Raghav had not slept properly in three days.
His hair looked confused.
His eyes looked betrayed.
And his search history looked medically concerning.
“How to stop ghost from disappearing”
“Can love save spirits”
“Affordable exorcist near me”
Meera stared at the laptop.
“…Why is affordable important?”
“I have budget sadness.”
Books covered the apartment now.
Ghost books.
Spiritual books.
One cookbook accidentally included somehow.
Meera picked it up.
“Why do we have 101 Paneer Recipes?”
Raghav blinked.
“…I was emotional shopping.”
She laughed softly.
Still fading slightly around edges.
Still smiling anyway.
Raghav hated that smile now.
Because it looked temporary.
“We’ll find something,” he muttered again.
Meera floated beside him.
“You’ve said that fourteen times.”
“I’m building confidence.”
“You’re building insomnia.”
Suddenly—
Raghav stood up dramatically.
“I have an idea.”
Meera looked scared immediately.
Because his ideas had history.
Bad history.
One hour later…
they stood outside a tiny spiritual shop.
A signboard read:
“ASTROLOGY • VASTU • LOVE MARRIAGE • GHOST ISSUES”
Meera blinked.
“…Convenient business model.”
Inside sat an old man.
Mysterious beard.
Closed eyes.
Strong dramatic energy.
Without opening his eyes, he said:
“I sensed your presence.”
Raghav gasped.
“You can see her?!”
The old man opened one eye slowly.
“…No. You smell like panic.”
Meera burst out laughing.
Raghav sat down sadly.
“My ghost is disappearing.”
The old man nodded seriously.
“Hm.”
Then pointed at Meera.
“She’s emotionally attached.”
Meera froze.
Raghav froze.
Even the ceiling fan felt awkward.
“How do you know that?!” Raghav shouted.
The old man shrugged.
“She’s looking at you like Wi-Fi looks at power cut.”
Meera covered her face laughing.
Raghav groaned.
“Can you HELP?!”
The old man became serious again.
“There are reasons spirits stay.”
“Like what?”
“Unfinished emotions.”
Silence.
The old man looked directly at Meera now.
For real this time.
“…And sometimes,” he said softly,
“they stay because they finally found someone who sees them.”
The room became quiet instantly.
Raghav looked at Meera slowly.
Meera looked away immediately.
Then she whispered:
“…This shop suddenly became emotionally expensive.”
The old man handed them a tiny bell.
“That may help.”
Raghav blinked.
“How?”
The old man shrugged.
“No idea. But it sells well.”
Outside the shop…
Raghav stared at the bell suspiciously.
“We got scammed.”
“Spiritually,” Meera corrected.
Still…
that night…
he rang the bell beside her carefully.
Nothing happened.
Again.
Nothing.
Third time—
the neighbor’s dog started barking aggressively.
Meera nodded.
“Excellent. We summoned confusion.”
Raghav laughed despite himself.
Then suddenly stopped.
Because she flickered again.
Longer this time.
Fear returned instantly.
He looked at her desperately.
“What do I do?”
Meera stayed quiet.
For once…
she didn’t joke immediately.
Then softly said:
“…Stay.”
Raghav frowned.
“What?”
She moved closer.
Very close now.
“You don’t have to fix every scary thing,” she whispered.
“But—”
“I spent my whole life alone,” she said quietly.
“And then somehow…”
small smile,
“…you turned my afterlife into complete chaos.”
Raghav laughed weakly.
Tears dangerously close now.
Meera touched his face gently.
Or tried to.
Her fingers flickered through slightly.
“I think,” she whispered,
“that’s enough for me.”
Raghav grabbed her hand instinctively again.
This time…
he held it slightly longer.
Slightly more solid.
Both froze.
“…Wait,” Meera whispered.
“You touched me.”
Raghav stared too.
Actually touched.
Actually there.
Slowly…
very slowly…
Meera smiled.
The happiest smile yet.
Then immediately ruined it.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“Your love language is panic.”
Raghav laughed through tears.
“And yours is property damage.”
“Correct.”
But deep inside…
both of them understood something now.
Time was running out.
And neither of them was ready.