The invisible danger

Usha kept observing her husband Vikas without being seen by him.He kept turning behind every second minute without watching the comic serial before him.His face wore a scary look of a haunted man.He kept clenching his fists and gnashing his teeth.

“Usha is there anyone behind me” he kept asking the same question the humpteenth time.

“No,darling.There is none in the house except the two of us.The only door to our apartment in the front is locked.Watch the serial.It is very funny.I will get you dinner.The medicines have to be taken on time” she replied.

“No Usha.He is invisible.I can feel his presence and even his hot breath when he comes close to me.I am scared he may kill me.The problem is you never believe what I say.May be you are thinking I am a nut.”

“This is a safe complex with security at the gate.No one can enter.I have seen all the three rooms.Don’t suffer from hallucinations.There is no one in our flat .Let me sit by your side.Why should any one kill you?You haven’t hurt a fly.” Usha said with a smile even as she put her arm around him

Vikas pushed her angrily”You never trust me.Your smug smile tells me clearly that you think I am deranged and imagining.You will know only if someone is after you.”

“My dear,I have full trust in you and your words.I only wanted to assure you there is no stranger here.Please .have the dinner and let us go to bed early.I will give you a tranquilser.You will feel better in the morning.” she said

She recollected the doctor’s words.”You cannot manage him alone.It is not advisable also.He is suffering from hallucinations after he unearthed some scam in office and is afraid although without any basis that big men are after him.He needs to be in sanatorium under the watchful eyes of the assistants.Please do what I advise you.Admit him immediately. He is a sick man.”

She thought with love and care along with medicines he would get better.Things are not improving.The atmosphere in the house was stuffy and the silence was killing her.She had initially asked friends and relatives to come and spend time with him.But he thought all had come to ferret out the details of what he knew and put him in danger.Usha was the only person he was comfortable with.

He refused to eat.She had to forcibly make him eat some curd rice before giving him medicines.She put him to bed, covered him with a soft sheet and had the AC on.She assured him “I will be back in a jiffy after cleaning the kitchen and putting the vessels in the dishwasher.You catch some sleep”.She dimmed the light and went out to kitchen

As he was lying on the bed he felt that Usha might be in danger from the invisible man and that he must rush to her aid.He slowly and silently tiptoed to the kitchen without wanting to alert him.He was certain he must be standing behind her breathing on her neck as he did often to him.

He saw her busy scrubbing the cooker before putting in dishwasher oblivious to the great danger lurking behind.He went behind her and plunged the kitchen knife that he had removed from the work station deep in on the invisible man’s back.She turned with a gasp and found to her horror Vikas standing beside her.
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She gave a loud shriek that was heard all over the complex.. “Oh my God! I should have heeded the doctor” she muttered even as she gasped in pain.

“You never believed me.See someone was after me and being my wife he was after you too.Do you now agree that the there was someone lurking in the house.You thought I am unbalanced in my mind.I had to come to your rescue” said Vikas

As blood was gushing out she fainted and fell on the floor. Vikas bent and caressed her cheek.”Are you ok, my dear?How come you are hurt? Poor thing, she never listened to my warnings.She will now see reason and understand what it is to be chased by unknown invisible man out to kill you”

He started crying loudly as he saw the blood all around.”Usha please get up.I am afraid you will die.The man who attacked you is still in the house and out to get me.You were adamant and had to pay the price.Open your eyes,please”

There were thuds of feet outside and the door being broken.An ambulance was soon seen rushing the lady to emergency and a police van taking the sobbing Vikas.