Akul woke up with a start, cold sweat streamed down his nape and the side of his ears, he drew quick short breaths with his eyes wandering all over the place. His heart raced faster than an F1 car. He couldn't believe what he just saw was just a dream as it all felt too real to be a dream. All of it, from the stormy weather to the vanishing of the mysterious man. Akul thought to himself, "Calm down Mr. Akul Narayan, remember the drill, Long breaths, take long breaths". He closed his eyes and took deep a breath and continued like that for some time. As he inhaled and exhaled deeply, his heartbeat slowed down, his face became relaxed and his tense body loosened up. He opened his eyes after a few more cycles of deep breathing. Suddenly, his eyes looked more focused. He sighed deeply and murmured, "I've had enough sleep and weird naked disappearing man dreams". As he said this, he reached for his phone, unplugged it from the charging cable, and turned on the screen. The digital clock on the screen said 5:27 AM. Akul thought, "I am awake, might as well get ready". He picked up and wore his glasses as he got up from his bed and stood in front of the mirror that was placed on his almirah. Akul Narayan a 17 year old boy. He was tall for boys his age, he stood at a surprising 5 feet 11 inches but he kept his head tilted downwards because of which he looked an inch or two shorter. He was very thin, so much so that one could describe him as weak and lanky. He had a sparse mustache and short stubble growing on his face. His arching eyebrows and dark brown almond-shaped eyes hid behind his thick glasses. The reason for such thick glasses you ask? He had myopia and keratoconus a condition where the cornea of the eye becomes very thin. He had these conditions since birth but his myopia was diagnosed when he was three years old and the keratoconus just a few years back due to which, he couldn't put strain on his eyes and body thus also the reason for him being so deathly thin. He was practically blind without his glasses. He looked at himself in the mirror with a sleepy expression; he wore a t-shirt that had a very quirky picture of Spider-Man with a Polaroid Camera in his hand with the word 'Say Cheese!!' printed in a comic book sort of font. Below that he wore a plain blue pair of shorts. He stroked his hand through his Dark brown hair to set them back top to no avail as they just slowly came back to prick him in his eyes.
He heard a woman's voice calling him out of his room saying, "I swear in the name of god, Akul Narayan if you are still sleeping, I will beat you black and blue". Akul replied, "I'm awake maa, you don't need to go through the trouble of beating me up". A woman of short stature who was in her early forties entered the room she said, "If you are up then quit staring at the mirror and freshen up, I am putting the breakfast on the table eat it after freshening up, and then go take a bath". Akul again replied, "Yes maa". He then proceeded out of his room into His bathroom to freshen up and brush his teeth. After freshening up, he walked drowsily towards the hall and sat on a chair in front of the dining table. His mother served him some poha along with a glass of milk. He ate his breakfast slowly. His mother scowled at him and scolded him, "Eat faster, you are in 11th grade and you still act like a child". He ate faster finished his breakfast and drank all his milk in one gulp. He then got up and hastily went into the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist. He took his clothes off leaving only his underwear and his janau.
He then turned on the shower and hot water streamed out of the shower head. He closed his eyes and let the water drench him. His thoughts began to wander towards the dream he had that morning. Many questions like 'Who was that man?', and 'How did he disappear?' popped up in his mind. He again heard his mother shouting, "Get out! It's been half an hour since you went in". He opened his eyes, closed the shower, wiped his body dry, wrapped the towel around his waist, and then got out. His mother shouted from the kitchen, reminding him, "Remember you have to do puja". He replied, "Yes maa, I remember". He took out a dhoti from his almirah and wrapped it around his waist. He then cleaned the surroundings of the small mandir in his room. After some time he completed the puja and proceeded with the aarti. He looked at the clock which hung on his room's wall. It showed 6:30. He then thought to himself, "I better get ready, wouldn't wanna miss my first day of prep school". He went to a private prep school as he was preparing for one of the toughest and most competitive entrance exams in India and the world called JEE which was short for Joint Engineering Exam. He wore a pair of pale blue denim jeans and the orange uniform t-shirt that was given to him by the prep school at the time of enrollment. He was excited to enroll in prep school as many of his friends had also enrolled there but the reason he was most excited was because of a girl. A girl whom he had been crushing on for two years. He couldn't wait to meet her again. As he combed his hair, he heard the doorbell ring.
DING~~DONG
His doorbell opened the gate and called him out saying, "Akul come on out, Maruti is here". Akul walked towards the doorway. There stood a cute little boy of ten years of age with bright brown eyes and long hair with a red tilak on his forehead wearing a school uniform and a small bag pack on his back. Maruti asked Akul, "Akul bhaiya hurry up otherwise you are gonna be late". Akul said, "Yeah, I'm ready". He then asked him playfully, "Why are you up so early Little Monkey". Maruti scowled at him playfully at said, "Don't call me a monkey". Maruti continued, "And did you forget I'm in 6th grade now". Akul acted as if he suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Oh yes, you did tell me". As Akul stepped out of the house his mother asked him, "Did you take the bread to feed the cows". Akul shook his head in a no and then hurried to the kitchen. Maruti's expression turned serious as he asked Dipali (Akul's Mother), "Is the boy alright?" She answered in a serious tone, "Yes". Maruti said suggestively, "It's about time he knows". She replied, "No, Not now". Maruti, now slightly irritated, said, "But didi you must-----------.He was cut short by Akul coming back with a loaf of bread. Akul asked Maruti, "Should we leave now?" Maruti answered putting up a smile on his face, "Yes bhaiya". Akul bowed down and touched his mother's legs and his mother gave him a blessing, "Ayushman Bhava". Akul then exited the house, put on his shoes, and left with Maruti who was humming a bhajan.
Both of them descended the stairs as Akul lived on the first floor. After reaching downstairs both of them reached the main gate of the building. Akul fed the bread to some bulls and cows that were passing by as Maruti waited for his school bus. After feeding them Akul joined Maruti and both of them talked and laughed as they waited. Soon a yellow bus came to a stop in front of them. Maruti bid his farewell to Akul as he climbed the stairs to the front door of the bus. Akul now stood all alone on the side of the road, waiting for the minivan coming to pick him up. He was excited and happy, humming songs as he waited. He wanted to start the year on a positive note.
But little did he know what fate had in store for him.