Déjà vu was not new for Karan. He often dreamt of times that lay ahead. Or should I say his dreams came true. He didn’t know if they were messages from God for people around him or was it a blessing for him. But he often used the phrase; don’t dream too much, what if they come true. Nobody except people very close to him understood this.

As a kid no one paid heed to his words. But as he grew up, and more and more of his words started coming true, they started believing him. When perplexed, his family would talk to him and wait for him to take a decision.

His dreams always involved other people. And he used to wonder, why he doesn’t ever see himself in the dream. It was his decision which was initially against his elder brother and other members of the family to get his sister married to a very ordinary guy. In his dreams he saw this young man as a very influential person. And after a few months of this wedding, his brother-in-law left his job and started off a retail chain. This was a path-breaking one and soon he entered politics. He became both rich and influential.

He didn’t even let his father leave a will behind as he saw in his dreams that his elder brother’s wife was telling someone that Karan takes such good care of us, had we been living in different places we wouldn’t be able to survive. Since there was no will, his elder brother left the family business to start off on his own. So now Karan had to take care of the both the family and the business.

One saw a very beautiful girl in his dreams. There were twinkle in her eyes which matched the sparkle on her diamond ring and necklace. She was rich, beautiful and sitting on karan’s chair!

Contrary to her eyes, her face had a dull ex-pression. Her wait was over. She had a photo frame in her hand. It was Karan’s snap.

Tring! The alarm went. Karan got up and went on with his morning mechanically.

At his office, he was taking interviews. Almost all the candidates were good. Then the 5^th one walked in. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the same girl he saw in his dreams. Only she looked much younger, prettier and wearing very ordinary clothes and no diamonds. But she did have a twinkle in her eyes, she was bubbling with energy. She had a drive to excel. She had seen quite a tough life and was willing to fight it out.

Karan recruited her. Her beauty and intelligence mesmerized him. And with each passing day, he discovered a new facet to her. The first time he took her for a meeting, her charm and flair wasn’t going to be wasted. Karan fell for her.

But something was wrong this time. She denied his proposal. His family got him married elsewhere. He just couldn’t decipher this one dream. She was sitting on his chair and looking at his photo. Then why did she say no. He mulled over it for very long. But thought may be since he saw himself this time, this dream wouldn’t come true.

Owing to her learning capabilities and charm, she became his right hand within 10 years. He wouldn’t take any decisions alone now. He had no time for his dreams. He was a family man.

He flew down to Delhi with her on a business trip. After a successful meeting they had dinner together and went to their respective rooms. That night he saw her sitting on his chair looking at Karan’s photo. There were twinkle in her eyes which matched the sparkle on her diamond ring and necklace. Contrary to her eyes, her face had a dull ex-pression. Her wait was over. Their lawyer walked in and read out Karan’s will – all his business and property goes to his elder brother.

Karan kept lying on the hotel bed with dreamy eyes that never opened again. 

© Rakshita Verma

June 26, 2008