Sitara and The Dayan

Chapter Five

"Sitara," a voice called.

Sitara opened her eyes and found herself nestled in her bed, with Grandma and Tripti anxiously watching over her.

She wasn't in the room of coffins anymore.

Coffins!

She sat up with a jolt, nearly knocking Grandma off of the bed.

"Are you okay?" Grandma said, grabbing Sitara's shoulder.

Sitara shivered as she recalled the dead girl, covered in blood and roses. "The coffins. I saw coffins. Lots of coffins and there was a dead girl inside." Then she was rambling as her heart pounded against her ribcage.

Grandma and Tripti shared an anxious glance, then Grandma turned to Sitara. Ignoring her words, Grandma clasped her shoulder firmly. "It's okay darling."

Sitara was breathing heavily. The image of the dead girl refused to leave her mind.

"Drink this." Tripti handed Sitara a glass.

Sitara shook her head. "Please, I'm not lying-"

"It's okay," Grandma said and pushed the glass to Sitara's lips. "I think you scared yourself and fainted."

Sitara took a sip of the drink. It tasted bitter, but she felt herself relaxing a little.

"The dead girl," she said. She didn't think she would ever forget it. She might need therapy.

"Sitara," Grandma said calmly, "There is no dead girl."

"But I saw the coffins and the dead girl in the garden house," Sitara yelled, punching the bed with her fists while tears streamed down her face. Why couldn't they trust her?

"Yes, there are coffins in the garden house," Grandma said.

Sitara wiped her tears away. "I told you-"

"Listen," Grandma cut her off. "One of my friends has a coffin business. His place is getting a renovation. That's why he asked me to keep the coffins in my garden house."

"But what about the dead girl?" Sitara asked.

"There isn't any dead girl," Grandma repeated. "You imagined that."

I Didn't imagine that. Sitara screamed inside her head and gritted her teeth to stop herself from screaming out loud. She was not a five-year-old child who made up stories.

"You were scared," Grandma said, carefully saying each word. "When we are scared, we imagine stuff. We think shadows are ghosts."

"You are not the only one. When I went to clean the room, I felt like ghosts were watching me from inside the coffins. I ran away after something fell," Tripti chuckled. "I still don't go to the garden house alone."

"We connected evil things with graveyards and coffins. We are naturally afraid of death," Grandma said with a smile.

Sitara inhaled deeply. Even though her brain was screaming at her that she was right, she had seen the dead girl just like the snakes last night; she decided to believe Grandma for the sake of keeping her mental health good.

Maybe she was overthinking. Perhaps it was because of the mysterious note she found in the book, the snakes, and all the supernatural books she was reading. Yes, it could be that. The human mind is a complicated thing. All these things might have created the perfect recipe for a dead body.

Besides, why would grandma keep a dead body of a girl? She was her lovely grandma, not a psycho serial killer who kept the bodies of her victims.

"I think you are right," Sitara said finally. "I must have made that up."

"Maybe you are anxious, darling," Grandma said, caressing her arm gently. "Are you stressed about anything?"

Sitara shook her head. "Nothing."

"You know you can tell me anything," Grandma encouraged her. "Is there a boy or something?"

Sitara chuckled weakly. "Seriously, I'm not stressed, at least not for a boy."

"Okay then, we will put an end to all these snakes, ghosts, and coffins," Grandma said. "You should rest. And tomorrow, when you wake up, I want you to be in a cheerful mood when we go shopping."

Sitara nodded. She had to stop thinking about the note, the snakes, and everything. It would drive her mad. She was already an overthinker, and these things were only fueling her negative mind. Today she didn't get the chance to return the book, but tomorrow, when they went shopping, she would make sure to return the book and leave all her worries behind. Her main priority was taking care of Grandma.

"I'll bring your dinner to your room if you want," Tripti offered.

"Yes please," Sitara said.

With a last kind smile, Tripti left her with a promise of an amazing dinner.

Sitara hugged Grandma. "Thank you," she said. "For not finding me weird,"

Grandma patted her head. "You are not weird. We all have fear," said Grandma. "For now, forget about it."

After Grandma left, Tripti brought dinner. When Sitara finished eating, she called her father. She wanted to tell him everything. He was the only one who would understand, but she stopped herself, not wanting to cause him any worries. She ended the call and picked a comedy movie to watch. But even after the movie ended, and it was almost midnight, she couldn't go to sleep. Something was bothering her and making her restless, just like last night. She wondered why she had been feeling so restless since arriving here. What was causing this unsettling feeling? It was as if her intuition was trying to tell her something.

She left her bed and walked over to the window. The night sky was clear and adorned with shimmering stars and a crescent moon. She looked at the garden house. It sat silently in the darkness. The round skylight of the house emitted a warm glow.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught her attention. Sitara leaned in for a closer look.

Her grandma made her way to the garden house, opened the door, slipped inside, and closed it behind her.

What was Grandma doing in the garden house at midnight? Sitara had to know.

Before she knew it, she left her room, slipped out of the main door, and walked towards the garden house. The chilly breeze of the night tousled her hair. As she entered the garden, an eerie feeling washed over her, causing a chill to run down her back. She sighed in relief as she reached the garden house. Just as she was about to reach for the doorknob and call Grandma, someone shouted.

"You idiot, I told you to bury the girl."

Sitara's breath caught in her throat.

The voice belonged to her grandma.