The room was dark, but the light didn't come from the lamp.
It came from him.
Karna stood alone in a strange, endless expanse—neither land nor sky, as though he had slipped between layers of existence.
And in the middle of it, stood a man.
Clad in peacock hues, a flute held loosely in his hand, and a smile that carried lifetimes in its curve.
Vasudev Shree Krishna.
No longer a memory. No longer a voice in the wind.
But here.
Before him.
"Vasudev …" Karna whispered, the name tumbling from his lips like a prayer.
Krishna did not reply immediately.
Instead, he stepped forward and tilted his head like a teacher inspecting a student. "You've awoken, finally."
Karna frowned. "Was I asleep?"
Krishna chuckled, the sound echoing like temple bells. "Not just you. The whole world has been. But not for long."
Something in his voice shifted. Playfulness gave way to solemnity.
"They are watching, Karna. Through mirrors. Through shadows. Through the pause between heartbeats."
Karna's jaw clenched. "Who?"
Krishna met his eyes. "Those who serve the dark. Those who wish to end what we've barely begun."
A long silence followed.
Then Krishna said, "We'll meet again, soon. You will remember everything."
Karna stepped forward urgently. "Wait—what do I do until then?"
Krishna turned, already fading. "Live. Observe. Protect."
And then, right before the dream collapsed into blackness, his voice came again—gentle, but laced with warning.
"Be alert, Radheya.
The storm hasn't begun,
But the sky has already changed its colour."
---
The Next Morning: 09.01.2078
Karna jolted awake, his breath uneven. The dream still burned behind his eyes.
He pressed his fingers to his temple.
"Vasudev…"
Was it real? Was it a vision?
He didn't have time to dwell on it, because within minutes, Kavita knocked gently on the door and peeked in.
"You're up already? Good," she said cheerily. "If you're feeling well, beta, maybe you can try attending college again today?"
Karna blinked. "What is…college?"
Kavita sighed. "You'll see. Everyone's waiting. Go, get ready.This weekend,I am taking you to the doctor.I highly doubt that you will get well on your own."
---
The car ride was chaos.
Arnav and Shaurya sat on either side of him like devils on each shoulder.
"I bet he won't survive even one full lecture," Arnav grinned.
"Shut up," Karna muttered.
Shaurya chimed in, "What if he walks into the wrong classroom again and ends up attending a seminar on microbiology?"
Arnav gasped. "Or worse—philosophy!"
Karna had had enough.
"Do you two ever stay silent?"
"Rarely," they replied in unison.
Behind them, Rhea sat in the middle seat, tying her hair in a ponytail, her presence calm—until Karna glanced at her.
He looked away almost immediately.
She was wearing a dark blue kurti today. Simple. Elegant.
Too familiar.
Vrushali's favourite colour.
Rhea caught his fleeting glance. "Something wrong, Karan?"
He blinked, panic flickering in his eyes. "No. Nothing."
From the front seat, Diya let out a groan. "This is going to be such a long day…"
---
The Arrival: First Day Back
As they walked into the college gates, Karna stiffened like he was walking into a battlefield.
He muttered under his breath, "Too many people… too many eyes."
Nikhil leaned in with a wicked grin. "Welcome to war, General."
Diya sighed, grabbing Sia's arm. "Please distract him before he combusts."
Sia, in full chaotic mode, marched to Karan's side and whispered, "Don't worry bhaiya. You'll survive. I mean, you died once already right? This should be fine."
Karna looked at her, stunned. "…Thank you?"
Bhavesh howled with laughter. "She means well."
Meanwhile, Rhea walked ahead silently. But Karna's eyes followed her unknowingly.
She turned around once and caught him.
Again.
This time she raised a brow.
"Need something, Karan?"
He cleared his throat. "No. I was just—"
"—staring?" Arnav supplied from the side, smug.
"Shut up, Arjun."
"Not again.You should shut up.This is embarrassing."
"You never fail to irritate me ."
Sia skipped past, whispering to Diya, "They sound like lifelong sworn enemies.Maybe they were actually Karna-Arjun in their past lifes."
Diya snorted ."Stop!"
---
Later That Day
In between the classes, Karna found himself staring out of the window, fingers tapping against the desk, lost in thought.
The dream had been vivid. Krishna's words hadn't been just warnings—they were instructions.
Live. Observe. Protect.
He scanned the students around him. The professors. Even the corridor corners.
Someone was watching.
He was sure of it.
---
Evening Break: Mini Mayhem
As the group sat near the canteen, Karna suddenly muttered, "You look exactly like her."
"Who?" Rhea asked, sipping her iced tea.
"Vrushali," he replied, barely above a whisper.
Silence.
Shaurya, in the middle of biting into a samosa, choked.
Sia slapped his back dramatically. "See? See? I told you he's recovering memories!"
Diya's eyes went wide. "Wait, you remember Rhea as Vrushali.So you remember her as your wife?!"
Karna blinked. "I—I mean—she reminds me…"
Rhea didn't say anything for a moment.
Then she offered a quiet smile. "Good. Because I liked that name."
Karna looked at her, startled.
Shaurya whispered, "Somebody hold my heart, it's being too wholesome here."
Arnav raised his eyebrows. "Too quiet. Suspicious. Where's the real Rhea?I thought Rhea di has a crush on him."
Nikhil passed by muttering, "Diya was looking at me and blushing again, by the way."
Diya threw a biscuit at him.
Karna sat among them all—his heart still heavy with the dream, but his mouth twitching ever so slightly.
This world was absurd. Chaotic. Loud. Ridiculous.
But maybe…
Just maybe…
He could belong here, too.
---
🌸Author's note
I know that I messed up the year at one chapter.I have fixed it now😅
Sorry for the early confusion