I remember the first time I saw her, the clear sky, illuminated by the moonlight and the glitter of the stars, accompanied me as I admired Amulya like a hypnotised beholder. She rotated the red bindi in an anticlockwise direction, looking at the mirror. She was always aware of my presence but was sceptical about looking at me. Once the maid warned her against me, “Madam, don’t look there, they are ill-omened.”
Her husband Tanmay laughed at the superstition surrounding my existence.
But I knew why Amulya’s gazelle eyes played hide-and-seek with my wide-open eyes, because she was told that the owls’ presence around was correlated to misfortunes. And what do you expect from a woman whose trance to embrace motherhood was shattered twice? So this pregnancy evoked scepticism in her or maybe her instincts warned her!
Owls are known to have sharp vision and extraordinary hearing capabilities. I believed in my intuitions, until she arrived..
Maya! From being a nurse at Tanmay’s hospital to buying a flat in the apartment right next to Amulya’s. It was not just a coincidence and it made me doubt her intentions. I captured her overfriendly nature through my instincts, but Tanmay? How could he betray Amulya! She was madly in love with him. I always admired Tanmay through Amulya’s eyes but Tanmay was leading a dual life and Amulya was blinded in love.
*****
“You gave me everything. A house, your love and this child but still I am a hidden chapter of your life. Why don’t you tell her the truth?” Maya cried.
“Maya, do you even know Amulya as I do? She is an extremist. Her madness to embrace motherhood drifted us apart. I lost my peace! It’s not that I didn’t wish to become a father but she turned it into some kind of a mission, as if it were the sole purpose of our existence! I want my child but not her and if you love me, please stand by me,” Tanmay said. Maya was pregnant too and she selfishly chose herself.
*****
Did I bring these misfortunes? I questioned myself innumerable times. How easily humans put the blame for their cruel and cunning nature on other beings and occurrences!!
****
When Amulya got labour pains she called Tanmay. But he didn’t arrive alone.
“Tanmay, why did you bring Maya with you? She is also unwell. She looks so pale and tired. Please have some water,” Amulya offered Maya water keeping her pain aside.
“She is a nurse and she requested to accompany us. She was worried for you,” Tanmay consoled Amulya.
I could hear everything clearly sitting on the top of the car. I had followed them. They were not going to Tanmay’s hospital and my heart pounded faster. They stopped at an old underconstructed building. Amulya walked towards the stairs while Tanmay carried unconscious Maya in his arms. Why did Amulya agree to come here? As I peeped through the tiny ventilator of the room where they went, I could sense something was not right! Amulya relaxed on the chair, and Tanmay made Maya lie down on a stretcher.
Suddenly this game of deceit and lies unfolded horrifically to my dismay… I got goosebumps! My eyes saw something they should not have seen.
Tanmay hugged Amulya.
“Our plan worked! Maya is here,” Tanmay laughed.
“Do you remember how she looked at you in the hospital? I always knew about her intentions and that day when she tried to touch you at my house!!” Amulya sniggered.
“Maya!! You wanted to take advantage of my pain and his vulnerability. But you didn’t know that I chose you to be a predator! I made you believe that I am the prey!” Amulya laughed walking around removing the pillow under the skin-coloured bodysuit.
“I love Amulya and this is our child,” Tanmay looked at Maya with mockery and confessed, “I never loved you, Maya! You were just a medium to bring our child into this world!”
The heartbreaking truth! Amulya’s pretence deceived my sharp vision. Amulya knew the pain of losing a child, yet she did this? At this point, I wasn’t able to conclude who was more evil among these two women!
My reverie of painful thoughts was broken by the baby’s cry. The innocent child was separated from his mother. Amulya authorised her rights over the baby. Maya was bleeding and her eyes were wide open like an owl, that saw everything but was helpless.
It was Amulya’s plan!
Maya was an orphan. Tanmay made sure she didn’t make any friends. And Tanmay was an established doctor, so everyone believed his story.
“She was very secretive and never revealed anything about her partner,” Amulya lied.
“She lost a lot of blood…”
The maid’s false testimony worked in their favour.
After three months, I sat in the same tree, and through my eyes, I saw how easily Maya was forgotten.
“AMAY TANMAY SRIVASTAVA!” Panditji announced.
How happy Amulya looked! But when Karma didn’t spare Maya, will it spare Amulya?
Unlike humans, we owls believed in Karma.
At that moment, the evil mind and tongue conspired. A bad omen indeed! As I slowly moved my eyes, a shadow, emerged from the right to enlighten the truth. But this time I am choosing to close my eyes, for I shall not see something that I am not meant to!
