It's You

“Hey?” spoke Vy while shifting in the same place on the bench and Sylvie, seated beside Vy, nodded as a reply. Vy tried to gather confidence as she continued, “I- I wanted to tell you something.”

“What is it? Is something wrong?” asked Sylvie, a little tensed now. Vy realized that she must’ve sounded a little too serious because Sylvie looked like someone who was about to give a test which they didn’t know was scheduled for that day. So she brings a smile on her face to let Sylvie know that, in fact nothing was wrong. But mind you, it still was something very important.

“Don’t worry! Everything’s fine. I just, just wanted to let you know that...in you, I found a friend, a so-"

Freeze

“Hey wh- what’s happening?! Vy why did you stop?! Why aren’t you moving?!”

Sylvie was no longer smiling. She was growing frantic by the second. Vy wasn’t responding. Neither was anything else moving.

It felt like Sylvie was the only one who was moving and everything else had just...

froze.

The situation was quite frightening to be honest. So strange. To feel like the only one who could do anything, it didn’t exactly feel like freedom, because from she had thought about freedom, it was quite the opposite.

Freedom is a lonely rule indeed.

To realise what the absence of people or for that matter- any kind of life too, is.

To feel alone, so quick.

Sylvie was tearing up, but she wouldn’t let herself cry. Why? Because she was supposed to be happy. She had been spending such a great day with Vy. Nothing like this should’ve happened.

She got up, leaving the frozen wordless Vy, managing a sort of shakey few steps from the bench. She had her face in her cold palms. Contemplating what could’ve possibly caused this, why she felt that she was the only one with freedom. She turned around to face Vy. Tears almost on the verge of flowing.

“Huh?!”

She doesn’t know anything at this point but she knows that a teary vision doesn’t distort one’s view like this.

Why was Vy disappearing?!

“No no no no!!” Sylvie practically shouted as she ran towards Vy. But as she ran, it seemed like she was getting farther and farther away from her destination. Soon the world which was filled with appealing iridescent colours(mostly purples, blues, yellows and whites) was now turning into something...normal? But what was so wrong about normal? It was the reality, so that would mean it’s fine, right?

Whatever is happening, it doesn’t seem normal to Sylvie.

She watched Vy disappear slowly as she struggled for breath while sprinting madly. Her legs were slowly giving in. Vy was gone and to Sylvie it seemed like the world was no more. Well...that too was about to be true.

Sylvie had fallen to the ground, as if lifeless, no purpose no nothing. In that instant, the ground began shaking violently. Still she did nothing. If this was the end, then so be it. Trees were moving violently and the buildings were crumbling down to rubble.

Blank

“Ugh..” Sylvie groaned as she moved under the sheets on her couch. She saw her pillow laying on the floor as she opened her eyes slowly. Her brain said only one thing.

“I’m tired, why do I even try to sleep?”

Well, she should’ve thought about what the heck this dream/nightmare was?! But let’s cut her some slack, she had only just woken up. There she went, on with the routine, getting ready for uni in her adorable studio apartment. It doesn’t take too long. Nevermind breakfast, well because maybe she disliked being scolded for being late more than not having breakfast first. Besides she’s got lunch covered by the lavish cafeteria at her university.

Another day over.

Night comes over, but no dream and no Vy.

Nevermind.

But it would be sad if she felt lonely again when there was no apparent reason for feeling so.

Sylvie had spent her childhood in a joint family, always surrounded by people and activities. But ever since she had moved out of the house for higher studies, she had always had these lingering feelings of being alone. Still, she had friends and she was the captain of the soccer team. Heck, even some of the professors had become her friends.

Every night till the weekend, Sylvie goes dream-less or even nightmare-less. Only some time pass like weaving, digital art or stargazing from her beautiful balcony could cure this lingering. It’s a Saturday night and Sylvie tries to sleep her way through a book. Her old hobbies seemed to get boring too, so a book might change the pace. The soft moonlight shines over her as the book gently slips from her hands and onto her torso. She’s a sleeping winter bear.

She dreams.

Sylvie gasps and she’s back into the world she had shared with Vy. But no sign of Vy. Sylvie seems simply, tired. It was as if this was a lucid dream which she couldn’t manipulate to meet her one and only source of happiness.

She wakes up in the middle of the night.

She decides to call Nick over; her best friend, who lives just down the street. Whatever it's the weekend, she’ll tidy up her sleep schedule the next night.

“I mean, this is so unfair, I had finally felt so...so recharged just because of a stupid dream...and now I’m going crazy over it. I’m so desperate for that dream again...it felt like home.” Sylvie whined like an arrogant child who begs for that one favourite snack everytime the family visited supermarkets. Nick began to utter in the softest manner ever, “Hey....it’s okay, I’m here now. First off, I’m so sorry that you felt alone despite of being surrounded by people. I’m one of them and I should’ve tried to understand you. Secondly, wow...crazy dream stuff. Vy must be something else to make you feel so welcomed and warm. I do hope that you get to see her again.” Sylvie shakes her head and guilty smiles at Nick. They share a wordless moment and for the first time Sylvie initiates a hug, which Nick gladly accepts. “Thankyou for being here with me. Please don’t be sorry, I can be a very private person, it’s not your fault. Yeah...I really do hope to dream again.” says Sylvie. They pull out of the hug a little and Sylvie continues, “But I can’t just rely on a dream for home. I’m gonna need help and this time I’m gonna ask for it.” She’s looking so expectantly at Nick that he hugs her again in an attempt to hide his forming tears. But his sniffles were loud enough to realize that he was quite emotional.

The night fades into deep conversation, some jokes here and there along with some delicious snacks; well hunger could knock at your door anytime so yeah, snacks.

A month goes by, but Sylvie doesn’t dream the same dream again. Still she knows better than to invest all her hopes into one dream. She remembers what Vy had said in the dream.

“ Getting a warm hug whenever you want on your whim isn’t always gonna be an option, sometimes you’re gonna have to settle for what they felt like and carry hope for the next hug to be even warmer when the winter of sadness comes along.”

Sylvie had held onto to this piece of advice and had tried to help herself, besides all the support Nick had given her since she had told him all about it. Sylvie and Nick had opened a new chapter in their friendship that night. They had known a lot about eachother but hadn’t been so vulnerable about things before. They had come up with a way to deal with feelings, by holding a meeting for their club of two- ‘The Feels Club', every Saturday which mostly ended in a fun night over.

New month, same life, same routine.

Sylvie is ready for lectures and is making her way to her university. A smile slowly makes it’s way on her face when she spots Nick waving at her from the university grounds. She brisk walks and reaches him. They walk to the classroom, hardly making any conversation. Not all best friends blabber to eachother all the time. Sylvie and Nick were comfortable in a few words. They entered the class and sat down beside eachother.

A tap on the shoulder

“Hiyya!” someone spoke, in a high pitched voice. Sylvie knew exactly who this person was. So she turned around with a ‘This again? Aren’t you tired? Why don’t you pick up the signs?’ expression. She began, “Hi Trent.” a little sarcastic now, “What a pleasure to hear your high pitched sound-”. Nick hit the back of her head as if saying, “ Don’t be a jerk, he’s just trying to be friendly, no matter how annoying. He just...needs friends.”

“A pleasure to hear your voice!” Sylvie corrected herself, smiling, she did feel a little guilty afterall. Trent smiled back at her. But before any conversation could take place (to Sylvie’s relief), Professor Smith had entered the room. “Morning sleepy heads!” announced Professor Smith, as loud and as clear as could be, while she arranged her belongings on her table. Nobody was actually sleeping, because you’ve gotta give it to her, she had a way to snatch away her students' sleep, not for boring lectures but for discussions filled with exciting discoveries. The students greeted her back enthusiastically, because basically she was their favourite and they loved her.

“Guys, today we will be joined by a new student! Trent, my boy, drumroll please!” she gestured someone outside the door to come in. The student made her way into the class and stood beside the teacher's table. She began to introduce herself, “Hello my name is Vylot, with a y-”

Sylvie stood up with a thud on her desk. She was staring in the direction of the new student. She didn’t care that she had instinctively slammed her fists on the desk, grabbing the attention of the whole class.

She couldn’t believe what she saw.

It was Vy.

Vylot was her Vy from the dream.

They were staring at eachother now. No sound was made. Why was none saying anything?

“Sylvie dear, do you have anything to say?” inquired professor Smith, breaking the silence. “N-nothing.” swiftly spoke Sylvie as she broke eye contact with Vylot and sat down abruptly. Now that was strange.

It was the first time that Sylvie was desperately waiting for a lecture to end, she had forgotten all about breakfast too. Her only purpose now was to figure out what was happening. This was so out of the blue!

As soon as the class got over Sylvie walked over to Vylot's seat. She tried to not let herself get overwhelmed by a combination of emotions which even she didn’t understand and spoke, “ Hey.... Vy?”

Awkward silence

“ Hey, I’m Vylot, I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name” replied Vylot with a child like innocence.

What?! How could she, the one and only Vy, not recognize Sylvie? This must be a joke, but why is Vy looking so sincere in her emotions?

No, Sylvie had no time to waste. She didn’t know what would happen if she doesn’t hold onto Vy this time. She didn’t want her to disappear again. Vy was the most empathetic person she had ever met.

“ Hi...I’m Sylvie, nice to meet you. How would you like for me to show you around?” Sylvie went on cautiously. “I’d love that, uh...Sylvie. Thanks a lot!” Vylot smiled bright.While Vylot packed her bag and got ready for her tour, Sylvie was looking at her. She knew this was the beginning she had always wanted. This was everything she needed.

In Vylot, Sylvie had found a home, a friend and a soulmate. Sylvie had realized what Vy wanted to tell her in her dream. Perhaps she would be able to tell Vylot, what Vy couldn’t admit to in the dream. Perhaps this time she won’t be alone in the crowd. She had at last found her dream.

[I would like to make a point that not all soulmate relationships are romantic, it could be platonic just like the one around which the above story revolves. Also I know it should be ‘Violet' but liked ‘Vylot' better!]