It was dawn. 

The faint golden light of morning was in through the windows. The house was still and quiet except for the occasional murmur from the living room, where my parents sat. I was in the the last room...My room, peeling carrots with earbuds snugly in place, watching my usual show on my phone. 

Suddenly my father's voice boomed from the living room. 

"Carrot!" he hollered, startling me.

I paused my show, slipping out one earbud. "What?"

"Carrot!" he shouted again this time closer. He stomped into my room. "Do fast, always on that mobile. It's all you do," he muttered, grabbing a half-peeled carrot from the peeled and leaving as abruptly as he came.

I sighed, returning to my task. The morning air felt strange. It was seriously weird.

Why was I peeling carrots at at dawn? I shook my head.

A sudden whoosh sound cut through the quiet.

I froze. 

The sound didn't belong. It was faint, distant, but growing louder. Turning my head slightly, I caught a flicker of something—a glow—through the translucent window to my left.

Frowning, I moved cautiously to the window. The light wasn't just flickering, it was pulsating. And it was coming closer. My hands trembled as I unlatched the window and pulled it open.

A sharp intake of breath escaped me. My legs locked in place. There in the sky was something like a meteor coming straight at me. Was it a missile? But it didn't look metallic... It was more like a ball of fire with a tail.

Shit. This building was going to fall . I could feel it deep in my gut. If we didn't get out now, we'd be buried alive under the rubble.

"Papa!" I screamed, my voice cracking with fear. "Papa, come here!"

From the other room, his grumbling voice called back, oblivious to the panic seizing me. "What now?"

"We must leave! Quickly!" I shrieked, abandoning all composure. My legs carried me to the living room as if on autopilot. My parents sat there, still as statues.

"There's a missile coming!" I yelled, my voice trembling. "We have to get down! Now!"

My father's brow furrowed, confused. My mother turned to look at me, her hands twisting the edge of her dupatta nervously. Neither of them moved.

"Did you hear me? We have to go!" I was practically pleading now. But they just stared, frozen. My parents were unmoved. Did they even here me?

My heart was pounding, threatening to burst from my chest. They weren't moving. Why weren't they moving?

"Please, let's go!" I begged, tears springing to my eyes as I turned back to the window. The ball of fire was so close now

I looked back at my parents, my vision blurred. We were going to be hit any second now, There was no time left. None at all. 

My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed to my knees, choking on my breath.  This is it. We're all going to die.

"Mumma... Papa..." My voice cracked as I broke down completely. "I love you so much."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body trembling, waiting for the impact, for the flames, for the end.

A second passed. Then two.

Nothing.

I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly. The world hadn't ended. I was still here. Slowly, I lifted my head and looked out the window.

The ball of fire had struck the building next to us. It was in ruins, crumbling into itself like a house of cards. Smoke billowed into the air, and fiery debris scattered across the street below.

I breathed a shaky sigh of relief, my chest heaving. We were alive—by some miracle, we were alive.

But the relief was short-lived. My eyes darted back to the sky, and my blood ran cold.

There wasn't just one fireball. There were more. Dozens. No—a swarm of fiery streaks, each one carving a path of destruction across the dawn sky.

"Oh my God..."

This wasn't a mistake. This wasn't an accident. This was war.

"Papa!" I grabbed his arm, shaking him. "We have to go! Now!"

There wasn't time to think. Only to run.

******

A/N

And I woke up! Them I realised just why my father wasn't panicking with me. I just hope this subah ka sapna doesn't become a reality. 😮‍💨

This collection is more for myself. This dream was so vivid that I had to pen it down.