All Chapters of Symbiosis: Growth of Lichens in Ochre soil: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

1 “A lie is a curse that you put on yourself. A curse that makes you remember your words forever,” a sweet voice echoed in Chan’s ears. He shook that thought out of his head and laid back on his chair staring at the false ceiling of the office. “Her words pop out at the most inappropriate times. Seems she is the curse on me,” he mumbled to himself and took a deep breathe. He straightened back in his chair and mailed the file he has been checking, to the chairman. Then he collected the papers that had been spread around on his table, put them in a file and went to see the chairman. The Lilac Works was an emerging entertainment company that primarily focused on casting actors and cosmetic products on the sideline. The company had a history of only few years and was still struggling to compete with the giants in the field. In the middle of losing profits, the company was now under auditing for fraudulent t

3 The handsome face of Chan was now purple on one side and he had bruises all over his body. He stood at the entrance of the mansion and saw that the garden was in full bloom with purple lilac flowers. When he left three days before, the plants weren’t in bloom. Now it was a purple show, so was his body. He strained himself to walk through the hallway and lounge to reach the stairs. It was an old fashioned mansion with cellar and attic. It had huge hallways and corridors along with big wooden furnished stairs spiraling its way up. The whole mansion still maintained its old furnishing and decorations which made it look like a cursed castle from ancient times. And unknown to him a figure in the shadow of a pillar was watching his struggles. Chan only remembered reaching his room and he fell into a deep sleep the next moment. The work and injuries along the analgesics pushed him into an unconscious state. Anaya and

2 While Chan was thinking about Jina, he saw a person walking through the garden along the Lilacs as a cover and entering the house. The lazy shirt and jeans outfit with a bag on the shoulders and high tied hair made Chan recognize that person as Jina. Her always calm face was now tired and she seemed to be tensed. She hurriedly went inside her room before anyone could notice. Chan saw all these and doubts filled in his brain. She wasn't home last night and it seemed like no one else knew. So, where was she and why all the secrecy? Chan also noticed some ash marks on her white face and hands that stood noticeably. It was obvious that she was up to something and Chan couldn't help but worry. Though Jina was one of the daughters of the Shaw family and meant to be pampered like Anaya, she was instead considered as a jinx by all others. She was always a weird and closed person. And whenever she spoke, something ba

1 It was Sunday and was meant to be a holiday. But for Chan, it’s the worst day of the week. It was the day Anaya went for shopping and clubbing with her friends. Naturally, Chan was the escort for the party team. Escort was just in name, and Anaya used Chan as her maid, personal assistant to carry everyone’s bags and even as a server in the party hall, when required. Moreover, he was the best cover up for everything she did, as he won’t tell on her to Mr. Shaw and can solve all the issues she made. Chan woke on time as usual and got dressed. He was planning to escape before Anaya’s call came. He got out of his room and found that Jina was room was still locked. Her absence made him wonder, if Jina had met some trouble yesterday. Then he shook off that thought and decided to focus on himself. When Chan reached downstairs, he saw Shen Shaw and his wife already leaving the house. There must be some gathering to a

3 Hani broke away quickly and sat straight as if nothing happened. Though Anaya saw what was going on, she also turned a blind eye and said to Chan in a hurry, “Chan, go and look for Ameya. She is drunk and has gone out for some time now. Her phone is here with me. I am afraid she will be in some trouble. Go and find her quickly.” Chan saw the instructions as lifesaving and went out to look for Ameya. He started with the washroom and then the nearby halls, but Ameya was nowhere to be found. Every specialized event hall was similar. There were DJ and bar, along with dance floors and other amenities. Everyone inside were either drunk or dancing. If not these two, there were pairs getting intimate under the elevated moods. Chan made a round of all the venues in their floor and stood at the fire exit thinking what to do next. On one hand Ameya was missing and Anaya was still drinking. On the other hand, Jina was no