We went home sadly hoping what we saw was just an illusion and not the truth. We went upstairs. “Maybe that Mohan is playing with our mind, maybe Shivani is alive”, he said holding my hand giving it a little squeeze, I hoped he is right. We went to our room with trembling feet, I fell weak on my knees in the midway and he held me. “Be strong”, he sid holding my shoulders. We reached our room and saw Shivani on the bed. I ran to her and checked her pulse making sure she’s alive. I smiled through tears. “She’s alive, our daughter is alive”, I said kissing her forehead and he sat beside me and caressed her hair. She woke up.

“Mumma papa why are you crying?”, she asked. “Nothing, I saw a bad dream, you sleep”, I said wiping my tears. She got up and hugged both of us. “Uh oh mumma papa, don’t cry on such small things, when I am here then what’s the fear? Now smile”, she said cutely and demanded. We both smiled with tears. “Not like this, real smiles please”, she said poutingly and tickled us both. We started laughing like maniacs.

“Ok ok enough of this laughter, you sleep, you have school tomorrow right? Sleep my cute doll”, said Abeer between his laughter. Just then I saw words written in blood appearing on the wall “Leave from here or else die right here”. I shivered seeing the words and grabbed Abeer’s shoulder, he looked at me questioningly and I pointed at the wall. I grabbed both his shoulders tight and drew my face close to him.

“He will kill us”, I said with a quiver in my voice grabbing him more tight. “You have your rosary right? Nothing will happen, I wonder if we’re not Christian, why we use rosary?”, he said trying to distract me. “Everyone has one God, just their way of worshipping is different”, I said and wasn’t even a bit distracted. “What will happen?”.
He ran his fingers in my hair. “Nothing, little girl, now sleep, oh sorry you won’t get sleep, I am your father right? Yes baby, I can make you sleep, seriously”, he said and made me lay on bed and I smiled. “How cute”, I said closing my eyes. He laid next to Shivani and I held them both tight, they mean the world to me.
Next morning, after dropping Shivani to school, when I came back, I heard a scream. I ran to uncle and Aunty’s room and saw words written in blood there as well “Get out get out get out get out”. My jaw dropped open . “It’s written in blood, b…b..blood”, said aunty with her eyes widened. She stumbled and I held her. “Aunty it’s nothing, wear this, we’ll call pundit”, I said assuring her. “Everything will be fine don’t worry”, I said comforting her and saw Mohan’s reflection in the mirror with a sinister smile on his face and his usual white eyes.