July 8, 2001: A New Beginning
The streets of Hyderabad that day suddenly witnessed the fury of the rain. Thick black clouds seemed ready to swallow the sky. Heavy showers drummed against the roads, turning them into rushing rivers.
People huddled under umbrellas and pressed themselves against walls, as if trying to shield themselves from some unknown calamity.
But amidst this storm, a young man, soaked in mud and rain, was running like a madman.
Clutched tightly in his hands was a plastic file. Inside it were a ballpoint pen, pencil, eraser, and most importantly—his college entrance exam admit card and ID. Blood trickled from a cut on his forehead, mingling with the rain, staining half his face red and wet. Yet, he refused to stop.
His eyes glowed with a strange determination, as though he was racing not against time, but with it. Onlookers stared and moved aside as he passed.
His name—Ajay Verma.
“Rebirth’s cruel game…” he muttered through clenched teeth.
“Oh God! Even this time I couldn’t avoid the accident. Is this how it will always be? If only I had woken up ten minutes earlier, none of this would’ve happened!”
---
Half an Hour Ago
Ajay had been pedaling his bicycle toward the final exam of his college entrance tests. English was his last paper, his final chance, and he couldn’t afford to miss it.
But as soon as he tried to cross the road, a speeding car struck him down.
He collapsed on the street. With fading breath, he thought, “It’s over.”
But it wasn’t over.
Moments later, in an ambulance, his eyes opened again.
Yet these were not the eyes of the 2001 Ajay Verma.
The Ajay who had awakened was his older self—fifteen years into the future. A man hardened by life’s blows, suddenly hurled back into his teenage body, as though time itself had gifted him another chance.
---
His Past Life
“It was this very day,” Ajay recalled, “when everything went wrong.”
The first time, the accident had robbed him of his chance. He regained consciousness in the hospital at 3:20 p.m.—the English exam had already begun. He staggered into the exam hall, but 35 minutes late.
His mind was clouded, his injuries burning with pain. In the end, he scored only 49 in English. His total marks—just 535—were too low for admission into a good college.
His parents suggested he retake the exams the following year, but Ajay refused.
That single failure haunted him forever.
“If only I had reached on time that day, my life would’ve been different. A better college, a better job… maybe even a happier family.”
---
The Present
Now, fate had brought him back to that same moment.
“Rebirth,” Ajay thought. “This time, I will change everything.”
The rain lashed harder. His watch showed 2:50. The exam hall was just a kilometer away.
Summoning every ounce of strength, Ajay ran. His heartbeat thundered with each step.
“Matter of life or death. If I fail this time, it’s all over.”
Lightning cracked the sky. The rain fell heavier. His clothes, his hair, his file—everything was drenched.
Finally, he reached the exam hall gates. The clock struck 2:59.
Ajay gasped for breath and rushed inside.
The entire hall froze. Students and teachers stared at him. His clothes were stained with mud and blood, his once-white shirt now a shade of crimson.
A female teacher asked in shock,
“You… you’ve come to take the exam in this condition?”
Holding up his file with trembling hands, Ajay answered firmly,
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve come to take my exam.”
And in that moment, the world seemed to pause for him.
Outside, the storm still raged.
But inside, a different battle had begun—Ajay against his fate.
This was his second life. And this time, failure was not an option.
