April 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge- Chapter 18- Ring a bell

I'll Be There Beside You

Chapter 18

Today’s Idiom – Ring a bell

Meaning- to cause someone to remember something or for it to seem familiar.

When I opened my eyes, my head hurt a lot. I tried to get up and have a look at my surroundings. But my body felt sore and I fell back on the bed I was sleeping on. I guessed that I was in a hospital. But who had brought me here? As if to answer my silent query, Santhosh walked in with his hands full of medicines.

“What happened?” I asked in a hoarse voice.

“What happened? You tell me! You went alone to challenge Roy to duel? Are you out of your head? Roy beat the shit out of you. Does that ring a bell? Who do you think you are, trying to fight Roy? Do you know that Roy is a dangerous, hardened criminal who wouldn’t think twice before putting a bullet in your head?” Santhosh grilled me and I felt guilty. But I really didn’t think that Roy would start a brawl before I could start explaining matters.

“I’m sorry. How did you come to know?”

“When you were lying unconscious in the pub, one of my friends there recognized you from Trance and he remembered that I’d accompanied you that night. He called my cell and we both rushed you to the hospital. What can I say, eh? Rather you than me!” I was glad to see that Santhosh’s sportive mood had returned.

I was also glad when I learned that Roy’s assault had only created a minor concussion and I could return to my house the next day. I decided to take a few days’ leave from office since I didn’t want to be bombarded with questions regarding to the wounds on my face.

Karthik came to visit and suddenly I remembered our conversation that had been interrupted when I’d glimpsed Lalitha’s look alike, Monica.

“I knew that girl is bad news. I still don’t understand how your family agreed for this proposal.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Don’t you know? Many years ago Lalitha was found guilty of murdering a man in cold blood. She must have been around 10 or 12 years of age, I think. Rumor has it that she is mentally unstable. I mean to murder her own Chikappa, her father’s younger brother, by stabbing him to death ­– it can only be an action of an insane, psychotic person.” Karthik shook his head knowingly.

But I was shocked beyond belief. Lalitha, a murderer? How is that possible? She had never showed any violent tendencies in her actions or words. As I sat there, stunned and trying to think clearly, I felt a rage building up in my mind against my mother. I knew she was aware of Lalitha’s past and yet she hadn’t deemed it important to inform me.

I hurriedly called my mother to know why she had wrecked her own son’s future.

You can read the previous chapters here-

Chapter 1                                     Chapter 8                             Chapter 15

Chapter 2                                     Chapter 9                             Chapter 16

Chapter 3                                     Chapter 10                           Chapter 17

Chapter 4                                     Chapter 11

Chapter 5                                     Chapter 12

Chapter 6                                     Chapter 13

Chapter 7                                     Chapter 14