The hospital entrance was crowded as usual, with people moving in and out.
Voices overlapped, and footsteps echoed across the floor.
Then, for a brief moment, everything seemed to slow.
A young woman stepped inside.
Heads turned, not all at once, but one by one.
There was nothing dramatic about her arrival.
She made no effort to draw attention to herself.
And yet, people couldn’t help but look.
She walked forward calmly, her expression neutral, almost indifferent to the attention around her.
Her long black hair fell naturally over her shoulders, shifting slightly with each step.
Her dark brown eyes were clear and sharp, carrying a quiet confidence.
There was something striking about her appearance.
It wasn’t simply her beauty that drew attention, but the quiet confidence in the way she carried herself.
Effortlessly.
Unintentionally.
Someone whispered,
“Who is she…?”
The reply came immediately, sharp and almost fearful.
“Don’t ask.
She’s one of the strongest…
And if she hears you…”
The person paused.
“We’re already dead.”
But the young woman didn’t stop.
She didn’t react or even look around, as though she were completely accustomed to the whispers that followed her.
Urvashi.
She adjusted the strap of her bag and continued walking.
Her pace was steady, neither hurried nor slow.
Inside, however, her thoughts were elsewhere.
Bhagavat.
The name crossed her mind, and her expression changed slightly.
Not enough for anyone around her to notice, but enough to reveal that something was bothering her.
She had come straight from her hostel.
No rest.
No delay.
The call from the hospital still echoed in her mind.
“You should come as soon as possible.”
Her grip tightened around the strap.
“He’d better be fine…”
The calmness she maintained on the outside didn’t match the uneasiness building inside her.
She stopped at the reception desk.
“Room number?” she asked.
Her tone was polite, clear, and direct.
The receptionist hesitated for a moment, still slightly distracted by Urvashi’s presence.
“…Room 207.”
Urvashi gave a small nod.
“Thank you.”
She didn’t say anything else.
Turning away, she walked toward the corridor.
The attention she had drawn faded behind her, but something about her presence lingered.
It wasn’t just her beauty or charm.
There was something else.
A quiet strength.
The kind that didn’t need to prove itself.
As she walked down the corridor, her steps gradually slowed.
She stopped in front of a door.
207.
For the first time since entering the hospital, she didn’t move immediately.
Her hand lifted toward the handle, then paused.
For a moment, she simply stood there.
Then she exhaled softly.
“Idiot…”
She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The faint sound of the monitor reached her ears immediately.
Beep… beep… beep…
She quietly closed the door behind her and walked toward the bed.
Her steps remained steady.
Controlled.
Bhagavat lay there, just as before.
Still and unmoving.
For a moment, Urvashi simply stood beside him, looking down at him.
“You look worse than usual.”
Her tone was calm, almost casual.
She pulled the chair closer and sat down.
The metal legs scraped softly against the floor.
“You always hated staying still.”
She looked at him.
“Now you don’t even move.”
A faint smile appeared on her face.
She reached out and took his left hand.
It was warm, but weak.
“They said there’s no guarantee.”
Her smile faded.
“I don’t believe that.”
Silence settled over the room.
Urvashi leaned back slightly, her gaze drifting for a moment before returning to him.
“You still owe me, you know.”
There was no response.
Her fingers tightened slightly around his left hand.
“So don’t think you can get away like this.”
The monitor continued its steady rhythm.
Urvashi slowly exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment.
Then something shifted.
Her eyes opened immediately.
She looked down at his hand.
“…Bhagavat?”
For a moment, everything seemed to stand still.
His fingers had moved.
Just slightly.
Urvashi leaned forward, the calmness fading from her expression.
“Hey… don’t joke around.”
Her voice carried a hint of urgency now.
She watched his hand carefully.
Nothing happened.
The movement didn’t happen again.
The room fell silent once more.
Urvashi frowned.
“…I saw that.”
She didn’t let go of his hand.
Not once.
Instead, she kept watching, waiting for him to move again.
Then—
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.
Her breathing was uneven and fast.
For a moment, she didn’t move.
The ceiling above her was unfamiliar.
This wasn’t the hospital.
It was her hostel room.
“…A dream?”
Her hand tightened around the bedsheet.
It had felt too real.
Too clear.
Bhagavat.
The hospital.
That moment.
She shut her eyes tightly.
“Idiot…”
A shaky breath escaped her.
Then her phone rang.
She froze.
Slowly, she turned toward it.
The screen was lit.
Unknown Number.
Something about it immediately felt wrong.
She picked up the phone.
“…Hello?”
There was a brief pause.
Then a calm voice came through.
“Is this Urvashi?”
Her grip tightened around the phone.
“Yes.”
The voice remained calm and professional.
“This is from the hospital.”
Her heart seemed to stop for a moment.
“You should come immediately.”
The call ended.
Silence filled the room.
Urvashi stared at the phone.
The dream flashed through her mind again.
“…Bhagavat.”
This time, it didn’t feel like a dream.
She stood up immediately.
There was no hesitation.
No second thought.
*
*
*
The hospital entrance was crowded.
Voices and footsteps filled the air, but Urvashi barely paid attention to them.
She walked straight through the entrance without looking at anyone.
Her mind was elsewhere.
“Room 207.”
She reached the door and stopped.
Her hand rested on the handle for a moment.
Then she pushed it open.
The room was quiet.
There were no machines.
No urgency.
Nothing seemed wrong.
Just… normal.
A nurse looked at her and paused.
“You’re his sister?”
Urvashi frowned slightly.
“Yes.”
The nurse nodded and stepped out, leaving them alone.
Urvashi entered the room and closed the door behind her.
When she looked ahead, she froze.
Bhagavat was sitting on the bed.
Alive.
Completely fine.
Her mind went blank.
“…Bhagavat?”
He looked at her in confusion.
“Didi…?
Why do you look like that?”
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
This wasn’t relief.
Not entirely.
Because moments ago, she had seen him die.
Her fingers slowly clenched.
“What is this?” she whispered to herself.
Her voice was quiet, but there was no calmness behind it.
Bhagavat tilted his head.
“What do you mean?”
Silence.
Everything felt normal.
Too normal.
Urvashi kept staring at him, trying to understand what she was seeing.
One thought kept repeating in her mind.
“If that was only a dream… then why does this feel wrong?”
Suddenly, the door burst open.
Hurried footsteps approached from the corridor.
“Bhagavat!”
Her mother’s voice shattered the silence.
She rushed into the room, tears already running down her face.
“Bhagavat… my son…!”
She embraced him tightly, as though afraid he might disappear again.
Bhagavat froze for a moment before slowly returning the embrace.
“I’m okay…” he said softly.
Her father stood beside the bed, silent and visibly shaken.
He placed a hand on Bhagavat’s head.
“You’re really here.”
His voice broke slightly.
Relief filled the room.
Warm.
Overwhelming.
Real.
Urvashi watched them from where she stood.
Everything looked perfect.
Too perfect.
Her mother smiled through her tears while her father finally released the breath he’d been holding.
Bhagavat spoke to them, answered their questions, and reacted normally.
As if nothing had happened.
As if nothing was wrong.
And that was exactly what bothered Urvashi.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
Her gaze never left him.
Everything looked right.
Everything sounded right.
She took a small step forward.
“Bhagavat?”
He looked at her and smiled faintly.
“Yes…?”
Something about that smile made her chest tighten.
Before she could stop herself, the words slipped out.
“Who are you?”
Silence filled the room.
Her mother froze.
Her father turned toward her.
Bhagavat blinked in confusion.
“…Didi?”
He paused.
“I… don’t understand.”
Her parents exchanged confused glances.
Urvashi didn’t answer.
Her gaze remained fixed on him, sharp and searching, as though she were trying to see through him.
“…Say it again,” she said quietly.
Bhagavat blinked.
“…What?”
“My name.”
A brief silence.
“…Urvashi.”
Her fingers tightened slightly.
“Again.”
There was a small hesitation this time.
“…Urvashi.”
The answer was exactly the same.
Unchanged.
And yet, something inside her felt heavier.
Because no matter how many times he said her name, nothing about it sounded wrong.
Her mother’s voice cut through the silence.
“Urvi, what are you asking him?”
She stepped closer.
“Let him breathe.
He just woke up.”
Her father looked at her.
“What kind of questions are those?”
Urvashi didn’t look away from Bhagavat.
“I’m not asking anything strange.”
Her voice was quiet.
Almost too quiet.
“Don’t you feel it?”
Her mother frowned.
“Feel what?”
Urvashi’s gaze hardened slightly.
“That…
something is off.”
Silence—
Her father sighed and shook his head.
“Urvi, you’re overthinking this.
That’s enough.”
Urvashi lowered her gaze.
“I’m sorry, Papa.”
The silence lingered for another moment.
Then came the sound of measured footsteps.
A doctor entered, followed by a nurse.
His expression was calm, but his eyes were focused.
“Good… you’re all here.”
He walked toward the bed and glanced at Bhagavat before checking the monitors.
Everything was stable.
Too stable.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
Bhagavat looked at him.
“Fine.”
The answer came easily, almost without thought.
The doctor paused briefly before nodding.
“That’s… good.”
He picked up the chart and flipped through several pages.
His brows furrowed.
“…Very good, actually.”
Urvashi noticed the hesitation.
That small change in his expression.
“Doctor?” her father asked.
The doctor looked up.
“…It’s just…”
He glanced at Bhagavat again.
“His recovery is unusually fast.”
Silence.
Her mother smiled faintly.
“That’s a good thing… right?”
The doctor didn’t answer immediately.
“…Yes,” he finally said.
“But…”
He stopped, seemingly choosing his words carefully.
“We’ll need to run a few more tests.”
Bhagavat tilted his head.
“Tests…?”
The doctor nodded.
“Just to make sure everything is normal.”
Normal.
The word lingered in the room.
Urvashi’s gaze shifted from the doctor to Bhagavat.
“Was he…?”
She stopped herself.
There was no point asking.
Bhagavat simply smiled.
“Okay.”
There was no hesitation.
No concern.
Just acceptance.
The nurse stepped forward and adjusted the IV.
The faint clink of metal against the stand broke the silence.
The doctor cleared his throat.
“Could everyone please step outside for a moment?”
Her mother looked at him, slightly surprised.
“Is everything alright?”
The doctor gave her a small, reassuring nod.
“Don’t worry.
Everything looks fine.”
Her father placed a reassuring hand on Bhagavat’s shoulder.
“Come,” he said quietly to Urvashi and her mother.
Her mother hesitated for a moment before following him.
Urvashi didn’t move.
Her eyes remained on Bhagavat, as though she were trying to understand something she couldn’t quite name.
Then, slowly, she turned away.
She walked out of the room, leaving Bhagavat alone with the doctor and nurse.
Urvashi feels something is wrong… but is she overthinking?
Or is there really something no one else can see?
Tell me your thoughts.