Humid, moisture laden sea breeze of Goa, welcomed me as I stepped out of the flight which I boarded from Mumbai just to meet my friend who is a famous book writer. And being a journalist, I wanted to interview her for her recent success. We first met at the events of India Today Conclave, where her new book was promoted and I happened to like the concept of her book and now that book has become a best-seller in the country. Hence I am on my way to her home, this would be my first visit at her place and I want to know more about her lifestyle.
After one and a half hours of drive from airport, finally we could locate her house. It is much isolated, but the view of the sea is aesthetic. The Horizon looks beautiful; maybe nature has played a vital role in shaping her thoughts, which she would pour out in her work. But this place is quite remote, thankfully my hotel is at Calangute. Goa has always been close to my heart and I know many places where one can enjoy and relax but this place? I cannot survive at such an isolated place.
“Hello, I am Radhika, I have come from Mumbai… I am a friend of Ivanka… I am here for an interview” I told her, she must be the maid. This woman looks forlorn.
“Come in” she said, I followed her
“Please have a seat, Ivanka must be getting ready” said the woman
“May I know who you are?”
“I am her sister, we live together” she said, she has a sister, must ask some questions to her as well.
“Oh hi, please to meet you”
“Would you mind if I ask, how do you feel about your sister’s success?” I asked her.
“I don’t feel much about anything” She said, that is a weird answer. Is she crazy or is she jealous?
“Are you a writer too?” I asked her again but she said nothing just nodded, which implied no.
“Is this an ancestral house?” I asked her.
“Yes, we all were born here, we all die here” she said, she is now giving me some chills. Why artists are surrounded by eccentric people? But she left; maybe she will bring something to eat. Just then Ivanka stepped down, she looks pretty but it seems, she is shy natured.
“Hi Radhika, how are you?” Ivanka asked, I was mesmerized by her charm. The fame is actually making her look beautiful. But why does she live in this house?
“I am fine and congratulations for your good work; I must say your work is much acclaimed now” I said.
“Thank you, so much, how was your flight, please sit, I ll make coffee for us” and she left for the kitchen.
“WILL YOU come out with me to see the backyard” said Ivanka’s sister, who suddenly materialized and scared the hell out of me.
“Oh… sure”
“You have graves in your backyard” I asked her, it was really spooky.
“Yes, this is our ancestral house, those are our grand parents' and two over there are our parents’” she said
“What about this one” I asked, pointing at the grave which was at the corner, but Ivanka called us for the coffee so we went back.
“Do you like Sea Food” asked Ivanka, I nodded yes.
“You have got a lovely house, how old is this house?” I asked.
“Oh yes, my Grandparents lived here, then my parents and now I live here” Ivanka said.
“Yeah I have seen the graves at the backyard, but what about the one which is at the corner?” I asked
“Probably, that would be the grave of some servant…I myself had asked this question to my father when he was alive. I was a kid and I was curious, but he would always say that she was very close, but never answered properly and then I grew up and lost all the curiosity” Ivanka said.
I thought of starting some conversation focusing on her work “So, this is clear that the sea, the horizon and the natural beauty made you such a nice writer, what else inspired you?”
“Most part of this question you have already answered, but apart from this my hobby to read a lot and my trust on my dreams, help me to write well” she said.
“How do dreams help you?” I asked
“ Oh well, that is your sub-conscious speaking to you and I believe it helps me a lot to write well, Plus I think, when you live all alone you really listen to yourself quite better”
“You said you live alone, what about your sister” I asked.
“Who sister?” she asked.
“your sister” I said, I looked around she was nowhere. Where is she?
“I am the only daughter of my parents” Ivanka said.
“May be she is your cousin then”I said.
“I live all alone” She repeated.
“But your sister opened the door, she took me to the backyard” I said.
“ The door must be left opened by the maid, but she has left already. You must be tired of the journey, Let me cook something for you, you will feel better” she said and left immediately for kitchen.
Curiosity took over my mind, I have to find out. “Who was this lady that took me to the backyard?” I decided to stay back that night with Ivanka. I cancelled my booking at the hotel. And when Ivanka was busy with her domestic work, which she likes to do on her own, I asked her if I could see her childhood photographs “which could be printed with the interview”, I explained her. But at least I could find some hints about that lady in the old photos. She gave me a big but old album. She never takes it out it seems. So I started searching for some hints. Nothing I could find. “Wait, what is this?” There was a letter stuck behind a picture. It says, Ivanka had a non- Identical twin, who died of jaundice when she was 3 months old. Did Ivanka know about this? I took the letter to her and she was beyond shock when she read it. The one extra grave is of her twin sister’s.
Suddenly there was a change in her expressions and she fell unconscious. I moved forward to support her and immediately a figure came out to support. It was her sister. It was baffling. “You don’t exist” I said. “Help me to take Ivanka to her bed” she said.
By now it is clear that she is a living person not dead. I was completely losing my mind but Ivanka’s sister explained that the grave outside is of their third sister, they were triplets and Ivanka is the youngest of them. But after a few minutes of her birth, their mother died and after three months their sister died of Jaundice. Their father developed a psychological disorder and blamed Ivanka for her mother’s death. A few years back Ivanka developed a mental condition where she completely ignored the presence of her living sister, for whom she has developed an immense hate because of a troubled childhood, following a self encapsulation in an isolated world. Somehow she has suppressed all her memories of her sister though she enjoys the company of a few trusted friends who know her condition and motivated her to write books. It is beyond the capacity of our thinking, but yes whatever she writes in her book, she lives it and people think that it is creatively imagined by the author…
