As I woke up, I looked around no one had come to my rescue, and blood from my nose had stuck to the dirty cloth on my mouth...

I looked around, people seemed to be walking as if unaware of my presence, I tried to get up but failed badly...

Sinking back to the floor, I painfully dragged my bag towards me and took out my old, stale, cold sandwiches...

I had to get something inside, to be able to get moving...

Just then I saw a small child, come close and stand next to me...

I realised he wanted food...

Unable to say a word I handed him over my sandwiches...

I was here on a loose, money bills, old woman's track, dad's records, blood, and now my food...

The expedition seemed getting more successful!!! I said that to be ironically.

I sat up after a while, and I realised I still was seeing things blurred...

I checked around, dust and wind would soon make my injury worse, realising that, I got up and headed towards my hotel...

I fell asleep after eating half of the food with difficulty which I had ordered.

When I woke up that evening, I felt better...

Luckily bleeding had stopped.

Assessing my physical condition, I checked up for the list of work I was here for...

I had lost the old woman, I opened the bag, took out the photo album and checked, it had many faces I didn't recognise... I was young when mom and dad passed away...

I took out the photo frame and looked closer, it had the background of the flower place...

Wait, maybe the Xs and Os place belonged to one of these kids, I meant men, in younger versions.

I couldn't go back before I had explored this region, after all, I had come a long way...

I got up and headed back to Dad's camp...

The man greeted me with a smile as if waiting for me, enquiring about my injury, he gave me the address of the nearby hospital and told me, "All injured soldiers were taken there too.."

That did strike a bell, but focusing on the task, I requested him to recheck the records...

As he was shuffling through, I saw a photo of the graveyard man in the list, I stopped his hand and curiously enquired.

Suspicious at first, he asked if I knew him, I told him he was Dad's mate...

He seemed to go down memory lane, "One of the best soldiers, never turned back, got eight bullets in seven missions, still survived...

He was a major, who had died in a bomb blast saving a fellow soldier...

As for Dad, he found no record.

I thanked him and headed towards the hospital...

Trying not to sound sheepish, I got my injuries dressed first, then casually asked about Dad.

The hospital had no records too... next, I enquired about the major, he had died on the battlefront and was brought dead to this hospital...

They told me that they had a tombstone nearby in his memory...

I headed there next, realising it was late at night, I carefully switched on my torch and looked around...

Tombstone, there was, the inscription of his valour, and years lived, and ending read, " with love, Leena".

Who was this woman, maybe his wife...

It was odd that each night I decided to visit the graveyard man's place, it was moonless... Careful not to fumble, I lit a candle there too and headed back to the hotel...

I searched for the major on Google, I found articles about him...

Apparently, he had served well and won loads of medals...

I paused as I saw a photo of the old woman with him...

Maybe that made some sense now, Dad had to have had a deeper connection with them both...

Now I at least had a cue, to find Leena...

The next morning visited the camp again, enquiring about the family of the man, I was informed that his wife had died a few months after he passed away and he had no kids...

I took the address of the house, he lived in, it was surprisingly near his tombstone.

I went there and saw the house locked, rusted windows full of spider webs...but what caught my attention was, that the keys to the house, hung next to the plant.

I checked around, then picking them up, I entered...

I saw It looked all clean, decorated, and warm, completely opposite to it's exterior...

On the table lay the money bills, a few stones, and a cautiously wrapped letter.

I took them all and quickly rushed back.

I was getting my anxiety attack again and the medicine box was left at the hotel...

No point, it was ghosts meeting me, giving and taking things...

Exploring wouldn't do much good I felt....

As I tried to move out, something seemed to grip my feet... I looked down, but nothing... just plain wooden floor, I tapped hard, I realised it wasn't solid, and my feet got ungripped instantly...

I had to check this, it was a signal...

I looked around for something to pound the floor with, caught hold of an old lamp, and hit the fake wood hard...

Instantaneously it gave away...

To my horror, there was a grave!!!

I gulped and realised my mouth felt dry.

I opened it with huge effort, cautious of not damaging anything...

The old woman's half-shriveled body lay inside...

I broke into sobs... I picked up the whole box alone, dragged it out, and called for help.

None heard, I was not sobbing, but rather screaming with cries...

I wiped my tears off, and slowly looked around, finding nothing to tie it with, I broke an old cane chair, rathered the cane, tied it to the box, and with decisive effort, dragged it outside.

I dragged and dragged till I reached the Major's grave...

There was no muscle left in my body or vein in my heart, that didn't ache.

I slowly started digging the place around, finding the broken logs nearby.

If nothing more, all this had taught me two things at least, first how to DIY, second, more importantly, that I owed loads to my ancestors....

It was evening by the time the digging was over.

I placed the tomb box, inside the hole, covering it with the soil with my bare hands...

Seemingly, it felt relieving.

I picked up a wooden plank lying nearby, made a holy cross, and finally put it on the grave... It was the least of the homage I could give them...

Thinking of the day and events, I slowly walked towards the hotel...

Exhausted, pained, and relieved, I myself was confused about how I felt by now...

I lay dead on the bed, without a morsel of food in my stomach or even washing my dirty hands, I lay asleep...

The next morning, it was early 5 AM, when I woke up.

I realised my pains had vanished, touched my wounds, all healed, no sign Even, it was as if the deceased had forgiven or rather blessed me...

I remembered I had left the stones and letter in the house...

Shit, I hadn't even locked it.

But it was too early, I ordered food, took a quick shower in the meanwhile, and hurriedly gobbled my eggs, I headed back to the house...

It was locked again! Strange... But strange was the new regular for me now...

I entered the same way and looked around, The wooden floor in torn...

Thankfully grave hadn't returned, but the spirit guarded it...

I checked the money bills were still there... I opened the Letter, it contained a deed and a letter...

The letter was addressed to my dad, so I opened it first...

"Dearest mate Rumi,
When all betrayed, you stood by my side...
My brothers left my hand, you never did...
After me, this house belongs to you...
Love, your buddy...."

I quickly opened the deed, tears blinded me, it was a gift deed for Dad...

I picked up everything, forgetting to wipe my tears, and headed back to the hotel room...

I related, warm...things I never knew...

Maybe Dad didn't know them Even, they still reached me....

I took out the pocket watch and fitted the stones, they fitted perfectly, and it started working...

Strangely, it started turning in an anti-clockwise motion.

Was this a hint too???

What was it for which time seemed to be running out???

Was it a war against the Time, maybe...I just had to decode the zone now.

Continued in the next chapter...

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