Fever and the Mysterious Stranger

Fever and the Mysterious Stranger

Today, I was down with a fever, lying in bed and feeling completely alone. I kept thinking about how there was no one to talk to, and the silence around me was making it worse.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a message. It said just one word: “Hi.” It was from a number I didn’t recognize. Curious, I replied, “Who are you?” The response came quickly: “Your well-wisher.”

I was clueless. Who could this person be? There was no profile picture, no name, nothing. And the number? It wasn’t an Indian number, nor did it seem foreign. It was just “2096,” a strange combination. Then it hit me—that’s my date of birth, 20th September 2006.

Feeling uneasy, I immediately blocked the number and tried to distract myself with other things.

About half an hour later, my phone buzzed again. It was another message from the same blocked number: “Why did you block me?”

My heart started racing. I was freaked out, shivering even more, and fear gripped me completely. Then, before I could think, the phone started ringing. It was a call from that same number.,I answered it.

“Hello,” said a sweet, soothing voice.

The moment I heard it, everything changed. That voice was unlike anything I’d ever heard. It felt like it was cleansing my ears and calming my soul. For a moment, I couldn’t move or speak. I was numb, just listening.

Before I could say anything, the voice began to talk again. The stranger started telling me things—about themselves, their life. I don’t remember exactly what they said, but at that moment, it felt like I’d known them forever. They spoke as if they were my closest friend, and I just kept listening in silence.

The one thing I do remember is what they said at the very end. In the same soothing voice, they whispered softly: “Take care.”

Those two words felt magical. As soon as they said it, my fever vanished. My body felt lighter, healthier, as if I was never sick. I couldn’t believe it.

And then, suddenly, my alarm rang. I woke up.

It was all a dream. Or was it? Even now, I can still hear that voice in my mind, echoing gently, “Take care.” It felt so real that I can’t stop thinking about it. Who was that stranger? Was it just a dream, or was it something more?