Atharva tried to find her everywhere in cafés, theatres, bus stops but how will you search for someone when you don't even know their name?
All he had was her face, and that one memory that refused to fade.
Months passed.
One quiet evening, the doorbell rang.
"Who's there?" Atharva called out.
"New housemate," came a girl's voice.
He opened the door and froze.
It was her. Ritika.
For a moment, he just stood there, stunned. Then a small, disbelieving smile touched his lips.
"There you are… Miss Unknown," he whispered.
Before he could say anything more, his mother appeared behind him.
"Atharva, who's that?"
He quickly stepped aside. "Our new tenant, Aai."
Ritika gave a polite smile and stepped inside with her bag. Atharva's heart raced he had imagined this moment for months, and now she was right there.
But something about her felt different.
She seemed quieter, colder like she was wearing a mask, pretending not to know him.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice distant. "Where's my room?"
He led her silently to the spare room. When they reached the door, he couldn't hold back any longer—he gently pulled her into a hug.
"I missed you so much," he whispered.
Ritika stiffened, then pushed him away. "You must be mistaken," she said evenly. "We don't know each other."
Atharva froze, confusion flooding his eyes.
"What are you saying? Don't you remember me?"
His voice trembled, eyes glistening. But she didn't respond. She simply turned, walked into the room, and shut the door.
He stood there, motionless, heart shattering in silence.
Maybe she's with someone else now, he thought. Maybe that's why she's pretending.
Outside, the rain began to fall again just like the night they first met.