It was a summer morning. Dawn broke softly over the modest courtyard of a humble household. A gentle glow spilled through the intricately carved jharokhas, and the cool embrace of the early morning rose mingled with the lingering scent of jasmine and wet earth. For most, the calm was an invitation to awaken with optimism; but for Veer, it was a moment drenched in the echoes of the sounds of the music, and light dimming while he fell after being hit by a truck. That was his past life – a life filled with tragedies, betrayal and sadness that he never wanted to repeat again.
He was reborn. In this life also his name was Veer. He opened his eyes as the sun-rays filtered through the faded curtain, casting dancing shadows that seems to mimic the twinned facets of his soul. In that instant, he remembered all the memories of a life in which he had been unfortunate, unlucky, and lost. He was living a simple life. He was working as a scientist in one of the biggest research centres in Noida City. During his initial schooldays he wanted to be famous and travel around the world but the destiny had other plans for him. He lost his parents after his high school. He sold his house and moved to city to pursue his higher education. He studied Biotechnology in his College while working as a waiter in a nearby restaurant from his home. He did not have many friends and always lived alone away from attachments until her.
Her name was Sunaina – a girl that he met accidentally. She was a medical student in the same college as him. One day, after his shift end at night, Veer was walking home when he saw a girl cursing at the clouds for blocking the moon. She was wearing a drop waist with flowers printed on it. She was shouting at the clouds, "Move away, you are blocking my view. I want to see the moon tonight." It was a full moon night but it was a cloudy night. It was not raining though. Veer felt something, it was strange for someone cold and introvert like him – it was a beautiful feeling. He felt her behaviour cute. She was not alone – her friends were with her, all drunk and shouting and cheering. He moved past them. She looked at him but didn't care. He just had once glance at her.
That night, after his dinner he started to study. He was in the final year of his college and was working on a project. He wanted to create a tonic that could increase the strength of the heart and would broaden the meridians making the heart risk free of cardiac arrest. It would be a revolution as it could allow humans to cross their physical limits and perform super humanly. Tonight, he was getting distracted. The voice of that girl was still echoing in his ears. Her voice was sweet. He wanted to talk to her. All the girls that came into his life earlier had only wanted to use him and left him broken when they found someone better than him. His heart was broken so much that he had become cold. He rarely talked with anyone. His friends sometimes visited him taking him to parties and travelling. He had distanced himself from them too in pressure of work and studies and also the dream project he was working on.
A few months later, he crossed path with Sunaina again. This time, they were in the same waiting hall – it was the placement season. Many Hospitals and research centres had come to recruit individuals for their researches. He was nervous because he really wanted to get the placement. He did not want to miss the chance as it was the only way to have the access to the instruments to make his dream heart strengthening tonic possible. Also, he did not have any backing and the instruments and equipment were far beyond his budget.
His legs were shaking – scenarios were going on his mind how he should answer to the questions that will be asked. He had practiced for this day for weeks. Still – he could not be calm.
"Hey!", a girl said to him. "Is this the first time you are going to give an interview?" She was cute with round face. She was wearing glasses. She had entered a little earlier than Veer. She saw that his legs were shaking and his face was showing cues of fear and furrowed brows.
"Yes! I do not know if I will be selected.", Veer said politely without any emotion.
"It looks like you have really prepared well. You will be selected; don't be so nervous they will not eat you up. My name is Yuthika. I am from the cardiology department. What's yours?"
"Veer! Biotechnology.", Veer replied with a gentle smile.
It was Sunaina's turn. Veer saw her with the warm glance. She was looking beautiful. Veer calmed himself and tried to revise what he had learned in his preparation.
Yuthika started chatting with Veer. She was talkative, funny but smart. She said, "Do you know that heart has its own brain cells? They can think and process emotions."
"How did you know? Is it really true?", Veer replied.
"Yes. It's true, the heart's brain is an intricate network of several types of neurons, neurotransmitters, proteins and support cells similar to those found in the brain.", Yuthika said.
Veer was listening to her non-stop chatting and explanation until it was her turn. She went in and came back in five minutes cheering. She was excited after being selected.
"All the best, Veer!", Yuthika said.
"Finally, my turn. Thank you.", said Veer and went in.
The interviewers were quite friendly after seeing Veer's nervousness and asked questions very politely and listened to his explanations and were impressed with the project that he was working on. The interview went on for about 10 minutes – longer than other interviewees.
He was selected and was very joyful. For the first time in a very long time, he wanted to celebrate. He came outside and saw that Yuthika was still there. She saw him and came running towards him. She said, "I knew you'd be selected. Which department you're selected in?"
"In the department of cardiovascular health and science."
"Wonderful, we're going to be colleagues from now on then. I have been selected for that too. Let's celebrate."
"Where do you want to go?"
"Let's drive to the riverside. There is a very good restaurant over there. I like the food at that place."
It was a very long time since he was out with any girl but it was different. He did not look at her amatorially. It was just admiration of her knowledge and since they were on the same department so he didn't mind having friendship with her.
They went to the riverside and watched sunset together talking about their lives and dreams. She wanted to help people and cure heart disease. She left home after she got the scholarship and visits her hometown once in a year. She had a little brother who had passed away when she was in her high school with congenital heart defects. She wanted to pursue Cardiology to find the cure for this. She said to Veer, "It does not matter if I can succeed or not, I just want to try."
They went to the restaurant and had a great meal. They ate until full, had drinks and went their own homes.
A week later, Veer crossed path with Sunaina again. Veer was sitting in the café having coffee and reading a book. Sunaina, "Hi! You're Veer, right?
"Yes, how can I help you?", Veer replied politely.
"I saw that you've been selected in the DCHS (department of cardiovascular health and science) too. I wonder if you could help me with a few projects that I have been working on."
"I'd love to. So, you're in the same department?"
They talked for a few minutes, exchanged their numbers and went on their ways. The next day they met again on the same café at the same time. She told him about the projects she'd been working on for the final exam. He went through it and told her about the mistakes she had made. While he was explaining, she was looking at him with tender looks listening to his explanations.
They started meeting each other frequently and started dating. He was so in love with her. She used to treat him to lunch and they went to long drives, dinner and movies together. They joined the DCHS together and were in the same team as well. Each team had either two or three members. Their group included Veer, Sunaina and Yuthika and they worked together. He wanted to create the heart tonic and had told them about that. It wasn't a secret as he had already talked about his dream in the interview and also about the research he had been doing.
Yuthika was so interested in the project as it was similar to the dream she had and worked hard to support him. She liked Veer secretly without even having Veer realise a bit about it. Sunaina, on the other hand was interested in other projects that they had been working on. She slacked off and took leaves too frequently. She did not inform Veer where she went and why she was taking leaves. Veer was so in love that he could not understand why she was being so mysterious and also did not care to ask.
On a late winter night on Saturday, December 20th, 2025 Veer had successfully created the heart strengthening tonic. He was overjoyed. He cried, "I have made it!" Yuthika ran at him and congratulated him by hugging him. Sunaina also was happy with his success. She hugged him and said that she will throw the party for this success tonight.
It was the first time after thousands of attempts that came close to the one that he wanted to make. Although it was not a final product, but it was close.
All the research staffs were happy with the Veer's achievement. It was a time of joy. Everyone ended their shift for the party. Everyone went to the nearby restaurant. This time, Sunaina said to Veer that she's ready for the next step in their relationship and wanted to give her body to him.
Veer was excited. He had always wanted for this moment to come true but was stuck in work and also Sunaina wanted some time before getting ready for this.
After party, he was very drunk and horny. It seemed that somebody had drugged him. Sunaina left him in the room they had booked at the hotel and went outside. Yuthika knew that Sunaina had left him in the pitiful state and went to Veer's room to help him. Some of the staffs that stayed late had booked the room in the same hotel.
Yuthika had no idea that the drug was too potent for Veer. He thought that she was Sunaina and hugged her, forcefully kissed her and Yuthika could not resist him. How could she? She was in love with him unconditionally.
She let him do everything to him. He was not in sane state. So, he did not care, he was driven by lust that he made love to her forcefully. Her eyes were teary with pain but she did not resist, but she submitted herself to him enjoying his every stroke of love and let him fall asleep in her arms. She knew that Veer did not know that she was Yuthika. She dressed herself and left the room after Veer was asleep.
Sunaina came back late at night. Saw that Veer was still sleeping. She understood by looking at his state and smiled with an evil look. She had gone to the laboratory to look for something – the heart strengthening tonic. But she could not open the safe. The password had been changed. So, she came back.
Sunday was the week off for the staffs. No one was allowed to enter the lab except for the exceptional doctors and scientists. Veer had to go to the labs to run some more tests and to create more tonics. He went to his lab. Opened the safe and took out the serum. He wanted to run some tests. He was looking at the emerald green tonic and was smiling at his dream coming true.
He felt something sharp piercing from behind. It was Sunaina – holding a knife, expressionless. She was wearing a black tight suite. She said, "I am sorry, but I need to do this. Hand over the tonic and I'll end you quickly."
Veer said, "Was it you using me? Was it all a lie? And after what we did last night, you want to kill me?"
"Either you give me the tonic or I'll take it myself."
Veer tossed a failed tonic vial towards her. As she moved to catch it, Veer jumped out of the Window in the grass outside. Since the lab was in the ground floor so it was not too high. He started running pressing the knife wound with his right hand and the tonic vial was on another hand towards the road. Sunaina sighed, and started chasing after him. There was a music playing on the broadcasting screen. The vehicles were too fast on the road. For life he ran filled with guilt, betrayal and heartbroken. He ran across the road trying to cross it. A speeding truck came toward him hitting him. He flew metres away falling in front of Sunaina. She took the vial from Veer's hand.
"Rest in peace, my love.", She said smiling. A car came and she went inside it.
He saw the light dimming, his breath became slow, pain was gone and his mind went blank. He was dead. Was it the end? – Or it is just the beginning?