It was an ordinary day in Farakka, a small town known more for its barrage than for any excitement. But for little Nisha, things were about to get a lot more interesting—or at least, her dreams thought so.

Nisha, a bright-eyed schoolgirl, lived with her parents, both Central government employees. Their life was predictably routine. Her mother made the perfect round rotis, her father read the newspaper as if it held the secrets to the universe, and Nisha spent her days attending school, playing with her friends, and occasionally wondering if her future would include adventures like in her books.

One night, after a particularly heavy dinner of aloo paratha and too many episodes of *Chhota Bheem*, Nisha drifted into a bizarre dream. It started harmlessly—she was running through the lanes of Farakka, her schoolbag bouncing as usual, when she saw a rather strange sight. A tall, bearded man with a turban—who...