As I woke up from the hypnosis at the doctor's clinic, I realised I felt lighter.

Whatever I had mumbled, I recalled not a single word of it...

I hesitantly asked the doctor what I said, trying to keep it casual and penning down more medicines, he said that I talked about some funny stuff of bills equal to letters, which I might have dreamt of...

Also, he advised me to take more rest, and remain stress-free...

I went home, taking my doubled-up pouch of medicines and prescription, and pondered about what I might have been subconsciously haunted by...

Then it hit me, I opened the old bag and counted the letters, 9, 17 were the ones I lost in a dream or reality, I know not, equal to 26...

I clearly remember that the bills were 26 too... I collected vintage items, so had the habit of counting them...

Could this be a coincidence?

I took out the coin from my purse, it was minutes in 1926, another coincidence???

I tried to recall all the other stuff that I could relate to this number...

I opened the old inscription book and started decoding it further, neglecting the doctor's advice...

I found a hex for finding lost things...

Is it a lucky day or a coincidence again?

Before I lost touch with reality or rather my world disappeared again, I drew the symbol and lit candles around it...

This time I had to let it all burn down till I chanted my wish and flushed it away...

Better than burning random stuff.

I quickly started my spell...

After completing it I made sure I flushed it all, didn't look back, and opened my bag Hoping for a miracle.

I found the letters I had in getting to Delhi...

I was hoping for bills though...

I rummaged more, but nothing else, no stuffed toys.

I gathered all the letters together, recounted, the 26 they were and rushed to the nearby exchange shop...

As I asked the man for bills in exchange for the letters, he quickly shut the door on me saying, "You've already landed me in enough trouble"...

I knew it was stupid, who would barter money bills for someone else's letters, but I had to give it a try.

I went back home, and bills of phone, electricity, and water welcomed me...

I checked my bank account, the coin was there, the money gained through its sale was there too, maybe that was enough...

I quickly filled all the bills online and started thinking about what did this number hinted towards...

That evening was moonless, I was thankful for my major uncle's fortune and inscription book, so I decided to revisit the grave to light a candle ...

Someone whispered, Leena in my ears.

And with a dust of wind, the voice was gone, it sounded familiar...

She had asked me for the Bills I remembered...

Should I revisit back to Tehran...

I was proud, my sole successful trip, I had reinstated her grave...now I was about to lose my mother.

Could there be a connection... maybe she could help.

But, did that mean visiting Tehran again...

My mind was jogging 360° as I was trotting my way back home.

I didn't know what to do...

As I came home, I realised my hands were sticky...

Same old flowers, from Shimla, I knew Mom was calling for help but what could I do...

I had acted desperate and made rushed decisions.

I gulped my pills down with water and decided to rest...

Spirit world would guide me soon... I tried to calm myself down and console myself, though I knew Mom's grave was in danger...

Later that night I tried recalling, what the salt had written, bills = home something, but I had rushed to get to the train when the old man warned me...

Wait, old man, yes the voice I heard today was definitely his...

Did the grave belong to...

No, I didn't have to make assumptions or offend anyone from the parallel universe now...that I had done enough, even though the attempt was to fix it all...

Fix it all, lol I laughed at myself I couldn't even fix my life, neither when I was forced to leave Shimla nor Delhi and soon maybe even here...

I realised I was not thinking, but racing at thoughts... My newfound side-effect of additional pills...

I ate cold bread and lay down trying hard to calm my mind...

Setting others' graves right, I had endangered my mom's..

Tears flowed half out of self-pity and my own condition, rather than my encounters...

As a child, I had the knack for always running into trouble, unintentionally....

Mom forbade me, warned me always, I wiped my tears with sticky hands and realised that the juice from my petals stained my face, as I looked at the mirror, it felt like blood...

I quickly glanced at the clock 11:11 it said, ironically what good news could come now...

I washed my hands and face...it felt relieving... going back to bed I remembered I had met Leena in Shimla first... Maybe revisiting there was the hint of the petals...

That was the place I had found the bills after.

Two days later, I was crossing the Xs and Os place...

I realised I had become more active with the medication and slept equally well...

I entered the house, through the key that hung, and saw a cup of warm coffee lying untouched on the table.

I looked around, there was no one... I guessed it was for me...

That was when it hit me how cold I had been.

A few moments later, Leena came around, extended her hand, I handed over the letters to her...

She gave me the money bills back, I smiled as she disappeared...

I didn't search or look around this time...

I knew he had worked, the spirit world was helping me too...

Too elated, I hurriedly went out, safely locking the door on the way, 

I wouldn't go home, everything was planned...

I would head to Delhi straight...

Save my mom's cemetery and be free of my obligations...

I had almost forgotten all about knowing about Dad and more mysteries.

I had consoled that I had tried and done my best and medicines had helped me fix my mind...

As I was boarding the train, I kept looking around if I could find any signs of the old man.

When I reached the town, I checked into the hotel and asked for lobsters again, they apologised they weren't on the menu, strange but last time, I halted...I settled for eggs and bacon with coffee...

That evening as I went to the cemetery, I was informed that the graves had been removed and unclaimed ones had been put at the next cemetery nearby.

I didn't know how to react, but the proposal to build it all over???

What proposal? Asked the guard.

I nodded and mumbled nothing, taking the address of the next cemetery.

I had to visit there, I quickly booked a cab and realised that it was about to rain...

The weather and people were unpredictable in Delhi, which I have known since childhood.

I had to wait another day...

I headed back to the hotel.

Lying in bed, I checked and rechecked the Bills and coin...

What was the hint all about?

Were my ancestors just leaving me money like that???

Deeds, coins, bills...

Or was I just forcibly stepping into uncharted territory...

The thought made me uneasy so I tried to brush it all away as calmly as I could...

I wasn't doing it to gain any fortune...

It was all coming and going...I had to focus on finding mom...

The next day as I visited the location, I found it in a bad state...

Full of piled-up graves, it would be diffic

ult to find moms this way, but I had to ...

After 3 hours of direful turning and cleaning, I shifted to Mom's grave...

I felt like I had won it all...

Just then a kid's voice, about the age of 16, approaching me stomping the ground, came, "Hey, leave my mom alone" 

I looked back astonished at the child...

I checked again, I was sure I wasn't digging the wrong grave, and panic seized me.

Reality couldn't disappear this time...

The child came and stood next to me screaming but the voice seemed to faint,...it slowed and then reverbed...

I realised it wasn't the voice playing, I was the one going dizzy rather...

Mom, child... grave, me...

I stumbled upon the floor...

.    .    .

Continued in the next chapter...