“Shakti, wake up now. How long are you going to sleep? Don’t you have to go to duty? That’s why I always say—sleep early so you can wake up early.”

Just then a voice replies, “Hey, I’m awake! How much will you talk, Uma? I’m up, okay.”

“Now get ready. I’ll prepare breakfast.”

“Okay.”

This is the story of Uma and Shakti. They are husband and wife. They love each other very much. After their marriage, they live in Hyderabad. Every morning, Uma wakes Shakti up for his office, and Shakti gets irritated hearing her voice.

Shakti is a police officer, and Uma is a housewife. Shakti says, “Uma, I’m ready, but I think your breakfast isn’t ready yet.”

Uma replies, “Yes, it’s almost done. Come, get ready and have breakfast.”

Saying this, they both sit at the table for breakfast. While eating, Shakti says,

“Uma, I’ll be late today. There have been thefts in the city, and the Commissioner is coming today, so there’s a meeting. Don’t know how long it’ll take.”

“So I might get late. You eat and sleep.”

Hearing this, Uma replies, “Okay, don’t worry. I’ll manage.”

Then Shakti moves toward the door to leave for duty. Just then Uma calls from behind,

“Listen…”

Shakti turns back. “Yes? What happened?”

Uma hesitates and says, “I was saying…”

“What were you saying? Say it.”

Gathering courage, Uma says, “You have Sunday off, right? So… can we go to Delhi on Sunday?”

As soon as she says this, Shakti gets angry.

“How many times have I told you not to talk about Delhi in front of me? We are not going to Delhi. The sooner you understand this, the better it will be for you.”

Hearing this, Uma becomes sad and says,

“Why can’t we go? I don’t feel good here. I feel scared staying alone. What’s the problem? Why can’t we go to Delhi?”

Shakti angrily replies,

“You know very well why we can’t go. So it’s better you remove this thought of going to Delhi from your mind.”

Uma becomes quiet and sad. Seeing her like that, Shakti softens and says,

“Don’t be sad. You know why we can’t go. I can’t see you sad like this, but I also can’t see what will happen to you if we go to Delhi. Don’t you understand? I care about you a lot.”

Uma nods slowly.

Then Shakti says, “Okay, then on Sunday we’ll go somewhere else. Your mood will get better. Now I should go, I’m getting late. Bye.”

Shakti leaves on his bike for the police station, and Uma goes back inside the house. After he leaves, Uma starts doing household work so she doesn’t think about the argument they just had.

While working, she suddenly feels someone walking behind her. She turns around, but no one is there. She resumes her work. Again, she feels someone coming from behind. As she turns around, she screams in fear.

Then someone laughs and says,

“See, bhabhi! I scared you, didn’t I? You always say you’re not scared of anything.”

The one who scared her was a boy named Arnav. He was Shakti’s uncle’s son and lived nearby. Since Shakti is often at the police station, Arnav sometimes comes to keep Uma company.

Arnav is younger than Shakti, so Uma calls him by his name.

Uma says, “Are you crazy? Who scares someone like that? I could’ve gotten a heart attack. I’d have become late Uma instead of Uma!”

Arnav laughs and says, “How could that happen? As long as I’m here, nothing will happen to you.”

“Yeah, right,” Uma says sarcastically.

Then Arnav says, “So bhabhi, you were saying you’d ask bhaiya about going to Delhi. Did you ask him or not?”

Sadly, Uma replies, “Yes, I asked… but…”

“But what?” Arnav asks.

She says, “He clearly refused. He said there’s no need to go anywhere. He said we’ll go somewhere else, but not Delhi.”

Saying this, she takes a deep breath.

Arnav says, “Bhabhi, can I say something? Don’t feel bad.”

“Yes, say it,” Uma replies.

Arnav continues, “Whatever bhaiya said is right. You should also understand his feelings. He doesn’t want to see you upset. And it’s not like he never tried. Many times, he himself took you to Delhi. But what happened afterward… he couldn’t bear that again. You should understand his feelings too.”

Uma nods and says, “You’re right. He has tried so many times. But what can I do? My mind always goes back to the same thing.”

She takes a deep breath and says, “Leave it. Tell me, what did you want to say?”

Arnav smiles, “That’s why I came.”

Uma smiles slightly and says, “Okay, sit down. I’ll bring something.”

Meanwhile, at the police station, there is a lot of tension because the Commissioner is coming for a meeting. Shakti is sitting quietly in his cabin, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a voice says, “What happened, sir? You look worried. Did you have a fight with bhabhi?”

It was Sub-Inspector Ravi, Shakti’s close friend.

Shakti comes out of his thoughts and says, “No, why do you think that?”

Ravi replies, “Your face looked tense, that’s why.”

Shakti says, “No, yaar. I’m just a little stressed. Uma keeps talking about going to Delhi. I don’t know how to explain things to her.”

Ravi says, “Don’t worry. She’ll understand soon.”

Just then, a voice comes from behind,

“How are you, Mr. Shakti?”

Shakti turns and sees the Commissioner standing there.

He quickly stands up and says, “Good morning, sir. I’m fine. How are you, sir?”

Why is Uma so eager to go to Delhi?

What is the secret behind Delhi?

For which case has the Commissioner come?

Will Uma be able to go to Delhi?

To find the answers, keep reading — “Khwaab.”

The Commissioner angrily questions all the inspectors and constables present there,

“What is happening in this city? And why aren’t you people doing anything? Tell me, Mr. Shakti.”

Shakti replies confidently,

“Sir, the investigation is ongoing.”

The Commissioner asks again in anger,

“Will the investigation just keep going on, or will there be some result too? Do you have any idea how much pressure I’m facing from higher authorities? Inspector Shakti, you are leading this case, right? If I don’t see any results within ten days, you will be suspended… and a new investigation team will handle this case.”

Shakti, slightly saddened, replies,

“Yes, sir. I’ll give my best.”

The Commissioner responds with a simple “Hmm” and leaves. As soon as he leaves, Shakti takes a deep breath and says to Ravi,

“Ravi, bring all the files of the previous incidents.”

“Yes, sir,” Ravi replies.

---

At Uma’s house, it was 7 in the evening. Uma was having her meal when she suddenly felt someone’s presence near her. Her heart began to pound. She turned around but saw no one. She started eating again.

This time, she felt as if someone was sitting behind her and had placed a hand on her shoulder. Uma got scared. Gathering courage, she turned around and looked everywhere, but again, no one was there. Still, fear crept into her mind.

She thought to herself,

“Could it be Arnav? Maybe he’s joking around like he did in the morning.”

Thinking this, Uma shouted irritably,

“Arnav, is that you? Stop it if it is! I don’t like this joke at all!”

There was no reply. She called out again,

“Arnav, tell me, is it you? If you don’t answer, I’ll complain to your brother!”

When there was still no response, Uma convinced herself that it was just her imagination. Thinking this, she went into her room, though she was still shaken somewhere deep inside.

---

It was now 9 at night. Uma was sitting near the gate, waiting for Shakti. While waiting, she fell asleep there. Suddenly, a sound woke her up. When she opened her eyes, she saw a ball near her and wondered,

“Where did this ball come from?”

Her confusion was natural because there were no houses nearby—only Shakti’s uncle’s house, where his uncle, aunt, and Arnav lived.

As she wondered whose ball it could be, another ball came rolling in, followed by many more balls entering the house. Seeing this, Uma was shocked.

When she turned around and looked at her house, it looked nothing less than a ruined building. Terrified, Uma screamed. Just then, a girl stepped out of the house. Seeing her, Uma screamed even louder—

—and suddenly, her eyes opened.

Uma found herself sitting at the gate again. Taking a deep breath, she said,

“Thank God, it was just a dream… Who was that girl in my dream? I don’t know who she was, but she was terrifying.”

---

After some time, Shakti arrived home. He looked disturbed. Uma asked him,

“What happened? You look worried. Did something happen?”

“Nothing,” Shakti replied.

“Okay, then sit down. I’ll serve you food,” Uma said. Shakti nodded.

Uma thought she would tell him about today’s incident, but even while sitting at the table, Shakti looked as tense as when he arrived.

Seeing this, Uma asked again,

“What’s wrong? You look really worried. Please tell me.”

After her insistence, Shakti finally said,

“I’ve been warned. If I don’t produce good results in this case within ten days, I’ll be suspended, and a new investigation team will be formed.”

Uma felt sad hearing this, but encouraging him, she said,

“It’s okay. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Have your dinner and go to sleep. Your tension will reduce.”

“You’re right. I should rest,” Shakti said and went to the bedroom to sleep.

Uma felt sad thinking that she wanted to tell Shakti about the incident she experienced today, but since he was already so stressed, she didn’t want to trouble him further. Thinking this, she too went to sleep.

---

At 6 in the morning, Uma woke up and started preparing food for Shakti. Soon, Shakti also woke up, got ready, had breakfast, and left for the police station. Today, he went earlier than usual.

After he left, Uma got busy with her household work. Three hours later, while she was working, her phone rang. It was Shakti calling.

“Hello, Uma.”

“Yes, tell me.”

“Listen carefully. Stay inside the house, and don’t open the door for anyone unless you’re sure it’s someone you know. Okay?”

Hearing this, Uma asked,

“What happened?”

“The thieves we had arrested have escaped. Since then, five people have been killed,” Shakti told her.

Frightened, Uma replied,

“Okay, I won’t open the door. You don’t worry—and please be careful too.”

Shakti agreed, and the call disconnected.

Just then, there was a loud knock on Uma’s door. Hearing it, she got scared. Remembering Shakti’s words, she didn’t open the door. She ran upstairs and looked down from the terrace to see who was knocking at the gate—but she couldn’t see anyone.

After trying hard, she came back downstairs and started closing all the windows. As soon as the windows were shut, the knocking stopped.

Taking a deep breath, Uma said,

“Thank God, the noises stopped. Good thing I answered Shakti’s call in time, or today I would’ve been dead.”

Thinking the danger had passed, Uma turned around—and the noises started again. They were so loud that her ears hurt. She just wanted them to stop.

Unable to tolerate it anymore, she ran and opened the door.

The moment Uma opened the door, she fainted.

---

Who was it whose presence Uma kept feeling?

Whom did she see that made her faint?

Will Shakti be able to save his job?

Who came to Uma’s door—the thief, or someone else?

To find the answers, keep reading — “Khwaab!”

Uma’s eyes were open, and she saw herself lying on her bed. Shakti was standing in front of her. There was another man with Shakti, talking to him, and Arnav was standing to the side as well. Seeing all this, Uma softly asked,

“How did I get here?”

Hearing her voice, Shakti came closer and sat beside her.

“How are you feeling now?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Uma replied.

Confused and worried, Uma asked again,

“How did I get here? I was…”

Arnav answered her,

“Bhabhi, when I came home, I saw you lying unconscious downstairs. I immediately called bhaiya and then called the doctor.”

Shakti added,

“Yes, Uma, this is the doctor. But I don’t understand how you fainted—and the gate was open too.”

Hearing this, Arnav asked,

“Yes, bhabhi, tell us.”

In a soft and frightened voice, Uma said,

“Just after I disconnected your call, someone started knocking very loudly on the door. I got scared, so I ran upstairs to the terrace to see who was knocking… but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see anyone. Then I came downstairs and closed all the windows. After that, the noises stopped. I thought everything was over. But the moment I turned around, the knocking started again—much louder. I couldn’t tolerate it anymore, so I opened the door. And as soon as I opened it…”

“As soon as you opened it? What happened next?” Shakti asked urgently.

Trembling with fear, Uma continued,

“The moment I opened the door, I saw a pregnant woman stabbing a child with a knife. After killing the child, that woman started coming toward me. I was terrified—and then I woke up here. After that, I don’t remember anything.”

Shakti said in shock,

“Who could that be? When we came home, we didn’t see any blood or any child. Where did they disappear so quickly?”

Distressed, Uma replied,

“I don’t know.”

Seeing her upset, Shakti said gently,

“It’s okay, Uma. Maybe it was just your imagination. Don’t take stress. Just rest now.”

Uma nodded in agreement.

Shakti then said,

“Come on, Arnav. Let’s go outside and let Uma rest.”

Saying this, Shakti, Arnav, and the doctor stepped outside.

---

Arnav asked the doctor,

“Doctor, what has happened to bhabhi? Could she really have seen all this?”

The doctor replied,

“Look, I believe this is just her imagination. It seems like she is under some kind of stress. Otherwise, tell me—how can a pregnant woman kill a child? And even if she did, Arnav reached there shortly after Uma fainted. If such a thing had happened, at least the child or the woman would have been seen. And even if they escaped, there should have been blood or a knife there—but nothing was found. So I believe it’s all in her mind. Perhaps she’s worried about something.”

“So my only advice is—take her somewhere for a change. Don’t discuss things in front of her that could worsen her condition. I can only advise you; the rest is up to you. Alright, I’ll leave now. Thank you.”

The doctor left.

Arnav then said to Shakti,

“I think the doctor is right, bhai. It must be bhabhi’s imagination. You should take her somewhere. It’ll make her feel better.”

Sadly, Shakti replied,

“I can’t take Uma anywhere right now. You know the Commissioner has given me a case. If I don’t solve it soon, my job could be in danger.”

“But one thing I don’t understand—what stress could Uma be under? When I left her in the morning, she was happy. She didn’t look worried at all. So what kind of stress was the doctor talking about?” Shakti asked.

Arnav said,

“I don’t know, bhai. But I think you should talk to bhabhi. Ask her. Maybe she really is worried about something. And I feel she keeps thinking about Delhi. When I came home earlier, she wanted to tell me something, but my mother called me, so I couldn’t listen. Maybe she wanted to say something important…”

“Something what?” Shakti asked.

“Forget it. Just do one thing—talk to bhabhi and spend some time with her,” Arnav said and left.

---

Shakti went into Uma’s room, sat beside her, held her hand, and asked,

“Are you feeling better now?”

Worried, Uma said,

“That wasn’t my imagination. It felt completely real. You believe me, right? And this didn’t happen just today—it happened yesterday too.”

Shocked, Shakti asked,

“Yesterday too? What do you mean?”

Uma replied,

“I don’t feel good in this house. Every moment, I feel like someone is with me… someone is behind me… someone wants to talk to me. I’m very scared here. I can’t live here anymore. I wanted to tell you all this, but when you came home, you were already so stressed—I didn’t want to worry you more.”

Shakti replied,

“I never get disturbed by anything you say. And if anything like this happens again, come and tell me immediately. Now rest. I’ll bring something for you to eat.”

Shakti and Uma eat and then fall asleep.

---

One week later…

“Uma, where are my clothes? I’m getting late. Please give them to me,” Shakti shouted.

“They’re on the bed. Take them,” Uma replied.

Everything seemed fine now. Ever since Uma told Shakti about all the incidents, she felt lighter, as if everything had returned to normal.

Uma and Shakti were having breakfast together when Shakti received a call. He answered it.

“Hello!”

After the call ended, Shakti looked worried. Seeing his expression, Uma asked,

“What happened? Why do you look upset? And whose call was it?”

---

Who was the call from?

Is everything finally fine in Uma and Shakti’s life?

Or is this the calm before a storm?

To find out, keep reading — “Khwaab!”