Chapter 1 – The Beginning
"Life... is something we constantly strive to understand,
yet, amidst the living of it, we often fail to realize—until it is too late—when we have lost ourselves along the way."
At times, it feels as though life is like a movie—sometimes filled with joy, sometimes with sorrow... and at other times, it feels as though nothing remains but sorrow itself. It is simply baffling how and when life decides to change course. In a single instant, everything shifts... without a sound, without a warning sign. Occasionally, from some hidden corner of the heart, a strange sensation surfaces: *Is this life truly mine?* Or am I merely an instrument... a silent puppet, with my strings held tight in the hands of another? I move forward... yet not by my own volition. I walk in accordance with someone else's decisions, upon a path laid out by them. Perhaps... this is precisely what life is. A riddle—one that we live through every single day... yet never truly comprehend.
1.
"Who are you...?"
The elderly man asked softly; his voice held a faint blend of both fear and curiosity. "What are you doing here at this hour of the night...?"
The darkness of the night seemed to loom even heavier upon that desolate road. Bathed in the faint, yellow glow of the streetlights stood a figure wrapped entirely in a black hoodie. From a distance, it appeared to be a boy...
But as the figure slowly drew closer, it became clear that this was no boy... but a girl.
She had pulled the hood of her black sweatshirt up over her head; half of her face remained shrouded in shadow... while the other half was illuminated by the light.
She came to a halt.
For a few moments, nothing but silence hung between the two of them—
Then, she lifted her face slightly and offered a faint, enigmatic smile.
A smile... that defied understanding.
"I had forgotten something..." she murmured softly; her voice was calm... yet held a strange, unsettling quality.
"I've come back to find it."
With that, the girl slowly turned and walked away.
Her gait was peculiar—distinctive, and just a touch unnatural. Bathed in the glow of the streetlights, her black hoodie slowly receded into the distance, and within moments, she vanished from sight. The elderly man standing there continued to watch her go. There was no fear on his face, but certainly a hint of confusion—as if he couldn't quite grasp the situation, unable to determine whether it was normal or not. He took a slow breath and murmured to himself:
"Thousands of people come here during the day…" He paused for a moment…
"But at this hour—so late at night… no one comes." He glanced once more in the direction the girl had taken. Then, he gave a slight shake of his head—as if trying to reassure himself: "Perhaps I've simply fallen into the habit of overthinking…" And with that, he slowly walked away. Yet, even so… a lingering question remained in his mind: "Who was that girl?"
2.
A building. From the outside—luxurious, grand, beautiful… almost perfect. But inside—silence; a silence so profound it seemed to sink straight into the heart. The door opened gently. A girl swiped the keycard held in her hand and stepped inside without making a sound. The room was shrouded in darkness—much like the depths of her own soul. No color, no warmth… just a cold, desolate air. Without a second thought, she pulled off her black hoodie and headed straight for the bathroom. The door closed… and moments later, the sound of the shower turning on echoed through the room. The water began to cascade slowly, flowing from her head down over her entire body. As if every single drop could *feel* her…
As if every drop were measuring the weight of her exhaustion. She stood there, leaning her hand against the wall… eyes closed, her breathing growing slightly heavy. As if she were trying to hold everything back—or perhaps, trying to let it all go. The water continued to flow… and so did time. After a while, she slowly ran her hand through her hair… and whispered softly to herself:
"I am okay."
3.
6:00 AM. The room was lost in darkness—silent, lifeless, utterly solitary. The first light of morning was slowly filtering in through the window... casting a soft, golden glow across the walls.
A young woman lay on the bed; her eyes were closed, yet her face bore no trace of peace.
Her expression suggested she was trapped within a deep, pain-filled dream... one from which escape is never easy. Suddenly, her hand rose gently...
reaching out into the air, as if attempting to hold someone back.
"Don't go... please..."
Her voice was faint... broken...
Then she sat up slightly, her breathing quickening... and, glancing around, she whispered— "Again..."
Her eyes held a mixture of both confusion and pain. She raised her hand to her hair... and, as she gently smoothed it down, she murmured— "You're wearing that white dress again, aren't you...
But you don't even like it..."
Her voice carried the weight of a lingering memory—as if a loved one, held so dear, kept returning to that very moment... only to vanish once more. She rose slowly from the bed...
and walked silently toward the bathroom—to freshen up.
4.
(A young woman in the kitchen—approximately 28 or 29 years old. Her name is Merry; a simple, unassuming girl who is here solely for the sake of work.)
Merry was sitting in the kitchen, a cup of tea in her hand, talking on the phone.
"You know how it is—jobs aren't easy to come by... and I landed this position only after a great struggle," she said into the receiver.
A voice replied from the other end:
"But you knew, didn't you? The previous employers were so greedy... they wouldn't even pay the salaries!" "Yeah... but the head agent told me that this employer is a decent person—though she does have a temper. She doesn't take kindly to anyone and expects every task to be completed right on time. Well, why wouldn't she be like that? She's a police officer, after all—a little bit of a temper is only to be expected!" She took a sip of tea and, smiling, said:
"The previous ones are gone... and that, for me, is a good thing. I never liked the way they looked at me... plus, they took bribes. Honestly, there was one day I was actually thinking of just slapping him!"
A voice came from the phone, accompanied by laughter: "Ha ha... but Merry, you know you're needed here, too, right?"
"Yes, but earning money is necessary as well, isn't it?" Mira said. "As long as Didi was around, she..."As long as Didi was here, she handled everything... but now it falls to me. And you—make sure you look after Mom back there; there's no need for you to worry about anything else. Just focus on your studies, alright?"
A voice came through the phone: "Yeah, alright... though my ears are practically bleeding from listening to those same old lectures over and over. Anyway... has your new boss woken up yet? Have you even met her?"
"No, I only joined today... I haven't even met Madam yet. Alright, I'll call you back later; she might be awake by now. I'll go make some tea."
Merry placed the cup of tea on the table and slowly made her way toward the flat's living room.
Everything was new—clean, gleaming, yet also a little intimidating. Her hands trembled slightly, but her determination and enthusiasm urged her to move forward.
"Okay, Merry... you can do this," she told herself, and slowly approached the door.
Just then, a sound reached her ears for the first time—the ringtone of her new boss's phone.
"By 10 o'clock... I want full details on this case—who is involved, everything... Is that clear?"
The voice on the phone sounded stern and furious.
Merry flinched slightly.
"Ma'am... how can I get all that so quickly?"
"I want every single detail before 10 o'clock!" And with that, the call ended.
Standing outside, Merry murmured to herself: "Mr. Sharma was right... she really does have a terrible temper. But... what is her name? I'm actually too scared to even ask her what to call her."
Slowly—and with a hint of trepidation—Merry pushed open the door to that room.
"Ma'am... your breakfast is ready," she said in a soft voice.
"Would you like to have your breakfast in here, or in the dining room?" My gaze remained fixed downward, as if my eyes themselves were too afraid to offer proof of my presence.
Madam spoke in a slightly serious tone, "I'll have it in the dining room."
"Very well, Madam," Merry replied, then thought to herself: "The dining room... hmm... straight to the point. That means Madam is just as strict as the 'Big Sir' said she was." Without even looking up, she closed the door and quietly slipped out.
Walking down the corridor, Merry mused:
"First hurdle cleared... but what does Madam actually look like? I didn't even have the courage to steal a glance. Who knows—if our eyes had met... I might have ended up running late myself! Oh well, she'll come out for breakfast eventually; I can see her then. But yeah... judging by her voice, she seems like a short-tempered person... definitely giving off those 'angry policewoman' vibes!"
(Some time later, a young woman emerges from the room.)
Merry stole a cautious glance—standing in that room was a young woman, nearly six feet tall. By her appearance, she looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She was striking to look at, and she looked absolutely stunning in her black outfit. At first, it didn't even cross Merry's mind that this woman was a police officer... perhaps life had molded her into something else entirely.
She bore a tattoo on her hand —incomplete, as if the other half of the design belonged to someone else. And her eyes held an intense sharpness. Everything about this young woman seemed to exude an aura of toughness and self-confidence.
Clutching her teacup tightly, Merry thought to herself, "Wow... this woman looks like she stepped right out of an action movie... and here I am, just delivering breakfast!"
With a mix of nervousness and curiosity—still clutching her teacup tightly—Merry stepped forward.
"Uh... Good morning, Ma'am... I'm Merry... I work here. I—well, I wasn't able to meet you yesterday." "I had gone home," she said with a faint smile.
The girl cast a brief glance at Merry and remained silent for a moment.
Then, taking a deep breath, she spoke: " Morning. Let's get straight to business... I need breakfast ready before 8:00 AM. It should be something light; I'll be having lunch at the office, so there's no need to prepare that. Dinner should be served before 9:00 PM—and I like things to be punctual. Understood?"
Still feeling a bit nervous, Merry replied:
"Yes, Madam..." The Madam then asked, "You were right outside the door... you heard everything I said, didn't you?" Merry answered: "Yes, Ma'am..."
To herself—with a hint of confusion—she wondered: "How did she know I was standing right outside the door?"
Then, the Madam began making a phone call. Mustering her courage, Merry asked:
"Madam... I wanted to ask you something..."
The Madam gave her a slightly stern look:
"Yes? What is it?"
"Well... what is your name, Madam?"
With a faint smile, the Madam replied:
"Veera Kapoor."
With a touch of excitement, Merry blurted out: "In that case, I'll call you Veera Ma'am!"
But Veera simply smiled and began eating her breakfast.
After finishing her meal, Veera grabbed her car keys and headed out. Left alone in the room, Merry watched Veera Ma'am go—feeling a mix of nervousness, curiosity, and deep admiration.
Watching Veera leave, Merry placed her hands on her hips and remarked with a slight smile:
"She seems like a decent girl... just a bit on the short-tempered side."
Then, pausing for a second, she tossed her hair back and added:
"But no matter... I'm Merry, after all! Anyway... her attitude was absolutely solid!"
4.
After breakfast, just as she was heading toward her car, Veera's phone rang right at the doorway. Seeing the name displayed on the screen, she paused for a few moments. A faint mist gathered in her eyes. Then, she picked up the call.
"Yeah? What's up?" Her voice was cool, yet something was seething beneath the surface. From the other end came a girl's voice—tinged with a mix of panic and anger:
"What do you mean, 'What's up'? What is this I'm hearing, Veera? Have you gone back to Udaipur again?" Veera answered directly, without a trace of hesitation:
"Yes. So what?"
"So what?" Ragini's voice rose sharply.
"Why are you steering your life back to the very same crossroads we moved on from years ago?" A bitter smile touched Veera's lips. Her eyes were fixed on the road, but her mind was miles away. "Ragini, *you* might have moved on..." she said slowly, her voice heavy with emotion,
"...but I can never forget. What I—no, what *we*—found in Udaipur... and what we lost."
Outside the car, the city's clamor was growing louder, but inside the vehicle, a heavy silence prevailed. Ragini took a deep breath, then tried to reason with her:
"Veera, I haven't forgotten anything—neither you, nor him—but it is essential to move forward in life. Dwelling on the past only brings pain... and that path you've started down again—it is so tangled, so terrifying. Why are you repeating it all over again?"
This time, pure anger flashed in Veera's eyes.
"I'm not repeating anything!" Her voice rose sharply. "I've come back... to claim what is rightfully his. And to bring the truth to light." Her grip on the steering wheel tightened further.
Ragini's voice now trembled slightly:
"But Veera... everything will start all over again. The same pain, the same suffering... You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"
For a moment, Veera fell silent. Only the hum of the engine and the sound of her own rapid breathing could be heard. Then, she spoke softly—yet her words carried immense weight:
"No. I don't care." Pausing briefly, she spoke again, this time with greater force:
"I've worked incredibly hard to make it back here. Four years, Ragini... four years! And now you're telling me to abandon this path?"
Her voice was no longer filled merely with anger, but with sheer determination.
"You've probably forgotten who I am... I *will* see this path through to the end—no matter how many thorns lie in the way, no matter how much pain I must endure—and only after every tangled thread has been unraveled."
Tears welled up in Ragini's eyes, though her voice remained soft:
"I haven't forgotten anything... neither you, nor him... but—"
"That's enough." Veera cut her off abruptly. "I've reached the office. I'll talk to you later."
"Alright..." Ragini said softly.
The call ended. Veera tossed her phone aside. In her eyes, that same fierce resolve—that same stubborn tenacity—still burned bright. On the other side, Ragini gently set the phone down. Her eyes were misty. She spoke to herself— "How could I ever forget Udaipur...? That city wasn't just a place; it was a turning point in my life where everything changed. Amidst those tranquil lakes and ancient lanes of Udaipur, we left behind not merely the passage of time, but a part of ourselves as well.
But if one is to find their true identity somewhere, one must inevitably leave another place behind.
And that is exactly what we did—
Because sometimes, in order to move forward...
One has to leave everything behind. When will this girl finally understand...?"
Veera disconnected the call and fixed her gaze straight ahead on the road. The car was moving forward, yet her mind seemed to be lingering somewhere far behind. One hand rested on the steering wheel... while with the other, she gently reached out and placed it against the windowpane. She traced a faint line with her fingers, as if caressing a face... as if someone were truly there.
She spoke softly, "So much has changed here... Do you know that?"
There was a strange tenderness in her voice, as if she were speaking to someone dear to her. The seat beside her was empty... yet Veera spoke as if someone were sitting there—an unseen presence that only she could sense; a shadow... a feeling... that had once meant everything to her.
Veera smiled faintly, a glint of moisture shimmering in her eyes.
"Yes... I know." "You're seeing it all... and hearing it all, too, aren't you?"
The breeze drifting in from outside the car, along with the city lights, played across her face; yet her eyes were lost somewhere else entirely... perhaps in those memories that were once so vividly alive.
"That old Udaipur... it's gone now..."
Her voice began to falter, slowly breaking.
"If only... we could have come here together... and relived that old carefree joy... without any fear, without any separation..."
Veera continued to drive, her eyes heavy with the weight of memories and a faint trace of unshed tears.
Then, suddenly—a voice spoke out from somewhere. Soft... gentle... as if the wind itself had whispered her name.
"No, Veera... Udaipur is exactly the same as we left it..."
Veera's hands remained on the steering wheel, but her heart seemed to skip a beat. Yet, she didn't stop the car... as if, rather than fear, she had actually been waiting for this very voice. The voice spoke again, this time with a smile—
"Look over there... the Daiji Bridge... remember? We used to visit there so often..."
Veera slowly lifted her gaze... and sure enough—the bridge was there. Just the same... exactly the same.
"...And look at that," the voice added playfully,
"That *chana* vendor uncle... he's still standing right there today."
A spark of light flickered in Veera's eyes. A faint smile touched her lips—offering a sense of solace amidst the pain.
She whispered softly,
"It's true... nothing has changed..." The voice chuckled softly, then spoke again, gently—
"Something *has* changed, Veera..." A brief silence fell between them.
"*You* have changed... from a little kitten... into a full-grown lioness." Veera's eyes closed for a moment. She sensed a voice... as if someone dear to her were sitting right beside her. She felt no shock... nor any fear. Just a strange sense of familiarity... as if that voice had never truly left her.
As if he had always been right there... with her... by her side... deep within her heart. A single tear silently escaped her eye and traced a path down her cheek, yet Veera did not wipe it away. It was as if she wished to fully embrace that pain... as if she wanted to relive the presence of that person, just for a fleeting moment. The car continued to move forward... but Veera's heart remained seated right there, in the empty seat beside her.
Veera could still sense his voice... as if he were right there, breathing in unison with her. But gradually... that sensation began to fade. It was like a gentle gust of wind that had swept in... and then quietly drifted away.
"Wait..." Veera whispered, her voice barely audible.
The seat began to feel empty once more.
That warmth, that sense of belonging... it all began to slowly slip away. The voice was drifting further and further into the distance—faint at first... then fainter still... and then... nothing but silence.
Veera gripped the steering wheel a little tighter for a moment, as if trying to hold onto that sensation.
"Don't go…" This time, her voice broke. But in response, there was only silence.
She quickly glanced to the side—at the seat where, just moments ago, she had felt a presence… now, it was completely empty.
Veera took a deep breath and fixed her gaze sharply on the road ahead—
But this time… a pain lay hidden behind her smile. As if someone had reminded her once again… that some people are never truly *with* you… they remain merely as a feeling.
Veera took a deep breath… and then, a strange, slightly weary smile touched her lips. Gazing down the straight road, she murmured softly—
"Once again… he's gone…"
There was pain in her voice… yet also a sense of habit. As if this were not the first time. As if the one who always left, always returned as well… only to depart in this very same way, every single time.
Veera gave a faint laugh…
"Someday… learn to stay."