I woke up on the hospital bed, my head aching and, the sounds of the ECG machine beeping. I tried to look around, I heard murmurs, of some stitches, I touched my head and realised that it was me...

I fell back on the pillow, "Slowly" said the voice of the child whom I had spotted at the graveyard... Who are you, I fumbled, hastily the nurse intervened. "He and his father brought you here, you need some rest, save talking for later".

I nodded and complied.

But the child intervened, "Who are you? What were you doing near mommy...dad says we're related..."

I asked meekly for his father, he pointed to the hallway. I was still sore, bleeding had barely stopped I drowsed back again.

I woke up in the morning, feeling much better. Wait, morning or days later I knew not, but my stinking breath could.

The child still sat beside me. I gave him a smiling look...

He ran out, calling his dad...

Meanwhile, the doctor checked my pulse and monitored my blood pressure. He said, "You're lucky they got you here in time".

Meanwhile, I saw the old man, who had often been warning me around, come and sit stooping beside my bed.

He looked much older than me for sure. Before I could ask anything, he trailed off. I should have told you about everything way earlier...  "Your dad was rusticated from a job years ago after your mom got to know about it, she married my younger brother.

But keeping your father in the dark, ate her from inside, few months after giving birth to your younger brother, she expired. When your father found out, he had a duel with his competitor in which both died.

I am the eldest, of 3 brothers. major brother... Major supported your father, and we brothers supported your mother, from thereon the rift began.

My great-grandfather knew the realm of the spirit world and wrote those scriptures.

I thought I had hidden them well, but as destiny would have it, you found them..."I should have handed you over this letter a long time ago, but couldn't bring myself to it...I said Kohinoor after your mother's death... She made me swear, that I wouldn't ever tell you or let you hurt"

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he said those lines.

 It's my turn soon, take good care of your brother"

Saying this, he got up quicker than I had expected and went away... It took me a couple of moments to process what had transpired...

I saw the child, clenching the chipmunk I once possessed, standing near me. I opened the letter hastily...

"Dear son,

By the time you finish reading this letter, I will be on the other side of this universe.

I made several mistakes, hid a lot of things, and performed many spells, that made the spirit world unrest... It's time for me to complete the last one today.

You need not know more about it.

The inheritance, Bills, were all a lure, I wanted for my younger child. your brother, little did I know you were having your encounters too.

It was my foolishness that almost got you killed several times...but I did it all for my brother's son... believe me, I held nothing against you and I'll prove it.

The coin is your inheritance, keep it safer than your life. I cannot explain more about it, spirits forbid me. You'll never find the inscription book ever again. Do not worry about the graves, all deceased are at rest. I have set everything back. Take care of yourself and this little one.

Love,

Your step uncle.."

I was not shocked, I was frozen...had the puzzle pieces put themselves altogether in the right section, or had my journey been set to unrest forever, I understood not.

The child told me that I had hit a cross, while I fell and got injured.

A few days later, I was able to get discharged...

I went to see that Mom's tombstone was erected in the new graveyard...

Father and stepfather's grave was in Delhi too, I came to know from the child, but I was hesitant to visit. When I finally went, I found three graves, and an old man's tombstone there too.

All well placed... I checked my belongings, money bills and deed were gone... Coin remained.

I took the child along with me, back home, knowing not what the future held. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months...my bond and affection with the stepbrother had grown. If not inheritance, the parallel universe had at least given me some answers if not all, and even a loving child.

My mental health began to improve, I found myself a new job, and the scripture book had gone. I hung all the photos on a wall and never dared to go to the cemetery nearby, where I once went for solace... Things had begun to transform.

Even the child was recouping from the old man's death and seemed happy around me. His favourite toy seemed to be the chipmunk, which was mine in childhood... I felt sorry for both mom and dad...

And prayed for their soul to rest in peace, whatever might have taken place.

Then one eventful night, I woke up with a thud... It was screams and shadows all around.

The child was sitting on the floor, with a salt circle and hex and candle in the midst.

I tried to call him out aloud, but he seemed to smile eerily at me... The scripture book was gone... what had happened... which spell had he... and how did he? Before I could process my thoughts, the child asked in a hoarse voice, "The coin".

Extending his hand...I was petrified...

I shakily handed it over quickly.

Soon the child put it in the burning fire and lit his throat...

I screamed at the top of my voice...

The neighbors started to knock, blood was splattered all around, I didn't know what to do I couldn't open the door. I said loudly, it's nothing, just a bad dream.

The knocks stopped.

I sat closing my arms on my knees in a corner of the bed, waiting for what would happen next.

Nothing, blood, more blood, and a lifeless child's body. I tried to muffle my screams.

And sat the whole night...

I wish it would all vanish and turn the same next morning like earlier... Nothing much happened. I had to call the police, who investigated, checked, and announced it as a case of suicide. Knowing not what to do, when I was handed the body back, I took it to the scripture grave and buried it next to the one that already existed.

I was inconsolable for months... after all why!! He was my sole family left. One day as I looked at the chipmunk, my long-held scream-filled tears burst out...

I took it and threw it on the floor, with sudden rage. All this would never have happened without Major's brothers' intervention...

My mom, dad, everybody was gone.

Just then the chipmunk started singing, "To you, I bring the world back, may your life come back to track". I couldn't listen more, this sure wasn't regular...

I stopped the tape and tried opening up the stuffed toy. It was hard, it had survived years and decades, and it was good material.

Finally, I tore it open with a knife and took out the battery.

Later that night, I sneakily went to the graveyard of my great-grand-uncle and my brother, dug open the child's grave, and checked around, letters with hexes and meanings were written.

Spell to get job back, spell to regain sanity, spell to get lost things back... all in English.

I cried hard and covered it again... as I sobbingly lit a candle again, I saw arrows, leading towards the tree, this time not of flowers but blood. I followed them, knowing the drill, I looked inside the tree bark.

Instead of the scripture book, I found a spell written on a page, "Spell to re-enter the lost universe". I took it, unsurprised, as I retracted my path, I found money bills and deeds on the way, I collected them too...

He had proved to be more than a brother... sacrificed all... I went on my way back home, muttering it's my turn now.

A few months later, office bickering and chitchat surrounded the existence of ghosts and reincarnation...

While everyone laughed and expressed opinions, they forcibly directed the question towards me, "Hey, do you believe in reincarnation?"

After being stoic for a while, I said, "Do you not?"

Just then my deskmate said loudly, "Hey, did his eyes just turn colour"

Others laughed, no silly must be new contacts, you just noticed. 

Nice wear buddy.

I remained expressionless, got up, and moved on.

.    .    .