So far:
Ganeshan, who worked at their cloth shop, had arranged his daughter's wedding. Raji, Shakthi, and Bharathi attended the ceremony, and after all the celebrations, they returned home, tired but content.
Now:
The next morning, sunlight poured gently through the thin curtains, painting the room in golden hues. The soft chirping of birds and the distant hum of early traffic created a calm, ordinary morning. Yet, in Shakthi's room, the atmosphere was far from ordinary.
Shakthi sat cross-legged at his small wooden desk, pencil moving quickly over a blank sheet. His eyes were focused, his lips slightly pressed together, and every so often his hand would pause, as if he were consulting some unseen vision before continuing. He was drawing a scene — a scene that had come to him in a dream.
When Raji quietly opened the door to wake him, she paused at the threshold. "Shakthi …" she called softly. He did not respond immediately. She stepped closer and noticed the intensity on his face. Without saying a word, he turned the drawing pad toward her.
Raji took it gently, her hands trembling slightly. She knew the sketches too well. Since childhood, Shakthi had possessed a strange, almost frightening gift — he could see glimpses of future events in his dreams. Until those events happened, the same dream repeated itself relentlessly. To preserve every detail, Shakthi would immediately draw what he had seen, almost as if anchoring the vision to paper.
Raji studied the drawing carefully, her heart tightening.
At that moment, Bharathi entered the room. "Mom, you said you bring some coffee for me — but what are you doing here?" he asked, stepping inside. His tone was playful at first, but he froze when he saw the expressions on their faces.
"What are you two looking at?" he added, taking the sketch from Raji's hands.
The drawing was stark, horrifying in its clarity. A car accident was depicted — Shakthi lying injured on the road, blood flowing from his head, hands, and legs, while a young girl was lifting him, carrying him desperately to safety.
Bharathi's usual cheerful expression faltered. "Shakthi… what is this?" he asked softly.
Raji's eyes filled with tears. "Shakthi! Why would you draw something like this? You've drawn yourself hurt… bleeding! It's terrifying."
Shakthi moved closer to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Raji, don't cry. Maybe I shouldn't have shown it to you at all," he said gently. Inside, though, he felt the familiar tension of dread. He had seen this dream again, and again, over several nights.
Bharathi, sensing the need to ease the tension, smiled faintly and said teasingly, "Ma, look closely. Shakthi's hurt, yes, but a girl is saving him — maybe this girl is your future daughter-in-law!"
Raji blinked, trying to suppress her worry. She looked at the drawing again, noticing the girl's serene yet determined expression. "She looks beautiful… almost like an angel," she whispered.
Shakthi frowned, gave them both a mock glare, and muttered, "You two will never change," before heading to the bathroom to bathe. The room felt empty for a moment, the only sound being the faint scratching of pencil marks still on the desk.
After getting ready, both brothers come for breakfast.
"Shakthi, today is Friday," said Raji as she packed her bag to go to the shop. "Make sure you go to the temple this evening after work. Come home early. You too, Bharathi."
"Sorry, ma, After office I need to meet a friend. You and Shakthi go ahead," Bharathi said.
"So, will you be late?" Raji asked.
"No, I'll be back by 7:30," he replied promptly.
"And you, Shakthi?" she asked.
"No problem, Raji. The bank closes at 5:30. I'll come straight home. You finish at the shop early and get ready, okay?"
Raji nodded. "Alright. Both of you eat properly before leaving. Kamala!" she called to the housemaid. "Serve their breakfast on the dining table."
"Yes, ma," Kamala replied from the kitchen.
After breakfast, both brothers left for work, Shakthi heading to the bank and Bharathi to his auditing firm.
Shakthi had completed his MBA and had been working for two years as an officer in SBI. Known for his calm demeanor and intelligence, he handled responsibilities carefully, though very few knew of the unusual burden he carried — the gift that allowed him to see glimpses of the future.
Bharathi, younger and more carefree, had completed his CA and was now training in a reputed auditing firm. He often joked and laughed, but his affection for Shakthi and Raji ran deep.
Life had not been kind to them. Raji's husband had died in a lorry accident when Shakthi was in first grade and Bharathi in Kinder Garden. That event had forever changed the rhythm of their lives.
It was also the day Shakthi first realized his strange gift — or curse. The night before the accident, he had dreamt of a lorry crashing into their scooter while he and his father were on the way to school. The vision was vivid and terrifying. He had woken up crying, but his father had comforted him, laughing it off as a bad dream. The next day, the nightmare became reality.
On that day, Bharathi had taken leave from school, sparing him from witnessing the horror directly. Bystanders rushed them both to the hospital. Shakthi, though severely injured, survived. His father did not.
From that day onward, Shakthi carried a deep fear of accidents, hospitals, medicines, and injections. Even a small reminder of that day would leave him trembling. Seeing his father's photograph would force the memory to replay in vivid detail, leaving him weak and faint. Understanding this, Raji had hidden the photograph where he would never see it.
After her husband's death, Raji had no choice but to take over the family's textile shop — Rajeswari Silk Paradise. Days were long, responsibilities heavy, yet she never faltered. She worked tirelessly, waking before sunrise and returning home only after the shop closed. Despite the hardships, she raised her sons with unwavering strength and love, instilling in them a sense of responsibility, respect, and compassion.
Shakthi and Bharathi were her pride — her reason for enduring every struggle. Yet, deep in her heart, Raji could never fully shake the worry about Shakthi's dreams. That morning's sketch reminded her of how fragile and strange life could be. She tucked the image away quietly, a silent prayer on her lips:
"Let this dream never come true."
To be continued…