Chapter 9: The Last Hope

Her mother, Priya, took her to all the major hospitals. They saw many psychiatrists, tried all sorts of medicines, but nothing worked. In desperation, she turned to folk remedies, seeking out many babas and spiritual practitioners. Most said Sneha had attracted a bhootia saaya—a ghostly lover—who wanted her life.

They travelled from Lucknow to Varanasi, from one clinic to another. Doctors prescribed sleeping pills, talking therapy, even homeopathy, but nothing changed. In the end, a neighbour suggested visiting a baba in the next district—someone known to remove “najar” and break black magic. Priya was desperate, clutching Sneha’s horoscope in one hand and a packet of coconut sweets in the other, ready to try anything for her daughter’s sake.

They performed rituals, broke coconuts, but Sneha’s nightmares only worsened. She began sleepwalking, and gradually couldn’t tell dream from reality. Several times, she almost jumped off a building.

Every week, there would be a new puja—rice spread on the floor, lemons under the pillow, camphor burning through the night. Priya’s eyes grew hollow with worry, and even Sneha’s younger cousins were kept away, lest they be touched by the same shadow. People started whispering, "Is ghar pe kuch hai..."

Not long ago, Sneha sleepwalked again. She scribbled an address on a piece of paper: Rajpur district, Jinnat Pul, end of Neem Marg. Priya checked the location on her phone and was shocked—the map showed it was Neemsagar Hill Cemetery.

That scrap of paper became Priya’s only hope. The handwriting was shaky, but the words clear enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine. No one in the family dared ask how Sneha knew such a place even existed.