AUTHOR INTRODUCTION
Hello I'm Palak, debut author of the story "The Shakti Within". I'm thrilled to share my inaugural work with you. This story born from my imaginations and experiences.Thankyou for embracing my debut and I look forward to share more stories with you.As all of you already knows that it's my first story so please forgive any of my mistakes. I hope you like the story.
- All the characters and places described in the story and the story itself,are all fictional and have no relation to the reality.
INTRODUCTION
Nitya Sharma, a 20-year-old college student, lived a seemingly ordinary life with her loving parents. However, her tranquil existence was disrupted by recurring, terrifying dreams filled with blood-soaked streets and lifeless bodies. As the nightmares persisted, Nitya's cheerful demeanor began to fade, leaving her questioning her sanity. Her parents noticed the change, but the cause remained elusive. With each passing night, the dreams intensified, blurring the lines between reality and horror. Nitya felt trapped, unsure how to shake off the feeling of impending doom. Were these dreams omens of a dark future, reflections of a hidden past, symptoms of a deeper psychological struggle, or mere coincidences?
CHAPTER 1
DREAMS OR DESTINY
Nitya's day began like any other, boarding the college bus, lost in thoughts. The murmurs around her faded into the background until two women's hushed conversation caught her attention. Their words painted a vivid picture of a gruesome rape case that had shaken the city's foundations yesterday. Nitya's heart sank, but the initial shock gradually gave way to a haunting sense of familiarity.
At college, the atmosphere was tense. News spread like wildfire: a classmate, barely out of her teens, had been admitted to the hospital with severe burns. A scorned peer had callously hurled acid at her face, leaving her with scars that would linger a lifetime.
Returning home, Nitya was met with chaos outside her neighbor's house. A swarm of people buzzed around the entrance, their faces etched with shock and sorrow. She peeked through the window to learn the devastating truth: a young girl, barely 15, had taken her own life. The reason: a classmate's malicious act of recording her bathing, exposing her private moment to the world.
Nitya's emotions seesawed between profound sadness and simmering anger. How could the world be so cruel? As she retreated to her room, the turmoil gradually subsided into a troubled calm.
That night, her dreams plunged into darkness. The rapist from the bus conversation reappeared, lying in a pool of blood. An unsettling excitement coursed through her veins, followed by a jolt of fear.
Jolted awake, Nitya breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was just a nightmare. After a refreshing bath and getting ready for college, she headed downstairs.
As she poured herself a glass of juice, her gaze drifted to the TV. Breaking news flashed on the screen:
"Rapist involved in yesterday's case found dead, brutally murdered."
Nitya's glass slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor. Her heart froze. The image on TV blurred with the one from her dream. Was this reality or her nightmare come to life?