Page 97 of Wicked Trap

Tanvi’s mother always slept next to her during nights when there was a storm. But during the past week, her mother slept next to her instead of with her father. Tanvi loved holding her mother’s big stomach where there was a baby inside. Tanvi’s little brother or sister was expected to come out in one month.

Tanvi was excited because she would then have someone to play with.

But she didn’t know why her mother was suddenly sad and angry. She saw her mother crying a few days ago and shouting at her father. Her father tried to console her mother, but her mother still seemed upset.

Tanvi frowned when she once again heard shouts coming from outside the bedroom.

“How could you have done that to innocent children, Girish!” her mother shouted. “Just because Parvathi didn’t want you, you destroyed her entire family!”

“You are overreacting. I’m not responsible for anything. The fire was an accident.”

“No, I’m not overreacting, and the fire wasn’t an accident! You are a greedy, selfish and jealous man. I was stupid to ever trust you because you were Ganesh’s best friend. I thought I could love you as much as I loved Ganesh, but your obsession with Parvathi consumes your life.”

“You are my wife, and you are carrying my child. Forget whatever happened in the past.”

“I can’t forget! Not when I know you are capable of hurting even innocent children!”

Tanvi frowned, wondering who got hurt and why her mother was shouting. Her sweet, beautiful mother always smiled and laughed. The only time Tanvi saw her mother sad was when her mother looked at some man’s picture. The man’s name was Ganesh. Tanvi’s mother called out the man’s name when she cried, looking at the picture sometimes.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream.

Tanvi’s heart thudded. Apart from the loud thunder outside, it was utterly calm outside her bedroom.

“Mamma?” she called out.

Pushing her blankets away, she got down from her bed. She opened the bedroom door, and it was dark in the hallway. The only light came from the lightning flashing outside the windows.

“Mamma?” she called again.

There was no response either from her mother or her father. Holding the railing of the staircase, she carefully went down the steps. She jumped as the thunder continued to rumble loudly in the sky.

When she reached the last step, her foot touched something. She didn’t know what it was.

It was only when lightning flashed and the living room lit up, she saw what she had stumbled on. It was her mother lying in a pool of blood.

She screamed. “Mamma! Oh God. Mamma!”

She cried and tried to shake her mother awake, but her mother lay still and continued to bleed.

“Mamma, please get up. Don’t leave me, Mamma! Mamma! Come back!”

Her mother didn’t get up. But someone hugged her from behind. “Princess. I’m right here.”

Tanvi got up with a jerk. She realized she was once again dreaming. The room was dark, and she felt warmth enveloping her from behind even as her body was covered with chills.

“You are okay, princess. I’m right here.”

Arjun’s deep voice comforted her while stroking her hair.

She realized she must have spoken out loud in her dream. She must have cried loudly too as she could feel the wetness of her tears soaking her t-shirt.

Slowly, she felt the warmth of Arjun’s embrace spreading over her, and her body stopped trembling violently. Only small chills shook her.

She felt embarrassed.

“Sorry, I woke you up with my nightmare.”

She knew her nightmare was triggered after having spent hours at her father’s home during the party.

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