Deviyam

message of dreams

🌑

It was the first quarter of the night. The city was asleep, but something was awake inside Deben Rajput.

The moon was hanging above the window in his room - as if someone had cut off its face and left its cover. There was something in the air... something strange. As if the ground was holding something down and the sky was keeping it awake by cooling it.

Deben yawned. There was sweat on his forehead. A dream... again the same dream.

That temple. That forest. That fire in which someone was burning. And in the middle of that blazing light - a woman. Her face was not clearly visible, but her eyes... there were three lights in those eyes. Three eyes. All three were looking together - inside Deben's heart.

> "The time has come..."

"You have come back..."

Deben opened his eyes loudly. The clock was about to strike. He got up from the bed and tried to drink water, but his hands were shaking. Every night this dream was increasing. First there was only fire in it. Then the temple. Now... there was a voice too. Of a woman.

But today for the first time... there was a girl in that dream.

In white clothes, silver shine in hair and eyes... as if stopping him.

> “Don’t come... this is the way to death...”

Deben put the glass of water on the table.

His heart was beating very fast.

That night he made a decision.

“Enough is enough now. I have to find out whether this is a dream or reality.”

☀️ Morning - A silent thought

The next morning Deben woke up without touching the breakfast plate. His uncle was reading the newspaper. Aunt came calling him from the kitchen, but there was more worry than tenderness in her eyes.

> “Son, what happened? It seems you have not slept for so many days?”

Deben looked at aunt carefully, then said:

> “I want to ask you something. Which is our real village?”

In a moment, aunt’s face turned pale.

> “What happened? You were born here in the city…”

> “No aunt. Don’t lie to me. I remember that place… or I see it in my dreams. Where there is a temple. There is fire. And there is a goddess… who has three eyes.”

Uncle shook the newspaper from his hand.

> “Where did you hear all this?”

Deben said slowly:

> “I didn’t hear… I have seen it. I see it every day. In my dreams. Since childhood.”

After a long silence. Then aunt held his hand for the first time.

> “Your father also used to have similar dreams. And one day he went there.”

> “What happened to him?”

> “His body was found behind the goddess temple. Burning.”

Deben's throat went dry.

> "Is that place called Kalvan?"

Uncle looked up and said softly:

> "Yes. Kalvan."

🚞 No disturbance, go away

Deben had completed all the preparations in three days. He bid farewell to uncle and aunt respectfully. Aunt tied a black thread on his hand.

> "This will save you. Don't go inside the temple... unless you hear a voice."

Deben caught the bus. Far from the city, in the middle of the forest, Kalvan was hidden - a name that did not appear on the map. A place from which people never returned as a city.

When Deben got off the jeep, there was dense forest all around. A narrow road led to that village. There was a dead silence on that road. As if even the wind was blowing while holding its breath.

🏚️ First view of the village

As soon as Deben entered Kalvan, he felt that time had stopped here.

A small house, on whose old walls there were marks of trident and vermilion. Outside the house there were peepal trees, under which some women were sitting with their eyes closed, as if asking for forgiveness from someone.

An old mansion-like house was kept for Deben to stay. Its door used to open automatically, as if he was being called inside.

It was night. Deben closed the window from inside, but a strange cold was increasing in his garden.

That's when he saw her for the first time.

👁️ First look – First glance

On the way to the temple, under an umbrella - a girl was standing. White lehenga, silver shine in her hair and her eyes... Deben's breath stopped for a moment.

> "You?"

"You shouldn't have come," her voice was as cold as ice.

> "Your name?"

> "…Akurti."

She looked at Deben for a moment, then her eyes flashed like lightning. As if three eyes were hidden in them, only the flame was not visible.

> "Go back as soon as possible. Kalvan will not let you live."

> "But I have not come to die. I have come to ask my questions."

The girl said only this:

> "Then get ready... for that answer... which will contain love... and curse."

Akurti touched me and disappeared into the middle of the forest.

Deben stood there - as if all his dreams had become reality at that moment.

But in that reality there was less love... and more death.