NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: What bothers him?
A young woman of about 25 was running hard. She looked like some kind of a dancer.
" W.where is Sahib" , she asked an ascetic.
" Bathing in the river."
She ran to him without waiting for a second.
" Sahib sahib", she shouted..She was crying bitterly.
" Gunjan", a man turned.
" Sahib they will kill you. Run Sahib".
By this time some palace guards reached there.
A fight ensued between him and them.
He fought bravely and soon was gaining ground.
" Noooo", came a piercing cry from the girl as the man was pushed down
A sword pierced in the girl's body. Somebody attacked him from behind. She sacrificed herself to save him.
" Aah Sahib"..
" Nooooo Gunjan", he cried. " Please don't leave me."
" The king...", she said.
" Dead Gunjan. Dead. Don't leave me. We were leaving this place. I got us a house. A pair of bulls, a cow. We will farm again. Please my love live please."
" I can't see Sahib", said the girl.
" Shiva I am the sinner. I left my wife. Why do you punish her? Gunjan..."
" Permit me to leave Sahib", said the young woman.
" No Gunjan", the man cried. " You promised seven lives Gunjan".
" This life is going Sahib. I ...I ..Until we meet ag.again..."
The girl dies in his arms....
"Nooooooooooo Gunjan no. Come back my love. I can't live without you my love. Shiva giive her back. Give my wife back Shiva. Gunjan don't leave me love.....see how I suffer. . Come back my love.. I can't live"
A young man in Mumbai was crying bitterly. He was having a troubled sleep. He was shivering with violent seizures. Sweating profusely and had a nosebleed.
" Sir, sir", a servant ran outside shouting.
Ramcharan Oberoi was drinking his tea in the morning sitting in his garden. Along with it he was reading business news. Well his company's shares were at an all time high. New expansion was happening further in Asian markets. Malls, Offices, Residential you name it..Oberoi Construction was on top.. AND HIS SON WAS THE REASON.
The day Vikram took over as one of the youngest CEO barely at 21 the fortunes skyrocketed. Vikram was his only son. Shiva's blessing. After an accident that almost claimed his life at around 19 or 20 the lad got really serious. Gone was the wild youth of past. He took studies seriously. Graduated business school with top honours and joined family real estate business too. Today Oberoi construction was top real estate firm in Mumbai all thanks to Vicky.
" Sir sir", arrived the servant baffled.
" Vitthal what's wrong", asked Ram.
" Vicky baba, nightmare ", cried the servant.
They both rushed to Vikram's room.
Ram took the temperature. A hundred and two. But he was drenched in sweat. Violent seizures were jerking his body. His blood stained the sheet.
"Gunjan my love don't die on me please. Evil is gone. Come back love. Please please...somebody help"
" Its that witch again", said Vitthal. " She has gotten her claws in him."
" Call Dr. Shetty", said Ramcharan. He was their family doctor. He knew about the illness and was discreet.
Doctor Shetty arrived in fifteen minutes. He lived nearby. He gave Vicky a powerful paracetamol and dopamine injection. Vicky quieted down.
" Cold water bath, no caffeine and light vegetarian breakfast", he said to Ram.
Both of them were drained out .
" What is bothering him doctor", asked Ram.
" Whatever it is his brain is blocking it", the doctor replied.
They have tried hypnotism, trauma therapy, sleep therapy all in vain. Vikram would remain a normal young man. Until nightmares start.
" It started after that drowning accident", asked the doctor.
" Yes", answered Ram.
He , his wife Janaki and Vikram had travelled to Gangotri as a pilgrims to cure Vicky's drinking, party and gambling habit. Vicky fell in river Ganga and was almost killed but he was saved by some fishermen. He was around nineteen. After that his life took a turn for good.
WELL EXCEPT FOR THESE NIGHTMARES.
" I guess some witch attacked him", said Vitthal.
Doctor Shetty laughed. But Ramcharan kept quiet. Vikram's accident held a mystery. A miracle saved him. It was buried deep within his chest. He never shared it with anyone. He will be cremated holding that secret within himself he thought.
" Vitthal just remain normal when he wakes up said Ram.
He was feeling his fifty eight years. He and Janaki had Vicky at young age. There was no other child.
" He needs a female presence for stability just like his mom", said Doctor Shetty. " Try to talk marriage to him".
Ramcharan sighed.
" Thats what the problem is. He rejects marriage as if it was plague.None of the girls interest him past his short affairs and you know..."
He was talking about Vikram's colourful night life filled with one night stands and bedroom affairs.
" Young lads. He is twenty nine just.They play the field. He will marry when he meets a nice young girl", said doctor Shetty.
He was forty two but he could undetstand Ram's apprehension. He took his leave.
" Cancel his morning meetings", said Ramcharan on phone to Dipti his assistant. " He is sick".
" Very well sir", came the reply.
By afternoon Vicky was fine. He brushed, bathed and wore one of his business suit as he joined his father for lunch.
" Where are you going", asked his father.
" Office", came a succinct reply.
Vikram Oberoi
Age 29 years
6 feet 6pack abs atheletic
Ink black hairs
Coal black eyes
Sharp angular face
Nick named The Eagle in business world.
" I called in sick to your secretary", said his father.
Vicky sighed.
" It was just a stupid nightmare", he brushed it off.
" Who told you"?
" No coffee, juices, changed sheets, healthy breakfast healthy lunch. Cut me some slack dad", answered Vicky.
Yaa justifying his nick name again thought Ram.
" Ding dong"
" Vitthal see who it is", said Vicky.
" Its Gaurav and Vinod baba."
" Get them in the living room", said Vicky as he got up finishing his lunch.
Gaurav Shekhawat and Vinod Joshi were his childhood friends. They were around his age and his business partners.
Ram decided to spy on them.
" So we heard that you are sick", said Vinod.
" You don't look sick", said Gaurav.
" You heard it from your girlfriend I guess", Vicky said to Vinod. " She has a habit of exaggeration. " Dipti was Vinod's girlfriend.
" She dealt with two of your bimbos in the morning " , said Vinod.
" Yup I heard", said Gaurav chuckling.
" What relationship advice she gave them", asked Vicky.
Dipti was a no nonsense secretary. She lasted the longest with him because in the very first week she declared him a monster for the fairer s*x. She never smiled or blinked her eyes or played with her hairs in front of him. The look she gave him was that of disdain.
But she was very professional. His files, meetings, schedules were tightly organized. So were his diets. His father liked her. She started dating Vinod last year. They were tight with each other.
" Umm she called you some colourful words", said Gaurav. " As expected."
" Then she said them that they are beautiful and intelligent and they should stop wasting their time on losers like you", said Vinod.
The three men burst out laughing.
" Well they do look beautiful after two to three pegs of whiskey", said Vicky.
" Their intelligence can be debated though", said Gaurav.
" And then she told me she would kill me if I try anyone of them", said Vinod.
" Rest in peace", said Vicky.
The guys laughed again.
Ramcharan was exasperated. The boy just did not want to marry. He left.
" Your dad left I guess", said Vinod.
" The good doctor referred marriage therapy for me", said Vicky with a smirk.
" Welcome to the slayed club", said Vinod.
" You wish", said Vicky.
" Well we have a glitch in that office work again", said Gaurav.
" Its that moron again", sighed Vicky.
" Who the hell gave him an architect degree", said Gaurav.
" His minister father's influence", answered Vicky. " I am voting for opposition this time".
" Tarun is fed up", said Gaurav. He was their civil engineer
" I will try finding a solution. Give me some time", saod Vicky.
" Well we have the meeting with the new king tomorrow for that palace we were eyeing", said Vinod.
" Hope he is not a fool like his father", said Vicky.
They were talking about the same palace Riya was visiting. They planned to build a resort there.
" Lets prepare well for it. We are getting this deal this time", saod Vicky seriously.
The men moved to his study. They discussed finances, probable glitches, approach for tomorrow's meeting.
Meanwhile
Ramcharan was sitting in a Shiva temple.
" Hey Shiva you gave me Vicky. It is the greatest gift you gave to me. But the boy is wasting his life. Please send a nice and a girl of high character for him. He needs to settle down. Get married. Have kids. Then I can close my eyes and join Janaki in peace.
His prayers were about to be answered