By Kriti Mukherjee

I had once written about how creatures I had thought were my angels turned out to be space bubbles that denoted bad eyes with a rare kind of astigmatism. That was the dark comedy in my life; the incident that I am going to relate now is just endearingly unearthly.

They say our soul roams the space when we are asleep. Then will it be wrong if I say we actually wake into our dreams? Could it be that this life that we are living is the actual dream? And sometimes is there an intermingling of sorts that happen. And when that happens, is it proof enough that we live many lives in one.

I was in eleventh grade at the time. A form of hepatitis had nearly taken my life, but was defeated at the juncture when all I had left in the battle were some bones and skin in my frugal body. My parents had slogged mentally and physically to keep me alive and well. There watchful, concerned gaze never left me for a second. Well a second maybe and that is when this happened.

As is frequent in India there was a power cut in the house we lived in and a sudden darkness fell over us at a time when I was alone in my room. My weary body refused to let me light a candle or grab the flashlight but my hands reached out and tried nonetheless. I remember calling out for my Dad feebly. But my voice was hardly audible even to myself. I was just about to give up and wait for the lights to come back on when I felt the familiar firm and reassuring grip of my Dad on my hand. I breathed a sigh of relief and closed my eyes.

Seconds later the lights came back and I heard his voice in the living room which was at least a 5 minute walk from where I lay. I opened my eyes to an empty room ? the warmth of his tight hold still on my hand!

When questioned later, my Dad confirmed what I was hoping wouldn't be true. He had never walked in to my room he said. Apparently his heart had pounded at the thought of me being alone in the dark but he couldn't get to me in time. Is it possible his soul came instead? Is it possible his mental anxiety fortified my courage and stood guard? Is it possible he had woken up just for a second to be with me in my dream?