As Pooja's eyes opened, her heartbeat was replaced by a steady buzz of the alarm that sounded every second. Her eyes opened, and she found herself back in the room that was hers fifteen years back. She rubbed her eyes and rushed to the mirror. There was no Pooja. It was back to being Raghav. It was the chemise and boyshorts. He checked everything in the room, and it seemed the same.

“What a weird dream!” he exclaimed.

He pinched himself to know if everything was alright. There was no change. He went outside to meet his mom.

“I was wondering when the alarm would be answered.” She quipped, “And please change. The help will be here soon.”

“Remember to repair your friendship with Piyu today,” she added.

He got back to his room. “It was a dream.” He lay back down to recollect his thoughts. He woke up and reached for his phone to recheck the day’s date and time. While reaching for it, his hand found a diary. It was the same as the dream. He quickly flicked through the page to find that it was empty. But he was sure that it was not something that he would have bought. It was definitely not something he had yesterday.

He understood that it was not a dream. Nor was it a reality. It was something in between. It was an indication of what was to come and to course correct it.

As he was entering the school gate, he saw Piyu getting out of the car her father dropped her in. He deliberately slowed his pace. As he trudged, his eyes fell on a row of marigold plants in its full bloom. He saw if any guard, gardener, or teacher was looking his way and plucked one flower. He continued his pace as he felt someone coming from behind, slowing down and matching his pace.

“Hey,” he heard her voice.

He looked across, gave a feeble smile, and replied with a hey of his own.

They walked in silence.

He presented the flower to her and said, “Sorry”.

“Did you pluck it?”

He did not answer. She rolled her eyes and took it.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry. I was over it yesterday only. I should not have been so hyper.”

“No, no. I failed to look at your perspective.”

“It happens. Chill. We don’t understand something until the shoe is on the other foot. Hope next time both of us will be a bit more calmer.”

“Yes. Hope so.”

As they reached their class, he asked, “Hey, can you come over to my house in the evening? I have to say something, and maybe some samosa party will end the issue forever.”

“Okay.”

In the evening, when she came over, she touched Vidya’s feet and asked for Raghav. He came out of his room, and they hugged. They went to his room and chatted while Vidya brought samosas and cold drinks for them.

“Nice room. Why did you never ask me in here?” She remarked.

“I have to say something to you. First, I am very sorry for my behaviour yesterday.”

“As I said, it’s water under the bridge.”

“Yes, but still, this is a formal one. Also, I might have said something behind your back. Sorry for that as well.”

She raised her eyebrows but decided to let it pass.

He clarified, “It was just mom. She also asked me to apologise and never to repeat it.”

She smiled, “Your mom is really intelligent. Why could you not be more of her?”

He looked at her and paused for a while.

“Actually, I am…

I am a lot like her.”

Piyu waited. She did not want to break his flow.

“See, you are the first one I am telling this. Apart from my mom and dad, of course. Piyu, I am a crossdresser.”

He waited for her reaction.

She smiled and reached for a hug. They held each other for quite a while. Raghav started to tear up.

“Thank you for sharing this with me. I am proud of what you are. And I hope you be the best man and woman you can be. Thank you for trusting me with this.”

He smiled as he wiped off his tears.

“Thank you. I know I can trust you with anything. And that no fight or difference will ever cause us to drift apart so much that we will lose our friendship.”

“Yes, that is why I like you so much. Just that sometimes you can be an ass. You wanna show me some pictures, or should I just imagine you in a dress.”

They laughed. “No, no. Not needed. I will show you.”

He brought out the iPad, and they began to scroll through his pictures. She would remark at some pics about the pose or how the pic could have been better snapped.

While they were looking at the pics, she said, “Raghav, I also have something to share. But I am not sure.”

Raghav knew what it was about. “It’s okay. Take your time. I know how it can change the way we look at things. And remember, you will always have a friend in me. You can tell me anything.”

She smiled at this.

“But just one suggestion: if you are struggling with a thought, do not wait too long to decide. What your gut says is probably right.”

They hugged, and Piyu gave a small peck on his cheek.

He loved this girl and the woman she was about to be so much. But he also knew it would mean he could only be a part of her life and not a partner. But the time swap taught him that maturity is in giving space, giving love, and spreading happiness with others. Even if it means that it may not be what you wanted.

P.S: This story was written by Pankhuri and the storyline given to her by her friends Anupama and Shruti.