Chapter 13: The Hidden Grave

“Do you know the name?” I parked at the foot of the steps, grabbed my tools, and got out. Sneha shrank blankly in Priya’s arms, shaking her head after a long while. “I asked, but he never told me.”

I could see the panic growing in Priya’s eyes. The heat, the silence, and the weight of the tools made everything feel unreal. I adjusted my shirt collar, wiping sweat from my brow, and tried to look reassuring, though I wasn’t sure I felt it myself.

Priya was anxious. “What do we do? There are so many graves here. Sneha, think again—any other clues?”

Sneha couldn’t even look out the window. Her long exhaustion made it hard to focus. She stared, thinking for a long time before saying, “There were lanterns. He took me to his house. I remember two big lanterns, a stage at the entrance, and fish...”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, eyes unfocused, as if she could still smell the smoke from those dream lanterns. She closed her eyes, the effort clearly draining her. I could almost hear the wheels turning in her mind, trying to recall a detail that might save her.

“Sneha, not those things. Try to remember his name, or maybe his surname?”

Priya’s voice was rising, desperation making her words sharp. Sneha just shook her head, tears threatening to spill. For a moment, the cemetery felt like it was closing in on us, the heat pressing down.

“It’s alright, we still have time,” I interrupted Priya, who was growing more anxious. “I’ll check first. You two wait here.”

I forced a smile, trying to sound calm. “You both stay put, lock the doors if you feel scared. I’ll shout if I find anything.”

I took the shovel and checked the tombstones. Most were too weathered to read. As for the overgrown graves in the back, some tombstones were already ruined. I looked around but didn’t see any grave that stood out, and it was almost noon. I considered whether to just dig one at random—maybe it would help Sneha get over it, and her nightmares would stop.

To be honest, I still didn’t quite believe there really was a bhootia saaya causing trouble here.

I shook my head, thinking maybe the old baba had made a mistake. Still, I kept searching, following the sunlight as it slanted through the trees, hoping something would jump out at me.