The bell had rung.
Students moved. Chairs scraped. Conversations overlapped.
Everything was normal.
Everything was too normal.
Amisha, didn't move.
Her fingers were still gripping the edge of her desk, knuckles pale, breath uneven.
This wasn't the first time she had lived this day.
The thought echoed again.
Not like imagination.
Like memory.
"Amishaa?"
Sonali's voice came from beside her, softer this time.
"You're scaring me now."
Amisha blinked, forcing herself back into the moment. "I'm okay."
"No, you're not."
"I said I am."
Sonali crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced. "You've been zoning out since morning. And don't say 'thinking' again—I'm not buying it."
Amisha opened her mouth to respond—
But her eyes shifted.
Involuntarily.
Towards him.
---
Darshit Dubey.
---
He was standing near the window now, talking to Varun like nothing had happened.
Like the world hadn't paused.
Like he hadn't just—
Looked at her when time stopped.
---
"Why are you staring at him?" Sonali whispered, leaning closer.
"I'm not," Amisha replied instantly.
"You literally are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"…You like him?"
"What?! No!"
Sonali smirked. "Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
Amisha's lips parted.
Because she had.
---
"I just feel like…" she hesitated, struggling to find the words. "Like I've seen him before."
Sonali raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. In class. Every day."
"No, not like that," Amisha shook her head. "I mean… before all this."
"Before school?"
"Before… everything."
---
Sonali stared at her for a moment.
Then sighed.
"Okay. You seriously need sleep."
---
Amisha didn't argue.
Because how do you explain something that doesn't make sense even to you?
---
"Come on," Sonali grabbed her wrist. "Next class. If you faint or something, I'm not carrying you."
"You're so caring," Amisha muttered.
"I know."
---
As they stepped out into the corridor, the noise hit them instantly.
Students everywhere. Movement. Chaos.
Normal school life.
---
And then—
It happened again.
---
A flicker.
---
For a split second—
The corridor was empty.
Silent.
Broken.
Cracks ran across the walls like veins.
The lights flickered.
And at the far end—
Someone stood there.
---
Darshit.
---
But this time—
He wasn't calm.
He looked… desperate.
---
"Don't trust—"
---
"Amisha!"
---
The world snapped back.
---
She gasped, stumbling slightly.
Sonali tightened her grip on her arm. "Hey! What happened?!"
"I—I…" Amisha looked around frantically.
Everything was normal again.
Students.
Noise.
No cracks.
No emptiness.
No him at the end of the corridor.
---
"I saw him," she whispered.
"Who?"
"Darshit."
Sonali frowned. "He's literally behind you."
---
Amisha froze.
Slowly—
She turned around.
---
Darshit stood there.
Close.
Too close.
---
Not desperate.
Not broken.
Just… watching her.
---
"You okay?" he asked.
---
Her heart skipped.
That voice—
It was the same.
The one from her vision.
---
"I…" she struggled to speak. "Did you just—were you—"
"Standing here?" he finished calmly.
"Yes."
"I just got here."
---
That was a lie.
She knew it.
She had seen him.
At the end of the corridor.
Far away.
---
"But you were—"
"Amisha," Sonali cut in, her tone slightly firm now. "You're overthinking."
"I'm not—"
"You are."
---
Silence.
---
Darshit didn't interrupt.
He just observed.
Carefully.
Like he was analyzing every reaction, every word, every breath.
---
"Anyway," Sonali forced a smile. "We're getting late. Come."
She pulled Amisha away before she could say anything else.
---
But even as they walked—
Amisha could feel it.
---
His gaze.
---
Still on her.
---
---
The next class passed in a blur.
Words were spoken.
Notes were written.
But none of it reached her.
---
Because something else was louder.
---
The feeling.
---
That something was about to happen.
---
"Alright," Alok Dubey's voice cut through the classroom. "Open your books to page 42."
---
Page 42.
---
Amisha's hand froze mid-motion.
Her breath hitched.
---
"No…" she whispered.
---
"What?" Sonali glanced at her.
---
Amisha slowly opened her book.
Page 42.
---
The corner was torn.
---
Exactly like she remembered.
---
Her heart started racing.
---
"This already happened…"
---
"What are you talking about?" Sonali frowned.
---
Amisha didn't answer.
She couldn't.
---
Because she knew what was coming next.
---
Alok Dubey would drop the chalk.
Varun would make a joke.
Everyone would laugh.
---
And then—
---
Thud.
---
The chalk fell.
---
"…Oops," Alok muttered.
---
Varun snorted. "Sir, even chalk is tired of studies."
---
The class laughed.
---
Exactly.
The same.
---
Amisha's world tilted.
---
"No…" she whispered again, shaking her head.
---
She stood up suddenly.
---
"Amisha?" Sonali looked confused.
---
"I need to—"
---
Before she could finish—
---
The lights flickered.
---
Once.
Twice.
---
And then—
---
Everything stopped.
---
Again.
---
Silence.
Stillness.
Time frozen.
---
Except—
---
Her.
---
And him.
---
Darshit slowly stood up from his seat.
The only other person moving in a frozen world.
---
Amisha's heart pounded.
---
He walked towards her.
Step by step.
Calm.
Unhurried.
---
Like this wasn't new to him.
---
Like this had happened before.
---
"Finally," he said quietly.
---
Her breath caught.
"Finally… what?"
---
He stopped in front of her.
His eyes held something deeper now.
Something heavy.
Something that made her chest tighten.
---
"You're remembering."
---
Amisha felt the ground slip beneath her.
---
"What… is happening to me?" she whispered.
---
Darshit looked at her for a long moment.
---
Then said something that shattered everything she thought she knew—
---
"This isn't your first timeline."
---
Silence.
---
The words echoed in her mind.
---
Not your first timeline.
---
Her voice trembled. "That's not possible…"
---
"It wasn't supposed to be," he replied.
---
"Then why—why do I remember things that never happened?!"
---
"Because they did happen."
---
Her eyes widened.
---
"Just not in this version of the world."
---
Her breathing turned uneven.
"This… this is insane."
---
Darshit didn't deny it.
---
"I know."
---
"Then explain it!"
---
"I can't."
---
"Why not?!"
---
His jaw tightened slightly.
For the first time—
He looked conflicted.
---
"Because last time you trusted me…" he said quietly.
"…everything collapsed."
---
Amisha froze.
---
Last time.
---
"You're lying," she whispered, but her voice lacked conviction.
---
"Maybe," he said.
"But your memories aren't."
---
She stepped back slightly.
---
"Then tell me one thing," she said, her voice barely steady.
---
"Why do I keep seeing you?"
---
Darshit didn't answer immediately.
---
When he finally did—
---
His voice was softer.
---
"Because in every timeline…"
---
He paused.
---
"…you find me."
---
Her heart stopped.
---
For a second—
Everything felt… real.
---
Too real.
---
And then—
---
The world snapped back.
---
Noise returned.
Movement resumed.
Time continued.
---
Like nothing had happened.
---
Amisha staggered slightly, grabbing her desk for support.
---
"Amisha?!"
Sonali's voice rushed back in.
"What is wrong with you today?!"
---
Amisha didn't respond.
---
Because across the room—
---
Darshit was back in his seat.
---
Like he had never moved.
---
Like time had never stopped.
---
Like none of it had happened.
---
Except—
---
He was looking at her.
---
And this time—
---
There was no smile.
---
Only one silent warning in his eyes—
---
Remember carefully.
---
🌌 END OF CHAPTER 2