Nightmares over Sweet Dreams

Haven’t we all had frightening Nightmares and woke up from such a distress, being glad that none of it was actually true. Nightmares are scary and petrifying, but what I feel more terrifying is that the good old ‘sweet dreams’ which can never become reality. The Dreams where we are united with our loved ones may never turn out to be true. Maybe they are separated by cycle of life and death or merely not being the part of our lives anymore. The ones who were inseparable are now just strangers. From this what I feel is Nightmares are indeed less frightening than this harsh reality.

Speaking of Nightmares I would like share few of them that haunted me back then. I remember even getting a sleep paralysis once, that dream would make a blockbuster horror movie one day. However the dreams I am going express are belonged to my childhood.

I remember going to my best friend’s house one night it was shadowy and chilling. As I entered his house it was actually a cave, by now you must know you are inside my little dream. If I remember properly there were three people in that sort of a house including me, my friend and his Mom. There was a disturbing sound I believe from the outdoors. My friends Mom went for quick lookout. It was long time since she didn’t return and now it was my friends turn for the visit, just like any other classic horror movie. My friend built up the courage and went outside for the checkout. As you know what happens next he didn’t return. I was all by me, even in dreams I was kind of chicken I guess. I tried to sneak up from the window above. That was it, a pale 90’s typical Bollywood white saree ghost appeared out of nowhere screeching out loudly, waking me up in screams. I was scared to even to look out of windows for a week or so after that chilling nightmare.

It was another day like any other but this day instead going to sleep with my parents, I stayed up all night watching television. Television has always been a good friend of mine in my childhood but not this day, or this dream I suppose. As our Television was placed in our Bedroom I sat watching TV with a remote in my hand when my parents were past asleep. Only the problem was remote wasn’t working and some classical Bharatanatyam program was telecasting. I got irritated as I could not change the channel to good old cartoons or even turn off the TV. But little did I know that this was a nightmare. The lady dancing in the television looked creepily towards me. I still mildly remember that ladies’ look till date. This splendid Dancer popped out of the television set and grew into an enormous giant still dancing elegantly. I was shook by the sight and wanted to escape from her sight. With all doors closed I screamed for my release and as I opened my eyes I found lying next to my comforting mother.

Nightmares need not be all bad, of course you can make them good campfire stories. And laugh and rejoice with your friends and family. In some of my Nightmares I myself was the Main level Boss Ghost, the reason must be I was watching too many horrors even back then. But what I want to convey is the ‘Sweet dreams’ need not always be pleasant. But in the end it is left to us to turn our dreams into reality or engineer our own dreams.

- Roopesh Kumar