It's just the beginning

“Go, arrange the candles, fast! Hey you, bring out the gift just in time, as I have told you, okay?” a lady in mid-forties instructed her servants. She wore a red gown and was looking for her husband. Th swift movement of her body, in unison with her eyeballs, could tell anyone the state of hurry she was in. A smile spread on her face when she found him.

“Oh Harry, where have you been? Everything going as we decided, eh?” she asked her husband who was attired in a black suit.

“Yeah darling, don’t you worry, everything’s as per the plan,” he assured her, firmly enclosing her hands inside his. He could feel the excitement she was in.

“Okay, now put out…”.

“Aaaa…..”.

A sharp shriek from the above floor drew broke into the melodious atmosphere. The couple rushed towards their son’s room. They knocked the door.

“Smells like burning.” Another shriek echoed the house and was enough to give goosebumps to anyone who might have heard it.

The husband broke open the door to find it engulfed in fire. The sight of their son crouched in a corner and screaming at the top of his voice, surrounded by fire paralysed them with terror.

A moment passed.

The mother started crying and shouting, calling for help while the father rushed to the nearest washroom. He returned with a bucket of water and was about to throw it at the fire when one of the guests held him back,“ Electric sparks can be a cause.” Knowing that this could be a possible reason and indeed a probable one, he dropped the bucket and rushed towards the room, going as near possible. He undid his blazer and threw it towards his son.

“ Son, wrap yourself with this,” but the young boy, crouched in a corner, was not able to look up, his eyes tightly closed.

Then one of the servants rushed in with a fire extinguisher and launched attack on the fire. He was followed by two of his mates. Together, they tried to pull the boy out of the room, but in vain, he was still shouting and no matter what,was not opening his eyes.

In the mean time, the firefighters arrived. The fire was controlled in a span of about fifteen minutes, which seemed like fifteen hours to everyone. The boy was hurried out of the room. He was still shivering, his whole body was drenched with sweat, eyes still not fully open, stains of tears on both his cheeks and his heart thumping hardly against his chest. Seeing his state, the mother got desperate and ran towards him and pulled him in his arms.

“I’m here now,” she said in a comforting tone, “everything will be fine” and buried his face in her chest.

“ Now look up dear”.

The boy opened the eyes for a split second to confirm if it really was his mother. Though, it wasn’t much of a time, she was able to sense the fear in his eyes that had turned red.

The birthday celebrations were canceled and the guests, barring a few relatives, returned.

The day flew by. It was night at its full darkness. Everyone in the house was sleeping, except the mother and the father.

“Harry, even today, Anwar did not let anyone sleep with him. I’m scared for him,” the mother spoke so hurriedly that the listener was not able to make out much of what she said.

“Calm down, darling, everything’s fine and didn’t you see that despite such a fire, Anwar is has no burns,” he paused,” isn’t that miraculous!”

“You don’t know Harry, I sensed something different in his eyes today.”

“It’s all your illusion, dear, so now sleep.”

A sudden shriek from Anwar broke the silence of the house. Everybody rushed towards his room. The mother hurried to his bed and tried to put him in her arms. His forehead as well as the whole body was sweating, his eyes closed, his whole body was shivering. Suddenly, his arms started trembling, his fists tight, “Go away, leave me ,go away!” he shouted in shaking voice, and his dream broke. He was in his mother’s arms. She saw the same red eyes again. It sent chills through her spine. Tears rolled down her eyes. His eyes widened, a strange smile occupied his space, he mumbled something, and again fell asleep. The mother who watched this closely started crying. The husband placed his hands over her shoulders and pressed lightly,” Tomorrow, we’ll be going to the doctor.”

No one slept that night in the house, except a few kids. The scary event had blown away their sleeps.

Next day, the couple took their son to the doctor. Throughout the journey, Anwar kept on asking why he was being taken to the doctor which added to the nervousness of his mother.

The doctor was made acquainted of the incidents that happened the previous day, before the check-ups he was to undertake.

After doing all the tests and talking to Anwar for about an hour, the doctor called in his parents. Only his mother entered the room.

“ Sorry doctor, Harry had to leave for some work.”

“Oh no problem, none at all. Please take a seat!”

The lady sat in front of the doctor.

The doctor began the enquiry,” Are there any such incidents before this one?”

“No, really none of them have ever happened since we came to be a part of his life.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Actually Anwar is our adopted son. We found him some 14 years ago. I and Harry were on a vacation trip in Teronica( a hill-station) near an abandoned house. We waited there whole day for anyone to return but it seemed the boy was abandoned along with the home. Since, we could not have our own son due to medical issues, we decided to adopt him.”

“Does he know this?”

She nodded her head.

“Well, then in that case, I think that he considers the two of you as too high idols of his life that he will ever complain to you of any problem he faces.”

She dropped her head in her hands and took a deep breath,” So maybe, this is why he is so inexpressive.”

“Possibly.”

“But what all has it to do with his behaviours we told you about?”

“Actually everything, you may not be knowing that you son is suffering from pyrophobia.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“Well, a person suffering from pyrophobia is scared of fire, and by what I can see, your son is serious case and moistened.”

Her eyes dilated.

“Listen, Mrs. Harry, you have to hold the nerves. There’s a doctor-cum-psychiatrist in Japan and he is really good in handling such cases. I’ll mail you his address and other such stuffs. You contact him.”

She nodded.

“Okay, thank you doctor, see you then.”

She wore a fake smile and walked out of the cabin.

Anwar was looking out of the window.

The sound of her footsteps broke his reverie.

She embraced him and said,” You’ll be fine, dear and very soon”, more to herself.

Outside the window, the sun was embracing the horizon.