"Ting tong ting ting tong, ting tong ting ting tong, ting tong ting ting tong..."
Priya sat within the dense fog, making that repetitive, haunting sound.
"Will you please stop that noise, Priya?" Mrs. Ashwin's voice cut through the fog—sharp, high, and unnervingly creepy.
"Where are you, Maa?" Priya called out, her tone trembling with tension and anxiety. "Maa, Maa! Where are you?"
Suddenly, Mrs. Ashwin appeared through the mist, an exaggerated, unsettling smile frozen on her face. "Oh dear, I'm right here!"
"Maa, I was so worried about you," Priya said, her voice echoing around her.
"I am always with you, my daughter," Mrs. Ashwin cooed, reaching out and gently clasping Priya's hand. But after a moment, her grip grew painfully tight. Long, sharp nails extended from Mrs. Ashwin's hand, digging into Priya's skin as her smile twisted into something devilish.
"Hihihihihihi..." Mrs. Ashwin giggled—unnaturally high and sinister.
"Maa!" Priya screamed, trying to wrench her hand free. In desperation, she rammed her forehead into her mother's nose.
"Ahhh!" Mrs. Ashwin let go in surprise and pain.
Priya broke away, running blindly through the endless fog.
"Hehehehe, come my daughter..." Mrs. Ashwin's unholy laughter echoed as Priya fled.
After a long, breathless run, Priya stopped, gasping for air. Bent over, hands on her knees, she tried to collect herself.
Suddenly, a comforting hand rested on her head.
She looked up. "Oh, Papa! Where were you? You don't know, Maa isn't alright," Priya stammered, her voice shaking.
Mr. Ashwin appeared, dressed entirely in white, his expression calm. "My dear, why are you saying that? Your mother is fine."
"No, Papa, she isn't," Priya insisted.
"I said she is fine!" Mr. Ashwin snapped, his voice suddenly sharp and unsettling.
"Papa, why are you talking like that?"
"Don't make me angry, Priya." His tone grew more menacing.
"Where are Padmini and Suyanshi?" Priya asked, her concern deepening.
"They're just fine, don't worry about them. There are more important things," Mr. Ashwin replied coldly.
"What's more important than my sisters?" Priya asked, truly concerned.
"Come, hold my finger. Let's dive into the ocean of memories," said Mr. Ashwin, swirling his hand to conjure a circular portal of fog.
Together, they crossed the foggy threshold into another world.
A man in a black cloak stood there, commanding a woman kneeling before him. "Go. Kill that holy spirit," he intoned harshly.
"Yes, Lord," the woman replied, her devotion evident in her every word.
Both vanished into the swirling fog.
"Papa, where did they go?" Priya asked.
"It doesn't matter," Mr. Ashwin answered, brushing aside her question.
They witnessed a burning body in a cemetery. Nearby, mourners wept in grief.
"Death is for everyone, my child. There's always a reason for every death," Mr. Ashwin explained, his voice oddly serene.
"They're crying for him," Priya said, tears in her own eyes.
"Yes, and that's why no one accepts death happily or wisely," Mr. Ashwin replied. "No one wants to say goodbye to their loved ones."
"What do you mean by 'loved ones'?" Priya pressed.
"It is love, dear. But not every 'close one' loves you in pure form. There can be reasons besides love when someone stays close," Mr. Ashwin warned.
"So can't they do anything to overcome that?" Priya asked.
"Oh, my little girl... they don't have to. It's just the beginning," Mr. Ashwin said softly.
"But how?" Priya wondered.
"By realizing the truth, slowly—little by little," Mr. Ashwin said.
"What truth?"
"The truth that love has no physical form. Love is eternal; it never ends," Mr. Ashwin replied.
"But why must there be death? Why doesn't everything remain the same?" Priya's voice trembled.
"Because nature always seeks change, to see humans grow—especially in their most difficult times," Mr. Ashwin explained gently.
"Dad, death ends the human body but leaves so much mystery behind," Priya mused.
"Maybe so, maybe not. Now I have to go," Mr. Ashwin said quietly.
"Where, Papa?" Priya asked.
Suddenly, Mr. Ashwin's body began to shrink and shift, his shape dissolving faster and faster.
"Papa!" Priya screamed.
"Sprinkle water on her!" a voice called out.
Mr. Ashwin splashed water on Priya's face, and she jolted awake.
"Priya, why were you screaming in your sleep?" Mrs. Ashwin's real, reassuring voice asked.
Oh, that was a dream... Priya realized, her heart still racing.
"Maa, I had a strange and terrifying dream," Priya whispered.
"Didn't you?" Mrs. Ashwin asked, concern in her eyes.
Everyone stared at Priya, worried.
"You can listen to Diwan ji's story now. Maybe that'll help you feel better," Mr. Ashwin suggested.
"I don't think a cursed story will make anyone feel good..." Padmini thought