Episode 10

I pack my stuff in the bag and we all get ready to go. Me and Teena couldn't contain laughter. She puts her hand on mouth and laughs without making noise. I fail to do the same. I laugh out and keep laughing till we step into the elevator.

"What's wrong? Why are you two laughing? ", asks Kabir.

"I remembered your joke. you are so funny. I can't stop laughing ", I answer.

"Okay why is Teena laughing? she doesn't find my jokes funny"

"May be she does now"

Teena stops giggling and gives me a look.

"Really Teena?"

Teena doesn't say anything. I laugh louder.

We get to the lobby. We step out.
The same Oldman greets us.

"I'll call the driver", he says politely.

"No, no please. We'll go somewhere to eat first", I reply.

"You don't have to go anywhere. We have a dining room. You can eat here"

"for free?", Kabir asks.

"Yes sir"

"Oh no please", I say.

"But why ? it's free", Kabir and his growling tummy says.

"Okay let's check it out ", Teena suggests.

"Oh just because Kabir wants to eat here", I say and laugh.

"Stop it Candace ", Teena says gritting her teeth.

Kabir blushes. Teena stamps the floor.

"Shall we proceed then? " , the old man asks.

"yeah please quickly", Kabir says.

We follow the old man to the dinning room which lies just behind the lobby. He takes us from a huge entrance. In front of us stands and longs dining table. It is made of golden yellow wooden and covered with white sheets. Chairs are covered with white cloth. We can't see what they actually look like but it's clear that they lack arm rest.
The man gestures us to takes seats. I sit down in one of the chairs and take a look around. The walls are golden and there are painting hanging on walls. They are probably paintings of people who owed this Palace. Many golden and silver alternately arranged chandeliers hang from the ceiling. There is a row of chandeliers hanging over the dining table. They have unlit candles. The carpet is red and clean. over all the dining room is huge. While I admire the dining room Kabir asks to bring the food. The Oldman gets us the food in his trolley. He serves us, chicken dipped in gravy, different types of breads, sauces, pastries and salads.


"This is to wash your hands", says he giving us a silver vessel and some water. "Sir, I think you would like to wash your face too"

"Face? No I am alright" , replies Kabir.

"Sir, I think should your face"

"Why? what's wrong with my face? "

"Nothing, you just look sleepy. Washing your face might make you feel fresh"

"Yeah, you are right I was asleep before coming down"

"In this direction, sir", the old man points away from the dining table.

Kabir gets up and leaves. Me and Teena exchange a look and laugh.
After some moments Kabir comes back with a flushed face. He is red with embarrassment and anger. He walks to his chair sits down.

"Really you two?", Kabir whispers chewing his food.

"I am sorry Kabir ", I say giggling.

"I am not sorry Kabir", Says Teena and sticks out her tongue.

Kabir throws his spoon at Teena. Teena saves herself by ducking her head.

"Bad aim Teeny", Teena laughs.

"Not fair Teena. Now save this", I say and throw lettuce leaf at her.

"Candace", Teena screams as lettuce sticks on her nose. She pulls it out. And looks at me with a grumpy face.
Kabir starts laughing.

"What? Don't look like that at Candace", Kabir says. "Instead take revenge", he says and shoots one by one sliced carrots at me.

Teena laughs and she throws every item in her salad at me. I throw breads at them. Together we create food war in the room. We laugh and throw food at each other. Our cheeks and tummy hurt of laughing.
The Oldman comes back upon hearing the noise.
Suddenly we all stop and look at each other and look around to the mess we made. There's food everywhere. The Oldman looks at us and then to the mess. He goes out and closes the door.
We exchange gazes and laugh together. Afterwards we finished eating quickly as get ready to leave.

"Do you think we should clean this? " , Kabir asks

"I don't know" , I reply.

"May be we should ask him", Teena suggests.

"Who will ask? ", I ask

"you do it was your idea", Kabir says.

"Yeah but you started the food fight"

"Guys, guys. let's just ask okay", I say.

The oldman walks in. And we look at him.

"Are you done? " , he asks.

"Yes", Teena says.

"You need anything else?"

"No"

"Yes", says Kabir

I and Teena look at him in confusion.

"Can I take few pictures of this room, please?", Kabir requests.

"Yeah sure"

We click few pictures together on dining table. We also took pictures of paintings on the walls and chandeliers. We leave the room thanking and apologizing for food and the mess respectively. The Oldman being polite doesn't complain.

"Mail me the pictures Kabir", I tell Kabir.

"Yeah you lost your phone to the bin", Kabir laughs.

"Yeah yeah ", I make noise.

The Mercedes arrives and drops us to our office. From there I come to my apartment. I sit with my laptop to check if Kabir has sent me the pictures. I open the mail and find the pictures. I look at images one after the other smiling and giggling. The day was well spent except than phone thing of course. I think of apologizing to Mr Carter. Mr Carter appears in the picture. I rub my eyes and look again. A picture of a man who looks like Mr Carter. Exactly like him. I scroll back and forth and look again. What a coincidence I think. The painting must be very old. May hundreds of years old. How is this possible! or may be it is what it is. Did he notice that? Is that the reason why he bought the palace? Or he come to know after buying it? I don't get. Any way I think I shouldn't think.

*******

Next morning, at work place. We three work quietly. Mr. Carter sits on the chair observing what I am doing. What am I doing? I think of the painting and steal glances at Mr. Carter. To see dosage actually look like the painting or am I hallucinating.

"Is everything okay Miss Candace? " , Mr.Carter asks.

"Yes sir"

"I thought you can't concentrate "

"No, nothing "

"You sure? "

"Yes sir", I say without looking at him.

My heart pumps faster. I stop take a long breath and exhale. I step down the ladder right into the empty plastic bucket. I slip and almost fall. Teena and Kabir attempt to run towards me but froze. I stabilize myself and stand out of the bucket. I look to see if Mr Carter sees all this. He does. My heart started to pump even faster. I turn around and start painting again. I feel adrenaline doing its thing. I keep painting till I am done with the whole wall.
I feel tired and I sit down. I spread my legs and sit against the other wall. My head spins.

"Are you alright?", Teena enquires.

"No, why? "

"Because you are crazy", says Kabir.

"Yeah I am feeling crazy. I am too tired"

"No, that's not what I mean", Kabir tells.

"I am exhausted and I think I'll go crazy. My head is spinning "

"Of course you must be exhausted, You have painted the whole wall in half an hour"

"half an hour? but I feel like I have been working since forever"

"No, dude. It's just half an hour. It took you nearly 5 hours to paint one fourth of the wall and today you painted the remaining in just half an hour. how? "

"I don't know "

"What?"

"It's scary, man"

"Are you possessed? "

Teena and Mr. Carter stay silent throughout the whole conversation.

"I think you need some rest", Teena says holding my arm trying to make me stand on my feet.

"Yeah and some food", I say.

" Yeah sure"

Teena helps me to sit in the chair. Kabir stares at me continuously.

"That's inhuman you know", Kabir says

"Shut your mouth Kabir. Some people are gifted. Candace is just one of them. She can draw good and draw fast"

"Okay if you say so"

I head down on the table and ask for water. Teena grabs her bag pack, takes out a water bottle. She opens the cap and help me drink the water.




Thanks for reading I hope YOU ENJOYED IT. Do read previous episodes if you haven't already.
Stay tuned to find out if Candace is possessed or gifted.

By the way whose side are you? Kabir or Teena?

THANKS
Love

Use #mlpl



© All Rights Reserved