KILL THE KILLER BEFORE THE KILLER KILLS YOU

"Madam, Mr. Vikram is here to meet you" the nurse said.

"yeah, let him in" said Nidhi, drinking her coffee and watching the birds from her window.

When Vikram entered the room he was nervous, his face was pale and he directly went to the seat and sat himself. Nidhi was a little bit surprised with that but then she recalled what Amit told her the previous day. "Nidhi, he acts a bit strange please don't mind him. I just want him to get well soon" these were the words she remembered. she gave him a smile and asked "Mr. Vikram, your brother Amit told about your situation in our call yesterday. but i believe my client's situation depends on his behaviour and his side of story. so should we start the session?" he just nodded with a tensed face.

"doctor, i may sound stupid but my problem is not an ordinary one. i don't know how to get out of it too" he told Nidhi when they both were sitting in a room which looks like a interrogation room from movies but a bit colorful with plants and good furniture. "Mr. Vikram calm down, take a deep breath and tell me what happened from the beginning".

"i see strange things in my dreams and strange people whom i never met and they cry, call me by my name but, all i could remember when i wake up is the scary noises, the darkness and a dead man"

"Tell me more clearly how and when did it start?"

"It started four weeks back. When I was sleeping in my room. In my dreams on that day, i saw a person weeping, a guy…. I cant remember his face, all I could remember was his voice, it was familiar. As if I heard him before. but last week I saw him strangled to death, He was killed by a stranger. I tried to see his face but I cant, I end up waking up. But the strange thing is I hear my own name there. That person was calling by my name. “Vikram….Vikram Nooooo…… Vikram” but I cant see his face nor help him. He is in trouble I have to help him.. this thing is driving me crazy. I know all this is in my dream, but I feel its real, like somebody helpless is asking for my help. After his death, that person still calls my name asking me to save him, questioning me why I didn’t save him. I met a lot of psychologists everybody think im crazy or I m stressed and ending up giving me a lot of pills, which brought no change. At first I wanted these reams to end, but now I want to know who the person is, why is he in my dreams. The dream always starts from the first when the guy was tortured and ends at his death and him weeping calling my name. I don’t to what to do. Doctor please help me”

“Mr. Vikram, I believe you, these are not just nightmares but some indications. First just calm down and lets work on the solution”

“how, doctor…doctor.. can you solve this? Can you help me?”

“Yes, We can, I have seen this kind of case when I was studying in abroad. The patient was successfully treated and leading a normal life now.”

“doctor tell me what I have to do?”

“Mr. Vikram , in these kind of cases all we could do is fight back. Yes fight back against your dreams. Slowly you can control them.”

“and how is that possible?”

“Mr. Vikram, today when you are going to bed. Stare at your reflection in the mirror for few minutes and repeat what im saying now-‘ I can do it. I can help that person in the dreams’ and then go to sleep”

“will that work?”

“Of course, the first thing you have to do to control your dreams is to control your thoughts. By doing that you can make it happen”

That night Vikram had his dinner came into his room, locked his door and went straight to mirror and stared at his eyes in his reflection and repeated “I can do this. I can help that person. I will save him” and went to his bed.

The next morning he went running to Nidhi, barged into her cabin. She was having her coffee and she gave a smile to him.

In the session Vikram spoke “it worked, it worked…… I was able to save him. When the stranger was coming to strangle him I told him to push him and run. He did it and he escaped. But Nidhi it didn’t end that way while escaping I saw that the stranger was following this guy. When I went to help him again, I wokeup from the dream”

“I told you right, it will work. Mr. Vikram we can’t end it in one night. We need to work on it. “this time when you get the dream again, start fighting back with it, repeat the process, try to look at the guys face, remember your goal this time is to help him and to find who it is.”

That day Vikram repeated the process but didn’t get the nightmare. after two days he got the same dream. But this time after waking up. He was so scared. He couldn’t move a inch but still he managed to get up from the bed and meet the doctor.

“doctor, I don’t know whats happening, today I got the nightmare after two days but im scared even more. The guy in danger is none other than myself. It was me. Why was I strangled to death by a stranger. Why was I calling my name. doctor iam more scared now”

“mr. Vikram, calm down. It is natural for people to have them selves being killed in the dreams. What matters is not the dream, it’s the thought. trust me this time all you need to do is while you are repeating the words I told you I want you to stare at a knife. Do this , this will work”

“doctor are you sure you are not making this dream worse, im more scared now, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be helpless”

“Vikram, trust me. I am going to save you”

Vikram did the same thing he was told to. This time he was able to control his dreams. He woke up with a smile and went running to the doctor.

“doctor you were right, I was able to control the dream, I was able to save myself. I dreamed of a knife in my hand and I stabbed that killer and I escaped. This time he didn’t follw me”

“as I told you, now you are able to control your dreams. Now have a good sleep without any nightmares”

“thank you doctor”

For like 4 weeks he didn’t get any nightmares. He was soo happy the next day he called the doctor and said “thank u so much. Im able to sleep because of you.”

“haha.. I know but take care and sleep well” she hung up.

The next week he again got the same night mare and he went running to Nidhi the next morning. “doctor, I saw the killer. I saw the killer….. it was me. I killed myself. What type of nonsense was this. I don’t know whats happening help me.” “Vikram let me tell you, the person you have been dreaming is none other than yourself. People always end up hurting themselves trying to runaway from their problems. Vikram all you have to do is talk to yourself in your dreams. Ask yourself that is it what you want? Repeat yourself that you can be able to face the dangers. you just need to convince yourself that you can end things well. Don’t try to runaway from them. Vikram this time when you you get this dream, try to think positively, think you cant die, you have a family. Tell that killer Vikram that you want to live, that you want to live a good life.” He was so scared to try that but still tried it in his dreams.

The next day he came to Nidhi and told “thank you Nidhi. Thank you very much. I was able to stop myself from escaping from problems. I rescued me from myself. I shouted I want to live. I want to be alive. The killer Vikram left me alive and went into darkness. I saved myself. Thank you Nidhi”

“haha, I know Vikram. It was you who don’t want to live, it was you who wanted to kill youself and it was you who saved youself. From now onwards, find ways to be alive, remember a small light can remove darkness. It goes same in your life. Now don’t think about your past nor about your nightmares anymore. Get yourself a girl and have a family. You will be so busy thinking about your family then that you ll not have time to think about your nightmares.”

They both laughed together and Vikram left.

The nurse who was watching all his sessions came to Nidhi and asked.

“madam, you never went to abroad to study why did you lie to him?”

“kruthi, I got to know about vikram’s trauma from his childhood and how he wanted to end his life many times. So I just re wrote a story and brought him a hope. See kruthi, for a person getting him believe his doctor is a hard task. He went to a lot of psychiatrists but none helped cause they didn’t believe him. So I just made him believe me, so that he can get out of this”

Kruthi just smiled. “now go get me my coffee” Nidhi asked kruthi.