A Strange Dream That Came Into Reality

Characters: 1. John Butler-A taxi-driver 2. George Simon-A college Student 3. Viviza Henry- A lawyer (a young beautiful lady) 4. Sumon Roy -Viviza's friend, an Indian. PART—1 It was a cold shadowy night outside the Manhattan station( Grand Central Terminal ) in Manhattan ,near Newyork at 11:45 pm on 24/01/1958. Only one man, John Butler, 37yrs. old, was awaiting passengers for his last trip. A train seemed to be entering into the station. The other winter nights, generally, did not remain so much asleep and dull as was this. Though snow was not falling heavily , yet this one seemed to be the coldest. A little away on both sides of Kingston road connecting the Manhattan city to the station , there stood two rows of deciduous sycamore trees covered with whiteness and being half-shadowy with the touch of partly reflected lights by street lamps, around which frozen cloudy snows were flying to and fro and owing to the weight of snow they ( the sycamore trees) were bent somewhat and if they were seen from some considerable distance , they seemed to be waiting for their husbands' coming back from office like Indian brides, making veils over their heads as their tradition( There is an Indian tradition that when husbands come back from their office, their new brides welcome them, giving veils over heads at the entrance). All shops on other days outside the station inviting passengers to have tea, coffee, snacks and etc., were closed much earlier on account of bitter coldness. Only a few cars that were standing in the parking area must have been waiting for their owners. There was none outside the station except John in his car, who, waiting alone could not understand when he had gone under a snooze in which he dreamt a strange dream. And he came back into reality not only by the sound of the train , but by the startling of his dream also. His eyes looked at on the corridor outside of the station and noticed two figures quite covered with long coats and hats, coming forward. They seemed to be talking to each other, which was understood by their gesture-posture. These two figures are Miss Viviza Henry, a 29 year old, young beautiful and promising lawyer, who has been practising law in the Manhattan Court for the last three years, and the other one was Mr. Sumit Roy aged about as nearly as Viviza's, an Indian, Vivi's friend as well as her assistant now. Sumit came to study law in the university of Manhattan 6 years ago from New Delhi, India. At the first day in the university after getting admission while he was coming downstairs in front of the university building main entrance, suddenly his foot-step slipped, and to protect himself from falling down, grasped hold of a beautiful young lady having brown hair with blue eyes i.e. a blonde, who at first became furious, but later having understood the situation, forgave him. This is how they first met with each other. They slowly became good friends. Viviza was 3rd years' student when they first met each other. After finishing their court-related works, they two went to a party. Now, getting down from the train, these two figures came out of the platform and saw a taxi standing alone, probably to receive the last train-passengers. The other days there remained many taxies, but this being the coldest day, all but one had gone home earlier All the area was covered with so much silence and whiteness that it would be hard to believe that it was the front side of a big railway station, but easy to believe it to be an area of Antarctica. However, John could now clearly understand they two were one male and one female when they came nearer. John opened the door to take them in, but while they were getting to enter into, a third man, George Simon, a university student opened the co-driver's seat- door and sat down there without saying anything to anyone. And from this very point a problem started among them. George is a scholar student studying Physics in the university of Manhattan. His aim is to be a scientist, but their family is not so rich as a student should be, he can manage all his study-related costs as long as he is getting a job ; for his father is a mediocre farmer living at a remote village 20kms away from Manhattan. So he has to make a few tuitions to manage all. And this is the reason why he came so late. Now, in the taxi all others got astonished and Viviza said, " We've hired it first, so why have you entered into, without our permission and with such a rude way?" George answered there being no other way in such a cold night and moreover feeling very cold, he had to do it and regretted it finally. But John, the driver, suddenly seemed to be very grave and said, " One of you three must have to get down from my car, or else I won't start." All others started thinking what the matter was and why he was telling so. They thee told him that they had no objection against each other, but inspite of hearing it, he did not change his mind and clung to his previous speech. They got irretated, yet requested to start the car ; for it was nearly mid-night and very clod outside. George would go to Dyer Avenue and Viviza and Sumit to west 34th street, those places were on the same route and not so much far from Manhattan station. Now John disclosed why he was unwilling to go. He started telling: waiting for passengers nearly an hour ago, he had all on a sudden fallen in flagging and dreamt a strange dream just before they came. He saw a toll, stout old man having a completely white attractive moustach curling at both ends beautifully, broad white eye-brose, and a long- pointed nose with attractive profile, dressed in white pants, red shirt and a red hat emblazoned with brass over his head, who was telling him not to take more than two passengers, violating which one of the passengers must die somehow. As soon as John wanted to ask him something than he vanished before asking anything. And this was why he had refused to take three persons at this very time in his car. No sooner had John uttered the word, 'must die' than a thought at the speed of lightning played in the mind of Viviza and reminded her of a beggar-like-man, who, coming to her, asked some alms and having it from Viviza, told, "This day don't travel in a car with four, Or live not anymore." This happened today evening while she was waiting in the front premises of the court for Sumit, who was yet to join her before going to the party. As a lawyer she then took it lightly, but now, she also became grave, having disclosed all before them though she did not at first want to disclose it because of not being a believer in superstitions like John. But as she got a similarity or a link between the two things, she could not help saying this. They all, keeping silent, started thinking how strange it was otherwise. Now, who would get down from the car was the question that arose in the mind of three passengers, especially in such a cold night. George did not believe in any superstitions, so he was reluctant to get down. Sumit & Vivi looked at each other's eyes. But finally they decided to go, whatever might happen. Thus they three gave nodding to John to start the car. Praying to God to help save them, he started the car. .