When I opened my eyes after that dream, I was unexpectedly met with an unfamiliar surrounding, yet it made me feel nostalgic, as if I had spent most of my life here. The earthen smell, the wood furniture, the intricate details on the wall, all of which were foreign to me, having grown up in a modern middle-class household, gave me a sense of peace and tranquility, making me feel as if I had been here before. I couldn't decipher if I were still dreaming or if this was reality. 'This had to be another dream, how else would I wake in a completely unknown place out of nowhere?', but everything felt way too real...I tried pinching myself, and the pain I felt as an aftermath ruled out the possibility of this being a dream. If this is not a dream, then how did I end up here? My mind, which had still been in a state of drowsiness, was now fully awake; it was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on my head, making me grasp the gravity of the situation.
'Was I kidnapped? But why would anyone kidnap someone and keep them in a place like this, from where the victim can run away easily, or maybe they kept me in a place stranded from the rest of humanity, or maybe they were sure that even if I ran or screamed, I wouldn't be able to find any help, no matter what.' This thought made me even more terrified, but how could anyone travel from the bustling city to an isolated place like this in one night? Also, considering the fact that I'm a light sleeper, I would've woken up if I noticed anything unusual.
Amidst my predicament, I suddenly heard someone calling a girl named 'Vasu', and before I could realize, my body had already reacted on its own and asked them to come in. The girl emerged from the other side of the giant door. She looked to be about fifteen years old, with a childish innocence befitting her age. She said, "Vasu didi, the madam is asking for you to come down; the earlier you go, the better it is." After saying that, she bowed and went out of the room. I soon followed her trail and found myself standing before more people I was not accustomed to, yet being near them made me feel safe. All of a sudden, I felt a sharp throbbing pain in my head, with several new memories flooding in. These sudden flushes of memories somewhat overlapped with some of the scenes I have seen in my recent series of dreams, finally giving me a vague idea of my surroundings. Unexpectedly, I heard a voice telling me to prevent a guy named 'Ekalavya' from dying. The voice also talked about reincarnation, fate, souls and whatnot, and though I wanted to refute, saying such things don't seem logical, I couldn't bring myself to do so. Maybe it was because the voice held a hidden authority that made one feel obliged to obey the speaker, or perhaps it was because I had subconsciously realized that something about my present situation also didn't feel 'logical', or I guess both might be a factor why I did not question the unseen speaker's beliefs.
I soon found myself waking up again, but this time with several people surrounding me. Furthermore, I now know who these people are: the woman looking at me with warm eyes is 'my mother', the man who rushed to my side as soon as he saw me open my eyes is 'my father', and the guy crying by my side, constantly telling me to open my eyes and fight with him as usual, is 'my brother'. And there was another guy, quietly by my side, holding my hand as if fearing that I would slip away as soon as he'd let me go. This guy is Ekalavya, the man the voice asked me to protect, the man who was my childhood best friend and is now my soon-to-be husband. Though everything was happening right in front of my eyes, it still felt surreal. I have read about transmigration in many novels, but to experience it myself was a whole other feeling.
After making sure I'm completely fine, everyone exited my room, reminding me over and over again to rest properly. Now, only Ekalavya and I were left in the room. I don't know if it was just me, but since none of us spoke, it gave rise to an awkward silence, making it really unbearable for me. Then I heard his voice, "Are you alright, Vasu?" His voice was really soothing, making me feel that I could just spend my day listening to him, even if he utters absolute nonsense. "I'm fine now, Lav, thank you for asking", I replied, smiling at him in the process. "Why are you being so formal, Vasu? Did you perhaps learn how to be polite to other people in your dream, or maybe some demoness possessed the little princess?" He said, pinching my cheeks afterwards. He continued, "Anyway, Vasu, I've got something for you, something you'd definitely like. Check it out when you feel like it." This made me really curious about what he got for me, and I tried getting off the bed to check his gift, when he stopped me in my tracks, "Vasu, you just woke up, and you're already trying to run around. Weren't you advised to take some rest, so why can't you do so?" With that said, he went to get the gift he brought for me.
Soon enough, a pair of beautifully carved golden earrings came into view. They were shimmering under the faint sunlight coming from the window as the sun was setting. Both earrings had a small stone embedded in them; combined with the detailed carvings, it really gave the pair of butterfly earrings an exquisite look. However, the gift he brought left Vasu shocked, 'Wasn't this the same earring that the grandma gave me? How is this related to the whole matter?' Suddenly, Vasu was reminded of that time when she saved an old woman from some hooligans who were wreaking havoc on her shop. The old woman, upon seeing her, gently reached out her hand and told her that she knew that she would find her one day, and had even told her that the earrings had finally found their real owner. At that time, Vasu didn't really think much of it, brushing them off as an elderly person's way of coping with loneliness. But thinking back to it now, maybe the earrings might have had a hand behind her transmigration into her past life's body. Whatever it was, the situation at hand was giving her a massive headache.
Even when she thought about it, this whole situation felt absurd; some mysterious voice just told her to investigate her future husband's death and prevent it. Moreover, until she fulfils her job, she can't return to the present time. And, as if that wasn't hard enough, failing to do so would mean that she would perish alongside her husband, which made her resentful towards whoever had pulled her into this timeline. However, she was too powerless against this certain being, who was the root cause behind her current predicament, to do anything other than follow the conditions he had given her. Just thinking about this made her feel even more frustrated, cause one thing she hated the most was when things didn't go the way they were originally supposed to go, and yet she couldn't do anything about it. Truly a pathetic scenario for her.
Amidst her thoughts, she seemed to have forgotten about a certain someone present in the room besides her, who had an inexplicable expression on his face, as if trying to discern whatever truth she hides from her expressions. For a while, the room fell completely silent, with both of them busy in their own world. Abruptly, a maid came to ask them both to come down for supper, breaking the silence and bringing both of them back to reality. By then, Ekalavya had perfectly concealed any trace of the scrutinizing eyes he had just a moment ago, masking them with a gentle smile, "Why don't you try it on, Vasu? I'm sure you'd look absolutely gorgeous wearing it." The unsuspecting Vasu took the pair of earrings and stated that she'd wear it on their engagement ceremony, which was to be held a few days later. Her current temperament greatly confused Ekalavya, who couldn't help but want to tear apart her face to see if the person in front of him was really the Vasu he had known his whole life or just some imposter with the same face and voice as hers. However, a part of him also told him that this person in front of him, though she differed in her behavior and temperament from the Vasu he was familiar with, was still the Vasu he loved. He couldn't help but frown at his own opposing thought process, yet nothing was shown on his face. And soon enough, both of them were heading downstairs, neither of them spoke, and though it was a situation anyone would find awkward to be in, they were both too lost in their thoughts to realize it. However, one thing was common in both their perception of the other: they both thought the other was a 'fool'.
To be continued...