Protagonist and Defense
Coming back to Vivaan’s ability to dream, he had earlier stopped seeing them in between but now he knows when and how to see them.
He is now aware of the ability and can use it whenever he wants to. So, after seeing the previous dream, he made a time-table for himself.
In the daytime, he would dream and in the night he will be planning. A planning that will be really helpful in the long run in finding the real culprits and in the short run, it helps him to see dreams whenever he wants to. The long term effect of the dreaming will be illogical to describe here because there is a certain time period which needs to pass to consider it as a long term. But the short term effect was helpful in further planning and a step towards proving himself as innocent.
So the day had come for him to dream. This was the first one after he had seen Manya and Kriti in the previous dream where they were convinced by the evil four to go against me.
A hazy clear outlook to every other thing in the world could yield good results if combined with perseverance. The night wasn’t clear but it was two of them. Before the night of the party, they were meeting, probably their second or third meeting with the dark-faced and buffed up physique. They seemed to be discussing something. It could be a plan, a plotting against someone, maybe against me. But I, standing at a distance, on that cold, shivery night at around 11:15pm and yet observe so clearly. I could feel the real cold and that was the reason for me to have four blankets that day and had locked the door from inside so that dad doesn’t see me going insane. He might have observed me before that I was sleeping during daytime with blankets on. It’s not that cold nowadays, rather it’s hot. Dad doesn’t use any blankets now. But when he sees me with so many blankets, he might be worried for me. Maybe today, he bangs on my door, or does he do it every day? And then when he gets no answer from me, he goes back to his room and there awaits him self-introspection. But today, the door is locked by me, & I had told him to stay outside.
Coming back to the new observatory set up by Vivaan, the two boys are almost done talking and the tall, dark man is starting now. He tells them to listen now. And says that the planning should be so perfect that everyone blames him and not a single finger is pointing to them. Both of them agreed, but being unaware of the observer on that cold freezing night, who doesn’t even stand there now but starts to walk back now. He was never a fan of lonely walks, was always surrounded by many because popular, he was. Although now he has no other choice but to walk back home alone today.
This all was happening to Vivaan that day. His dad, constantly banging on his door, demanding the door be open. He got up and opened the door and told him that he was not feeling that well so he was sleeping with blankets on. His dad obviously got this was a lie but didn’t say anything then.
The next day came. There was not much speculation and not that much of planning done by him. He was thinking of telling his defense about these dreams as it might be of some help to him. This day had come with a gift, a gift of knowledge, a gift of superpower, a gift of dream. Now, observing he was in his dream and the temperature was a bit higher than the last meeting in yesterday’s dream. One party was the same, but other was someone with a French accent which he had got to know very recently and was flaunting that everywhere. This night, was a few days after the murder. The big deal was done, the plan was executed well, every finger in the club pointed at Vivaan, that is, me. So this meeting was between Irfaan Qamil and Albert d Souza. Still I, I was same, same outfit, same distance, same observatory. But, others’ behavior was different. Albert was scared that I might see him as I was out on bail those days. Yet, among all the fear, the meeting began at 10:00pm in a coffee shop on the outskirts of the city, waiting to be seen by me yet unaware of my presence. Took two cups each and then they started. The dark and taller one was going to speak. He told him his reason for worry that the call was done by the landline number of the club. But Albert, although worried of getting spotted by me was not at all worried on Qamil’s tension. He confronted Qamil by saying that no one would investigate that deep. But then suddenly, I who was in the same coffee shop started hitting the table hard. I didn’t know then what was happening to me. It was actually dad at my door and he was banging. I got worried and so started to run out of the coffee shop. Full of heavy breathing I kept running till I guess a large distance was covered. As I stopped, I glanced a look in the front and saw Albert and Irfaan, both in front of me. They started to shake me from head to toe. Then dad said get up, you need to see a psychiatrist.
I somehow told him that I was fine and he was not that much convinced, but still, he went away.
All this was happening to Vivaan and he then plans to meet A.K. Sharma. On meeting him, he described all this and said, “Sir, this is all true and now it’s up to you how much you want to believe and how much you feel is fake”
He needed time to think and answer.
“I am stunned now. I don’t know what to say. The landline thing I know because it was my main point in the previous date and even I was thinking that there is some connection between Qamil and Albert”, said Sharma.
“How did you guess this?”
“With Albert’s confidence, I was able to. There have been instances during the dates when Albert should be very worried but seems to be alright. So from that I thought that he has some support on his back” Sharma said.
“So what should be our next step?” Vivaan asked.
“I’ll speak to Rajveer and then maybe we can decide”