Forever young
Dipti was watching her reflection for hours. Harish didn’t understand what was she searching in it. This was her habit from beginning. He didn’t like it much. But he thought that if he tried to object he might seem like bossy husband so he never objected. He kept watching her. She tried to keep her every curl perfect. She didn’t want it to change in any way. She kept feeling restless. She needed to set them right. He didn’t like the way her obsession was increasing. She was sitting before mirror peacefully while he was feeling so restless. He was feeling so depressed. Sometimes he felt that she was doing this drama just to avoid him. She was doing everything just to waste her time. Sometimes he began to think that she might had been in love with someone else. She was forced to marry him. At beginning he kept thinking about it. Then he used to get upset. But as time went ahead he began to just ignore her. He didn’t need to pay attention to her tantrums. She was not mature at all. She always behaved so childishly. On each day her childishness was giving shock to him. She didn’t act like mature person at all. She wanted him to take her out to some cinema on every vacation. He wanted to sleep & relax sometimes but she always wanted to go on some vacation. It was so exhausting. Sometimes he slept during movies. But she didn’t even notice it. He didn’t understand why she never sensed what was going on. But her heart was so soft. She shared everything. She never ate anything without sharing it & if something turned out to be bad in taste. She ate it never gave him. He loved her caring nature. She was hard working too. She never said no to work. While he get tired she kept working for hours. He didn’t understand form where she could get that energy. He liked her but at same time he hated when she sat before mirror. It seemed so strange. They had one child Hina. He felt so sure that one day even Hina would start watching mirror like that. He decided that he needed to say something. “ Dipti you are watching mirror for hour. Is it right?” Dipti didn’t look towards him. She kept watching her face. She started to look in mirror carefully. She began to arrange her it all. Then slowly she turned. She gave him such a sweet smile that it started to melt his heart. “ Honey I prepare myself just for you & you are complaining? I want to look great for you.” “ But you are already beautiful in my eyes.” “ No..no not just by those words! I want actually to look great & remain young. Now look at me. Do you feel I start to look little old?” He laughed. “ You are mother of a child. You will look old!” She gave him such angry look that he started to shiver. He was so shocked. He never felt that way before. He was brave person but he felt scared today. He didn’t understand what was abnormal in her eyes but something was not right. He didn’t like it. He felt something was so wrong. He kept that she might just murder him. She knew that she didn’t but she had that look in her eyes. He was totally confused. He didn’t do anything wrong. He asked slowly “ What happened?” “ I don’t want to look old. I want to look young.” He didn’t understand what he supposed to say. She was going to get old one day & that was truth of life but she didn’t seem willing to accept it. He needed to tell it to her. But she was so angry. He knew that little Hina was sleeping in next room. She was small shy girl. She didn’t need to hear her Mom’s angry outburst. He decided that he could keep quiet. He began to get restless. He smiled & added “ I was just shocking.” She gave strange laugh. He immediately went to sleep. He didn’t sense why he was so scared of her but he was. He was feeling so upset. He slept on his bed. He didn’t need to see her until morning. He didn’t understand why he felt so scared of her. He felt as if she could kill him. It was impossible but on one point it seemed possible. She was so upset with him when he insisted for child. She was looking old since her age was increasing not because of child but she didn’t accept it. She kept saying that after child she would look older. He wanted a child. Slowly everyone started insisting. People began to doubt that they had trouble in giving birth to child. Then she sensed that she didn’t have option so she gave birth to Hina. But she never let her call “ Mom” Hina was supposed to call her with her name. Harish tried to tell her that it would look wrong before people but she didn’t listen. Finally one day Hina’s teacher complained that Hina was calling Mom with name. Then finally she agreed to it. She wanted to look young. Hina never slept in their room. They kept one nanny. That nanny was one widow who adored Hina. Nanny didn’t have any attachment of her own so kept treating Hina like her child. It was perfect for Dipti. Dipti didn’t want to take Hina out. She took Hina out so rarely that people didn’t know she had child. Always Nanny took her out. But inside house Dipti kept admiring Hina. Dipti was wonderful mother inside house but before outside world she wanted to look young. She was not ready to go out with her own child. He wanted to argue but he didn’t dare. He didn’t understand why he felt that she could kill him or their daughter. He never acted that way. He never saw her even killing any mouse. She was not such type of woman who could do violence so easily but it seemed that she could. She was so restless. He knew that if he told this to anyone they would laugh on him. His beautiful delicate wife couldn’t kill him. But he was not so sure. She might kill him with poison. He knew that she knew few things about poison. One day she saw her reading a book about poison. When he asked she said that she wanted to avoid food poisoning in home. But it was easily possible that she wanted to do it in home. She couldn’t say it on his face. But that day she even said it. She said “ I might be want to poison your little daughter? You know how much I hate it when she called me Mom!” Then she started laughing. He could still hear it. He shivered. He sensed that she touched him on shoulder & asked “ Are you alright? Do you want blanket?” He needed to say something but he just closed his eyes while she covered him in blanket on that warm night. He was sweating under it entire time but he didn’t dare to remove it. That might anger her.
Dipti didn’t understand why Harish needed to get so upset. She was just watching her face. Then she started to go to sleep. But before going to sleep she decided to read that book. It was not book about poison. It was book about potions. Harish just saw it & she dragged it out of his hand. It was so disturbing. He didn’t need to spy on her but he kept doing it. She hated it but she couldn’t directly say it. She knew that she was creating different remedies or potions to keep her young. It seemed like madness but she knew that there was truth to it. She could sense it. She began to read list. It truly had strange items. She hated to get them all. But she always managed. She knew that it would make her young. She slowly started to go out of bed. She noticed that Harish was shivering. She decided to put blanket on him. She sensed that he couldn’t sense now that she moved out of room. She slowly went away. She sat in hall. She relaxed on sofa. She began to read that book carefully. On that point she sensed. Hina slowly came in room. Now Hina was big enough to read. She began to feel so restless. She didn’t want Hina to tell others that she was reading it. Hina didn’t say anything. She tried to call Hina. But Hina kept standing in corner. Hina didn’t want to come near her. Dipti smiled. Before Dipti could come to her, Hina ran in Bedroom of Dipti & Harish. Dipti laughed. Hina was coward daughter of coward father according to her. She sat back on sofa & kept reading. Hina hugged shivering Harish. At beginning he thought that was Dipti. He was so scared that he didn’t able to differentiate touch of adult from child. Then slowly when Hina said “ Papa!” He turned behind. He hugged tight his shivering daughter. Hina was shivering & crying slowly. She kept trying to hide it. He knew that Dipti was trying to turn Hina like her. But Hina was not ready. Hina was not happy. Hina wanted to be like him. She was simple innocent girl. He started to pat on her head & began to sing lullabies which used to comfort her as child. He regretted deciding to plan family. This innocent child was dragged in their haunted life. He knew that she wad reading about poisons again. It was so scary. He decided that he might argue again. But then he stopped. It wouldn’t help. He decided that he needed to read it himself. He needed to protect himself & his daughter from poison then he needed to read which poison she was planning to give. He needed to do something. He couldn’t live like that day after day. He decided that tomorrow he would go to his parent’s house. They would help him. He would call his sister & brother-in-law too. They would manage some trick to keep them safe. He smiled but he felt sad since he knew that he tried this many times but he couldn’t. He needed to work in office after it he needed to hurry up in home. He couldn’t keep Hina alone with Dipti for long time. Hina kept telling him that she was scared of her mother. It was so complicated. He knew that he needed help & he would needed to get it on one day. But it was not possible that day. He hugged his daughter & kept shivering. Dipti was reading her book peacefully but she was shocked when door bell rang. She felt scared. She slowly went towards door. She looked out of eye hole. She was shocked when she saw her in-laws standing outside. They never visited them after marriage. She didn’t like her mother-in-law that much. Her mother-in-law always kept mirror hidden. She knew that her mother-in-law hated when she kept watching her face. At beginning in their house they had large mirror. She kept watching herself in it for hours. But then one day her mother-in-law suddenly put curtain on it. When she asked why her mother-in-law told her that mirror was broken. Then she noticed majority mirrors were hidden by curtains. She wanted to complaint but she knew that she couldn’t. Clearly it would look totally wrong. She had one perfect mirror in her room. After all she was not planning to live perfectly in that small town. They were planning to live in city independently it was already decided. She felt confident that they would shift that she never said anything. But while going to her new home she didn’t invite her in-laws to visit her house. Her mother-in-law clearly got message so they never came until now. She looked at time. It was midnight. She didn’t understand how could they came now. But she needed to open door so she did it. She was so shocked when she saw no one was outside. She looked around. She noticed that one elderly couple vanished in corner. She literally ran towards them. But it was too late. They were already gone inside lift. She was so angry. She tried to go in lift. She didn’t care if she was in night pyjamas. She wanted to catch them. It was so frustrating. She began to run from stairs. She didn’t find anyone. She came down then she sensed that lift went up. She wanted to go up to catch them but it was too late. She suddenly shivered. She sensed that it was possible her potion worked. She gave one drop of it to Harish. It was to fulfil dream. She knew that it was dream of Harish to get visit from his parents. They were outside. She jumped with joy. She sensed that it was working now she needed to experiment it on herself. She was feeling so excited about it. She needed to make it right or she needed to try it on herself. But she needed to get perfect dream on that night not nightmare. She was so tense. She was not sure what she would dream but she knew one thing that she would create that potion & drank it. She went in kitchen & started cooking. Harish didn’t dare to come out. She didn’t care & she liked it. She cooked it & drank it herself. It took her seconds before realising that her throat was burning. Soon she began to sense that she was sweating. She wanted to scream but she couldn’t. She was shivering. She wanted to call for help but she couldn’t. This potion proved her nightmare. She sensed it on her last minutes. She regretted drinking it. No one came in kitchen. She knew that no one came out of room until morning they were scared of her.
When morning light fell on Harish’s face he woke up. He was so confused. Then he sensed that he had overslept. He ran out of bed. Dipti was not anywhere in view. He felt confused. Generally over energetic Dipti wake him up on time. He hurried to washroom. Then he ran in kitchen. He received shock of his life when he saw his wife fainted on kitchen floor. He touched her. She was cold clearly dead. He didn’t understand what he supposed to do. He started screaming & calling everyone. Soon entire society gathered in his house. They all looked shocked. They called Doctor. Ambulance came. Soon Cops came too. Cops checked everything & asked “ Who was cooking this?” Harish looked confused. He was so shocked by smell. “ I was sleeping with my daughter. My wife Dipti must be cooking!” “ She is cooking this to eat?” Cop asked with shock. He nodded. “ You ate it.” Harish denied. Harish “ I mostly pretended eating & throw away.” “ What is that?” “Honestly I don’t know. Sometimes I feel she wanted to murder me.” He said it before thinking. He knew that he made great mistake. Now they knew that they had arguments. Cops slowly turned to him & said “ Tell us all in details.” Suddenly Hina came to his help. Hina “ Dad it was not poison. It was potion Mom lied to you. She was trying potion of youth.” Cop looked shocked. Hina ran to some corner. But Cop told her not touch. Then with gloves he opened it. He took our book of potions. Cop looked shocked. Cop “ She believed in this.” He nodded. All neighbours also started explaining how much she was obsessed remaining young . A lady told them that she saw her bringing that book. After it she sensed daily Dipti was bringing strange things at home. She wanted to complaint about Dipti but she felt scared. “ She was witch.” Cops laughed. Cop “ She was not witch. She was mentally unstable woman who thought she was witch. Did anyone came near this flat last night?” A old couple came forward. Old man from couple “ Actually our son was staying on floor above this but we rang doorbell here. It was nearly midnight.” Son “ I immediately called them. Told them to hurry up in our flat. I don’t want to upset this strange lady.” Old lady out of couple “ Actually she came out but we hide behind wall. They all calling her witch strange woman so we felt scared then when she ran down by stairs we ran up by stairs since she thought we entered in lift when we just pressed it to confuse her. We took stairs.” Cops nodded. It was clear that this mentally unstable woman managed to scare entire Society. Harish kept quiet. He was shivering. Cop came to him. Cop “ I feel you have not done anything but still I feel you need to face inquiries.” Then for long time he kept answering every question. He was having nightmares on daily basis. He was so scared of his past. Then finally Cops suggested psychiatrist. He told everything to psychiatrist. Psychiatrist listened to him carefully. Psychiatrist “ She was not trying to kill you but she was trying to remain young. It was her mental illness. She needed treatment.” “ But she was not ready. In fact sometimes I felt she might kill me in some way if I force something on her?” Psychiatrist laughed. “ She was not trying to kill you. She was trying to fulfil your dreams. Then she tried to experiment it on herself. Did you suffered from food poisoning?” He nodded. “ She gave you that potion little bit. Then she felt that your dream became true.” He was shocked. “ Which dream?” “ Do you wanted visit from your parents?” He smiled. “ Yes of course. Now they can stay with me & raise my daughter. They are so loving..” “ & she was objecting it.” He nodded. “ That day in midnight a old couple came in your house by mistake. She assumed that they were your parents. They hide. She felt they vanished since she gave you little bit. So she felt sure that it was working. Her obsession of remaining young manage to convince her to take risk. She was so stressed. She didn’t understand that those people were not her in-laws. Your dream didn’t turn true. She decided to make potion for her & drank it.” He shivered in fear. “ I still feel as if she is standing in kitchen.” Psychiatrist nodded in agreement. “You will! Spending life with her was not easy you need to take treatment for curing yourself too. It was so stressful.” He nodded. He felt so sad. He was no longer normal. He wanted his old life back. He asked quickly “ Do you think I..I can become normal like myself once again?” Psychiatrist “ Yes don’t worry. It will take time but you will become totally normal.” He smiled. He started to sense hope. He was working in same office but now he was matter of gossip. Customer wanted to see him. It felt as if he was some animal of zoo. He kept feeling so restless. But he still smiled. He kept telling his same story to each client to get business. He was getting increments by selling his sorrows. He hated himself for it sometimes but he didn’t have much option. He knew everyone wanted his story. He was getting money for it so he kept telling it. Hina was getting luxuries on it. Hina even got proper psychiatrical treatment. He didn’t want to have her any scare due to her Mom. Hina was doing great. His parents were enjoying life with him too. He was happy. But inside his mind he kept thinking about her. His wife! She was most horrible nightmare for him. She did it all to retrain her youth. Now her body was cremated young so she would never became old. He sometimes felt that in evil way that potion fulfilled her wish. Then he started to think things Psychiatrist taught her. He managed to block her memories & once again smiled. He was sure that one day as Psychiatrist told him. They would vanish. Since he could sense reduction in them. He was sure one day he would be normal once again.
The End
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