The Night of the Shock
It was late at night in the hospital. A girl, who appeared to be around 19 years old, was shaking violently on the bed. Wires and instruments were attached to her head, delivering an electrical shock. Several doctors stood nearby, intently checking the monitors connected to her.
The girl continued to convulse non-stop. She desperately wanted to scream, but a mouth guard prevented her from making any sound. Tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes. After several minutes, the shaking gradually ceased, and her body fell still. The monitors flatlined, and a quick check of her pulse confirmed there was no breath coming from her.
Panic flashed across the doctors' faces. The head doctor quickly took charge, initiating CPR. When that failed to revive her, he reached for the AED machine. Just seconds after the paddles made contact, the girl's body jumped on the bed, startling everyone. She immediately fell unconscious again, but this time, her body began to breathe.
A Strange Reflection
Two days passed. The unconscious girl finally woke up. Her surroundings-a hospital room-were unsurprising. She checked her hands and legs, noting with surprise that there were no visible injuries.
"What's going on?" she asked herself, immediately shocked by the different sound of her voice.
A nurse entered the room and kindly asked, "How are you feeling, Madam?" The girl remained silent, simply watching as the nurse administered her medication, which she took dutifully.
Once the nurse left, the girl seized the chance to go to the bathroom inside her ward. The sight in the mirror made her gasp. She saw a beautiful, different face, around 19 years of age.
"How is this possible?" she whispered, staring at the unfamiliar reflection.
She recalled the last moments of her life: sitting in her car, driving home, and then a truck hitting her, causing a fatal accident. She must have died.
"No, that can't be right," she thought, distraught. "I was Priya, 23 years old. I grew up in an orphanage-a gurukul-and studied hard to become a famous and successful jewelry designer. My life was going well! But now, I'm stuck in this different body. Why did this happen to me? Why did I die?"
The Memory Flicker
As she thought and cried over her past life, a sharp pain suddenly occurred in her head. Priya touched her temple and began to receive a rush of memories from the present body, flashing before her like a movie.
The memories began in childhood:
* Age 5: She saw a young girl, called Sonia, playing with two slightly older boys (around 9 and 7). The boys argued playfully, telling her to call them Bhai (brother). A kind woman, around 30, interrupted them, telling the "kids to stop and have something to eat." The boys, who called her "Mom," happily agreed.
* Age 10: Sonia was painting while her brother was studying. Two elderly people approached, touching the brother's head and calling him "my smart and intelligent grandson." They completely ignored Sonia, who was looking at them. Her brother quickly cheered her up, which always worked when she was sad.
* Age 12: Sonia was ill with a fever. Her two brothers, Arjun and Avinash, were looking after her. Their mother told them, "She will be fine," before leaving. The two brothers stayed, lovingly tending to her.
* Age 13: Sonia was wearing the uniform of a government school and running when she fell. Her leg was bleeding from a minor scrape, but she suddenly fainted. Her teacher took her to the hospital. Her two brothers arrived, wearing different, private school uniforms. They asked the doctor about her health. The doctor told them she was fine but needed proper care. Arjun and Avinash simply nodded. They knew their sister was a premature child, born at seven months, and was often frail and "child-like in nature."