Dispossessions
by Vaidhy Mahalingam
|
Table of Contents parts 1, 2, 3 |
conclusion
Prakash was working with a crew of laborers he often employed, clearing up Mrs. Kelleher’s yard, cleaning and fixing up the house from inside. He had volunteered to make the house presentable for the wake, as her coffin was going to arrive that evening.
Sunita called him from the hospital to coordinate the proceedings. Patricia’s daughter would continue to stay at the hotel downtown, she said, so there was no need to set up a bedroom.
“And, oh, see if you can tie up Aisling. We don’t want any more drama. I don’t know what’s happened to that dog. Oh, what a nightmare! Perhaps you can find a cage?”
“Don’t worry. Aisling is lying quietly by my side. She hasn’t acted up in the two days you have been at the hospital.”
“Really? I don’t believe it!”
“Trust me, she is fine now.”
“Hmmm ... that’s really strange! What does that mean? Perhaps I was right. Anyway, I got to go. Please follow my checklist; I will see you in the evening at the Vigil Service.”
Prakash picked up another boxful of old issues of National Geographic, badly shredded by mice, and took it to the dumpster he had rented. He deposited the musty magazines over the old unfinished sack of Aisling’s dog food.
* * *
It was late that evening, and there were three at the table again. Only this time, it was Anne Kelleher there instead of her mother. The Trivedis and Anne had just returned from the wake and were dressed in formal funereal outfits. Sunita had dark bags under her eyes and she leaned back in her chair with exhaustion. Aisling lay quietly at Dr. Trivedi’s feet.
“Thank you so much for your help,” Anne said. “I didn’t even know you guys three days back, but you took care of everything. You two have been amazingly helpful. Listen, you got any wine?”
While Prakash went to pick a red from the rack and a couple of goblets, Sunita started tearing up again. She placed her hand on Anne’s.
“I don’t even know what to say to you. First your father, and now this. So sudden.”
“Well, my mother and I haven’t been on good terms for years. Da’s death was tough, though. Oh, I am so burnt out. How am I going to deal with this property and all that stuff? My life is complicated enough already.”
“I will be glad to help. I know a lot of people and I am retired, anyway,” Prakash offered. “Only when you are ready.”
Sunita was too destroyed to notice the twinkling in his eyes.
“Yes, yes, Prakash can help you. I know little about his work, but our friends tell me he is a real estate investment genius. He has flipped a lot of property in the last few years. He will make sure you get the best deal.”
“Thank you, sir! I might just take you up on the offer,” Anne said, raising her glass to Prakash. “We have the funeral mass tomorrow, but we can talk on Sunday if you have time. My flight isn’t till late in the afternoon. But I have to settle this dog issue, too. I skimmed through the will; Mum has left a good chunk for anyone who will take care of Aisling in the event of her death. We have to find that lucky bloke.”
“How generous of her. We will adopt her even without such a clause. She is such a darling and so fond of Sunita. Right, honey?” Prakash looked at his wife, eyes all lit up.
Sunita looked bewildered. “Uh, should we talk about this first?”
“Don’t worry, Suni. Look how she has reverted to her old self.”
“Thank you again, that’s a relief,” Anne said. “Of course, we will settle things as per the will.”
“If you insist, it’s totally up to you.”
Aisling growled softly. He bent down and triumphantly stroked her behind the ear.
Sunita stared at Aisling with puzzlement and fatigue, while Anne and Prakash silently sipped on their Merlot.
* * *
Sunita’s primal scream rudely shattered the silence.
“Aaaaah! That was it! I was right all along,” she said, voice exploding with excitement.
Seeing the bewildered look of the other two, she laughed weakly.
“Sorry to startle you, but I can see it clearly now,” she continued. “I always knew Declan’s spirit was stuck, and he was messaging Pat through Aisling. Once she joined him, they were free to leave our world. He was calling her unto him the whole time. See how Aisling is back to normal? His heavy aura was hanging over the dog the whole time. Now it is gone; I can clearly see it. Too bad it had to happen this way. If Pat had been more open-minded, we could have tried another way. It is all a big tragedy.”
She slumped in her chair and started sobbing again.
“Maybe so, maybe so,” Prakash told his wife, stroking her hair. He mouthed “never mind” to Anne, who still looked lost.
* * *
Dr. Trivedi helped Anne with her coat as her ride arrived.
“We’ll meet you at St. Ambrose tomorrow morning. Be strong!”
“I’ll be back in five minutes; I am letting Aisling out,” he yelled up the stairs to Sunita, and turning to the dog, said, “Let’s go, pooch.”
When Prakash came back to his bedroom, Sunita was on the bed in her underwear, weeping inconsolably.
“There, there,” he said, placing his hand on her back.
She pushed him away like he was a pervert on a subway train.
“How could you do this to me? How long have you been hiding this from me? I had this evil foreboding that something was wrong!” she yelled, eyes shooting laser rays at him.
“Say what?”
“I found your stash of medications when I was looking for my old Xanax prescription. What have you got? For how long? Even Google doesn’t know about this drug. Cycloflexo something. When were you going to tell me? On your deathbed? Oh, something is terribly wrong. I can tell from the look on your face. I knew it, I knew it! I knew you were up to something. Madame Meredyth told me there was a dark energy around you ...”
“Quiet! Enough already. Let me explain,” Prakash shouted in exasperation.
“I am fine. Something is terribly wrong, but not what you think. That is the drug we are developing in the lab. It is for people with neurological conditions like catatonia; used to hyperstimulate lethargic patients. I was supposed to ship it to our New Jersey lab, and I completely forgot. I better do that first thing on Monday.”
Sunita hugged her husband in relief and cried even louder.
“At least I was right about Aisling and Declan, wasn’t I?” she asked in between her sobs.
“Yes, of course, you were, honey,” Prakash answered, stroking her bare back, smiling at the pills that were going to make his dream come true, though in unfortunate ways he hadn’t expected.
* * *
“I am taking Aisling for her evening walk,” Sunita said, stepping out of the door.
Dr. Trivedi was engrossed in the details of the plan that the architect was showing on his laptop, and he perfunctorily waved her goodbye.
“Nice that you kept one room of the old Kelleher house in place, so the project doesn’t get classified as full tear-down,” he told the architect. “Saves a bit on the permit and utility fees. Now let’s talk about the price you have quoted ...”
“Hey, we Indians like a deal, but let’s not go there. You don’t need a break. I looked up what you paid for that old house, you rascal!”
“Come on, you know me. I worked something out directly with the daughter of the lady who passed away. Now, are you sure you can’t budge?”
* * *
Long after Sunita had gone to bed, Dr. Trivedi was still peering into the laptop, zooming in and out of the blueprint. If this project went as per his plan — and why wouldn’t it? — and he sold the upscale house once it was constructed, he would stand to make a profit of seven figures. Easily.
He looked up. All the lights were turned off, except for one dim hallway light. He raised his glass of single malt and watched the light through the drink, beaming in exultation.
“Sorry, Mrs. Kelleher,” he whispered, eyes welling up, speaking to the light. “I didn’t mean for you to die. I just wanted to make it easier for you to join your friend in Rossmoor by making you give up on the dog. And don’t worry about Aisling. The catatonia drug I mixed into the dog food degrades quickly. She’s fine now.”
“Woof,” said Aisling from his feet.
He set his drink down and smiled at the dog.
“Thank you for your help, Aisling,” he said. Their eyes locked for a long time. There was something deep and knowing in Aisling’s eyes.
That’s when Prakash noticed the clear blue of the eyes he was staring at were not Aisling’s but Patricia’s. He felt a waft of chilly air swirling around him.
“Thank you,” Aisling said, standing up. The voice, Patricia’s, did not come from her muzzle, but ethereally from somewhere but nowhere in the air around him.
Prakash grabbed his glass, his words frozen.
“You!” he finally stuttered.
“Yes, me. You should have listened carefully when your wife spoke. She knew what was going on.”
“She did?”
“Yes, she was right. You and I were wrong. Declan was here in this body earlier. Didn’t you see how he chased away Father Cahill?”
“Father ...”
“Anyway, you got me back together with Declan. As Sunita figured out, he was in torment, waiting for me, so he could confess and seek my forgiveness. Now that business is over, he has moved on. So, thank you!”
“You are welcome,” Prakash whispered. He was shivering like a dried-out bug caught in cobwebs.
Patricia continued, “But we are not done yet, right, pet?”
“Uh?”
“Once I freed Declan from his torment, he could move on. But I can’t — not until I ensure Aisling will keep her birthright. I told you I wanted Aisling to have the freedom to roam in her own patch of land until her last breath. Didn’t I?”
“You did? I don’t understand? She’s just a dog! Why does a dog need land? She doesn’t even know what land is. Look, I am just a poor boy from Lucknow who grew up dispossessed ...”
“And I am just a poor little dog, who, unfortunately, has become possessed,” Patricia chuckled as Aisling leaped towards him, baring her fangs.
Prakash choked on the rest of his words. As his heart froze, his lungs emptied, and his tears ran dry and the only sound he heard was Patricia’s soft, cackling laughter.
Copyright © 2026 by Vaidhy Mahalingam
