into her pocket. She called out her camera operator and quickly started moving towards the new U-turn on Man Singh Road as tipped by the informer. She was a rage among the women for her strong feminist stance while men simply went gaga over her gorgeous looks. A wink of her eye was practically enough to paralyze any man in the country. An icon representing an independent modern woman, she was nothing short of a supermodel who had chosen the burning path of a journalist over an easily available life of glamour. That was Pakhi Dutta concisely. She always welcomed challenges, which she faced and overcame, backed by the constant motivation from her brother, Parosh Chandra Dutta, who was a popular author.
‘We don’t have much time, hardly eight minutes. Keep the camera ready. We will shoot him at sight, understood?’ She commanded the veteran camera operator Gobind.
‘Of course, I have everything ready.’ Gobind assured Pakhi.
Pakhi smiled and panted towards the spot.
Five minutes later, Pakhi spotted the minister in a traditional kurta marching towards Raj Path. She was surprised to see the color of the kurta. It was black, unconventional for a minister, touted to be the next Prime Minister of the world’s greatest democracy. Incidentally, his bodyguards were not around him either. It was just him and his P.A. What was he planning to do? She wondered if his competitors, Gandhi and Modi, would display such bashful carelessness?
The P.A. saw the approaching reporter and camera operator. She was famous enough to be recognized by any kid in the block.. He stopped the minister and alerted him of the incoming pest.
The minister looked at Pakhi and smiled. That was another unusual action; normally ministers would frown or totally ignore the presence of Pakhi who was also famous for being a Hitler towards all men of politics. The smile broadened with a welcome gesture of the arm.
‘Hello Ms. Dutta, what a pleasant surprise.’ The minister greeted the reporter.
‘Well, I am even more surprised.’ She said as she pressed her palms together in salutation.
‘Well, all the fishermen are in the sea waiting with their bait and here you are away from the sea to catch the big fish, eh?’ He phrased his point with a heavy tint of sarcasm.
‘I was just taking my chance. How have you been, Mr. Jagannatha?’
‘Disappointed… enraged… just like my nation!’ came the diplomatic answer from the minister.
‘Would you mind if I turn on the… camera…?’
‘That’s your purpose and my medium to my people… Privileged I shall be if you turn it on…’ He said humbly and pushed the strand of white hair that hung over his left eyebrow revealing what was the aftermath of an acid burn. He claimed to have incurred it in the freedom struggle.
She looked at Gobind who was already ready with the camera placed firmly on his right shoulder and eye in the finder. She turned back to the minister, ‘Just a few questions.’
‘Do you mind walking the talk?’ He requested.
‘Not at all.’
He gestured the way with his right hand like a perfect gentleman. They started walking towards Raj Path.
‘So you were asking?’
‘First of all, I am amused. Why black?’
‘You know very well why I am wearing a black kurta, don’t you?’ he shot back sportingly.
‘It is difficult to believe, since a minister of your repute is typecast to follow conventions.’
‘I reject conventions if they limit the progress of humanity.’ He replied strongly.
‘And how does wearing black work towards the progress of humanity?’ She tried to counter.
‘How does the setting of the sun work towards a new day?’ the minister shot back once again.
‘It’s pointless! How can you relate the two?’
‘It might be pointless to you but if the young people of my country have joined hands to fight injustice while my fellow ministers and the honorable President is silently witnessing the proceedings on their television sets, then it’s my duty to join those youngsters as one among them to pitch my voice against the powerless people in power.’
‘Or… Is it just a way to shine in front of the youth? A major attempt to attract potential voters?’ Pakhi asked in an aggressive tone.
‘The sun shines its light just to keep the earth alive. It is necessary… the light.’ He replied.
‘Very well, last week you announced that you will dismiss all claims of corruption against Minister George Mathukutty. Is it because he hails from your home state Kerala, and holds the key in forming a coalition from the state in the future?’
‘Right now, if I accuse you of planting a bomb, and ask my dear friend here to validate his statement as an eyewitness in the court of law, the court will prosecute you. However, does that mean you are guilty?’
‘But the proof was very authentic – a CCTV recording, IP retrieval and a bluetooth tracker as evidence is not a bunko witness,’ she objected.
‘I have worked with him for a long time and I trust him. If he is guilty he will be punished, but I am sure he has been framed by the opposition in his state.’
Pakhi knew she could never win over this man of iron, not in a million light years. She could hear the chanting of the crowd getting louder with every step they took towards India Gate.
The minister continued ‘Do you see that?’ he said pointing towards the gathering. ‘That is the future of our nation. Unfortunately, my counterparts chose to stay quiet because of which this vast ocean of energy will be misled into a dark alley of anarchy, just as it has happened in the Arab lands. Some are quiet because of purpose and others because of non-authority. I am bound by neither and so I must join them to assure them that their voices won’t go unheard.’
The four had already entered the scene of protest and suddenly all eyes were on the man in the black kurta and the gorgeous woman with the microphone. It did not take more than a second for a mob of eager and angered youth to surround their favorite minister – the one whom they trusted with their future. There were sal
utes from all eight corners, and unanimous chants of praise followed.
‘I have not come here as a minister with police protection and bodyguards but as an ordinary angered citizen of my country. I am the public and I am here as the public to raise voice for justice for the one who was a part of us… the public.’ He stated strongly and his words were hailed to the heavens by the protestors, ‘and the Public wants justice!’ He shouted and instantly it coupled multiple times by a thousand chants of -Yes we want justice!
Pakhi knew there was no way she could throw another question at the inaccessible minister. Inaccessible made by the stream of youngsters who had gathered around chanting slogans in favor of his name and power. She started turning around but a question from behind stopped her, ‘I hope your brother watches this interview closely. He should not leave out anything while penning down my biography.’ The minister smiled and slipped back into the crowd.
Pakhi smiled at the statement and shook her head.
‘Is this man a revolutionary or a hypocrite?’ Gobind asked looking at the proceedings.
‘Well, he’s a revolutionary minister; he is MC Jagannatha Varma, the future Prime Minister of our country.’
She switched off the microphone and started moving towards the van. It was time to leave as she had another important appointment.
Chapter 2
Huda City Center Metro Station, Gurgaon
21:40 hours
Pakhi got off at the metro station That was unusually deserted for that hour.> She had been hearing about the sighting of a South Indian’s ghost in stations on the yellow line ever since the accident on the metro line occurred two years ago. A 30 something year old man from Chennai had been killed. Pakhi hated freaky stories, especially when it had to do with South Indians. Her last boyfriend was from Cochin and when one man pissed her off, she ended up cursing the entire region. For the time being she hated South Indians and the only South Indian she could respect was the minister she had interviewed earlier at India Gate.
