The woman was annoyed. 'Ganesh down the street' mumbled an excuse and refused to come to the house. She thought she saw curiosity mingled with sympathy in the eyes of those she approached. As she retraced her steps from the market back to the colony of bungalows, she noticed a movement behind the windows of one of the perpetually vacant bungalows. As she neared the bungalow a slim, attractive woman perhaps in her early twenties, stepped out. She was of medium height, and had an oval face with a pert little nose and laughing brown eyes. Her hair was a dark brown and slicked back into a high pony tail with just a wisp playing about her ears. She had that typical tanned complexion matrimonial columns would describe as 'wheatish'. Her mouth was a little wide for that oval shaped face, but judging from the laugh lines playing around the corners, used to laughing often. She was dressed in a loose pastel green salwar kurta outfit which flowed in sleek comfortable lines on her slim young body. She wore no dupatta. It seemed as if she had been waiting for somebody to pass by, for no sooner than the woman closed in on the house, the young lady stepped forward with a smile and a namaste. "Iam Anjali Bhende" she introduced herself, to which the woman replied "Iam Sushma Agarwal" hello! It's nice to see humans again. Do you live here"? "Well, yes whenever my husband and I can get away from the city" she replied with a smile. "Are you here on vacation, and where do you live"? she asked. "At Panchwati the last bungalow on this lane" replied Sushma. She thought she saw that familiar veil drop over the laughing brown eyes. Ah here it comes she thought. "Iam renting the house for a little while" said Sushma hurriedly. "Oh. I see" said Anjali with obvious relief. "though why this house"? she asked. "There are so many bungalows vacant here. You would be better off in any one of the other houses" she finished lamely. "No particular reason. I just happened to like it's personality" explained Sushma, feeling a little foolish and a little annoyed at having to explain. "I don't want to interfere but I think you should know the house has a reputation" said Anjali hesitantly. "for what"? asked Sushma remembering similiar conversations with other people and trying not to show her irritation. "I know someone was murdered there, if that's what you mean" said Sushma in a matter of fact tone. "oh, you know? then why would you choose such a place"? asked Anjali incredously. "Well, dead people don't bother me, it's the living" replied Sushma with a trace of bitterness. "I have warned you, it is an evil place." Anjali finished with conviction. "Anyway, let's talk about something pleasant". said Anjali hurriedly, afraid to sound nosy. As the crickets chirped around her, snatches of that conversation came back to Sushma. Suddenly she stiffened..... continued on next post