Anish invited his long-time friend Bobby to dinner at his home. It’s a long-overdue reunion after two years. They had known each other for over a decade, and tonight it felt like stepping back in time. Laughter echoed through the warm dining room.
Remembering an incident, Anish said, “Do you remember when we got grilled by our music teacher for mixing classical notes with rap music?”
Bobby smiled and said, “How could I forget? He nearly had a breakdown, and we were just trying to experiment with some new music! You walked out with praise, and I got the lecture”.
There are marvellous stories about their adventures. Starting with exploding homemade firecrackers in the university gardens to sneaking in their first cigarette. They were legends among their group of friends and earned the nickname “dangerous duo”.
Another time whilst they were at university, Anish just had his heart broken after discovering that his soulmate had two other soulmates. Anish used to say, “She is the perfect girl, bro!”. Anish had a laugh saying, “Perfect? She is juggling guys like she is in a circus. You are just one of the acts”. Yet, Bobby fully supported him in that moment and stood by Anish when he completely lost trust in relationships and love.
When Anish got his first job, he exclaimed, "Man, the money is rolling in! I want to go on vacation the whole year!" even though he was struggling to pay rent. Bobby lent him the money without hesitation. He wasn’t earning much himself, but he cared about Anish.
Bobby, however, had to navigate his struggles mostly on his own, which made him more independent. During the finals of the inter-university tennis championship, something he had worked toward for years, he asked Anish to come for support. But Anish had forgotten and gone drinking with his classmates instead. Later, he was found arguing in a bar over "whether the egg came first or the chicken!"
Later, when Bobby and Anish were moving to Berlin from Mumbai for their master’s degree, it was Bobby’s first time travelling abroad, and he was terrified. He asked Anish to fly with him. Anish agreed but, at the last minute, chose to go to a music festival spontaneously. That was a turning point in their friendship. Bobby believed that Anish would be there for him, at least when he needed him the most. But his belief didn’t turn out to be true, and he was left to face the scary journey all alone.
Back in the present, Bobby had been busy exploring his passions and hobbies. He is a tennis player in the amateur league, built a career in photography, travelled the world, captured stunning wildlife, and gained recognition along the way. Life felt like a big adventure, and Bobby embraced it wholeheartedly. Now, after years of living free, the time had come for Bobby to return to Mumbai and take over the family business; it was time to step up.
On the other hand, Anish and his wife Tanya seemed like a match made in the heavens. Finally, he found his soulmate. With their cute one-year-old daughter, it seemed like a dream come true. Tanya seemed like a kind, welcoming, loving, and supportive woman. This was a strong contrast to the past relationships that Anish had been in. Seeing this, Bobby was happy for Anish, as he worried about his reckless past.
After dinner, they went for a walk to a nearby bar to have a private conversation over a drink. However, while they were walking, Bobby felt some tension when Anish smiled. His body language was not at ease. Bobby was compelled to ask, “Is everything alright?" But he held his words back. At that moment, the sky started to darken, and flashes of lightning appeared across the sky.
Then, a cracking thunderstorm came into sight. There was a surge of cold rain, and the street was brushed with a gust of wind. Thus, it got harder to navigate to the bar. Slowly the street got flooded, and now each step became uncomfortable. At this point, they decided to return to Anish’s house. Suddenly, the ground trembled, and it spit out small rocks and debris. Bobby took a closer look and realised that baby crocodiles were emerging from the rocks. At the first glance, they appeared manageable. But as they moved closer to the house, the creatures grew monstrous.
It feels like dark forces had been summoned, and now Bobby and Anish had to move cautiously, step by step. Just as Bobby was about to step on the fangs of a crocodile, Anish screamed, “Step back! That thing is going to chew you up!”. With a moment of aghast, Bobby exclaimed, “Yeah! We need to stick together!”
They continued and moved towards the house cautiously. Just as they were about to reach, the house appeared unusually dark. The earth shook violently as if there was an earthquake; meanwhile, the water level had significantly risen, and a gigantic crocodile emerged with its jaws wide open. Its razor-sharp teeth glowed in the dark, and it stood before the doorstep like a harbinger of death.
Anish looked at his wife through the window. She stood there, her expression sad and almost resigned."Don’t come inside! Find another place to go!" she yelled, holding their one-year-old baby in her arms.
Anish couldn’t believe her words! At that moment, there were chills sent through his soul. He felt that the world was crashing down on him: the storm, the crocodile, and his family trapped in the house. Meanwhile, Bobby was shocked, and he turned to Anish with a determined look and said, "We need to leave! Let’s come back with a plan. It’s a matter of life or death now."
As they made their way back to the bar, the water levels dropped, they leapt over stones, and the weather cleared up. Just then, a familiar figure appeared near the entrance. It was Bobby’s younger sister. Her face, glowing with warmth that cut through the cold of the storm. Her smile was contagious, and Bobby felt a sudden surge of positivity.
"Come back with me, Brother," she said. Her voice was soft but filled with purpose. "We are waiting for you, and everyone misses you." Bobby felt a sense of gratitude in his heart.
With a deep gasp of air, Bobby woke up. It was all a dream!
His sister had always been his support, an unwavering presence in his life. Through every difficulty during his youth, she had been there—not just as a sibling, but as a true friend, providing her strength and support. And now, she is here again.
Still unable to process the vivid and haunting imagery, he decided to share it with Anish in the evening before leaving for Mumbai. However, when he finally sat down with him, he couldn’t believe Anish’s response.
"My life at the moment is somehow like your dream," Anish said. Grief flowed through his voice.
At first, Bobby didn’t understand, but as Anish continued, the shambles of their marriage unfolded.
Anish spoke about Tanya, whom he once thought would be his pillar but now felt more like a storm. He exclaimed, “The love, respect, and mutual understanding between us are long gone, you know! She used to find time and ways to do things together with me. We were always by each other’s side. But now, we are just talking about finances and diapers. We have just drifted apart with time instead of growing stronger!”.
Tanya overheard the conversation. She said, “Do you feel that I want what you said about us, Anish?”
Anish looked at her with a sad face.
Tanya continued, “I don’t feel supported by you anymore as earlier. I do so much for you, yet nothing satisfies you. You just see your own problems. My mom isn’t doing well. Did you ever care to ask about her? When we had the baby, you arrived at the hospital the next day. Was that responsible?”
The warmth in his home had turned to cold silence and a daily struggle for survival. Anish added, “And now, I have lost my job. At first, it seemed like a temporary setback. But as days turned into weeks, the situation at his home turned to deteriorate even further.”.
Bobby saw everything now. The dream wasn’t just a random nightmare; it was a metaphor for Anish and his current situation. The symbols—the crocodile, the storm, and Anish’s face, the appearance of his sister—reflected a reality.
A house that was supposed to be a refuge had become a battlefield, and Anish had no armour to protect himself. He broke down. Seeing him, Bobby opened his arms, gave his dear friend a supportive hug, and said, "This isn't the end, and there has to be a way. Stay strong; the tides of time will change!”
Anish whispered, “Thank you, can you stay over for a few days?”
Bobby replied, “I want to stay and fight this together, but I can’t, Anish! My family needs me, and my responsibilities back in Mumbai cannot wait."
Bobby started walking away towards the airport. Days of yesteryear were playing on his mind, and those moments of joy and craziness brought a smile. But life has changed now, and with it the connection and the situation between them. They were the kings of good times, but Anish never supported him when he needed him the most. Now the tables have turned.
At last, it’s time now for Anish to fight his hardest battle, alone!
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