Rithvik was sitting with his head set on the bag. He looked a bit too 'in thoughts' that is kind of out of his character. Ansh came and sat by him and set two coffees on the table. Rithvik sat up, and look a bit too cutely confused and scratched his head, and sighed.

"What happened to you?" Ansh asked, seeing his friend's confusion.

"Ansh, have you ever had a dream that feels too real?"

"Huh?"

"I mean it was definitely a dream. But it...felt like," He sounded confused. "That it happened. Like memory?"

"Maybe it happened," Ansh sipped his coffee. "What was the dream?"

Rithvik thought of it and sighed.

"What? Now I am curious." Ansh asked. "What was the dream about?"

"A girl."

"Ooooh!" Ansh was excited now, "What girl?"

"I don't know. Didn't see her face." He was frustrated.

Dhun walked in through the door of the canteen and spotted the boys. Rithvik noticed her and his expression went into doubt. He was not sure if the girl he dreamed about was Dhun or someone else. But that was just for a flicker of a second, he decided that there will be no way it's Dhun. Ansh was also looking at Dhun with a bit of sharp eyes.

"What did you decide, by the way?" Rithvik suddenly asked Ansh.

"Still deciding."

"How much time will it take to decide?"

"Why?"

"Nothing."

Dhun was also still looking at Ansh.

Dhun caught up with Ansh later, as he was walking to the class. "Ansh.." she called. "I need to talk to you."

Ansh turned to her. "Do you have a valid reason yet?"

She appeared desperate, but tongue-tied. "I can explain it to you. But you won't believe it." Ansh just looked like he did not believe her already. "Ansh, this is not a bad opportunity for you either. You know Rith will never be okay with you and Roli dating." Dhun said.

"I know that. But that is my problem. But..." he thought for a second, "Wait a second? How do you know it's Roli?"

"I just know, okay."

"I have never told anyone."

"Ansh, please... Trust me you and Roli - is a really bad idea. It's a disaster."

Ansh was kind of angry now, finding her words rude and absurd. "You know you are being really crazy, right? And who the hell are you to say that? If Rith disapproves of us, I can understand that and value his stand on it. But you? You don't even know me and Roli."

"Ansh, please..."

"Actually, Rith had told me that you are a very honest and honourable kind of person. I think he judged you wrong completely."

Dhun was a bit touched now by that. "He said that about me?"

Ansh noticed the tone of her voice. "Oh, come on! The way your eyes twinkle at the mention of him is crazy. Anyone can see you like him."

Dhun was a bit helpless and was kicking herself in her mind again. "But I want to be with you though."

Ansh did not get her at all "Why? You like him. And this is my first time admitting it publicly, but I like Roli, okay? I have never liked anyone else but her."

"So what? You will go and date Roli?"

"What are you even talking about? Roli does not even know I like her, okay? And I can't figure out why you would be doing this." He kept staring at Dhun for a few more seconds expecting a reply. But Dhun did not know what to tell him. "Come on, tell me." He waited for a while longer.

"You know what... Just forget it," he finally said and walked off.

"Okay, I will tell you the truth." She called after him. He stopped and looked back. "I will tell you the truth. The real actual truth. But you won't believe me. No one will."

Ansh folded his hand and looked at her, "Try me."

"I came from the future," Dhun said. In a pain take it or leave it manner.

"What?"

"I came from the future."

Ansh was irritated and hitting his limit of tolerance. "Dhun, I don't know why you are doing this. But you are being really rude, you know. There is a limit to making fun of people." Ansh walked away looking offended.

Ansh met Roli outside their apartment building. She came up behind him and 'boo'ed him, and laughed when he was startled. "Not funny," Ansh told her. But she laughed on. Ansh got lost in her crackling laugher for a second. A smile came to his lips automatically. His heart filled up. But he was reminded that he is not supposed to feel all these feelings.

"Rith called," Roli said, as they began to walk inside the apartment. "Said he is going to be late because of the college festival arrangements."

"Yeah."

"Did you decide something about Dhun?" Roli asked.

"No." He thought for a second, "She is kind of strange."

"Hm?" Roli looked at him.

"Nothing. I am still thinking about it." Ansh said.

"So... about your college festival, are outsiders allowed?" Roli asked.

"Yeah. Students from other colleges are coming. But I don't know about school students though. I am not sure if they are allowed."

"We are going to wear normal clothes, not our uniforms. Who will know if we are school students or not."

"They will check ID card."

"But you can get us in." She looked at him. "Me and my friends are coming."

"Have you gone mad? What about your brother? If he comes to know about this, he is not going to let you be."

"Who is going to tell him?" She shrugged. "I am not. And I am sure you won't either. Right?" She made a cute face at Ansh. "Please, Ansh..." She knew that Ansh was melting. "Come on...yaar." She said. "I need some relaxing time. Or else this 12th grade is killing me."

"Okay okay," Rithvik said. "I will try."

"Not try. Do..." she added.

They reached their floor and got out of the elevator and walked to the doors. Roli took out the key from her bag and opened the door. Ansh noticed this. "You are alone at home, right? When will your parents be home?"

"Have no idea." She shrugged. "Can I come hang out at your place? Aunty is there na?"

"Yes." But he was not so sure about this idea.

"I will get bored sitting home. So I can come there for a while, right? And you can tutor me or something. I'll come after changing." And she walked into her house without even giving Ansh a chance to reply.

Later Ansh tutored Roli while at his house. He was explaining to her some maths problems when his mother looked at them with adoring eyes and turned to her husband, "Listen, they look so cute together, right?"

"Have you gone senile?" Ansh's father asked, "it's Roli."

"What's the big deal? I just like Roli. I hope she becomes my daughter-in-law someday." Ansh's mom said. She continued to look at them with a smile, while Roli made a mistake in the math problem and Ansh softly hit her head with a pen. She frowned. He smiled. He still considered her very much cute.

Rithvik was sleeping on the bed and he was again having an incoherent dream about the girl.

A girl's hand full of wrist bands, her fingertips. Her hair. A kiss. An Instagram photo of the girl where her face is a blur. Her laughter. Blinding flash of truck's headlight.

Rithvik opened his eyes. And looked confused.

The college festival preparations were going on. Ansh drove into the college with Rithvik behind him on the bike. They parked the bike and got out and started walking. Rithvik yawned widely. "I may need a truckload of coffee."

"Why are you so sleepy?"

"I woke up in the middle of the night last night and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Why?"

"Just... Weird dreams."

They both sported Dhun walking into the college and both watched her. Rithvik with confused feelings and Ansh with a bit of annoyed 'she is so weird' expression.

The union members meeting was going on, and Dhun walked into the room with some female members. She saw that there are free seats only near Suraj and Rithvik. Rithvik smiled and waved at her. She went to sit near Rithvik.

Maneesh began to adress them.

After the meeting, Dhun tried to find Ansh in the classrooms and then find him in the corridor. She walked to him. "Ansh... we need to talk."

"I don't want to listen to your madness. I am not telling your madness to Rith just because I feel you really like him."

"Yeah. I do." Dhun said, "And I am trying to do this for his benefit."

"How does this become his benefit?"

"I told you I came from the future."

"Yeah. And I am a mermaid."

"Ansh, I know it's hard to believe. I know, nobody will believe it. But that is the truth." She took out the time turner from her pocket. "See here. This thing is a time turner. It lets you go back in time. I came back in time."

Ansh looked at the pocket watch with lazy eyes and back at Dhun. "You really believe in this nonsense?" He asked.

"It's not nonsense."

Ansh analysed her for some more time. He can see that she is serious. "Woah! You really believe in it." He was surprised.

"It's the truth."

"Dhun, I think you need to consult a doctor," He was genuinely concerned for her now, "You need therapy."

"Ansh, please. I am being serious."

"I am being serious as well. Dhun, if you really believe in all this, I am worried for you. Maybe you really should consult a doctor."

Dhun looked frustrated. Ansh looked at her for a few more seconds. "Can you give me your father's number? I will call him and tell..."

She stepped back. "This is why I did not want to say the truth. I knew you would not believe me. But you left me no choice."

"Dhun, why don't we just relax and think for a second. You are talking about 'time travel'. It does not exist in real life. Do you understand that you may have a problem? You may be having an issue!"

Dhun frowned. "You know what, just go to hell. Don't believe me. You are free to believe what you want to believe. Go do whatever you want to do, and in the end...everybody will be unhappy. EVERYBODY. Even you and your Roli. And you will be losing someone important forever." She was determined, "But no matter what, I can't let that happen. I have to save him, no matter what. I don't get a choice in that. So I don't care how I do it. But I will... And I can do it alone." She turned around and walked away. Her words had now affected Ansh. He could see the honesty in her eyes. He thought about it.

*

The next morning, Rithvik was sleeping and having the same dream.

The girl was walking ahead of Rith on a beach. Her footprints being left on the sand. Rithvik was following her footprints. A while after, she stopped and turned around. He couldn't see her face. She extended her hand to him. Her hand has an 'R' tattoo that looks raw/new. Rithvik slid his hand into her hand.

Sleeping Rithvik had a smile.

Rithvik stepped closer to her and they got closer and kissed. His hand settled on her waist, as the sea shined in light and wind blew on the girl's short hair. And Rithvik who was kissing her could feel all the love and lust for her.

And the same expression could be seen on sleeping Rithvik.

The girl back off from him, and took a step back and walked off. He kept looking at the back of her head. And with a smile ran after her, he caught her hand, and turned her around to face him, and stood pressing their foreheads together, with his hand through her hair. And the girl smiled. And he stepped back to look at her face. Her face is about to get clear...He is about to see her face.

And Rithvik woke up. He opened his eyes and look around. It's morning. "No. Nope... I can sleep more." He closed his eyes. "Come on. Go back... Continue." He waited, "Ugh! Continue please..." But he couldn't go back to the dream, so he sat up frustrated on his bed and threw the pillows away.

Dhun was sitting alone, looking a bit dejected. She did not really know what to do. She was looking up at the sky. The sky was clear.

Rithvik and Ansh were walking on college grounds. Rithvik was still disappointed about the dream. "Ugh! So damn disappointing. I mean, just one more second and I could have seen her face. Just a bit more. I wanted to see her face."

"What are you talking about?"

"The dream."

"What dream?"

"I told you I dreamed about a certain girl. I had it again."

Ansh looked at him interested.

"Have you ever had the same kind of dream three nights in a row?" Rithvik asked Ansh.

"No."

"Ah... I really really wanted to see her face."

"But why do you think it's the same girl?"

"Because it is. I can feel it." He touched his chest, "In here. And it's strange." He looked confused in thoughts. " What's even stranger is that I did not use to dream much in sleep before. But now..." He looked around and see Dhun sitting with a dejected face. He stared at her for a second. Ansh does too. Rithvik got a confused look on his face.

"Maybe you should talk to her?"

Rith's confused expression went away and he looked at Ansh. "Why?"

"she...was...kind of...off."

"Off? In what way?"

Ansh shrugged, "I think you should talk to her yourself. She is your friend."

A second later, Dhun felt a presence near her. She turned around to see Rithvik. "Hey, bro..." He called her.

"Hey..." She took a pause, "You know I am a girl, right?"

"What?"

"You keep calling me 'bro'."

"I always used to call you 'bro', bro." He said.

It was just that Dhun could not get used to being called 'bro' after being called 'baby' by him.

"Well, I know you are a girl. Technically." Rithvik added.

He flung a hand around her shoulder. " But...why is your mood down? Did something happen with Ansh? Did he reject you?" Dhun just looked at him and does not reply. " Dhun, you know na, even if Ansh rejects you, you will get better guys. What kind of a guy do you like? I will find one for you."

She smiled. "It's not that, Rith. So it's okay."

"Then what happened?"

"Why are you being so sweet to me? You were not always like this. I mean we were friends. But I feel ever since I confessed to Ansh, you are being extra sweet to me."

"Am I?" Rithvik was not sure. She nodded. "Well, you are actually helping me solve a problem I had for a while actually. So maybe that's why."

"What problem?"

Rithvik took his hand away from her shoulder and looked away. "Ansh," he said.

"What about Ansh?"

"Something." He does not give away his doubt, "But you say, if it's not Ansh, why are you sad?"

"Me too... Something. Problem types."

"Can I help?"

"No. It's something I have to figure out and solve myself. But thanks."

"Any time," He smiled and ruffle her hair.

An image flashed in Rithvik's mind suddenly - A girl's laughter, Rith's fingers moving through her hair, a kiss.

He took his hand off her hair immediately. And he looked confused.

"What happened?" Dhun asked.

"Nothing." He said.

Rithvik, Ansh and some guys from their class were sitting drinking tea/coffee. And Rithvik appeared bored, he took out his mobile and go on Instagram. There was a new photo of Dhun in there.

It was taken that day itself. She was in mid laughter in that. It was taken by someone else, a random candid picture. But the photo captured her laughter so well, and she looked so radiant in that.

Rith stared at her photo, and he felt a bit weird inside. He did not understand that emotion at all. It was just making him confused. Just then Dhun and a bunch of girls walked into the canteen. Rithvik looked up at her. And Dhun co-incidentally turned her head and saw him. She smiled at him. But Rithvik just looked like he don't know why he is feeling what he is feeling. The feelings inside him were that intense.