The early morning rays fell on Rohan’s face, he immediately placed his hand on his eyes trying to get the comforting shadow to avoid the brightness. The other hand scanned the bed trying to find Ananya. “Ananya” he called out. She did not answer.
He lay on the bed for another few minutes thinking she would return from the bathroom. Feeling restless he swiftly moved out of the bed, calling her out louder than before, “Ananya….where are you?” He opened the bathroom door and moved the shower curtain she was nowhere to be seen. He searched every corner of the two room suit at the Starlite Inn to avoid a chance of a foolish prank. She was absent.
He walked out of the room; a stout housekeeper gave a blank look. “Have you seen my wife, Ananya?” he questioned the housekeeper. “No sir, I didn’t see anyone go out, I am here since 30 minutes.” He ran through the floor and took the stairs down to the reception. Hurriedly he asked the receptionist, “Did you see Ananya, my wife?” The man behind the counter looked with an impassive face, “who wife…sir?”
Rohan furiously said, “Are you out of your mind?” And moved hastily towards the cafeteria. His eyes searched all over as he approached an old woman, “Aunty did you see a girl..I mean a woman here, she is short, this height, black eyes.” He gestured placing his hand near his shoulder depicting her height. “No beta, I haven’t.”
He was now worried and petrified. He rushed back to the reception, “Don’t you remember her, we checked in last night, you even asked me if I preferred a higher floor, I looked at her and she gestured its ok. Don’t you remember anything?” he blabbered in one breath.
“No sir. I was not in the night shift; I have just come an hour back that would have been my colleague.” Before the receptionist could speak further he started again, “Are you out of your mind? Call the police now, my wife is missing.” “Sir, did you try her mobile.” “No, in fact I am not able to find any of my belongings, can you please call the police. We have come by car from Mumbai to Pune and I checked my car is also missing. She has never taken the car without informing me.”
“Please calm down.” Pacified the receptionist as he picked up the phone and dialled the nearest police station. It rang.
“Aundh Police Station.” Voice on the phone.
“Sir, I am Raghubeer from Starlite Inn.” The receptionist said hesitantly.
“ha bola (please say).” He continued.
“Sir, there is a gentleman here, he says he came with his wife and she is……” the receptionist started narrating.
“Thamba ek minute, dusra phone vaajtoy. (Give me a moment please, the other phone is ringing.). interrupted the constable.
On the other phone, “ho saaheb, me lihitoh. Rohan….Ananya. Accident near Expressway exit.” He scribbled on his book as he spoke aloud.
He got back, “Ha sir, bola.” He continued. “Sir, what accident you just noted, I mean heard on the phone?” the receptionist questioned preempting.
“Arre, last night a truck and a car collided near express way exit. A couple was travelling, the car is burnt completely, and we recovered one seared body, a woman. The man is missing, looks like he escaped death without a scratch. We got the names as Rohan and Ananya from the sim card of the damaged phones.”
“Sir, the man..I mean Rohan is not missing; he is here at Starlite Inn. Can you please come over?” he completed and hung up.
He opened the check-in register, only one name; Rohan next to it, verification documents to be submitted was mentioned next to it. He looked at the hyperventilating Rohan as he ranted at every passer by asking for his wife.
Image Source: Flickr.com
What is this going on in Ananya’s life? Is she dead? Or murdered by Anupam? Is Anupam fooling others?
What did you think happened to Ananya?
If you want me to write the second part, then in a summarized form I will write that the person who was searching for Ananya in the hotel was the ghost of Anupam. He murdered his wife and burnt the car in the night and ran away, meanwhile he too met with an accident and lost his life. But then since he was having a guilty feeling of the murder of his wife, his ghost remain in the Starlite Inn and in the morning he started looking for his wife 🙂
Highly fictional part from my end 🙂 Hope you will enjoy reading it.
Super sequel Alok, thank you! This is where the plot thickens! From suspense to horror full masala, paisa vasool story.
Nice Suspense Shweta..
Thanks Akshay.
so you want all to die ?
I ain’t a sadist :).
Having this stupid but gut feeling which might spoil your climax… so better wait till more comments filter in … still tell me if I am right that the news was true .
We all have different minds and our own point of view based on experiences, thus if your gut says something it can be a relevant ending to the story Kokila. Otherwise how are things my friend, will catch up on a different medium 🙂
Anupam is in shock. The brain is traumatized and has blocked the entire incident out. That’s one theory. But if that was the case, how did he reach the hotel after the accident? Did an accomplice pick him up? I would still go for the traumatized story because he has left evidence behind. If he was guilty of murdering his wife, he wouldn’t do that.
Thanks Lata for sharing your perspective on the ending, Yes, it is a relevant one! To your question how did he reach the hotel, does it happen that at 10.00 am daily you get up from your seat at office and walk to the coffee machine to get coffee. Do you get a feeling sometimes you walk to a place and realise why did I come here and forget the reason why you want there. May be he felt nothing happened and just walked to the hotel thinking his wife is still with him. Reasons could be many not all mysteries are solved. I welcome your perspective.
I love your writing style….never giving the end…..Your stories just elevate one’s mind to higher planes to come up with solutions.
Anupam and Ananya! Anupam too writes about the same characters. I’ve to verify whether they are same! 😀
Thank you so much Ravish. If I give an ending it’s a straight read then how does the reader get involved. Just trying my hand at it. Am really happy you like the writing style.
My characters have been the same right from my first post 🙂 Now do I need to add a disclaimer “All characters and events appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to a an event, place, real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.” 🙂
Wow, that’s some story building! Waiting for the rest… Is Poirot coming over? :O
If the police hands over the case to Poirot, it surely is coming over Jatin. Thank you for your comment and welcome to my site.
🙂 no this calls for Jane Marple
Expectations flying high 🙂
Very well written Shweta. Nice style u’ve got.
Loved the write up! 🙂
Thanks Nikhil, am happy you liked the story.
a short and twist story, i leke it
Thank you Aroraji, your visit to my site and feedback motivates me to write better.
I think the wifey was trying to ditch the husband but got killed.
Good one Indrani, then we need to call the husband for sach ka saamna to know the truth. 🙂
You’ve actually know the way to hook your readers till the end. Enjoyed the story till the last line…
There are various ways to end up the story… :-D… To make it simple ..Anupam has lost his memory and traumatized to a highest extent and has become a victim of partial amnesia. The complex way is..let his wife trying to ditch him…the whole thing is well planned and planted etc….
But I seriously hope you’ve something else in mind… :-P..write soon and let us know…. 😀
Yes Mani, I don’t think Ananya would ditch Anupam, keeping it simple I think he was too shocked by the accident (the story mentions a truck collided with their car) but the sequence of events that were to happen didn’t change in his mind. He reached the hotel (the mention of accident near the expressway exit considering the Inn would be at walking distance), he saying that he asked his wife for room preference refers he was traumatized but unhurt by the accident. But as I say perspectives are always welcome and there is no perfect ending 🙂 Am glad you liked it.
Story with a twist and turns and makes the reader want some more
Thanks Chaitali, that truly is the endeavor, readers wanting for more.
Hee, this is getting thrilling.. I cant wait for the next post on this, you sure know how to keep the curiosity gripping 🙂
I am motivated and promise to write better but I liked the way it ended not planned a sequel yet Vinay.
Oh no… you left us at a point where our brains would toil in vein! So bad of you Shweta 😛
You may get an impression that I tend to relate too much but Anupam’s anxious hunt reminded me of a mixed martial artist’s search for her kidnapped daughter in the movie “six bullets” :-))
If after reading my work you relate to other great works then its a super compliment. Thanks Anunoy. 🙂
Good one Shweta. Skipped reading the comments to write what I have in mind. Before that, a good gripping one, engaging even after the end 🙂
Now, I wanted ghosts but the facts don’t leave any place for them 🙁 That said, if I were to take it as a trauma which blocks things for good instantly and assuming Anupam continues the routine it would sound sane. But then, first, he wouldn’t remember checking in with his wife and the conversation. And second, if the car was crashed, he didn’t get a scratch, he wouldn’t leave the place without help or wake up alone in hotel the next morning! Few loopholes or I am missing something. Good one 🙂
Thank you but I beg to differ here Shashank :(, the husband in the story is truly traumatised thus hallucinated his wife checking in with him (this didn’t happen in real) and why is it not possible that he was unhurt in an accident?
This is the 1st story that I have read on your blog.I have read from Kokila’s blog that you do write amazing short stories and this one vets it.
Coming to the story – My point as to what could have happened.
What intrigues me is – If Anupam was indeed in the same car where the woman’s body was found, it’s hard to imagine that he would have escaped without even a scratch (which seems to be the case or probable, since I take from the description that there were no evident bruises on Anupam).
There was a women’s body that was recovered and just from the phone simcard it is likely inferred that the lady found dead is Ananya. It’s probably not Ananya.
With those 2 point in mind, It’s probable that Anupam and Ananya were drugged by someone who stole their car and belongings (may be by a couple or the lady who was found burnt and dead) and later you can make up scenes to unfold the events of Anupam ending up in the hotel and his wife’s still missing but still alive…
The only reason I want to think the wife is still alive cos, your title kinda says “Case of the Missing Wife”….
I hate to make up a story where I put forward Ananya or Anupam as a betrayer……
Well, it’s quite an interesting one for sure…are you going to give up the ending ever?
Hopefully you won’t make us run hyperventilating for the ending 🙂
I would love to invite you Vidhya to write a sequel to this one. That’s right I wanted to end the story in part one but you have picked it up so well that I would really like you to take the plot forward if you accept to do it 🙂 thank you so much for reading and liking it that much. You made my day.
hmm, How would you make this staple story into unique? I would toy with two options. Unfortunately my closing would blander still.
1. Anupam gets off the car for something.. before he comes a lorry collides into the car burning it out, traumatized guy walks…a distance picks a lift with a lady driver and lands. But this does not explain the single name in the register.
2. Anupam plans to pop his wife off succeeds, then proceeds to behave like a traumatized husband but slips up in the registration, inspector Nene/Bhinde catches him with this point.
3. still more random, Anupam plans, executes his wife’s murder plays a hologram a’la Modi at the starlite to establish an alibi and absconds.
Super sequels Parwati, if I were to write the sequel the first option looks apt and real. Thank you so much for reading the story and penning such nail biting finishes.
Oh interesting story, waiting for the second part….:)
Thank you Priyashi, the essense of the story was in the way it ended in the first part,a forced ending even if I try my hand at would not justify the first. Thank you for regularly reading I promise to try and make your visit to the site no waste of time 🙂
Intriguing.
Thank you Tomichand.
Intriguing! A great story teller you are, Shweta!!
Thank you Amit for such appreciation.
I want to read the next post, Shweta.. Liked the way you got me hooked to the story even after its is done.. Put up the rest of it fast.. 🙂
Am going to try my hand, but you know how it is with such stories, it may fall flat 🙂 still for my friends I will try. Am really happy you liked it.
I am speechless Shwetha… Excellent narration! First I thought that the wife is mischievous. I was about to conclude that it was not wife but the husband who is mischievous, then the last line said a different story…
Glad to be here! TC! Keep smiling 🙂
Thank you so much for such appreciation, am really happy you liked it.
Loved the twist … wonderfully portrayed tale 🙂
Thank you Amrit, glad you liked it.
Awesome write-up!
Thanks Radhika for reading both the parts. Happy you liked it.
Curiosity till the end , yo just can’t wait to read the next line.. Awsome 🙂