The Tenth Dimension

15th July, 2020

I logged in to my Facebook account. While scrolling down my newsfeed, I was left aghast. There was an obituary post by Sakshi, my school friend.

With deep regret and sorrow, I am writing about the sudden demise of our beloved friend, Vyom Mehra.

May his soul rest in peace.

I sent a message to Sakshi.
Hey, Sakshi. Just saw your post.
Hey, Bijetri. Vyom committed suicide today around 11:11 AM.
What????
Yeah! Shocking, isn't it?
I last spoke to him a few months back around his birthday, but he seemed distracted.
Even we never heard from him after that. God knows what he was up to... His number was switched off all these months.
Did you speak to his girlfriend... Ahana or something?
That NECROMANCER! Rishi had tried to contact Vyom last month on Facebook. Ahana immediately sent Rishi a message from her account asking him to mind his business.
What???? Necromancer?! You mean she is into necromancy? Or witchcraft?
Witch! Bijetri, stop being an Oxford Dictionary!
Sorry! I didn't mean it that way. I am just wondering why Vyom committed suicide.
Mental health needs to be addressed. He must have been depressed, especially because his mom died and then he lost his job.
Yeah! But he was working on his AI venture, and he told me about it last September. And, I checked his articles; he was all over the place. He seemed better off after losing his stupid job.
We never know, Bijetri. Rishi said Ahana is actually into witchcraft.
I am really shocked! Vyom was such a fun-loving genius. How could he leave like this?
Yeah, and he was your close friend, really shocking that he never got in touch with you after his birthday, Bijetri.
I know, right? Perhaps his girlfriend asked him to stop being in touch with us.
Bijetri, stay strong. That witch must have made him commit suicide.
I don't know, let's not cast aspersions. Bye, Sakshi.
I couldn't sleep all night, I dreamt of Vyom. I started having the same dream every night after that. Vyom being asked to handover a pen drive, he is refusing to hand it over. Ahana slaps him. A bald middle-aged man with a French beard rummaging through Vyom's cupboards. Not finding the pen drive, the bald man strangulates Vyom, and then hangs his body from the ceiling fan using a yellow shawl.
Vyom's death was dismissed as an open and shut suicide case within 48 hours. There was something that didn't convince me that Vyom had committed suicide.

***

15th July, 2025
I am reading Vyom's last blog from January, 2020, "Finding what lies beyond life". He had written about his emotional struggle dealing with his mother's death, work pressure, losing his job suddenly and then finding a research area that would make or break him. He had mentioned about his A.I. based software that could connect us to the dead.
While reading the blog, I receive a message notification on SeeYou app, the new age WhatsApp. It's from an unknown number.
UOY REA OHW IH
Thinking it is a spam message, I ignore it. There is another message.
MOYV SI SHIT
What SHIT?!!!
I ignore this message as well and continue reading the blog.
HOT CROSS BUNS
I am suddenly reminded of Vyom and my code phrase in school trying to warn each other about impending danger.
No, no, no! I am overthinking!
I receive a video call on SeeYou now from the same unknown number. I decide to take the call and give a piece of my mind to whoever this weirdo is. I am left speechless to see Vyom!
It takes me a few minutes to understand what's going on.
"Who the hell are you, imposter?"
"I-i-i-t i-i-i-s m-m-e-e V-v-y-y-o-o-m-m"
"Great sound effects, imposter! Now tell me who are you? This isn't funny. I will report you to the police."
"H-h-o-o-t c-c-c-r-r-o-o-s-s-s b-b-u-u-n-n-s-s"
"Stop it, will you? Who are you?"
The call ends abruptly.
Who was that?
I am unable to sleep all night. I have the same dream about Vyom's murder after 5 years, again. I wake up in the middle of night, sweating profusely. I get up to drink water. My VR headset buzzes with a notification.
I open it and find the same unknown number showing up with a message.
EVIRDNEP HET NI SLIE REWSAN ETH
I now start to wond if there's something genuine, maybe a secret code. I reply to the message.
Hey, can we talk? Who are you?
I receive a video call again. I take the call. It's Vyom again. I feel a chill run down my spine.
The light is too dim at the other end. I can't see the surroundings. Even for Vyom's imposter, I can only make out his silhouette now.
"D-d-e-e-c-c-o-d-d-e t-h-h-e-e m-e-e-s-s-s-a-g-g-e-s-s"
"Huh? What???"
The call disconnects.
I start noting down each "code", trying to decode.
HI HOW ARE YOU
THIS IS VYOM
THE ANSWER LIES IN THE PENDRIVE
Really? Pen drive? I have been dreaming about Vyom being killed over one.
I message the unknown number.
Hey, which pen drive?
RECKOL YM
Umm... Your locker?
111
Where is the locker?
HCNARB YXALAG KNAB HITNEZ
Umm... Zenith Bank Galaxy Branch?
GOOD! NOW THAT I AM SURE YOU ARE BIJETRI, I WON'T USE CODES.
Well.... Wait, I don't have the keys, and why will the bank allow me? Also, who is your nominee?
SO, YOU BELIEVE I AM VYOM!
Stop your game, imposter. Please answer my questions.
GO TO THE BANK. MEET SHIMONA, SHE WILL GUIDE YOU.
I can't sleep all night, I am restless.

***

16th July, 2025
I reach the bank. I ask for Shimona at the reception. The receptionist looks confused. Just then, I receive a message from the unknown number.
GO INSIDE, SHIMONA IS WAITING NEAR THE COFFEE MACHINE.
I enter and look around for the coffee machine. I find a young woman, in her early 30s standing near the machine. She waves at me.
"Hi, Bijetri. I am Shimona. Come to my cabin."
In her cabin, Shimona hands over a letter to me. I read the letter.

Dear Shimona,
I think my life is in danger. Take care of my locker. I know, if I die, the bank may seal my locker as I have no nominees. Or even worse, somebody may claim to be my nominee and take away my envelope. If anything happens to me, Bijetri will come here in July, 2025 and collect the envelope. Hope I can trust you, my friend.
Vyom
(14.07.2020)

What?
"Here's the envelope, Bijetri. Many people have threatened me as well, trying to get hold of this envelope. I don't know what's in it. Take care, Bijetri. They might threaten you as well."
"Who?"
"I don't know who they were. There was a young woman in her late 20s and a bald middle-aged man with a French beard."
My head starts reeling. I get flashes of my dreams about Vyom's death.
"Bijetri, are you okay? Water, dear?"
"No, I am okay. I will take your leave. Thanks a lot, Shimona. Please take care."
DON'T OPEN THE ENVELOPE HERE. GO HOME FIRST.
I reach home, lock the door and rip open the envelope. There is a pen drive. I wonder what's in it. Moreover, how do I use one, none of the new laptops support USB drives.
CONNECT IT TO YOUR OLD LAPTOP. FIND YOUR ANSWERS BEYOND LIFE.
How does he know I have an old laptop?!
I charge my old laptop and plug in the pen drive. I double click on BEYOND LIFE in the folder.
There's software that opens and asks for installation.
Once, it installs, I find this message on screen.

WELCOME TO BEYOND LIFE

YES

NO

ARE YOU READY?

I choose YES.
CCTV footage starts playing on screen. It is exactly the same as my dream about Vyom's murder. I freeze in horror.
What the hell is this? Who are you?
I AM VYOM.
No, you are not! How did you gain access to my dreams and record it?
THIS IS CCTV FOOTAGE FROM 15.07.2020 11:11 AM.
Please tell me this is a joke, some new AI based project.
NO BIJETRI, THIS IS REAL. WATCH AHEAD.
The CCTV footage ends.

MEET ME?

YES

NO

I select YES.
The background is hazy and glitchy, it looks like a galaxy. Vyom is smiling and drinking his favourite Latte.
"B-b-b-i-i-j-j-e-t-t-t-r-r-r-i I a-a-a-m h-a-a-a-p-p-p-y."
The voice is glitchy, just like his video calls on SeeYou app. I see Vyom typing on his phone.
I receive a message.
MY CASE WAS CLOSED AS A SUICIDE CASE. I WAS MURDERED BY MY GIRLFRIEND AHANA AND MY EX-BOSS AND HER PARAMOUR, MR SAMAR BAJAJ. THEY WANTED ME TO HAND OVER MY CODES FOR BEYOND LIFE.
THEY WANTED TO MISUSE THE SOFTWARE TO CONNECT WITH DEAD CRIMINALS, SMUGGLARS, AND TERRORISTS FOR THEIR VESTED ANTI-NATIONAL INTERESTS. I DIDN'T HAND OVER MY CODE. THEY KILLED ME. PLEASE HANDOVER THE FOOTAGE TO THE POLICE.
Where are you, Vyom? I am scared.
I AM IN THE 10TH DIMENSION, HAPPY AND SAFE, WATCHING OVER YOU. BYE, BIJETRI. INSTEAD OF HASHTAGS AND CANDLE MARCHES SEEKING JUSTICE, SEEK THE TRUTH AND BRING JUSTICE TO ALL THE YOUNG BRAINS KILLED BY CRIMINALS OVER THESE YEARS.

***

18th July, 2025
I am watching the news. Ahana and Samar Bajaj have been arrested after I sent the CCTV footage to the police. I am now writing my next story "The 10th Dimension", sipping a Latte and raising a toast to Vyom.