From My Dreams

Chapter 7

They were seeing each other in real life. This was no dream. There was no way that it could be a dream because they were in a place that was familiar to them, her more than him. This was her library that she would always visit, which is why it could not be a part of her dream.

The man looked exactly the same way, except he was wearing casual formals. Hayley was seeing him in a suit after the dream where the ship sailed through the storm. His hair was curlier and longer now and he too had dark circles under his eyes.

"I...." She wanted to speak but the words wouldn't come out, not because her dream was preventing it, but because she did not know where to begin.

The woman looked more beautiful in real life. Perhaps it was his dreams and seeing her in different eras that made Karan think this way, but she was breathtaking. He couldn't believe that she was standing right in front of him.

"Hi, I...."

Both of them laughed.

Karan put forward his hand. "Karan Mathur."

A sense of relief spread through Hayley. A name. Finally, she had a name that she could connect to his face. Names have their own powers and they are enough to topple down empires.

Hayley shook hands with him. "Hayley Chen."

As soon as they said their names, there seemed to be a certain electric spark that went through them, making them feel relaxed. They were real, more real to each other than other people in their lives.

Right then, as if the universe had seen this meeting happen right before its eyes, the power went out in the library.

"Oh, not again!" Gloria's voice was heard.

A whir took over the silence and dim lights turned themselves on as the backup generator started to do its job. Hayley saw that the man - Karan - had his eyes closed then. She reached for his arm but pulled back, scared that he would fade away.

He opened his eyes and she was once again lost in his dark eyes. "Oh...." He sighed in relief. "I thought you might-"

"Fade away," they said at the same time.

Karan lifted his eyebrows at her. "We have a lot to talk about, Miss Chen."

She smiled, finally hearing her name from his lips. It was the most intimate thing that they were finally sharing - knowing each other's names. To know a name is to know the beginning of a person, and this was certainly something they would enjoy during their middle.

"We certainly do, Mr. Mathur."

"Would you like to have coffee? There is a brilliant café right around the corner." He asked in a cheerful voice.

She nodded, knowing the café all too well, having been there many times before. "Coffee is my religion."

*****

Yes, "Coffee is my religion" is from "A Flight's Desire" but can you really blame me?
Oof they have finally met each other! Any theories?