I remained silent. I did not know what to say to that. I myself could not know why my dad did not prefer to say anything about that even to his brother's wife also. In fact he treated my aunt just like his own sister and they were so intimate with each other.

"Anyhow dear, please be careful. It may be something related to your safety."

"Oh, Dazzle. Don't worry too much about that. It surely something related to your businesses." When I have said the same to my close friend Viola, she said.

After my dad one of the closest things to me is Viola. She is not just a friend, in fact a part of me. We knew each other from the moment we got knowledge about ourselves. We studied in the same school and in the same college until our graduation was over. I have to join in MBA keeping in view the vast businesses we have and Viola picked psychology in which she is interested from the beginning. In fact I am also very much interested in psychology not just because Viola interested in it but because psychology is indeed a very interesting thing to me also. But I have to force myself to study business administration not just because my dad wanted me to study it but because I also want to help my dad.

"I never have heard my dad agitated like that." I said. "It is appearing really very odd to me."

"What about George?" Viola suddenly said. "It may be somehow related with George."

"George? How dad would have become agitated like that by George?" I was puzzled. George is the C.E.O. in our conglomerate. He manages and almost has grip on all over all the businesses we have. He joined in our organization when he was quite young. He has beautiful qualifications and he proved himself many a time. But on many an occasion my dad and he got differences in between themselves. Sometimes he really has become a headache to my dad. On one or two occasions George threatened to go out of our conglomerate but my dad did not let him go.

There was some reason in what Viola has said on that day. Now also I am thinking somehow this George might be the reason for my dad's agitation. But I cannot convince myself so. George sometimes irritated my dad, but he never has any malafide intention, always he proved himself quite useful to us. In fact this George irritated me also on more than one occasion. Whenever we have an argument about our businesses in between us both, he always wins. I cannot deny his logic and reason but that irritates me even more. The thought that this man irritated my dad in the past is creating lot of anger in me on him.

'Oh, my God' I am feeling terrible headache. I am having no migraine and this headache is only because of my over thinking. Why my dad agitated like that on that day and what was that much important thing that he wanted to discuss with me then, making me quite uneasy. Is there no way at all that I do know about that?

I suddenly lost my mood to go to the office and wanted to rest myself for some more time. While I am going into my bedroom Williams came across to me.

"Would not you go to the office on this day?"

I looked straight into his face. There is a sort of innocence in him. Despite having thirty years of age he would not bother about anything at all. He does not have any interest in the vast properties we are having. What benefit he really would have by spending his time with that black world I cannot understand.

"I am feeling headache. I want to take rest for some more time." I don't want to irritate but I cannot help being irritated. All these people left all the burden to me and they are enjoying their lives.

"Headache? But why?" his face turned into a question mark.

"I am having a head. That is the reason for my headache I think."

Williams laughed loud. "You really do have good sense of humor."

"Wil. All these businesses have become too much for me. Why should not you help me?" I got irritation on myself. I asked him many a time before also. I know what would be the Williams answer to my question. But why I have asked him like that?

Williams hissed out heavily and said. "Are you really thinking that I would be a help to you? I don't have much education. I don't know anything about these businesses. Instead of being helpful, I become a burden to you."

"You are really very lucky brother." Without looking back I straight went into my bedroom again. I tossed myself onto the bed and closed my eyes forcing myself to sleep again. I learnt some techniques from Viola to put myself into sleep whenever I want but this time they don't seem work for me at all. Thoughts are mercilessly invading me again.

Why I have felt the touch like that on my buttocks in the bathroom while bathing? I just cannot understand. It could not be my imagination at all. For a moment I thought I was really rubbing at that place with my hands and one thing that made me grasp it were not my hands was the roughness in it. I was completely nude and someone dared to rub my buttocks! Except my close relatives and friends, and that George, no one can dare even to look into my eyes. The atrocity of those hands! A shudder took place all over my body and I am raged. I know how my face looks like if I do look into the mirror then. Slowly that rage turned into surprise and fear. Why I have such a feeling? However hard I am trying I just cannot take it as my imagination.

I am involuntarily started thinking about the recent past. My mind is picking up the very tiny details also now. I am hearing strange sounds recently. I am feeling that someone is calling me from a faraway place. Even I am hearing that voice in very low sound it is having a pulling force. Whenever I have heard that voice I am feeling someone pulling me towards it with an unseen strength. I am thinking all the time just because I am distraught completely because of my dad's death, I am feeling too much and imagining so. But on this day's experience in the bathroom is making me think all about that also again and again. If it has not been so till now, I would not take my bathroom experience this seriously. Is there something happening to me? Why I am feeling in this way?

"Don't you want to go office at all on this day?" I opened my eyes and looked straight.

It is Williams again. He is looking straight onto me. I don't know but suddenly I am feeling strange calmness and peace in me. I sat up on the bed. "No I have no mood to go to the office on this day."

"But why?" he sat on the edge of the bed. "You are so much interested in work and punctual always."

"Who said I am interested? As there is no one else I have to force myself onto that." I hissed out heavily. "What are your programs on this day?"

I am observing him and he is not looking at me now. What type of person this Williams is? Why I cannot understand this man even I have grown up along with him? Williams is four years or so older to me. Always so supportive and so encouraging. But however much I plead he just would not bother about our businesses. Somehow I understood his problem also. He could not concentrate much on education and he cannot understand these business matters.

"Not anything in particular." His voice is plain and I cannot find any flavor in it.

"What you really want to do with your life?" I asked him straight. I think I have asked this question for the first time to him.

He immediately turned his head towards me again. Frowns gathered on his forehead. "What should I do with my life?"

"Oh, my god!" I got off from the bed, went near to him, standing beside him and put my hand on his shoulder. "When do you start taking your life a little seriously?"

I am seeing some confusion in his face. "I cannot understand. What is wrong in living like this?"

That thirty years or so man now is appearing to me like a small boy. How anyone can be such innocent? Without any planning whatsoever for life?

"Don't you want to marry? Don't you want to lead a happy married life?"

"Marriage and family life are not for me." He hissed out heavily.

"Why they are not for you? Why you are thinking that you are different from all of us?' I sat beside him now and put my hand around his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

He smoothly took off my hand from his shoulder and smiled. "I cannot say. There is no answer to this question. I..........just .........I ..........just want to lead a lonely life. I love to be alone."

Now I am helpless. But I foresaw this. I am not thinking that I can change him. Anyhow talking like this with him gave me some more mind shift.

"But what about this voodoo, black magic, witch-cult etc.? What would be the use of these? How you have attracted towards these?"

He is not saying anything but hung his head. I cannot understand what feeling is going on in him then.

"We both have played together and grown together, I always felt we both are so intimate with each other. How you have become such alien to me? Why cannot I understand you fully?" I am feeling surprise hearing myself so. There is a pathetic note in my voice.

"We have grown together, we played together but you are quite young to me." He is smiling now. "That may be the reason you cannot understand me full."

"But do you understand yourself then?"I know that I am hurting him but I cannot stop asking the questions like this. I just cannot bear the feeling that he is enjoying a happy free life while I am suffering like this with our several businesses.

Once again he is looking into my face and as I expected there is some hurt in it. "You want to hurt me on this day, don't you?" he is smiling again.

"Whatever you may think, I want to ask these questions to you." I am feeling a little satisfaction and little guilty also. I love and like this Williams a lot. He is such a good brother to me. I don't want to hurt him either.

Williams is not saying anything at all. His face is expressionless like a stone.

"Why don't you think about your mom either? Aunt does not like your living like this. She wants you to lead a happy married life." I paused for a moment before continuing. "Dad also wants you to lead a disciplined life looking after our businesses properly."

(..........to be continued)

(I hope you enjoyed it so far. Please don't forget to rate and review it. I update the next chapter as early as possible.)