This is an incident from almost 10/12 years ago. At that time, there was a significant Maoist presence in our area, and people were quite afraid, even during the day. Every night, women from the neighborhood were taken for meetings, and as evening fell, doors were closed tight. Notices were posted using the children and adults who were staying in other cities. One evening around 6 o'clock, I had to urgently step out, and suddenly, three masked boys approached, and shot the uncle sitting beside me three times. The people who had been talking moments before were now frozen in fear upon seeing his lifeless body. I quietly hid there for a moment until some people came rushing in. Suddenly, my sleep broke, and I realized I was lying in my room, with the fan whirring above me. I checked my phone and saw it was 5:46 am on March 12, 2024, Tuesday. Yes, 2024. I understood that the memory from those 12 years ago had come back as a dream. Despite so many years passing, I realized I am still trapped in those 5 minutes of terror. Without further thought, I got up, washed my face, and the morning light had dawned.
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