Chapter - 5

Sadhvi's POV ~

The morning sun filtered through my window, casting a warm glow over my cluttered desk. Brushes lay scattered, their bristles stained with colors from yesterday's painting session. My journal lay open, its pages filled with scribbles and sketches that made sense only to me.

I took a sip of my lukewarm tea, the bitterness grounding me. Despite the mundane start, my mind was anything but calm. The memory of the man who saved me yesterday lingered, his intense gaze haunting my thoughts.

I tried to shake off the unease and focused on my day's agenda. A lecture on classic literature awaited me at the university. As I gathered my notes, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me. I gripped the edge of the table, closing my eyes.

In that brief moment, a blurry image flashed before me—a grand palace, its halls echoing with laughter and music.   

I shook my head, attributing it to stress and lack of sleep. 

The university corridors buzzed with energy.   

As I began my lecture on ancient epics, a sense of déjà vu enveloped me.   

After the lecture, I retreated to my office, seeking solace in solitude.   

My thoughts drifted to the man from yesterday.   

Later that evening, I and  Adhya went to our favorite café. 

"You won't believe what happened today!" she exclaimed, sliding into the seat opposite me.

I smiled, eager for a distraction. "Do tell."

"I ran into that arrogant man from the mall again," she began, her eyes sparkling. "He was at the bookstore, arguing with the cashier about a misplaced order. I couldn't resist teasing him."

I laughed, imagining the scene. "Did he recognize you?"

"Of course! He called me 'lipstick terrorist' again," she grinned. "I retorted with 'face cream uncle.' It was hilarious!"

Our laughter echoed through the café, drawing amused glances from nearby patrons.

As the evening wore on, our conversation shifted to lighter topics.   

As days turned into weeks, the line between dreams and reality blurred.   

And the night came and Determined to find answers, I delved into research, exploring ancient texts and legends.   

One evening, as I pored over a manuscript, a passage caught my eye:

"When the past intertwines with the present, souls reunite to fulfill unfinished destinies."

The words resonated deeply, stirring emotions I couldn't explain. 

Later that evening, I sat curled up with my laptop, the glow of the screen lighting up the questions running wild in my head.

I had typed every keyword I could think of—ancient temples, fire dreams, blurry past lives, warrior priest, molten gold eyes, even serpent ring. The results were vague, scattered across mythology, folklore, and half-baked internet forums.

But one thing kept coming up.

Cycles. Lifetimes. Incomplete stories.

A thread of something old. Buried. Burnt. Like the temple in my dream.

It didn’t give me answers, but it made one thing clear—this wasn’t just imagination. Something was trying to reach me. Or wake me up.

I exhaled sharply and shut the laptop.

That night, after dinner, Adhya and I curled up on the couch for our usual Sunday family video call. I dialed Mom, expecting the usual "you're late" scolding. Instead, the screen blinked to life with the familiar chaos of the Verma household.

“Sadhvi beta, at least show up on time once in your life!” Mom exclaimed, adjusting her saree pallu and simultaneously flipping through a copy of Pride and Prejudice. “You and Adhya both!”

Adhya rolled her eyes beside me. “Hi to you too, Mom.”

Papa’s voice boomed from somewhere offscreen. “Revati, shift the phone yaar, I can only see your ear!”

Suddenly, his face filled the screen, moustache slightly tilted and a giant mug of tea in hand. “Hello, my soldiers!” he said dramatically. “Reporting from Udaipur HQ. Colonel Saransh on temporary home leave, but still commanding the household!”

“Maa is the only commander here,” Adhya muttered under her breath. I stifled a laugh.

Papa continued, “I cleaned the garden today. Found exactly five worms, two lizards and a cat who looked suspiciously like it wanted to join the army.”

“Don’t exaggerate, Saransh!” Mom chided. “That cat was just hungry.”

Then came Arav, popping into view in his NDA cadet uniform, standing like he was still on parade. “Reporting from Southern Command, Ma’am,” he saluted. “Completed first year physicals. Marching in the parade next month.”

“Beta, relax. It’s a video call, not a battlefield!” I said, trying not to laugh.

“Good going, champ!” Papa beamed. “Soon you'll out-march me!”

“I already do,” Arav said proudly, flexing slightly.

Adhya groaned. “We get it, you’re NDA’s golden child. Can you chill for two minutes?”

“Why? Are your BBA textbooks stressing you out, Miss Spreadsheet Queen?”

“Enough, both of you!” Mom said, giving her signature warning glare. “I didn’t raise you two to behave like goats in a wrestling pit.”

Papa smirked. “Actually, you did. They just grew taller.”

“Papa!” Adhya and I said together, laughing.

Mom turned to me then, her tone softening. “Sadhvi, you look... distant. Are you okay?”

I hesitated for a second. “Just a little tired, Ma. Lots on my mind.”

Papa leaned in dramatically. “Are you being haunted? Did you watch those ghost documentaries again?”

Adhya burst out laughing. “She is acting possessed. Keeps mumbling names like ‘Ambika’ in her sleep.”

“See! That’s what happens when you don’t eat proper ghee-laced food,” Mom said. “Come home. I’ll fix you right up with besan laddoos and ancient wisdom.”

Papa added, “And maybe a cat who wants to enlist.”

We all laughed again, the warmth of home radiating through the screen.

As the call ended and the screen went dark, I leaned back on the sofa, heart full. Even with all the questions swirling inside me, this much I knew for sure—I had an army of love behind me.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough to face whatever was coming next.

Meanwhile.....

Aryan was sitting on his bed, flipping through a book of hotel blueprints.

But his mind wasn’t on the design.

He had dreamt again.

This time, he saw a wedding. But not clearly. Faces were blurred. Words were echoes.

He saw fire. He saw blood.

And a girl’s hand slipping out of his.

He woke up with sweat on his neck.

He didn’t understand it. These dreams felt too real. Like memories instead of imagination.

He kept a notebook by his bed now. He scribbled what he remembered.

"Agastya? Was that my name? Why does it feel like a truth I forgot?"

He didn’t tell Reva. Or Rakshit.

Rakshit would joke again. Reva would worry.

He needed to figure this out himself.

(Sadhvi's POV)

After talking to my parents and youner brother,  i finally went back to my room and started painting again. The brush danced in my hand, and when I stepped back, I froze.

It was a temple. The one from my dreams.

With flames behind it. And a figure walking through the fire.

I sat down slowly, my heart heavy.

"Who are you?" I whispered to the painting.

The dreams were more frequent now.

And so were the feelings.

I wasn’t afraid. But I was unsettled.

Something inside me knew this wasn't just my imagination. I wasn’t just writing stories. I was remembering them.

I felt like a puppet pulled by threads I couldn’t see.

And then the night I saw myself.

In the dream, I looked into a mirror.

But the woman staring back was not me. She wore royal clothes. Jewels. She stood tall. Proud. Brave.

"Ambika," someone said behind her.

The name rang in my ears when I woke up.

Ambika.

I repeated it aloud.

It felt like a name I had worn once.

The same name that man used to say.

Like a dress lost in time.

I stood at my window and looked out.

The city slept, but I couldn’t. My past, whatever it was, was waking up.

And I knew I wasn’t the only one.