The lady pianist

Curiosity is natural. It is not a sin. It’s quite natural of having a curiosity to find out things which we are not supposed to know; do the exact opposite of things which were told not to, only to find out what would probably happen; what’s on the other end and so on… People have a tendency to know about “WHAT, WHY, WHO, HOW, WHEN” and so on… This is a story of a curious fellow, Desmond.

Desmond is a businessman. Very successful, less-social yet a known figure among business kings. Des never had the time to go on vacation. Still, he covered almost half of the world in the name of business meetings. He was happy that way too. However, his desire was to visit Paris. Not as a part of his work, but as a tour. When his stars were in the right place, one such opportunity came. A meeting held in Paris. This time, he decided to stay for 2 weeks long, to have his vacation. He was then driven to Paris, the land of love.

Des happily got done with his purpose. He checked into a hotel, in which he had to climb 2 flights of stairs to reach his room. Room No – 13 D. Every day on his way to the room, he automatically stops by 12 D, which is exactly below his room. Now coming to why he stops by that room…

Every time he passes by 12 D, any time, he could hear a piano playing. At first, he ignored. Curiosity came over when he noticed that the piano plays every time in that room. Out of the same curiosity, Des once peeped through the keyhole. He saw a beautiful woman (well he couldn’t say for sure she was as he couldn’t see her face), her back against the door. A brunette in a white gown, playing the piano. Ok. He found out the answer to his curiosity “WHO”.

Curiosity never ends… the very next question was “WHY”. Why she was playing it every time??? Peeping through the keyhole became a habit for him. Whenever he looked, it was, all the same, he could see. One day, when his curiosity couldn’t resist, he took a peep-in and knocked on the door. The playing stopped. He expected her to look at the door, but she didn’t. She just tilted her head half-way to turn around but stopped right there. He could only figure out that she was fair. She didn’t seem to get up, and to his surprise, she sat back into her position and started playing a gentle music. He felt ashamed and more curious.

Two days after he did the same, only to get the same response. He was eager to see the pianist’s face. For one or the other reason, unknowingly he started to have strange feelings for her. His curiosity and impatience was a bad combo. He started knocking on the door in an intention to get her out every time. Every time he got disappointed. He would peep-in first, see that she is there, and knock on the door and peeps again to see her sitting idle. When this became a regular scene, he grew angry.

One day, with full anger he hit on the door. When he peeped in, he couldn’t see her, or the piano. Only the wall with a painting nailed on it. But it was playing before he banged the door. Des understood that she shifted her position. He was feeling so much ashamed and realized that she pitied him. Never in his life had he had to face such a situation. “If I am such a menace, why couldn’t she come out and yell at me at least?” he thought. He knocked on her door every day, only to listen to the music stop playing, and see the painting on the wall. Earlier, he could see her back at least. Now it’s only the wall. All the emotions started stirring up within him, and he lost his cool.

One day, when he was ready to knock on the door, he noticed something. Music has stopped playing. In fact, she has either stopped playing or has moved out. He couldn’t resist himself to peep in. He could see nothing but some red-black shade. He understood then that she is still inside, and knew that he used to peep-in. To prevent that, she has kept something at the keyhole. Now he could see nothing but red. Humiliated, he banged on the door. Nah… She didn’t have any intention to come out. He never stopped his routine from disturbing her. She never failed to disappoint him.

The time of his vacation was coming to an end. It was his dream to be in Paris for leisure. First time in his life he took a vacation and received only disappointment in the land of love. He couldn’t extend his vacation. His curiosity, eagerness, anger, and disappointment grew when the time of his departure was close. Before leaving Paris, he wanted to take one last chance with her. He did, and as usual, failed. Before leaving the door side, he spoke that he is leaving Paris in the next hour, hoping that she would hear. He heard footsteps fading. Eagerly, he took one last peep and saw the wall again. She removed whatever that was kept over the door hole when he told that he was leaving that day. Portraying himself as a complete failure, he left the floor.

Before checking out, he asked the receptionist who was she. The receptionist looked at him in wonder and asked, “You don’t know??”

He could see that everyone who was present near them was looking at him with widened eyes. Some were grinning. “Ooh… so everyone here but me knows about her!!”

The receptionist said, “She’s a pianist, sir. Lady Claire. She checked into this hotel a long time back. She rarely came out of that room. She plays that piano every time.” Desmond was confused. “Creepy thing is…” continued the receptionist, “she still plays the piano, even after we buried her.”

Desmond couldn’t believe what he heard. All the while he was after a ghost??

“She committed suicide 7 years back. We found her corpse beside the piano, and we buried her. It seems like she needs that room. That’s why we kept it closed. Everyone knows about her, none lingers much around her room. She owns the room. Not much scary for a ghost though.”

Desmond didn’t know what to think. “There’s something else about her.” Des looked up at him with weak eyes.

“HER EYES WERE RED.”