Into The World : The Mystery Of Disappearing Hearts

Chapter 3 : The Unexpected Guest

Amanda entered her home, as she kicked open the front door which was surprisingly already open , she started calling out for her elder sister, the careless little minx who must have left the door open.

Seriously! There was a psychopath killer on loose and she didn’t want to get killed so young.

“Oh! Don’t scream so much Ama or you look like a dingwop.”, a happy, energetic voice interjected Ama.

“Miss Katsy, you are back ? Such a pleasant surprise. This day can’t get any better”, Ama said cheekily looking at her good old house-keeper.

“Oh come on, Ama. No need for such buttering, you know. I remember you just saw me about a month ago.”, Katelynn grinned as she engulfed Ama into a warm hug.

“Oh it’s not butter, dear. Can’t I feel happy to see my good old Katelynn Katsy ?”, she expressed her inner thoughts.

Miss Katelynn was a very kind lady who had efficiently brought up the Edison daughters from her childhood to teenage. She was a major mother figure in their life, even more than they biological mother at times who was often busy due to her job. Both the girls loved her to their core, this petite little woman owned a large place in their heart. Her motherly care never knew no bounds, whoever it did be for – her big kind heart seemed to have a place for all, good or bad. Also her amazing culinary skills never failed to impress anyone, along with her praise-worthy cooking. They also respected her so much that whatever she advised the girls were never left unheard by them. But still they never missed any opportunity to poke fun at her or her vigilant attics.

Upon breaking the hug- which made Ama kind of sad due to the loss of her maternal affection- Miss Katsy questioned the reason behind Ama’s screaming.

“So, why were you screaming your poor sister’s name so angrily? Just give her a break sometimes.”, Miss Katsy scolded Ama.

Katelynn was very well aware about Ama resentment towards her elder sister and how she treated her elder sister with no respect and always tried to blame her for every bad occurrence of her life. She only pretended to get along with her elder sister when her parents are around which is rare, especially for their father. But the actual reason for such behaviour was a mystery, only known to Ama.

“Well your dearest Camila had left the door open, even when she knows that there may be someone out there waiting to put an end to her pathetic life, along with mine.”, Ama retorted, angry at being scolded by Katelynn.

Ama knew what she said just now could be considered rather impolite but she couldn’t such help it. Everyone she knew, including Miss Katsy always favoured her sister to her, always supporting her as if she could never be wrong.

‘Little-Miss-Perfect’, she thought sarcastically, with a rather sour taste in her mouth.

“That poor girl did nothing of that sort! It was me who had forgetfully left the door open after receiving the order from the supermarket. Anyway, she had been in her room since she came back from school, chattering off with the new friend she brought back along with her.”, Katsy explained slapping her own forehead dramatically as if to give a shake and activate her idle brain.

“New friend, did you say? I never heard about her having a new friend.”, Ama asked curiously.

“The ‘new' friend she brought home was a really lovely girl who was dressed in an oversized t-shirt with beautiful embroidery and has knee length black hair tied into a long, nice braid.”, Katsy described as she closed her eyes to remember all the details she could about the mystery friend.

“How about I just go to her room and see who it is, shouldn’t I?”, she suggested as she threw her backpack on the sofa and ran up the stairs, towards her elder sister’s room.

She stealthily opened the door and peeped in to see the room empty. She slowly tip-toped inside, and looked around.

‘It really is empty!’, she thought, disappointed about not finding her sister or the ‘new friend’ there.

She looked around the room. It looked rather lavishly comfortable- well it looked lavish but it was also comfortable. The walls were painted cream-white. On the wall adjacent to the door, was a wall painting of steps, which were being climbed by a girl with a barrister’s hat on her head. The steps were looking hollow and filled with motivational quotes and different sign depicting the different subjects which Camila had aced till date.

In the centre of the room was a round white bed, with a night stand beside it and on the two sides of the bed were two shelves, both filled with books- one with books related to academics and the other with books of her interest.

Beside the shelf full of academic book was a closet with were full of Camila’s expensive and fashionable clothes, bags and other accessories. Alongside the closet was her vanity with all her make-up and toiletries.

Also there was a couch to sit on, under her window and a small chandelier over the bed which made the room look really royal and elegant.

Ama loved Camila’s room which came with an attached bathroom, but what she loved about her room was the attached balcony she had.

It was the best element of her room, which made Ama wonder and feel extremely jealous about how her friends preferred her sister over her so much that they gave her the best room in the entire house. How unfair of them to discriminate amongst their own blood!

Amanda’s eyes found their way towards the balcony and she slid over its glass door. It wasn’t a small Juliet balcony but a rather big spacious one. It was covered with a retractable canopy as for used to get really hot and sunny in the mid summers.

At one corner of the balcony was a small round table and three comfortable, cushioned chairs to sit on. Also at the other corner of the balcony was a comfortable swing to sit onn. Also there were small potted plants hung from the railings of the balcony along with potted plants kept at the corners of the balcony.

Amanda sat on the swing, moving her legs in a to-and-fro motion, moving the sing along with her. She felt so relaxed after a tiresome day as the cool sea gust of sea wind stroking her face gently as she rocked on the swing looking at the beautiful landscape infront of her.

The view was beautiful as it overlooked the sun setting in the background of Looney Hill and the dried up oak forest. The ruins at the top of the hill looked extremely small just like some beautiful depiction on a canvas.

Sometimes it seemed that all the tales about the ruins being haunted were just rumours and it was just the remaining carcass of an old building which once used to be a part of some ancient establishment. From the broken, crumpling walls and ceilings to the somewhat dilapidated cravings and decorations on the wall, the hidden history the walls withheld along with its rich heritage.

“Drowning in an ocean of thoughts, are you?”, a voice beside her asked bringing her out of rather weird trails of musings.

Beside her was sited the girl she met in school and who had successfully left an impact on her in a day itself, Tara Tagore.

Ama let out of a terrified shriek of surprise, backing off to the edge of the swing scared at the rather unexpected sight before her.

“Where...re...how did you come here?!”, she quaked out as she breathed heavily, still terror-stricken face.

“With me, of course.”, Camila grinned looking at her scaredy cat of a sister, with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand.

Ama felt a strange relief wash over her on seeing her sister for the very first time. She had never been so grateful to God for giving her such a perfect, protective (well, kind off) and know-it-all elder sister.

It was rather amusing for the two spectators, Camila and Tara who had come from the kitchen with a plate of scones and two mugs of hot chocolate, only to find the door to the balcony open. When they entered the balcony, they found a rather preoccupied, absolutely absorbed in thoughts. It turned even more fun when Ama saw Tara and was scared out of her wits.

“So what are you doing here, in my house?”, Ama asked Tara, looking into her beautiful eyes as she spoke.

“First of all, what are you doing in my balcony of my room, you little birdwatcher?”, Camila emphasizing on the word 'my’ while she tried to find the reason behind Ama’s presence in her room, unless, of course she was spying on her again.

It wasn’t the first time Camila found her sister snooping around her room, poking her sharp nose in places it didn’t belong to.

“Well, that was harsh! Calling your own sister, a birdwatcher isn’t very nice, you know?”, Tara said, sniffled her laughter.

“Isn’t it? My sister is such a meanly, she always breaks my poor fragile heart!”, Ama fake wailed dramatically, slowly getting up on her feet.

“Aww!! My poor little sister...now stop your drama and come have snacks with us, indoors.”, Camila suggested looking at her sister, with a smile.

“Yes of course, let’s go indoors.”, Ama agreed, looking strangely at the brunette.

Camila smiled brightly, after many years as far as she could remember - not that many but for her it was a long time – now she could have a bit of bonding time with her sister.

“So”, Ama began as she sat on her sister’s bed with a plop, with her legs folded cross-wards, “You said you had class, so how are you here?”

“Well, I did have a class which I attended after I finished talking with you. During the class I made friends with a boy who told me about the different extra-curricular activities I could be a part of in this school and how I needed to talk to the student’s council to join, so after class I went to the student’s council office where I found Camila.”, Tara described how she had met Camila.

“Yes! Then when she came in the office, I had just gone there to fetch a file I had accidentally left behind, so we met and she enquired about the extra-curricular activities. I gave her the list which I give to anyone who asks about it when she being such a sweet girl complemented me about my looks and my taste of fashion. We started talking when I got to know that she had just shifted near our house, down the road, with her mother. I offered to drop her home which she accepted immediately, but when we finally reached her home, her mother wasn’t present there and there was a lock hanging on the door.

That is why I brought her home along with me.”, Camila finished telling what had happened.

“Oh! You did the right thing bringing her home, otherwise where would the poor thing had gone.”, Ama agreed to Camila, nodding her head while sipping the hot chocolate.

“So, Tara where are you from? Like where do your roots lie at?”, Camila asked her, while Ama stared at her curiously.

“Oh! Am not a tree to have root!”, she giggled before she continued, “ Well me and my ancestors find our origins in the ancient land of India.”

“Wait! You’re Indian?! You don’t look like one.”, Ama stated in surprise as Camila nodded making Tara narrowed her eyes at the two.

“What is that supposed to mean?”, Tara asked a bit coldly, cleared offended by the blonde’s previous comment.

“To start with, you have such a light complexion, also you don’t have that Indian accent like most of them do.”, Ama tried to explain her point while Tara looked at her incredulous.

Clearly the explanation didn’t do any help and the brunette was still angry at the audacity of the girl before her.

“First of all, India has a population over 1.4 billion people, all living in different regions, under different climatic conditions. People of different regions look different and speak different languages; while some have a dark complexion, some have a lighter complexion, while some people have a deeper accent while some don’t.”, Tara stated with a sneering smile.

“And what you said was very racist, Ama! Tell me how many Indians have you ever met other than me?”, Tara asked raising her left eyebrow.

Well, it was kind off true, Ama truly didn’t know many Indians other than Tara. She only knew Daksha who was a student council member and her sister’s friend but she was half British-half Indian, so she didn’t actually count much.

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”, Ama confessed looking really apologetically at Tara.

“It’s not about offending me, Ama it’s about stereotyping about a particular type of people which is really wrong.”, Tara pointed out cleverly, “And am not offended, just a bit disappointed.”

“So, Tara you are Indian, right? How was it back in India ? Like your life there?”, Camila asked, changing the topic of discussion, trying to divert Tara’s attention from her sister.

“You won’t you guess how much I loved it there! Why won’t I? Going to fairs , flying kites and eating raw mangoes, even dancing in rain. I used to do all kind of crazy stuff with my friends.”, Tara admitted dreamily, grinning all along.

“Then why did you shift here? By what you say it feels like you really liked it back there.”, Ama asked her, making Tara look dejected all of a sudden. Her once happy face now looked as long as a fiddle and excited aura now become rather gloomy.

“Circumstances, it’s all because of the circumstances that forced us out of India and brought us here, across the seven seas.”, Tara replied shortly which Ama though was rather diplomatic.

“And what about your family? Who are you living here with?”, Ama asked, now curious and desperate to know about Tara’s private life, not noticing how uncomfortable the girl was getting with these questions. Camila grabbed Ama’s hand and pressed it lightly, indicating her to stop but she just refused to take the clue.

“I live with my mother, didn’t I tell you that?”

“Well maybe you did...what about your father? ”

Tara remained silent for a sec, her face turning a bit red as time passed by, her faced sullen even more that before. Her nostrils were flared and her breathing was ragged.

“Who do you think you are to question me about this? Why my father doesn’t stay with us I’d none of your business! Understood?”, Tara snapped at the girl before her, standing up abruptly while picking up her bag and stomping out of the room. She had shut the door with a loud bang before leaving, which was a very clear display of how furious she was.

Camila shot her sister a rather disapproving look which said ‘ never been more disappointed in you’.

Ama scurried behind her sister, on her toes to stop the girl who had stormed out, like a raging thunderstorm. She couldn’t understand why the latter had got so anger at the bare mention of her father, why did she react so weirdly?

When Camila and Ama reached downstairs, they saw the front door wide open and a very confused- or should we say rather clueless- Miss Katsy standing there, standing at the open door and then at the sister duo frantically.

“What did just happen girls? Why did your new friend leave with such a huff?”, she enquired the girls, worriedly.

“Ama happened, Katsy. Her lack of emotions and brain happened.”, Camila glared at Ama who gave her a sheepish look.

“Oh dear! Ama you should be more careful when you talk to new people so you do not to trigger any poignant memories of their pass. I know it can be completely unintentional but it’s really very unsympathetic, dearie.”, Katsy preached politely.

“Now you two go and see where she went! Oh the poor girl!”

Camila and Ama walked out off their home, out off the lawn towards the road.

They looked at the usually busy road, which looked very silent that usual, with very few vehicles travelling over it. Up and down the road they looked but they could not find Tara anywhere there.

“How could it be even possible?! Like it’s just been five minutes she has left our house and now she has just vanished into thin air?”, Ama complained loudly.

“Maybe she has just run fast away...let’s go and check.”, Camila said as she walked towards her car and was about to get inside it when Ama grabbed her hand, stopping her.

“Hey! Where do you think you are going? How do you think you will find her?”

“Well she is new here, which mean she doesn’t know many places here so most probably she just returned home.”, Camila estimated smartly, as she opened the door of the car and hopped onto the driving seat.

“If she has gone to her home then why do we need to go and see ? There’s no need ....anyway she left our home herself, driven by her impulses.”, Ama tried to reason with her sister.

“How can you be so insensitive Ama? It was very clearly your fault that she was feeling uncomfortable. I even tried to stop you but you went on with your intrusive questions. You just met her today and what did you expect her to do? To tell you all about herself including her family history and issues? Like really, how can you be so selfish? I had brought her to our home on my responsibilities, so till she reaches her home safely it’s my liability.”, Camila raged as she started the car which started with expeditious.

Ama was fast enough to jump into the seat beside her sister, just in time before the car speed off.

Driving through the street, they looking about to see to spot the angry girl but they couldn’t see her anywhere.

After a drive of almost 10 minutes, they reached Tara’s house.

It was located at the end of the street. It was a nice, white, two-storeyed house. The fountain in the garden with a marble statue of beautiful maiden with a small watering can in her hand, at the centre of the fountain but it was kaput and had not been put to function for more than ten years. The garden didn’t have any plants but small weeds and grass growing there.

They walked towards house, pressing the bell, waiting for someone to open the door. They knew that someone was inside the house, cause the lights were on and the lock on the door which Camila had seen before wasn’t there anymore.

They stared at the old, worn-out wooden door as it creaked open, with a lady standing behind it.

“Yes, what do you want?”, the lady asked.

The lady was dressed in a strange cloth wrapped around her over a strange kind of crop top and long under-skirt. She looked quite familiar with her straight, shoulder length dark brown hair and big, cobalt blue eyes. She just looked like an older version of Tara, just with a slimmer body and shorter hair.

“Hello! You are Mrs. Tagore, Tar’s mother right?”, Camila asked softly after greeting the older lady.

“Yes, I am. And who might you two pretty little girl be? Her new friends?”, she enquired looking at the two sisters from head to toe.

“We are, dear ma’am. Well you came here to ask you if Tara has returned home?”

“Yes, she just came back, running and went straight to her room.”, Mrs. Tagore answered.

“How about you two come inside?”, she offered as the two girls accepted in a wink, going inside the house.

The house looked very comfortable and homely, while giving a historic vibe all along. The furniture looked very old but royal, giving off the fact that they were antic and very expensive. To the girls it looked like the beast’s magical castle straight from the pages of ’The Beauty and the Beast’, just lacking the talking magical furniture bit. And they were happy about it cause no one liked when the couch complained about the weight of the occupants or the dish complaining about the hot soup being poured on them. It would have been very awkward and uncomfortable, but a true sight to see.

“Who is there, Mamma?”, a voice asked as a pair of footsteps ran down stairs. And before them stood Tara, dressed in a pair of pajamas with cute bunnies printed on it and her long black hair untied, reaching till her ankle.

“What are you two doing here?”, she asked coldly, glaring openly at Ama making Mrs. Tagore reprimanded her, softly.

“Remember your manners, Taru.”

“Am sorry mamma but can I talk to them in private for a bit, if you don’t mind. How about you get them your special faluda?”, she pleaded with her mother, who ruffled her hair softly, smiling a bit before she headed to somewhere which Ama guessed was the kitchen.

“Soo....”

“Before you say anything I want to tell you that I am really sorry. I didn’t meant to be intrusive, I just wanted to know you better cause since the moment I saw you I knew you were very interesting person and would make a really great friend.”, Ama confessed truthfully, looking at the brunette with puppy eyes, “Please forgive me.”

Camila passed an equally cute apologetic look which could even melt the hardest of stones, making Tara sigh and smile at the duo.

Tara looked at her with a rather dubious look, non believing a word at first but then on listening the last part she looked a bit convinced, making her blush a bit.

“Okay...okay you are forgiven and Camila you don’t even need to apologise at all. It’s just anything related to my family...to get it straight am not a very open person when it comes to anything related to my family. But I will tell you both everything, at some point of time, I promise I will but how long it is going to take I can’t predict that.”, Tara explained before she grinned and added, “Now let’s go and have my mom’s special faluda.”