I push myself harder and open my eyes for one last time to look at my killer's face, but all I see is the fan whirling attached to the ceiling. I blink twice and look around, wishing I'm in a hospital room and not in heaven. But I'm in my bedroom.

I sit up straight on my bed, panting hard and drenched in sweat. The sunlight starts to sweep inside the room through the glass in the window. I turn my body and check my neck in the bureau mirror, and there are no finger marks of being strangled.

Bureau mirror? When was it replaced? Did the police come in aid for me? Did they arrest Guru? Was I in the hospital and shifted to my home?

I hear the sound of my mobile alarm going off. I reach for it to stop the alarm, and when I see the lock screen, it shows the time as 06:00 AM, and the date below it reads as Wednesday, 28 Aug 2020.

I gape at the mobile and blink twice. "Was it all a dream? Damn. It felt so real," I say out loud. The sound of the doorknob clicking me makes me look at the door, and I find My mom opening the door. Looking at her, I sigh in relief, but she looks at the mobile in my hand and asks, "Do you have to use that mobile as soon as you wake up?."

"Then how will I turn off the alarm?" I ask her as I slide down the bed.

"OK come, the hot water is ready, take a bath soon, so that I can help you drape the saree."

"Hmm, Hmm, coming."

I follow mom out of the bedroom, I enter the bathroom while she enters the kitchen. As I brush, the scenes from the dream resurface my mind, one by one.

Why the fuck did things like that come in my dream? And who was that guy who came in my dream?

I have seen him somewhere, but even now, in reality, I couldn't point my finger at it. I go back to my bedroom and retrieve the towel and dress before entering into the bathroom again.

Even while bathing, I couldn't come out of the dream. It was so real, but I'm grateful that it's just a dream. Maybe the worst dream ever, not even dream, worst nightmare ever.

A worst things happened my friend Vedhika in the dream. And I don't understand why Rachel was not there in the dream. Rachel, Ved, and I were a team. We did our laboratory experiments and mini-projects together. Also, Rachel travels on the same bus as mine. Moreover, compared to me, Ved was closer to Rachel.

These and all were fine. But why was it a thriller type of dream, especially a serial killing one? And why Vedhika and I were victims. Me, it's OK, I'm indeed there in the Fidus Friends App, but Ved was not such a type of person. She is one thousand times better than me.

Well, even I'm not a person like the killer mentioned in the dream. But there is one truth in his words. These online networking apps are becoming unsafe. Every day one or the other news is coming up based on the online networking scams.

BTW, what have I achieved in finding friends from this app? In the beginning, though they all talked nicely and thoughtfully, they started showing their true colors after a few days. From the friendly talk, they move to flirty talks and then try to talk dirty. When I disagree, they either stop talking to me or force me until I block them.

I have only two friends who are still on the general chat terms but can't guess when they will jump into the other side. Maybe the dream is an eye-opener.

I finish my bath and pat myself dry with the towel. I leave the bathroom after securely wrapping the towel around me and wrapping the dress around my shoulder to cover it.

Entering my bedroom, I take my mobile and open the Fidus Friends App. I have received a couple of messages and a few new interests, but I don't check any. I directly select the profile and go for the settings. I scroll up until the bottom of the list where 'Delete the Account' option appears. I don't think or keep my finger hovering it, I just select it and delete my account.

The app says I can deactivate my account for a few days, but I select No and completely delete it. Then I go to the app permission in the mobile settings and disable all the permission that I had given to the app before uninstalling it.

I feel like a heavyweight has been dropped from my shoulders. Whenever I was using the app, I had the constant fear of what I could do if my parents caught me using the app, and I had to keep on lying to them. But now my mind is clear, and my heart is guilt-free.

A knock on my door interrupts me. "Pooja, Are you ready?"

"Amma, I just now came from the bath, give me a few more minutes, I'll call you when I'm done with my shoulder pleats." I know how to drape a saree, but I'm only good with the shoulder pleat and suck with the hip pleat.

I apply the oil balance lotion to my face and talcum powder as the second layer. I darken my eyebrows and put on eyeliner before starting my journey toward draping the saree. When I'm about to secure the shoulder pleats, my mom knocks on the door again.

I collect the saree in my hand and open the door, "How many times you will knock the door, Amma?"

"You said you would call once you are done with the shoulder pleat," she questions me back.

"I was about to call you, now secure the pin" I turn my back to her, and she pins the pleats to my blouse.

"You take a lot of time in doing your morning chores and getting ready. See, it's already 07:15. You still have to do your hair and have your breakfast."

"Mom, the function starts at 10:00 AM only. I can reach college by 9:30 also, no issues," I tell her thinking she will calm down.

But no, she continues as she does the hip pleat, "If you take so long to get ready, I don't know what you will be doing after marriage. You need to cook, get ready, and leave for work."

I roll my eyes before saying, "Don't worry, I'll find someone who cooks for me while I get ready," I tease her, and she raises her hand like she is going to slap me and drops her hand to tuck the hip pleats.

"At least do your hairstyle, a little faster and keep checking for the cab," she orders and leaves my bedroom.

I do, as my mom said. I open the uber app and type my college name at the destination and keep checking it while I do my hair and book one as I start eating my breakfast.

Usually, my dad drops me in his car at the nearby bus stand, and from there, I reach college by public bus. Today, as I'm wearing a saree and dad will be leaving around 10:00 AM for his work, I'm hailing a cab. The timing was perfect for me to finish my breakfast and the cab to arrive.

I get into the car, and the ride starts. I plug-in my headphones and start listening to the songs from the music player. Though I deleted the app, the dream of Vedhika getting killed keeps on disturbing me. I open the messenger and send a text to her.

Me: Hi, re.

Me: how r u?

She replies after five minutes.

Vedhika: Hi da

Vedhika: I'm good.

Vedhika: how r u?

Me: I'm good.

Me: What are you doing?

Vedhika: Getting ready for office, da.

Vedhika: If u don't mind, shall I ping you after reaching the office?

Me: Hey, why would I mind.

Me: You reach safely.

Me: Tc.

Vedhika: OK, da.

Vedhika: Cya.

I come out of our conversation and check messages from other friends until I reach college. Luckily I haven't shared my number with anyone from the FFA, so I'm free from the work of blocking their numbers. Vedhika doesn't know that I was in an app like that. If she did, she might have already lectured me on it. I get out of the car, pay the driver, and go to the green room behind the auditorium stage.

It's 08:40 AM, and students who are in the organizing committee have already arrived, and few are entering now like me. In the green room, girls are getting ready for the Bharatnatyam recitation as the inaugural ceremony. I take a look at the table, around which the committee members are sitting. Aarthi, Bhaviya, and Nivedita are ready with the items for the reception. Ishwariya, Sara, and Fathima are ready with their content for compèring.

In the dream, it would have appeared like we don't have a common link. But in reality, we are together in the organizing committee. I'm the President of the Student Council, and others come under my supervision for various committees. Nina and Manjula are in the food committee, whereas Shoba and her friends are on the registration committee.

Maybe as I'm in constant contact with them for the past few days, their names could have come up in the dream. I'm grateful that they all are also safe in real life. Except for Ved and Mahima, all other faces that appeared in the dream are the ones who are currently within the college. Well, Ved, Mahima, and that serial killer.

"Is everything ready, Pooja?" The Principal of the college enters the green room.

"Yes, ma'am," I reply to her, and she looks around the table to once check whether everything is ready.

"OK, girls, go and set the reception and registration table," she says, looking at the reception and registration committee girls. "Pooja, show me the questions for the interview session with our chief guest," she asks me as the girls leave the green room with the items and their belongings.

I fetch out the cards that have the questions with the college logo on the backside and hand it over to her. The Principal flipped the card front and back before saying, "Looks good."

"Thank you, ma'am."

She reads every question and finally returns the cards to me. "OK, once you go and check every arrangement and return to the reception by 09:45, the Chief Guest has a habit of arriving early."

"OK, Ma'am." I follow her out of the green room and go to check on the arrangements.

The reception and registration tables are set. Decorations, Traditional Lamp, Flower Rangoli, Projector Screen that displays the video of the College's history, Bouquet and Shawl for welcoming the Chief Guest are ready at the entrance of the auditorium.

I go to the Canteen for one final check regarding snacks and lunch arrangements before heading back to the auditorium.

Our college students and the students from other colleges who participated and won prizes in various sports events that were conducted last week are filling the auditorium. I check my watch, and fifteen minutes is left for the Chief Guest to arrive. I take out my mobile and find a message from Vedhika, as she mentioned.

I chat with her and share my photos and the arrangements until the Principal comes to the auditorium entrance announcing the Chief Guest's arrival. I give her the silk shawl and take bouquet in my hands as we both will be welcoming the Chief Guest on behalf of the Management and Students, respectively.

A car drives into the auditorium driveway and stops in front of the entrance. It's an Electric Blue Swift Dzire. I shake my head and blink my eyes.

What the fuck.

The car from my dream is standing in front of me. And the person who was driving the car slides down from the driver's side.

From where I'm standing, I'm able to see only the left-side of him. I don't know whether the time has slowed down, or I see it in slow motion. Slowly the side of forehead, eyes, cheeks, and jawline reveals, and when he completely turns to our side and shuts the car door, the whole hell breaks down.

He walks toward us, and I step behind without knowing and bump into the girl standing behind me. The Principal drapes the silk shawl around his shoulders and looks for me. I blink and realize everyone is waiting for me to welcome him with the bouquet.

He gives me a surprised look as though he knows me and is not expecting me here. I take two steps forward and extend my hand to give him the bouquet, but my hands tremble. I almost drop the bouquet, but he holds it before it falls on the ground.

Stammering, I apologize and then welcome him. He nods his head. Everyone must be thinking that my face is a scene of embarrassment, but I'm the only person who knows it's pure shock.

Guru, the serial killer from the dream, is the Chief Guest.