Friday 22 July 2016

The adventures of Shervin Formes - Mr.Formes and Mrs.Zaamla

   Part 1

Waking up and finding the moon staring at you will always make you feel special so early in the morning. But for Mr.Shervin  Formes, it was just a matter of direction of the house.
Shervin has come to the beautiful city of Iagahdu, for a short vacation. The blue hills and the clouds playing just inches from his face made him feel good. Shervin Formes was a famous detective. He hadn't told anyone about his profession in this new town, nor did he intend to.

Shervin was enjoying a drink of coffee, when she found Ms.Ulema who supplies vegetables, coming towards his home, along with her daughter. She was looking agitated, and the keen eye of Shervin Formes didn't miss that. 

'Are you alright Ms Ulema? You seem so shaky.' 

Ms.Ulema, the middle aged woman, perched herself down on the floor. She was lost in her own thoughts.
Shervin looked at the little girl, who was now worriedly looking at her mother.

'And it looks like you have brought your daughter with you today. What is your name little sweet Princess?' asked Formes.

The little girl peeled herself away from her mother, came near Shervin, bowed down a little, and said, 'Good day Sir! My name is Nina. Ms.Nina Ulema'

'Nina. That is a cute name. But, why are you here and not at school today, Nina?'
Nina smiled at being the owner of a cute name. Without missing a beat she said,'That is because my mother didn't send me to school today sir'

Shervin looked at Ulema, and asked, 'Is that so Ms.Ulema?'

Ulema looked up at Shervin Formes and her face looked gloomier than ever. 

'It is all because of little Ms.Franscella. She has been taken by Mrs.Zaamla yesterday night. So I keep Nina close, Mr.Formes'

He got his vegetables and paid her. 

'Thank you Ms.Ulema. Take care of yourself and Little Nina too'

 Part 2

Shervin Formes had heard about both Mrs.Zaamla and Ms.Franscella. Ms.Franscella was the fourth child and the only daughter of Mr.Redeer Franscella. The family was rich beyond means. 

Mrs.Zaamla was quite another story. She had heard everything about the legendary lady. Everyone wanted to tell a story about her, and it seemed Mrs.Zaamla was a very cruel lady. A very cruel ghost to be exact.

Mrs.Zaamla used to live in a very large house. Her family had left her alone and she used to sit in a bone coloured rocking chair, near her French Window and looked at the people passing by. No one knew when she lived or when she died. But the legendary Mrs.Zaamla had been existing in the city for many years. No one goes near the house any longer.  

But the legend had that Mrs.Zaamla was very fond of young children and used to give them sweets whenever a child visited her. Since any child didn't visit her after her death, it is said that she started taking a child of her choice, and the child disappeared forever. But, why she turned evil, no one was able to explain.

But, why should Mrs.Zaamla suddenly take Ms.Franscella. 

Shervin Formes had decided not to work when he first came into the city. But after years of being a detective, he couldn't keep still after hearing it.

He decided to find his own facts. 

He went for a stroll in the city.

                                                  
He was standing in front of the house of Franscella. Mr.Redeer Franscella was worriedly talking to a tall and thin man with a brown cap.

Little Ms.Franscella was said to have been playing along with her friend in a ground near Mrs.Zaamla's place. When the ball they had been playing went inside the compound of the haunted house, it was said that Ms.Franscella wanted to go in and retrieve it eventhough her friend wanted to go back home. 

When Ms.Franscella didn't return, her friend ran back home crying. When the whole town returned, Ms.Franscella was nowhere to be seen. She had disappeared, and she had been taken by the mighty Mrs.Zaamla.


The man with the brown hat had finished talking with Mr.Franscella and now was giving some orders to his subordinate.

 Mr.Formes approached the man, and said, 'Hello Inspector! It has been a long time since we saw each other.!'

The brown hat man was surprised to find Mr.Formes, and exclaimed, 'Oh Mr.Formes! It is always wonderful to see you. What are you doing here?'

'I decided to go on a vacation and here I am. But this looks like a good case to curtail the vacation. What do you say so?'

'I don't know Mr.Formes. This case makes me sick in the stomach. Small child disappears suddenly, and Mrs.Zaamla is in picture'

Formes was surprised. The inspector didn't appear to be a person who believed in ghost theories.
'So you think it is Mrs.Zaamla?'

Inspector gave a quizzical look at Formes. 'You can't exclude any possibilities in here Mr.Formes!'

Mr.Formes offered his help in the case, and the inspector was only very glad to accept it.
'I will keep you informed about things Mr.Formes'

Inspector left, and Mr.Formes looked for Mr.Franscella.

Mr.Franscella was  a man of very little words. He said he wanted his child back as soon as possible, and he didn't believe in Mrs.Zaamla.

Formes also found an old maid of the house talking to the inspector's sub-ordinate, with genuine worry etched all over her face.

Formes heard the old maid was saying, 'I adore that little brat. Only yesterday she was making a tantrum, and I made her calm down telling her stories about Mrs.Zaamla and me. I somehow feel...'

Formes interrupted the old lady and asked, 'Sorry to interrupt. But, Mrs.Zaamla and you?'

The old maid had a little smile to herself, and said, 'Yes. Mrs.Zaamla and me. When I was little, I used to play there. Mrs.Zaamla used to invite me into her house, and she used to give me sweets. My friends and I used to go there often. We even used to hide in the attic up there, which was very difficult to find. Weused to have a lot of fun. Little Ms.Franscella liked my stories. I miss her. I hope you all find her soon'

Part 3

After the visit, Formes felt tired to the bone. He decided to go home and think.
The evening fell in suddenly, and the skies decided that it was time, and the city had the first rain of the season. Formes was leaning back in his chair, and was about to take another sip of his black coffee, when the phone rang. 

It was the Inspector.

'Good evening Inspector. What is the matter?'

'It is indeed a very good evening Mr.Formes!' The inspector was in a good mood.

'Mr.Formes, I think we have found the clue to the Franscella case!'

The inspector didn't say anything further about the case, and asked Formes to come over.

 Mr.Formes was now waiting for the inspector. He came in shortly, and the relief of having solved a case was evident in the face.

'There you are Mr.Formes!'

'Where was Ms.Franscella found Inspector?'

'Ms.Franscella is yet to be found Mr.Formes.'

Formes didn't understand what the inspector was trying to say.

The inspector looked at the confusion in his face, and said,

'Here is the story Mr.Formes. As you know little Ms.Franscella is the fourth child, and all her three elder brothers are good for nothing. They are in their twenties. And Mr.Redeer Franscella has recently rewritten his will, leaving most of his wealth to Ms.Franscella, and leaving very little to nothing for the three brothers. And we found that the brothers have hired 3 persons to take away their sister, and blackmail their father for money. We have found the three brothers, and the three hired men too. In no time we will find the little girl'

The inspector looked ecstatic when he said the story.

For Shervin Formes, it seemed too good to be true.


The next day, Mr.Formes didn't think about the case. He decided that the three brothers were the culprits, and his mind was just playing games with him.

He decided to clean his room, which looked as messy as his life. 

In the evening, the rain started again. Only then he remembered, and dialled the Inspector.

'It is me, Shervin Formes. Have you found the little girl?'

The inspector let a sigh, and said,'What should I say Formes? The three brothers have admitted that they plotted the plan. The three hired persons have admitted that they indeed were present that day to abduct the little girl. But the problem is they are swearing on their life that they didn't take the child'

So, where was the little girl?

Like a person who remembered something sudenly,He left his home, with an umbrella clutched tightly and was walking towards the house of Mr.Franscella.


Part 4

On his return from the Franscella house, he called the inspector.

'Inspector, i want you to come to the house of Mrs.Zaamla.'

'But Mr.Formes, why?'

'We will meet there Inspector. I am already on my way'

The rain had stopped now. That made it easier for Formes to walk fast. He was nearly running when he reached the house.

The house was pitch dark, and Mr.Formes felt a momentary chillness pass through him, when he opened the gates of the house. He went in, and he could hear his own footsteps echo throughout the house. The flooring creaked under his steps, and his eyes were finding it difficult to adjust to the darkness suddenly. He cursed himself for not having brought a torchlight with him. 

The house had two floors, and it must have been a great place when it was operational.
Formes spotted the famous rocking chair of Mrs.Zaamla near the French Window on the ground floor. For a second or so, he thought that it was rocking. 

The rumours and stories will make even a brave man fear a little, and Formes was no exception. He looked outside for signs of the inspector. The rain had started outside, and darkness was everywhere.

He was on the first floor now, and he called out, 'Ms.Franscella! Ms.Franscella! Where are you?'

There was no reply. Only his voice was heard echoing.

'Ms.Franscella! Can you hear me?'

No reply. And after a minute or so, he felt that he heard someone walking downstairs. A chill went down his spine.

He decided to go further.
 
'Ms.Franscella! '

He heard a sound again. May be it was the Inspector. 

'Inspector, is that you?'

No reply. And another sound of footsteps. 

The fear made him walk faster, and on the second floor, he looked everywhere. No sign of Ms.Franscella. 

May be he his theory was wrong after all. When he was about to walk down the stairs, he found a hidden door, but not fully hidden behind a bookshelf. In the darkness, the sheen of the metal lock had caught his eye, and he found a room behind it.

And there was Ms.Franscella.

Part 5

Ms.Franscella was lying on a soft white bed covered with a white quilt. She appeared to be sleeping.

Formes was busy taking in the situation and he missed the unmistakable sound of a rocking chair.

Ms.Franscella was happy to be found and when they both reached the outer gate, the inspector arrived.

'Mr.Formes! Ms.Franscella! How did you find her?'

'All in good times Inspector'

After reaching the office of the inspector, Mr.Franscella was informed about his daughter, and Mr.Formes decided to enlighten the confused Inspector.

'It was nothing complicated Inspector. The old maid mentioned that she had said stories about Mrs.Zaamla to the little girl. She also mentioned about a secret room. When the three brothers of the girl didn't take away the child, she must be somewhere out of her own will. The little girl had known about the secret room. She must have planned it before. I have questioned her inspector. It was just to prove to her father how brave she actually is. She had hidden in the room for a few hours. Once she decided to come out, she had met with the three persons waiting to abduct her. She ran back to her secret place, and was waiting there, and we found her.'

The inspector was so happy and thanked Mr.Formes profusely.

Mr.Franscella came in shortly, and he too thanked Mr.Formes.

Formes said, 'It is nothing Mr.Franscella. Your daughter is indeed very brave to have stayed there. Being in that place for a few minutes had me palpitating and sweating hard. And she was there, having even taken food along with her to that place. She must have been having a picnic'

Mr.Franscella smiled at his daughter. He was so happy to have her back and she was his life.
He took her in his arms. 

'So you planned every little thing my sweety?'

Ms.Franscella was looking confused. 

'No Daddy. I didn't plan very much. I had even forgotten the food'

Mr.Formes was surprised, because he had noticed a huge pile of food near her bed.

The little girl said, 'Mrs.Zaamla gave me the food and also she gave me so many sweets.She was the one who showed me the hidden room, even before I had heard stories about it from the maid. When I went back on being chased, Mrs.Zaamla said that she will protect me. She was very kind. Only a few minutes before Mr.Formes woke me up, she was there reading me stories. Mrs Zaamla was very kind and helpful Daddy. We must go and thank her'

Mr.Franscella looked at Formes.

But all Formes could see was a bony white chair rocking itself in a dark room.

THE END

1 comment:

  1. Nice...!! Try some more thriller stories...!! ������

    ReplyDelete