It was already 11:30 PM. Most of the society members were heading towards their homes, exchanging sleepy goodnights and quiet laughter. The excitement of the welcome party had faded into the stillness of the night. Nandini walked quietly with her friend Isha, who was accompanied by her husband Arjun and their little son, Bunny. Behind them, at a relaxed pace, walked Ruhan, his mind half-lost in thought after the series of awkward introductions.
"Papa, can I watch a movie tonight?" Bunny asked innocently, tugging at Arjun's hand.
"No, son. Kids shouldn't stay awake late. You need to sleep early," Arjun replied with fatherly firmness.
"Please, Papa... just today?" Bunny pleaded with puppy eyes.
Arjun hesitated. "Alright..."
"What do you mean 'alright'?" Isha immediately snapped. "You know he has school tomorrow! The later he sleeps, the later he wakes up. You'll be the one dragging him out of bed!"
Arjun scratched his head sheepishly. "Okay, okay. No movie tonight."
A few minutes later, Isha said, "We're here. Our home's right ahead. Bye, Nandini. Bye, Ruhan."
With a casual wave, they parted ways, leaving Nandini walking alone down the quiet lane. Ruhan followed, keeping his distance, lost in thoughts about his new life in Bal Kishan Society.
Then, out of nowhere, a rabbit dashed across the path. Startled, Ruhan instinctively jumped sideways to avoid it.
Unfortunately, that leap threw him off balance—and sent him crashing right into Nandini from behind. Their bodies collided unexpectedly. His hand grazed her cheek as he stumbled to steady himself.
In that split second, to an outsider, it looked like Ruhan had intentionally touched her face. Nandini froze, stunned, her mind racing to process what had just happened.
And then fury ignited in her eyes.
SLAP!
The sharp sound echoed in the silent street as her palm connected with his left cheek. Before Ruhan could even react—
SLAP!
She struck his right cheek.
Ruhan staggered back, shocked beyond words. "Wait! Listen!" he tried to explain. "It was an accident! A rabbit—"
But Nandini wasn't listening. Her rage wasn't satisfied. Raising her hand for a third strike, she lunged, but this time Ruhan caught her wrist mid-air.
"Stop! You've misunderstood! I swear—it was the rabbit—" he pleaded.
"You touched me! On purpose! You're disgusting!" she screamed, yanking her hand back. And before he could react—
WHAM!
A swift knee drove into Ruhan's groin. His breath escaped him in a painful gasp as he crumpled to the ground, clutching himself in agony. Stars danced before his eyes.
"You think you can harass me and get away with it?" Nandini fumed, her chest heaving with fury. "I should call the police! Or better yet, have the society throw you out before sunrise!"
Ruhan groaned from the pavement, trying desperately to gather the strength to speak. "It... was... the rabbit..." he managed between painful breaths. "I... didn't... mean to..."
Nandini paused, confusion briefly flickering in her tear-filled eyes. She glanced down the path—and sure enough, a small white rabbit was hopping away into the bushes.
Her anger wavered. For a moment, guilt and doubt crept in. Had she overreacted?
But her pride wouldn't let her admit it. "Stay away from me!" she hissed, turning sharply and marching away, her heels clicking furiously against the pavement.
Ruhan lay sprawled on the ground, staring up at the night sky, grimacing in pain. "Great start to life in this society," he muttered bitterly. "Welcome to Bal Kishan, where rabbits ruin reputations."
From the shadows of the nearby bushes, two teenage boys from the society peeked out, giggling uncontrollably. One nudged the other. "Did you see that? She karate-chopped him like in the movies!"
"Man, poor dude... He's gonna think twice before walking behind any woman again," the other whispered.
Ruhan heard their stifled laughter and sighed. "Even the kids are witnesses to my humiliation. Fantastic."
As he struggled to his feet, holding his aching ribs, he saw Lilly D'Costa watching from her balcony, a smirk playing on her lips. The single, flamboyant cardiologist who couldn't resist a good drama.
"Hmm… Handsome and interesting..." she mused, sipping her wine. "What a fiery introduction, Mr. New Neighbor. I must get to know you better."
The courtroom door creaked open, and Advocate Nandini Gupta stepped inside, flanked by two uniformed police officers and a stern-faced havaldar. The heavy scent of fear hung in the air as murmurs and gasps echoed through the tense courtroom.
All eyes turned to the accused: Yash. His face was flushed with rage, a loaded pistol trembling in his hand, aimed mercilessly at a terrified little girl standing by the bench.
"Put that gun down, Yash!" Nandini commanded, her voice firm but calm. "You can't bend the law to your will. This is not how justice works!"
"I don't care anymore!" Yash barked, his eyes wild, sweat beading his forehead.
Seven years in prison—that was his sentence for the car accident that killed eight innocent people. Evidence pointed squarely at him. But Nandini knew the truth. Yash may have been a petty thief, a fraudster in his early days, but a murderer? Never. Yet, fate had marked him guilty.
"I didn't cause that accident!" he roared. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm innocent! But no one believes me... no one! If I'm going to jail for this lie, I might as well commit a crime worth the punishment!"
"Yash, listen to me!" Nandini pleaded. "The law stands with you. I stand with you. I'm fighting this case for you. You will get justice—don't make this mistake!"
But before sense could reach him, Yash's trembling finger slipped. The trigger pulled itself.
A single gunshot cracked through the silence. Time froze.
A cry erupted as an elderly man slumped, clutching his side. Blood seeped through his shirt as chaos flooded the room. The police officers leapt forward, disarming Yash and pinning him to the ground.
"No! No! I didn't mean to!" Yash screamed, struggling beneath their weight.
Nandini gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. All her hope shattered in a single, misfired bullet.
Then everything spun.
Nandini's eyes flew open. Sweat dripped from her brow. Her breath came in panicked gasps. She was in her bedroom. Alone. Safe.
A dream. It had all been a dream.
Or had it?
Faintly, a distant gunshot echoed outside. Her heart stopped.
Leaping from her bed, she stumbled to the window. Lights flicked on in neighboring flats. Faces peered anxiously from behind curtains. Someone ran into the corridor, shouting.
Her clock read 1:05 AM.
Nandini grabbed a glass of water with trembling hands. The dream and reality tangled like a twisted rope in her mind. She called out to herself softly: "It's just a dream... right?"
A bark startled her. Tommy, her Golden Retriever, padded into the room, tail wagging nervously.
"Good boy, Tommy. Stay close."
Tommy wasn't an ordinary pet. He'd been trained by retired military officer Pankaj Yadav himself. The dog's ears perked up at every unusual sound—a loyal guardian in troubled times.
As she stepped into the hall, the panic outside grew louder. Downstairs, the building's security guards hurried past, rifles slung on shoulders. Chairman Mr. Shyamlal, Secretary Suraj Singh Rawat, and other committee members gathered hurriedly in the lobby.
Mrs. Meera Sharma, her landlady, stood there too, pale and frightened.
"What's going on?" Nandini asked.
"Gunshots!" gasped a young neighbor. "We heard them near Civil Line!"
"Someone shot a man!" another woman whispered.
Cold sweat returned to Nandini's brow. This was no longer just her nightmare.
"Light up the garden!" Mr. Shyamlal ordered.
The security guard rushed to switch on the floodlights.
A shriek split the night. Everyone turned. The beam revealed a gruesome sight—an unconscious man lying face-down in the muddy puddle by the Civil Line entrance. Blood pooled around him, mixing with the dirty water.
"Everyone, back!" barked Security Head Pankaj Yadav, pushing the crowd away. "Let the police handle this!"
Suraj Singh Rawat dialed the emergency hotline. "Police. Ambulance. Now. There's been a shooting in Greenwood Society."
Minutes crawled by. Murmurs rose among the residents.
"Who is he?"
"Not one of our members."
"Then why was he here?"
"Maybe a thief?"
"Or worse...?"
"No one saw him come in. He wasn't at the celebration party either," someone said.
The police arrived, sirens wailing, their flashing lights painting the walls with streaks of blue and red. Inspector Shalini Verma stepped out, her expression severe.
"Who found the body?"
"The guard," replied Pankaj Yadav. "He heard the gunshot."
Nandini watched silently as the scene unfolded. Her pulse thudded painfully in her ears. Something about this was wrong. Dread prickled her skin.
Was this the nightmare repeating itself in reality?
As the paramedics lifted the victim onto a stretcher, Nandini's breath caught.
It was the elderly man from her dream.
Her world reeled. Impossible. This couldn't be real. The same wrinkled face... the same checkered jacket… the same bloodied side.
Her mind spiraled.
Was this déjà vu?
Or a warning?
Inspector Verma's voice broke through the haze. "Anyone know this man?"
Nobody did.