The door behind her.

Divya looked at the time. Past 1 a.m. She was ready to turn in. Thats when she heard the door. The one behind her. Surely, it was locked! Anila was always careful. She didnt turn around. This had never happened to her before, this feeling of extraordinary fear. She was always the first one to step forward, to take action. She listened for some kind of movement. None. This was silly, Divya thought. All she had to do was get up and go to her room. Anila was already asleep for 2 hours.

Divya grabbed her slippers still listening closely without turning back to the door. There was nothing more left to do now but to turn around and walk to her room. With one quick movement she turned, ready to run or fight. Flash. Noone. But just like she could sense her head move, she felt another vanish. She battled for a moment with the idea of checking the kitchen whose closed door had seemingly made the noise some time ago. Fear had overridden all such fancies and she dashed to her room. She locked the door and heaved a sigh.

Thats when she saw. The bed. It was empty. Anila was gone! But where? Of course the bathroom. Slow steps to and from the bathroom revealed a complete absence of the room mate. Divya found to her shame, she couldnt open the bedroom and go out in search of her friend. She just didnt have the guts. Of course the phone. Panic striken Divya had to fumble with the phone before dialling Anila's cell phone. And there... the song from that new Hindi movie started playing. Divya could hear it very close. But it was not coming from the bedroom. It was outside. It was... from the kitchen.

Divya forcibly removed fear to be replaced with sense. Anila probably went to get some water. And carried the phone with her. Probably to call her fiance. Divya did the only thing she felt brave enough to. "Annnnnn", she called out. No answer. "Anilaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", more loudly. No answer. Was she on call?
"Tuck tuck tuck". Knock. Not on the bedroom door. The common wall connecting the kitchen to the bedroom. Divya took slow steps towards the wall. "Ann...Ann... Anila..", she said meekly. More knock.

The worst fears had by now grabbed all of Divya's logic. She reached for her phone and called her friend Joe. Joe answered the third time she called.
"Joe Joe please help me please", she cried out
"Divya? What time is this? What happened?", a sleepy Joe asked
"Anila. I cant find her. And there is someone in the kitchen knocking at my wall. I am too scared Joe. Please come to my house please"
"Hey hey relax. It could be Anila in the kitchen you know. You might have locked her in or something"
"But she wouldnt answer when I call her. Please Joe. Please save my life"
"Ok relax. I will wake Hari up and be right there ok? Dont panic. Dont you have the number of any of your neighbors? Hey call the cops!"
"No no there is no time. Joe come fast please"
"Ok I am there. Hold on"

True to his word, Joe wasted no time. Hari and Joe had reached the girls' house in as little as ten minutes. Divya was on the phone again.
"Joe I cant come to the front door. What if he is waiting outside my room"
"Who? Oh the burglar. Ok we will break the door. That ok?"
"Yes... anything please..."

***********

Divya opened her eyes to find herself in a strange room. She looked around and found Anila staring out a window. "Ann... that you??? Oh dear you are alive... Anila I am so happy to see you"
As Anila turned around, Divya ran to her and hugged her and showered kisses. Without a moment's delay, tears were in plenty. "I thought... I thought you were dead... dear I was so scared... oh ... where were you... what happened..."
Anila had tears but said nothing. "Where are we Ann? Is this a hospital?"
Anila nodded. "Divya, I... I have a lot to... to ask and to tell. But the doctor said you need rest now. I wont be seeing you for some days. But... I wish I had an answer before I went..."
"What are you talking about Ann?", asked a completely puzzled Divya.
But Anila removed herself from Divya's embrace, and hurried out of the room.
"Hey wait where are you going? Annn come back"

Joe, followed by Hari came to the room to stop Divya rushing out after Anila.
"Whats with her?", asked a still dazed Divya
Hari looked indifferent while Joe passed a smile. "How are you feeling now?"
Divya looked absent minded for a minute. "I am ok. What happened? Did you find the burglar? Did I faint or something?"
"Will tell you all. But not me. The Doctor. Do you realize you have been here for 2 days?"
"Two?!! Why!"
"You will learn. Come with me"

The doctor took a while to ask Divya, Joe and Hari in.
Divya looked around for Anila. Joe whispered "She wont be joining us. Its ok"
Worried, Divya with a hundred questions to ask, looked at the Doctor.
"Sam is the name", the Doctor offered.
To this, Divya forced a nod.
"I know you have a lot of questions. But could you wait till I tell you a story?"
Again, Divya forced a nod unwillingly.
"You remember hearing a door move behind you on the fatal night?"
Divya shuddered as she remembered the night. Another nod.

"I will come to that. But my story starts from 10 months ago."
"Thats when Anila moved in", Divya said involuntarily
Doctor Sam smiled. "Correct. But this is my story."
Divya looked apologetic. "Yes".

Doctor Sam continued. "Heroine of my story, Seema was living alone by herself for close to 2 years. Thats when, like in your life, a girl had agreed to live with Seema. Manju. Manju was a complete contradiction to Seema. She loved everyone and everyone loved her. Seema on the other hand, had stayed away from everyone for reasons known best to her. But I have a hunch why. Seema found out when she was 17 that she was adopted. Though her parents had never in anyway been indifferent in the slightest manner, and in fact loved her more than anything else in this world, Seema took the news quite badly. She moved out. She lived by herself. Her parents who were devastated by her decision tried in vain to win her love back. That didnt happen. So they paid for her expenses.

Seema never called or talked to her parents. She distanced herself from her friends and relatives. She studied and read. By the end of two years, she was converted into a victim of mental instability. Loneliness, depression had finally turned into something more disastrous - jealousy. For jealousy was a quality that has at all times brought great havoc to world peace. Her jealousy became completely aimed at the loving and caring Manju. Ten months ago, when Manju came to Seema with her ever-pleasant demeanour, Seema seemed to go through a change. She went with Manju to places. Manju's friends became hers. She talked to people. She was, liked. Seema had a change in attitude. But she was confused. Her confusion was centred around Manju. She didnt know if she wanted to love the girl who brought humanness back into her life or hate her for bringing back everything she had denounced once. "

Doctor Sam stopped to watch Divya. Divya was paying undue attention and listening like a really curious child did to a story. Joe and Hari too, took turns to watch the girl as she rested her little face in her palms and watched the Doctor.

Doctor Sam continued. "Seema's mental instability caused her to be nice to Manju and take her close to her heart, as well as hate her. In 2 words, split personality. Normal self was the loving and smiling Seema. While the rare abnormal self took to doing harm to her room mate. With love and hatred debating for the same person, Seema had worsened her condition by suffering the pains of this battle all by herself. Not aware of her condition or wanting to tell anyone about her confused state of mind, she was going back to her old self of loneliness and dejection.

I am coming to the fatal night now. Manju who was unaware of the sad condition her friend was suffering from, had unsuspectingly lead Seema into the innermost sides of her life. She never understood how her precious little things noone knew about were always lost or stolen, why her favorite books or clothes were destroyed, and why her whole life suffered so many losses. Final blow came when Manju announced her wedding. When the calls with her fiance became too much, when the wedding was approaching, when Manju revealed her plans to leave the house... it was more than Seema could bear. This was a problem to both her sides. Her hatred because it meant a happy turn for Manju and her love because it meant Manju moving away. The solution to this, Seema found was..." Doctor Sam stopped to watch Divya

Divya was now having her mouth fully open. When the doctor delayed, Divya was all excited. "Dont stop Doctor. What happened... What did Seema do? What?"
"Can you make a guess"
"Oh Gosh did she kill Manju? That devil!"
The doctor smiled. "No she didnt"
"Then?"
"She went and told Manju she was sorry for everything. She told Manju everything she ever felt. Cause she realized no one had come so close to her as Manju did, by ways of hatred or love. And she realized her love for her dear friend had conquered everything else. That hatred was just another form of her love"
"Oh". Divya said and seemed immersed in thought for long. The three men kept quiet until she looked up and said "I am sleepy Doctor".
"Of course you are. Hari, would you please take her to the room? There will be a nurse outside my room. Please ask her to accompany Divya. And Divya, do come to me whenever you feel you want to talk"
"Or listen to a story", Divya smiled. And then suddenly "But Anila... mm". She shook her head and said "Joe I want you to make a call to a number. I will give it to Hari, along with the message ok?"
"Sure Divya. Go have a neat sleep", Joe said and winked at her.

"You have to explain Doc", Joe said as soon as the 2 of them were alone.
"I will. Before that, what do you feel about Divya"
Joe seemed to think for a minute before saying, "I care about the girl Doc"
"Good. Then you will make that call she wants you to"
"Of course. Who is it to?"
"We will find out. Before that, you realize what the problem is?"
"Yes of course. Seema was Divya and Manju, Anila... but what happened that night? Did Divya... did she actually try to... I cant believe that"
"You dont have to. She wouldnt have ever hurt Anila, physically I mean. Stealing or keeping away Anila's possessions was the worst she could do. She was unduly fond of Anila. The thought of the only human being she considered a friend going away meant a lot of things to Divya. It meant the old miserable life ditched in a house, stranded by everyone. Of course, she never realized it was her decision to stay away from everyone. On that night, the last one before Anila moved out of the house, Divya did what a 3 year old may do to keep her best friend from going away. But backing it up with more adultish preparations. Anila was given pills to lose consciousness, tied up close to a wall in the kitchen and locked. Divya's lost part of the brain probably thought she could keep Anila there forever. But her sane part could only remember there was someone in the kitchen. She couldnt place who it was or where Anila disappeared to. She panicked and did the things any girl would do on suspecting a burglar in the house."

"My God... Poor Anila"
"Yes, the girl was freaked out when she found herself tied up in a dark corner in the kitchen. I had to tell her who was behind it. I also tried to explain why it happened. But I thought it wise to tell her all later. I have promised her Divya never meant any harm for her. She understands it but she just could not understand why her friend could or would hate her. She probably will when the 2 of them talks. Which will happen only after a few days. After Anila's marriage"
"Divya will miss that?"
"She has to"

Hari came in with a piece of paper. He gave it to Joe and looked at Doctor Sam. "I feel a lot better now Doctor. Anila was a close friend and I was really upset with Divya."
"Yes, naturally. But the girl was helpless"
Joe looked at the paper and told the Doctor, "Doc but I thought she wanted me to call Anila to tell sorry... like in that story you told"
The doctor smiled. "There was no need for that. Divya has already said her sorries. Or so I feel. If I am right, she wants you to call her parents and tell them she wants to see them. And my guess is she is reserving all her sorries for them. But that will take time. A mentally ill patient does not come to her senses on day 1 of the Doc's treatment, even if he is a smart Doc like me"
The Doctor winked to Joe who smiled in return.

Away in the hospital room, Divya had slowly slipped to sleep. She dreamt. And when she woke up she decided her new house will not have a door behind her that would make her shiver to look back. Oh, her Mom and Dad would be there to make sure that didnt happen, she thought and smiled.