Chapter 6 A New Family

• Turning behind I saw nothing. 'Must be field rats' I thought, looking at the rice fields behind the house and kept walking .
• A small room led to a big hall and it was here that the smell was more prominent. My torchlight illuminated heaps of cardboard boxes lying on the floor all packed with dolls. So this was Raghu's godown, I told myself. Did he live nearby or his friend had misguided me ? As the light shone on one of the boxes, a barbie doll's face peeped from inside the transparent cover.. I could recognize the company's logo instantly. As I began to open the top cover an uneasiness gripped me . Then I realized this one had a different face. And also a different body.
• This was ridiculous. It was an older version of Nisha, in fact an old lady wearing a gown and not a young girl wearing fancy dress . Her skin was shrivelled of age and hair dry and unkempt. Out of curiosity I took the doll in my hand and watched it open its hazelnut brown eyes. Wondering why it wasn't introducing itself, I checked the battery holder. It was empty. Suddenly the lips of the thing quivered and I clearly heard it say 'Go back home. You still have time to save your wife and daughter. Go before it's too late'. It was then that I noticed the identity card worn around her neck. It had also got shrinked from its normal size and I had to strain my eyes in reading the name Sister S. Gomes, St. Mary's Convent School, Ballygunge. I didn't knew whether I was in a trance, seeing and hearing things, but suddenly I wished I could fly back home.