Do you believe in premonitions?

I don't know, i'm not sure. Since Tuesday, though, i have begun to lean towards being a believer. Here's why.

On most nights, i sleep dreamlessly. On the nights that i do dream, the visions are mostly not good. The scariest dream i have had is more than a decade ago, but i still can't seem to get over it; i have dreamed about something happening to my family's belongings, and have woken up next day to find that it has actually happened; and i've had flashes in my dream that almost seem like they are pieces of a puzzle that don't belong to the past or the near future, but sooner or later they do become reality. That's how bad and spooky my dreams can get.

A couple of months ago, though, i had a dream that i just couldn't explain away or get over. It involved my best friend. And a little boy. And a Tsunami.

I didn't wake up feeling terrified, just extremely uncomfortable. I think we managed to escape the destruction by getting to the airport of the place we were at.

Two days post the dream, i forgot about it. Life moved on.

I made travel plans with friends, went to Hyderabad, then to Hampi. Life was normal.

I made plans to go to Goa on the first weekend of March. Then my best friend called and told me that she wanted to go on a trip with me.

Now, the last time we travelled together was in college. After college, she got married, got busy with her husband, blah blah blah. So the fact that she called now and wanted to go somewhere - just her and me - was a big thing, and i didn't want to say no.

So i ditched plans to go to Goa, and started planning for other places. We considered Mangalore and then scrapped the idea because her husband wasn't comfortable with it(!) So we thought about it, and decided that the most feasible option for both was Goa. I agreed heartily - that's where i was planning to go anyway.

I started looking forward to the trip again, but that changed on Tuesday. Because the dream came back to me.

My best friend and I were going to Goa.

In my dream, that's where the Tsunami had happened.

And i've been feeling a little scared and a little uncomfortable ever since.

It may or may not come true. There is, after all, no little boy featuring in our lives. I think, in my dream, that the little boy was my best friend's baby. But she's not a mommy, and not going to be one anytime soon either.

If it has to happen, it will. I'm taking my chances and going anyway. Maybe i'm challenging fate, battling destiny. I don't know! But i'm going. And i'm going to make sure i say a proper goodbye to everybody before i do.

Bloody hell, i should've taken those swimming lessons.