A Familiar City, A Forgotten Heart
It had been two weeks since we transferred to the new college.
And three weeks since the Akash incident.
I was doing better now.
The nightmares still came sometimes, but they no longer crushed my chest like before. I could breathe. I could smile.
Salina still didn't know about the stalker incident.
And she never should.
It was for her own good.
Akshay had been sentenced to two months in prison. I paid Rahul exactly what we agreed on, and as promised, he broke up with Salina properly. Cleanly. No drama.
Still… one thing kept bothering me.
The mastermind behind Rahul.
I tried to dig for information, tried asking indirectly, but Rahul stayed silent—like that person never existed. In the end, I gave up.
The less I know, the safer I am.
I had already been dragged into enough mess.
The sudden transfer and everything that followed had drained me mentally.
So, to refresh our minds, Salina and I decided to go shopping.
This city wasn't completely new to me.
I had studied here during junior college—that was the reason I chose this place.
As we walked through the streets, old memories flooded my mind.
Trees swayed gently in the wind. A small tea stall played songs on a dusty radio under the shade. The air itself felt nostalgic.
It almost felt like I had stepped back into the past.
While shopping, Salina suddenly stopped.
"Tanvi, I think I saw someone I know," she said. "From my childhood."
Before I could say anything, she walked off in that direction, trying to confirm if it really was that person.
I decided to continue shopping at the mall.
Maybe it really is her childhood friend, I thought.
By the time I finished shopping, Salina still hadn't returned.
I glanced at my wristwatch.
"It's been a while…" I muttered.
A strange uneasiness crept in, so I decided to check on her.
When I stepped out of the mall, I saw her.
Salina was standing close to a boy, chatting happily. Too close for strangers. The way she laughed, the way she leaned toward him—it was obvious they were familiar.
So… a childhood friend, I thought.
I didn't want to interrupt, so I walked into a nearby café.
The café was small but warm. Soft music played in the background. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Sunlight filtered through the large glass windows, making everything feel calm.
I ordered a coffee and a pastry, paid, and sat by the window.
From there, I could still see Salina and the boy.
"Childhood friend…"
The words echoed in my mind.
Soon, they entered the café.
Salina walked straight toward me, leaving the boy standing behind. She looked excited—no, glowing. Her eyes sparkled like she had just found treasure.
"Tanvi! You have to help me today!" she said, sitting beside me.
"Whoa, calm down, tiger," I said, setting my coffee aside. "What happened?"
"He is my childhood friend," she said excitedly. "And he's in a really tricky situation. I need to help him. So please—can I go with him? Please!"
"Go with him?" I frowned. "Where? And what exactly is this situation?"
She explained everything.
I listened quietly, then said firmly,
"One condition. I meet him first. And his friend too. This is for your safety."
"Okay!" Salina nodded happily.
She got up and walked toward the boy. They spoke briefly, then moved toward another table where someone else was sitting.
Salina looked unusually energetic today.
I need to check this guy properly, I thought.
She brought him to me.
I stood up.
The moment I saw him, something felt… off.
He had a similar build to Rahul. Same hairstyle, though longer and tied back. Even his height was similar.
That resemblance… maybe Salina.....
"Tanvi, meet my childhood friend Jay," Salina said.
"Jay, this is Tanvi—my friend."
"H-Hi…" Jay said awkwardly, extending his trembling hand.
He avoided eye contact.
Nervous. Careful.
Good. He knows he's under inspection.
I shook his hand firmly.
"Hi. Tanvi Malhotra," I said calmly.
"My father owns a pretty big business in this city. Just so you know."
Jay stiffened instantly.
"O-Okay…" he muttered.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Salina asked innocently.
Nothing... Nothing I said. Looking at Jay, he met my eyes and he knew what I meant. I let go of his hand.
And then… him.
"Let's meet Jay's friend too!" Salina said.
We walked toward another table.
The boy was sitting two tables away. I hadn't seen his face yet.
The moment I did—
My world stopped.
My heart skipped.
My breath caught.
I sat down unconsciously.
Salina, Jay, and that boy were talking… but I couldn't hear anything.
I was in shock.
Then Salina and Jay left together, leaving me alone with him.
I stared at his face.
Is it really… him?....
"Hi. My name is Kunal. Nice to meet you."
His voice pulled me back to reality.
"H-Hi… I'm Tanvi," I said quickly. "Want to eat something?"
"No, thanks. I'll be leaving now," he said, standing up.
"Wait," I said. "Can I ask you something about Jay?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going and also know about Salina's childhood friend.
He paused, then sat back down.
"You're Salina's friend, right? You're worried about her?" he said.
"Don't worry. Jay is a pure guy. He's been hung up on Salina for a long time."
My chest tightened.
"Does Jay… like Salina?" I asked.
"Oh oops," he laughed. "I guess I spilled the beans. Yeah. He loved her so much that he rejected several girls, and now there are weird rumours going around about him being gay."
I smiled faintly.
"He's that serious?"
"Yeah. If you don't believe it, I can give you proof," he said and took out his phone.
"You can call anyone from my caller list. Any girl. I'll talk on speaker in front of you."
"Go on. Call anyone."
I randomly called someone he talked to recently. The call connected to a girl named Aaisha.
"Hi Kunal! Where are you?" A soft, sweet voice came from the phone.
"I'm in a café with Jay and enjoying a very good time with him," he said, looking at me. His gaze somehow made me nervous.
"Hehehe, so it's true that you both are a gay couple, huh?" she said giggling.
"I'm straight," he said calmly. "And I was thinking if you'd come with me to a movie."
"Really?!" she sounded shocked.
"But I guess you believe rumours without thinking. So goodbye," he said and hung up without waiting for her reply.
"See? As I said, there are weird rumours about him," he said.
"I think it's about you and him," I said, giggling.
He laughed too.
Then his phone rang again. I saw Aaisha's name. He cut the call and blocked her.
"Someone seems popular and rude at the same time!" I said.
"I don't know about popular or rude," he said seriously. "But I hate people who lie. And I hate people who believe those lies even more. Rumours are a kind of lie. People spread them out of jealousy or hatred. But in the end, a person chooses whether to believe them or not."
His words stayed with me.
He hasn't changed…
I see... I thought about how much he has changed and how much he hasn't.
Even if Kunal forgot about me…
Even if this is just one reunion…
Just one interaction…
That's enough for me.
My childhood friend.
My crush.
Kunal Suryavanshi.
My first love.
The one I had to let go…
Because of my own mistake.