Chapter 6

Dimisha was going to place where she she was hoping get some help to locate Vivek’s place, where he was hiding the artifact. Aryan was with him. They were going by a bus, without exchanging any words. Those sketches made by Vivek were coming to her mind. She was certain there was something about those sketches and that box.

The wind, coming through the small window of the bus, was disturbing her hair. Sitting next to Dimisha, Aryan looked at her. Long, black hairs, touching her pinkish cheek, and while she tucked it behind her ears with two of her finger, it was really hard for Aryan to move his eye away. He was not sure that to find out about Vivek was the only reason he was with her.

Dimisha took out a rubber band and tied them behind tightly.

"What?" Squeezing her eyebrows, she said to Aryan.

He immediately moved his towards the other side, feeling embarrassed.

"Where are we going?" he asked, scratching his brow.

"When was the last time you have seen a ghost?" she asked back.

"Ghost, like a Ghost..ghost," he looked to other passengers if they were listening to them.

"Yes, just like that, when was the last time you saw one?"

"Fortunately, I have not seen one yet."

"What? You work in a museum full of magical stuff and never seen a ghost. You must be joking," she scoffed at what he just said.

"No one put it on the list of the eligibility criteria of the job that one must see a ghost to work in the museum,"

"In that case, you should feel lucky to meet me. It's time to see one."

The bus stopped with a scratching sound of brakes. His head hit mildly to the back of the seat in front of him. But it did not hurt him, not as much as what she just said.

“it’s time to see a ghost, what it supposed to mean!” he sat there, with a confused expression.

"Don't be nervous. I am going to introduce you to a good ghost, Trust me. It won’t do any physical damage," saying so, she moved from her head and said silently, “hope so,”

Saying so, she stood from her seat, and walked towards the exit door.

Aryan was looking at her. What Dimisha has just said, made him a little uncomfortable.

She was going to introduce him to a ghost!

Aryan had some doubts about the existence of ghosts, but he had no doubt in her sense of humor.

"She is not joking" he told in his mind.

He remembered how she almost stopped his heartbeat at that night.

"Are you coming?" she shouted.

“Yeah,’’ abnormally looking here and there for a moment, he got off from the bus with her.

"Are you going to tell me now where we are going?"

"It's a surprise,"

He looked away, rolling his eyes.

"Are you scared?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Nope, but I just don't like surprises, especially from you,"

"Don't worry. This one would be different," she said and looked away just to hide her smile.

"We are going to a hospital. Holy cross hospital...heard the name?"

"I don't think so, and I thought we are going to see a ghost. Why are we going to a hospital then? Friend of yours is admitted there?"

"It will be quite difficult for someone to go there for treatment. Because that hospital was closed for a long time due to a fire incident. No one survived from that fire. No one lives there now,"

"Why are we going there then?"

"Told you we are going to meet a ghost. That place is filled with unhappy ghosts."

They left the concrete main road that the bus dropped them on and took a dusty narrow path. There was no sign a life except those two.

"This place was not like this all the time. There was a time when this area used to be crowded. But after the incident, rumors were spread that place is haunted. People were talking about seeing someone inside the hospital. A girl who died there,"

"So it's just rumor, there is no actual ghost, right?"

"You will see when you got inside," she replied with frowning lips.

"How do you know so much about all these things, anyway?"

"How can you tell the difference between a fake and an original artifact which is hard for others to detect?" she made a whataboutery question.

"I don't say I am an expert on these. When I joined the museum I had no idea about any of these things. With time I discovered those stuffs,"

"Same goes for me as well. I had some practice too and more importantly, my brain works a little faster than yours," she shrugged her shoulders, looking at him.

He smiled a little.

Finally, they set foot on the campus of the burned building. It's hard to tell that there was a hospital once. All they could see was a burned building. The walls were broken, and the bricks were shattered all over the place. Trees and long vines were covering the remaining part of the building.

They moved closer, watching their steps and stood in front of a door like appearance which is supposedly the entrance of the hospital a few years back. Dimisha stood for a minute , looking at the door.

"What are you looking? A doorbell?" he asked.

"You are funny. I hope they are going to like this. Because whatever they don't like, they tear apart." she said with a cold-hearted voice, slightly bending towards him.

“What do mean by THEY?”

She did not wait there to answer his question. Releasing a deep breath, he also moved inside.

The inside of the building was dark and cold. An acidic smell was all over the area. Getting there, she looked towards the roof. Some broken pieces of it were hanging there.

"Let’s go this way, " saying tso, she moved towards a corridor.

There was a long hallway between a series of rooms that used to be wards when the hospital was alive. Some of those wards have no sign of doors, others were half-burned. They were walking between those wards cautiously without making any sound of footsteps.

"Dimisha," he screamed, “ I think I saw someone there.” The voice echoed in the empty hospital.

Aryan saw someone, or something inside a ward, sitting on the floor with its knee touching the chest like it is feeling cold.

"See what?" she whispered.

"I am not sure. I think there was a little girl sitting there," he looked back towards it.

No one was there. Probably the fear got into his mind.

"Never mind, I may be...," he looked toward Dimisha, but she was not there.

Just a second before she was standing right next to him and now...

"Dimisha?" he called her name.

No reply from her. His breath was getting shorter. He could smell the danger he was in.

He could sense it. He was not alone in that place. An unknown was there.

"Go away, you do not belong here," a cold voice spoke from behind.

A sensation passed through his body. He slowly turned towards the voice.

There was a girl who was standing at the end of the passage of something that looked like a girl. It's not Dimisha. He was certain about it. She was wearing a white-colored frock. Her whole body was covered with ashes. He could not see the face as it's covered by her long messy hair.

He took a gulp and somehow spoke, "Dimisha, it's not funny,"

That girl was moving towards him. She bent her head slightly towards her left. Aryan could hear the sound of cracking of her bones.

"You are going to die," she said again, pointing a finger to him.

Aryan's whole body was shaking. He was trying to remember everything he learned that was related to a ghost. He closed his eyes and started to pray whatever he could recall. But it's not doing any help. He could feel she was getting closer. He tried to run but his legs were not ready to move, they were stuck to the floor. His face was covered with his tears.

Hot air touched his face. It's her breath. She was just in front of him. He opened his eyes. She was two inches away. Her red-colored eyes were staring at him. She shouted loud enough opening her mouth so wide that his head could fit inside.

Aryan failed to stand still. He felt back. He was trying to crawl backward with his elbow.

"You will die, " that girl held him from his left leg and started to pull away on the opposite side. He was kicking hard as much as he could. But she had no impact on it. His hands were moving here and there, searching for something to hold. He tried to press his nails against the walls to stop dragging.

Suddenly, Dimisha came from a ward and stood in front of the girl. Before she could say anything, Dimisha punched on her nose.

She left his leg.

"Damn it, Dimisha. I told you not my face," the girl said, holding her nose.

Aryan was not understanding what just happened.

"Did she just punch on the face of a ghost or I am hallucinating!"

He was looking at them, laying down. His chin was touching his chest.

"Are you okay?" Dimisha gave him her hand.

He stood up, holding her hand.

"The ghost..she..was..she..was trying to kill me," he was not able to speak.

His body was still shaking.

"No, she was not going to kill you. She was not a ghost,"

He looked at her. She was smiling. Her ghosty appearance was changed, and become a normal person.

"Aryan, meet Maya. She lives here. She keeps away everyone from this place so that she can live here happily,"

"You know Dimisha, " Maya spoke, "There was a couple came here, making out, last week. I scared them so bad that..you should see their face, "

Maya laughed, like a 'normal person' this time.

"Is she trying to crack a joke?" Aryan asked himself, looking at her. He was trying to say something but did not know what to say.

"Hey," she waved her hand," Sorry, for that. I could not help myself when I see a human around,"

"All this was a prank?" his eyes were wide-open.

"I was going to die,"

"No, you were not going to die. But I thought you were going to pee on your pants which you didn't."

He was breathing heavily. His face was still pale.

"Why were you here, Dimisha?" Maya asked.

"I need your help,"

"Of course, come to my chamber," Maya walked way.

"Maya, you are not a doctor. So, stop acting like one,"

"Well, you are in a hospital seeking help. A doctor would be more realistic,"

"She was an actress before," Dimisha said silently to Aryan.

They moved inside a room.

Maya put on a stethoscope on her neck and said, sitting behind a table, "Have a seat. Tell me about your problem,"

They sat in front of her.

"Relax. I am not going to bite you," she said to Aryan, as he was still staring at her.

"Just tell me one thing, you are dead or alive?"

"Oh! she is alive like you and me. But, due to some of her talent, she can not fit into the outside. You will see,"

"I have seen it already. It's not a surprise for me that she could not live outside,"

"I think you need an MRI,"

"Honestly, if you don't get out of this character, I will smack your face, and this time the damage will be permanent,"

"Okay, you are not impressed with my acting. What can I do for you by not being a doctor?"

Dimisha took out the box from her bag and gave it to her.

"I want to know about the owner of this box. He used to live somewhere alone, try to find that out for me,"

She examined the box, "This looks old. It would be hard for me if the owner was not touching it for a long time,"

"I know you can do this, Maya,"

"I can try, but I can not say anything with certainty,"

Maya took out a tiny bottle fixed with a dropper cap from the drawer.

She gave a bunch of white papers to Dimisha, saying, "You know when to change the page,"

Dimisha nodded her head. Then she gave a few drops of the liquid from the bottle to her eyes and leaned back to her chair with the box on her lap. She closed her eyes and her hands were on the box.

Dimisha knew what to do now. She poured some drops of the same liquid to the paper. The drop was not soaked by the paper. Instead, it's moving round and round on it.

"What is happening?" Aryan asked.

"She is searching inside his memory,"

Suddenly, the drop stopped moving and made a drawing on the paper.

"Holy crap! It's my room," Aryan shouted.

Quickly Dimisha changed the page and pour some liquid into a new page," Try to go deeper,"

Again it made a drawing.

"I think it's the museum," he said.

"It's not helping. We need something else," She said, biting her lower lip.

She changer the page again.

"Look, it's making another one," his eyes were glowing.

Slowly slowly it drew the front view of an old apartment.

"Brahmaputra Apartment," Aryan read the letters written on the building.

"You know this place?"

"Yeah, I know that place," he said, looking down.

"Can you take me there?"

"I can, but it's not nearby,"

"Wherever it is, we have to," she released a sigh.

"Finally, we found something," she waved happily," Maya, it's okay. You can come back now,"

Maya opened her eyes.

"Did You found what you were looking for?"

"I am not sure. But I have got a lead. Thank you so much for your help."

"Any time, girl, "Maya smiled, "What's his story by the way?"

"That box I showed you belonged to a common friend of ours. He is trying to help," she replied, looking at him.

They had eye contact for a moment, and quickly they removed their eyes from each other.

"Okay, I have to go now," she put back the wood box in her bag and stood up to leave.

"It's nice to meet you Aryan," Maya extended her hand towards him.

To see her moving her hands towards him, he just startled. He immediately moved back.

"Still afraid of me, huh?"

"Oh! I am sorry," taking a gulp, he shook her hand.

His hands were cold. She could feel, he was in shock.

Dimisha and Aryan walked out of the building. Getting back to the open-air, he felt better. He took a breath relaxing his muscles.

"Sorry for that, " she said.