Bhairava woke up suddenly, gasping for air. His heart was beating very fast, and his whole body was covered in sweat. He sat up on his bed, eyes wide open, still feeling scared. His breathing was heavy and uneven, like he had just run a long distance.
The sounds around him birds singing, wind blowing through the trees felt strange and disturbing. Every time he heard a noise, he quickly turned his head in fear, expecting something to appear. Even though he knew he was awake, the fear from the dream hadn't gone away. It still felt real to him. The pain, the terror, the feeling of dying. It all felt like it had truly happened.
He whispered to himself, "It was just a dream… just a dream…" trying to calm down. But his thoughts were messy, and he couldn't think clearly. The dream was haunting him deeply.
He threw off his bedsheet and rushed to the washroom. He turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face again and again, hoping it would help him feel normal. But his breathing was still fast, and his hands were shaking.
Then he looked up and saw his reflection in the mirror.
And in that moment, the dream came back.
Bit by bit, the images returned. The black sky. The strange creatures. The fire. The white raven. Everything he had seen in the dream started to appear in his mind again, as if the mirror was showing not just his face, but the nightmare itself.
He splashed water onto his face again, hoping it would help him feel normal. He leaned over the sink, unable to stand straight.
"This feel…" he thought.
He slowly looked at his reflection wet face, wide eyes, breath sharp and fast. He was clearly scared.
And yet… he was smiling.
A strange, quiet smile.
"Am I scared?" he realized.
He walked slowly back to his room and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm down. His breath was uneven, his chest tight. He reached for the glass of water on the table, took a few sips, and placed it back. That's when his eyes landed on the diary, the one where he wrote down all his dreams.
But this one? He didn't want to write it.
His hand was still trembling and that trembling made his heart race again. A strange excitement. He looked at his fingers, then whispered to himself, "It is just a dream…"
He couldn't believe what had happened. It felt too real. The pain. The terror. The voice. And he couldn't control the mix of fear and excitement swirling inside him.
At that moment, he didn't know if it was real or illusion.
Finally, he picked up the diary.
He began to write everything he saw, everything he felt. The fear. The confusion. The strange thrill. He poured it all onto the pages, letting the ink carry the weight of the dream.
And as he wrote, more thoughts came flooding in. The white raven. The shifting worlds. The war. The creatures. The Raven that said "You are not ready yet."
He paused, pen hovering above the page.
"I am terrified… and yet… and yet… why am I smiling?"
His heart raced. His breath was shallow. He was afraid. Deeply afraid. And yet, the corners of his mouth curled upward.
He kept writing, but the thoughts wouldn't stop.
"What was that?"
"Was it a warning? A test? Or something waiting for me?"
"If I dream again… will it continue?"
"Can I try again?... no, I think I'm losing my mind."
The pen slowed. His hand trembled harder. He couldn't write anymore.
There were too many thoughts. Too many questions. He was fighting with his own mind now.
He closed the diary halfway, staring at the half-written page.
"I need to calm down first… calm…"
He sat still, eyes on the diary, trying to breathe slowly, not moving, not speaking. Just breathing. Slowly. Bit by bit, the panic began to fade. The trembling eased. The nightmare loosened its grip.
For nearly a hours, he stayed like that silent, still, letting the calm return.
And finally, he felt a little better.
It was already afternoon, and Bhairava hadn't come out of his room. The house was quiet except for the soft hum of Shivani's music and Bell's occasional stir. Shivani walked into his room, her expression gentle but concerned. She signed, "What are you doing? You missed breakfast… and now it's lunchtime."
Bhairava looked her from the bed, his voice low. "Nothing… I just wasn't feeling well."
Shivani stepped closer and placed her hand on his forehead to check for fever, but Bhairava gently stopped her. "I'm fine now," he said, trying to sound normal.
Shivani signed again, "Aarya came to see you."
That made Bhairava stir. He got off the bed, stretched a little, and walked out of his room. Downstairs, Aarya was waiting in the hall, her usual calm smile on her face.
"Aarya? What happened?" Bhairava asked, surprised.
Aarya smiled and pulled out two tickets from her bag, handing them to him.
"What is this?" he asked, looking at them.
"Tickets for music concert. Next month." Aarya replied. "I thought Shivani might love it… so I got tickets for both of you."
Shivani's eyes lit up. She took the ticket, her face glowing with excitement, and let out a soft laugh. Aarya smiled, watching her reaction.
"Thank you, Aarya," Bhairava said sincerely.
But Aarya's eyes lingered on him. She noticed the tiredness in his face, the heaviness in his voice. "What's wrong? You look… dull."
Bhairava said, "Is it? Nothing. I just wasn't feeling well."
Though his words were calm, the tiredness still lingered in his eyes. Shivani laughter, holding the concert ticket with joy. Her smile was bright, full of life.
Bhairava looked at her, and something inside him softened and his own smile grew more genuine.
Aarya stepped a little closer, her voice softer. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
Bhairava nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I'm totally fine. Nothing to worry."
But Aarya wasn't convinced. She could feel it, he was hiding something. His voice was calm, but his eyes weren't.
Just then, a voice echoed from the hallway. Geetha was on the phone, her tone brisk and professional. "Yeah, I'm heading there only. I'll be there soon."
She ended the call, slipped on her watch, and turned to Bhairava. "Great timing. Bhairava, I got a call from Doctor Agalya. She said you haven't gone for your session in three weeks. Today, go and meet her."
She continued while grabbing her bag, "And I'm heading out. Might be late this evening."
Bhairava frowned. "What? Today's Sunday. Even on Sunday you're going out? You're not spending time with us."
Geetha replied quickly, already heading to the door. "It's a very urgent case. They're trusting me with it. I can't let it slip."
Bhairava, with his usual dry tone, muttered, "Yes, without you the justice will not prevail."
Geetha turned to Aarya with a smile. "Aarya? Even though you live next door, it's becoming hard to see you."
Aarya laughed softly. "Hahaha, nothing like that, aunty. I'm always around."
Geetha smiled, nodded, and waved. "Okay, guys. I'm leaving. See you later. Bye!"
She hurried out, the door clicking shut behind her.
Aarya turned to Bhairava, her tone shifting. "Bhairava, you haven't gone to the doctor in three weeks?"
Bhairava stretched lazily, voice casual. "Yeah… why should I visit her? I'm totally alright now."
Aarya frowned, her concern clear. "That's for the doctor to decide, not you. You should go today."
Bhairava shrugged, half-smiling. "Yeah, fine. Don't talk like you're my mom."
Aarya didn't flinch. "That's not the answer I was expecting."
Bhairava sighed, surrendering. "I'll go see her. Don't worry."
Aarya smiled, satisfied. "Good. Okay, I'm leaving too. Bye. See you tomorrow."
She waved and left.
Bhairava stood there for a moment, watching Shivani's joy. His heart felt lighter. The fear from the dream hadn't vanished, but it had loosened its grip.
They sat together for lunch, the clinking of plates and soft gestures filling the space with comfort. Shivani signed something playful, and Bhairava chuckled, replying with a teasing glance.
After the meal, Bhairava returned to his room, ready to return to his regular routine. The day had begun again.