Continuing from my first story:
After receiving a frantic call from Barsha, Neha reached her room only to find Barsha missing and room was disheveled and disorganized.

" Barsha!! Where are you," Neha had been frantically calling while searching the room. There was no sign of her. Nothing is stolen, yet in the bedside table lies the "ring" that Akash had gifted her. It was a fiery red opal, which Barsha never took out of her finger, so it felt odd. Neha secretly considered it as reason of all recent bad luck that fallen over to Barsha. But even her casual mention made Barsha angry as she didn't believe in superstitions.

Neha felt powerless, so she remembered his friend who is a lawyer. She wanted to get his opinion before going to police.

" Hello Rakesh, Neha here," Neha said with a weak voice.
" Hello Neha, long time no see,' Rakesh answered, ' is everything alright?"
" No, Barsha is missing, and I don't know what to do." Barsha told him everything, from recent changes in Barsha behaviors, morning call about hallucinations, and her doubts about the ring.
" Neha, Neha, there is no such thing as bad luck,' Rakesh comforted her, ' I am a friend in police, I will bring him, let us see what we can do."

Rakesh brought Aman and they met Neha in her apartment room. Aman like a professional, checked every nook and corner, and he even took the ring as an evidence in a packet.
" There was no sign of struggle, this mixing and throwing is probably done by Barsha herself, as if trying to stop something." Aman said.
" Yes, she was talking about spiders everywhere." Neha added.
" Then, she must be too scared and it was her defensive actions." Lets check CCTV footages around the room to see any clue.
Aman, Rakesh and Neha went to Shops near the apartment, and requested the CCTV feeds of the morning from Barsha's call to Neha's return.
Most of footages were not much of help, except for one where they found a hazy figure of girl in nightgown, running south. In the subsequent footages in other shops in that direction, the girl was missing, as if she vanished.
" I told you, it's magic and curse of that ring." Neha was inconsolable.
" Neha, there is no such thing like curse." Rakesh said gently, " Okay, we will check this Akash guy, if you really doubt the ring."

Aman and Rakesh accompanied Neha  back to her apartment, letting her rest as they went back.

" What do you think of this?" Rakesh asked to Aman.
" I don't believe in superstitions, there must be some reasons.,' Aman continued, ' I will check the ring and see what I can get info about this Akash."
----------
Days passed, Neha took leave from her work to go back to her family. She was too scared to go back to that apartment.
One day, she got a call from Rakesh.
" Neha, come back to your apartment. Let's meet, I think we solved the case." Rakesh called.
" What? Did you find Barsha, how is she. But I am scared to go back there." Neha answered with concerns and relief.
" Barsha is alright now, thinga might have gone bad, but Aman rescued her in time. I will tell you about the ring too, come back, there is no curse. Trust me." Rakesh requested her.
---------

Now in her apartment, Neha had returned and tight now sitting with Rakesh.
" Now tell me, if it was not curse then what happened to Barsha."
" Okay let me tell from start,' Rakesh continued,' You were right about the fact that ring was the reason and Akash was the real culprit. The ring was checked in the forensics and found to have a pocket where some drugs are kept, that was slowly been infused into the person who wears the ring. That's why Barsha changed. It was positioned in a way that after a certain time, a major portion of drug will be pushed into the skin and Barsha had major psychotic episode as she run outside. Akash had planned it and kept his van stationed outside to kidnap her when she comes out.
Akash was a part of international prostitution racket. He marked potential victims in those hiking route. No one could punish them as they were not directly indicated, but your suspicions help us capture him."
" Where is Barsha, where is my friend?" Neha was shocked to hear this, she was very concerned about her best friend.
" Here she is, I took her to hospital, she had discharged today " Aman announced as he entered the room. Barsha gave a weak smile.
" Barsha, oh dear, what you have endured.' Neha shouted as she jumped to give Barsha a big hug.,' Now everything will be alright, I will be there for you.
" Thank you so much Neha for saving me." Barsha whispered.
" Now, don't take anything from a stranger" Aman said with a smile to lighten up the mood.
"I promise, no more rings" Barsha answered as she had learned her lesson.
" No more ring, " everyone shouted in unison.

© Dr. Manish Rout