Krishna tossed and turned in her bed, before finally jerking awake. She propped herself up on her elbows and panted, recovering from the nightmare. She was looking around the room wildly, when she spotted a girl huddled in the corner, who was…herself?
Krishna crept out of the bed hesitantly and edged towards the younger version of herself, who was currently holding a shard of glass in her hand, taking fast and uneven breaths.
Krishna still remembered this memory; though it was hazy. She’d been only eleven years old, and that day had been her parent’s second death anniversary. Being so young, she’d been unable to handle the depression and bear the pain of being an orphan. The children at school used to mock her for not having a family of her own, and she’d barely had any true friends. If she was ever talked to by any of her classmates, it was only because they either wanted her help on an assignment or wanted to take credit for something she had done.
A few tears leaked out of Krishna’s eyes as she watched the young girl hold the piece of glass to her wrist. A broken photo frame lay next to the girl, delicately encasing a photo of a family that could never be together again. Krishna knelt down, raising her hand to touch younger-Krishna’s cheek, shocked when her hand passed through the girl.
At that moment, a boy burst through the door, along with a young woman. Tears streaked his face as he grabbed the glass and threw it in the opposite direction.
“Yuvaan, I have nobody; no one cares” the girl cried as the boy pulled her in for a hug.
“Shut up Krishna,” the boy wiped her tears, “I’m here right? I’ll never leave you.”
The older Krishna watched the scene unfold in front of her, and she backed away, losing her balance as the backs of her knees hit the foot of the bed. She fell to the side, towards a mirror. The mirror shattered on impact and she fell through, closing her eyes as everything closed in on her.
_____
Krishna opened her eyes, gasping for air and looked around. The room she was in was engulfed in fire. Her face was flushed and sweat was rolling down the sides of her face due to the intense heat.
Her gaze swept the room as she desperately searched for an exit. How did she get here? Where was she? She glanced at her hands, which were covered in soot and shuddered. She needed to get out. Now.
She tried to stand, stumbling when she tripped over a fallen pillar. The thick, dense fog of ash around her seemed to overwhelm her, and she fell to her knees once more. The heat was searing; she couldn’t take it anymore.
Her eyes slowly began to close, her lungs giving out, when she felt a pair of hands wrap around her. She looked up into her saviors face and registered the blurred image of a man with ebony black hair and a chiseled jawline. She didn’t resist when he pulled her closer to his chest. The last things she saw before fading away, were dark brown eyes and leaping flames.
____
Krishna blinked slowly, as consciousness flooded her. The heat had long since disappeared and she was standing in the kitchen. She stepped out of the kitchen, immediately noticing that the house was looking a bit different.
Krishna headed towards her room, pursing her lips when she saw two young kids inside. The boy was sitting on the bed, while the girl knelt next to his knee, gently dabbing some blood away. Krishna’s eyes widened, realizing that this was another memory; one she remembered clearly.
As the younger Krishna tried her best to treat Yuvaan’s knee, Suhani walked in with a first aid kit. Krishna watched as her younger self scolded Yuvaan for not being careful. Suhani could only shake her head in amusement.
When Yuvaan’s knee was bandaged up, Suhani turned to Krishna, leading her slightly away from Yuvaan. She bent down and kissed the girl’s cheek fondly.
“Krishna, promise me you will always take care of Yuvaan the way you did today; you will always stay with him.” Suhani smiled, her eyes sparkling.
Krishna gasped softly, remembering this exact moment. Her gaze drifted towards the door, knowing whom she would see next.
“Haan Krishna,” a young woman walked through the door, beaming widely. She gently brought Yuvaan from the bed and knelt down next to both the kids. “Promise me that you both will always be together, you’ll take care of each other.”
Tears sprang to Krishna’s eyes. Here her mother was: right in front of her, and she could do nothing about it. Her hand shook as she longingly reached out for the woman in front of her. She fell to the ground, her eyes closed in despair and uttered a few words at the same time as her younger self:
“Promise Maa”.
_____
Krishna opened her eyes again, feeling a cold shiver up her spine. She was surrounded by tall trees in every direction. A forest? What was she doing here? She stood up, feeling a small psychological ache in her chest. Her mother. Her own mother. She smiled through her tears. She’d always hugged a photo of her mother close to her chest whenever she missed her, but just now- she’d seen her mother- in person; and it’d felt so real.
Krishna slowly rose to her feet; an eerie silence penetrated through the woods. She felt an invisible tug and followed her instincts, stepping through the underbrush.
She saw a woman lying on grass a little ways ahead and rushed towards her. Krishna bent over the woman, gasping in shock. This was…this was her mother. Blood slowly spread across the woman’s abdomen, seeping through her clothes. A shrub rustled to the side as Suhani emerged from somewhere between the trees. Krishna numbly watched as Suhani ran towards Soumya, placing her best friend’s head in her lap.
Krishna’s mother looked up at the sky, pain written on her face and whispered something to Suhani. Her breaths were raspy and weak. Krishna began to sob and crawled towards her mother desperately. She tried to grab her mother’s hand in vain.
Krishna looked around, searching for the car, but there was not one nearby. She looked back at her mother, tears blurring her vision, but she furiously wiped them away. She tried to take her mother’s hand once more, but her palm went through the woman. Krishna screamed in agony, hitting the forest floor helplessly. She watched with bated breath as her mother’s eyes glassed over.
“No maa,” she cried, hugging her knees to herself, “No…”
She felt a presence behind her suddenly and turned around, seeing an older man at a distance. He was tall and well-built; but as he turned around and faced her, there was two things that she couldn’t help but notice: His charcoal hair;
and dark brown eyes.
_____
Krishna awoke with a jerk, closing her eyes in relief when she saw that she was in her bed. She pinched herself just to make sure. Why had she gotten those dreams? What did they mean?
The first two parts of her dream had been memories; that much she remembered, but she hadn’t understood the rest, especially the last part. What had happened to her mother?
It was just a dream though – everyone had told that her mother died in a car accident…but still, something was nagging at her- and she had to find out what. With that goal in mind, she made her way to she washroom to freshen up, telling her herself there was no point going back to sleep now.
*****
Guuuuyyyyzzz! I can’t even tell you all how sorry I am for being MIA. We just got WiFi yesterday for our new house. From here on out, i’ll be updating more frequently like I used to. Also, this chapter marks the beginning of all the sharp twists and turns I’ve got planned for you guys. 😉
I’ve subtly revealed answers to many of your guys’ questions in this chapter, so comment below why you think Krishna always listens to Yuvaan, no matter what…
Thanks for reading everyone!
Love you all!!
– Shreya <3