Once again, I found myself trapped in the same dream — the one that had haunted me for as long as I could remember. But this time, it was different. It felt real. Too real. It was as if I was standing right at the edge of death itself. Or worse — watching someone else's life being taken away before my eyes.
The strangest part? When that person's life was slipping away, I screamed. Loudly. Desperately. I cared — deeply — even though I didn't even know who they were.
I jerked awake, sitting straight up in bed, my heart hammering against my chest. For a few seconds, I stayed frozen, trying to calm my breathing. Then my eyes darted to the clock on the wall.
8:00 AM.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath. If I didn't hurry, I was definitely going to be late for school.
I jumped out of bed, rushed through getting ready, grabbed my breakfast in one hand, and headed straight for the garage. Balancing my breakfast precariously on my lap, I started the car and began driving cautiously toward school, taking quick bites of my sandwich in between.
Just as I was about to take another bite, my phone started ringing. I glanced at the screen — it was Mom. Without wasting a second, I answered and put it on speaker mode.
"Hi, Mom," I said, chewing quietly.
"Hi, Vicky," she said warmly. "Anything new happening?"
"Not really, Mom. Same old, same old," I said. Then I hesitated, debating. "Actually... I had that same dream again."
There was a small pause before she replied, "That's strange. Maybe you're just overwhelmed, sweetheart."
"Yeah... maybe," I murmured, although deep down, the dream still weighed heavily on my mind.
"But you're still coming for your birthday party, right?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course, Mom," I reassured her, grinning a little despite everything. "I'll head home right after school."
"Good. Please be careful."
"I will. Anyway, I'm almost at school. I'll call you later."
"Alright, love you."
"Love you too."
I ended the call just as I pulled into the school parking lot.
As I walked into the classroom, a strange feeling settled over me. There were only two people inside — Ms. Zare, our teacher, and a girl I had never seen before. She was sitting by the window, her face turned toward the morning light. Her dark brown hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and her deep chocolate-brown eyes gazed out dreamily at the view.
I didn't know her. She was definitely new.
I greeted the teacher. "Good morning, Ms. Zare."
"Good morning, Vikram," she replied with a bright smile. "Please, take a seat."
I nodded and chose the desk next to the new girl. For some strange reason, my heart was pounding loudly again. I sneaked a glance at her, trying to seem casual, uninterested even.
By 8:25, the classroom started filling up slowly. Just before starting the lesson, Ms. Zare stood up and addressed the class.
"We have a new student today," she announced. "Please introduce yourself."
The girl stood up gracefully. Her voice was clear and composed as she spoke.
"Hi, I'm Sahasra," she said, smiling warmly. "I hope we can all become good friends."
The moment she said her name, my entire body froze.
No way.
It was her. The girl from my dreams — the one whose life I had wished I could save. The one I had lost in every single vision.
And the scariest part? I had already known her name. Sahasra.
She sat back down, and I leaned slightly toward her, trying to act casual.
"Hey, Sahasra," I said softly. "I'm Vikram. I'm sure we'll be friends."
She smiled back at me, a soft, polite smile, but there was a flicker of confusion in her eyes — as if she was trying to make sense of something she couldn't quite explain.
Trying to lighten the moment, she suddenly said, "Oh, I almost forgot! You're invited to my birthday party. It's two days from today. Bring your parents too."
I blinked in surprise but smiled. "Thanks, Sahasra. I'd love to come."
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, her thoughts clearly racing just like mine. It felt like there were too many coincidences stacking up all at once.
Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen — her mom was calling.
"Answer it," I told her gently.
At the exact same moment, my own phone started ringing again. Mom.
I answered quickly. "Hello, Mom?"
"Hi, Vicky," she said cheerfully. "Change of plans — we're not celebrating your birthday at home. We're having a special party at a restaurant with a family friend's daughter. Her name is Sahasra Bhatia."
My brain completely short-circuited.
"Wait — WHAT?!" I almost shouted, turning to stare at Sahasra, who looked just as shocked on her own call.
From her phone, I could faintly hear her mom saying, "Don't come home for your birthday, sweetie. We're celebrating it with a family friend's son. His name is Vikram Aditya."
Sahasra slowly lowered her phone, her eyes wide and staring at me in disbelief.
She asked urgently, "What's your last name?"
"Aditya," I said immediately, still reeling. "Why?"
She just kept staring at me, speechless.
And at that moment, the realization hit us both like a speeding train.
We looked at each other in pure shock.
"What the fuck," we both said in perfect unison, completely stunned.