The train wheezed and halted as I sat on my luggage... 

I wished to skip it...

But somehow forced myself into it....

The rocky journey seemed endless... I took out my earpods and searched for tranquil music...

Soon I was half asleep half in my senses when breakfast arrived....tea, biscuits, sandwich, and juice...

I opened the wrappers in half senses... gulping juice felt oddly nice... it was as if I was in a trance. I wanted to ask for more biscuits, but somehow refrained myself...

Finally, as the journey ended, my hotel was nearby...

I walked uptill there with my luggage and lay on the bed, I needed more food.

I found myself craving odds.

I needed lobsters I felt..I called up to ask if they had some on the menu..they did.. and I arrived with my huge platter...

The aroma filled the room...

I just loved it...

I ate to my heart's content and then lay with my legs wide open, relaxing...

Suddenly I heard a squishing sound..

I opened my eyes to check, it was salt dancing in the air...great.

Atleast my food my good...

Baffled by what new message it would write, I awaited it to settle, but rather it vanished into thin air... Gone was my sleep and relaxing mood alone...

Spirit world was demanding...

I took out my cell and made a few calls to arrange cab and enquiring about any flower shop nearby...

I stopped on my way to Mom's grave, and picked up daisies to honour her, as her favorite we'rent available... And directed the driver towards the cemetery...

I was beginning to feel unusually odd as if I would pick... maybe too many lobsters weren't a good idea...

I reached the point and saw her grave...I ran my hand over it, lovingly placed the flowers, and sat there for a while...

What was it with all the salt...soon the flowers I had kept, flew away with a sudden breeze, at once I thought about gathering them again, but then dropped the idea...

I was far too lazy and dispassionate at this excursion...

About half an hour later I got up and headed back to the hotel...

My mind wasn't working straight...

I was wondering if I should have ever come...

Thinking about my state of mind, I decided to postpone the visit to the house we last lived in, till tomorrow...

Which was going to be way too far, that I didn't realize...

The whole night the salt breeze circled around me..

Maybe the old man was right, I should have delayed this trip...

I woke up from bed the next morning, salt scattered everywhere, no message...I wished for a moment I had burnt the bills in that hexagon circle...

Maybe this all wouldn't follow me...

Irritated I got ready and kept sweeping the salt with my feet... a bad omen I knew but it was everywhere...

I headed to the house...it was rented by a family of four now...

I had already taken their permission and informed them about my arrival so entry was warm...I was welcomed with coffee and snacks...

I looked around... mom's room was their kid's room now...

Filled with pictures of them ... It seemed like they had three

But the woman only talked about two sons... I didn't want to come across as nosy so I quietly listened...

Everything had changed, Even the wall color.. part of me thanked for it... no nostalgic vibes... But no clues either...

As I was about to leave, the lady told me to wait a second and handed over a box, she said that was all she found there and stored it carefully, just in case someone came looking... 

I smiled and thanked her...

Back at the hotel, I shuffled through the pile of stuff, more letters, my toys, another album...

Don't know why but I kept myself from searching for them and without thinking much decided to head back home...

My journey here was completed...

I could always look through the stuff back at home...

I decided to have another one of the lobster platters before leaving, afterall they were worth the stomach churns I got later....

I checked for return train tickets, none are available for the next three days...

When was the last time I wasn't stranded on my spirit world encounter expeditions???

Not left with much of options, I shuffled through the photo album...

It was full of pictures of me, Mom, grandpa, and granny...

No pic of Dad, odd...

This made me open the letters, they weren't in too good condition, but still legible.

All were addressed to Dad but never posted...

I checked through, some secret that was gnawing mom's soul, she wished to meet him, she had to come clean to all...

No clues about the secret... I wondered if I was missing something...

To have a functional brain, you have to eat as much as required by your body, I had way beyond...

Maybe re-reading them later was a good idea...

I wondered how come I had no memories of my grandparents... I remembered they had expired when I was small, but I couldn't recall...

Though I remembered my toy chipmunk perfectly as I hugged him tightly...it felt like childhood days...

I dozed off...soon I felt a strangling in my neck, pressure, I coughed as I woke up, and the chipmunk fell aside...

Could it be....no I must have been in a dream...

I lay down again, I heard laughter, I woke up, it was chipmunk buzzing...I didn't remember it being battery operated, I stuck at it twice, thrice and the buzzing stopped...

Stupid childhood collection... I remembered how I had fought with Mom though she was low on funds and I'll get this...

I realized now I had started feeling my visit...

I wished I hadn't been so evil...

I decided to revisit the grave the next day...

As I reached the cemetery, I was stopped at the entrance and informed that some "work" was going on...

I enquired from the gatekeeper, who told me that they would soon convert it into a residential area...

I was shocked, I said, "What about the graves"

They'll be beneath...he muttered plainly...

Happens in most places here...

I was having a shock now, was I supposed to dig another grave??

Mom's !!! I couldn't... how could they... bloody money mongers...

I had to think of something before the calamity aggravated... 

I tried talking to the officer, who hinted at investing in the project to keep your area yours and proposed to make a garden over it...

But it... couldn't afford the investment cost...

I now realized my pettiness of having exchanged the bills for coins...

I went to the money exchange shop and enquiring about the value of the bills, shockingly it was exactly equivalent to the sum required for the investment...

I thought about selling the house I had inherited but, them forcefully halted my thoughts...

My days had caused much damage already...

The shopkeeper back in hometown would exchange the bills back for nothing, plus I ..I broke down again...

Was this the reason my ancestors were calling me??

Later that night, exhausted of all options, I decided to complete the money spell, I had left midway...

I printed out the hex, gathered the salt around in a circle, lit a candle, and chanted the mantras, then without looking, I took out whatever came from my left pocket...

My return tickets...

I quickly put them on fire, before I changed my mind again, sought forgiveness and wished for it all to work, and went back to bed and without looking at the hex again, lay asleep....

The next morning as I saw, the hex was covered with candle wax, salt was gone, as were ticket ashes ..

Maybe it was done right this time...I checked my emails, phone, and letters again, no lucky windfall...

I waited till the Evening thoughtfully and then booked my return tickets again...

At the departure point, I saw the old man who had cautioned me, I tried calling after him, but he backed off and then disappeared again...

He too had to have had a connection with this all...

I tried to force my mind to recall his face... maybe that would gimme some clue...

Maybe he could be the third man in shimlas trio children's photo...

Not sure though...

But since it was all connected, it was possible.

Immersed in thoughts, I reached back to my hometown... Fruitful or not, if the journey had been this time, I wasn't very sure...

Losing mom's grave....

I felt tired, something was exhausting me up too soon these days...

I remembered I had not consulted my doctor in weeks...

I lay on the bed and fell asleep...

The next morning, I looked around as I woke up ready to brew my tea...

I had to rummage through old stuff again...

Wait...it was salt still scattered everywhere around, my bag was neatly packed as if I was about to leave, rather than come back, no box of old stuff around, I quickly checked my wallet, the coin was still there...

I rechecked dates, what was it had it dreamt it all???

Did I ever even go to Delhi, how come...

I sat back with a thudd...

Had the hex spell given me back something or taken away everything???

I wasn't sure if I had even performed it!!!

All in dreams...

No...I wasn't hallucinating again...

Couldn't be...

I needed help...

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