Chapter 1.

"Jo meri manzilon ko jaati hai , Tere naam ki koi sadak hai na?

Jo mere dil ko dil banati hai , Tere naam ki koi dhadak hai na?"

・・・・・

(Have a happy Reading!✨)

I sat quietly in my cubicle, a dull pencil in my hand and a blank sketch sheet lying open in front of me.

I was supposed to be designing a luxury patio space, something about geometric balance and a natural flow, but honestly, my mind wasn't even in the room.

It hadn't been, for days.

A dark pair of jeans, a simple beige shirt, my hair tied in a messy bun, I looked exactly like every other junior architect in this firm.

Except I wasn't sketching lines today. I was tracing memories in my mind.

A week ago, it had been a year.

A year since she left.

My mother.

I tried not to think about it, but somehow, pain always finds its way back in. Just like water slipping through cracks.

And just like that, my eyes fell on the photo frame kept beside my file stack, old, wooden edges, slightly cracked.

A rare photo of us - Mumma, Papa, me, and Ansh bhaiya.

[A rare photo of us - Mumma, Papa, me, and Ansh brother.]

All smiling. All whole.

A lump rose in my throat. My vision blurred, and a soft tear slipped before I could stop it.

And just like that... I remembered.

That day.

The worst day of my life.

The flashbacks weren't loud. They were cruel in their silence.

"Mumma......Mumma, wake up! Please, no, no! Don't leave me like this!"

My voice had cracked. My hands had shaken her still shoulders. But her eyes... her eyes never opened again.

"You,You are the reason for her death!"

"I never want to see your face again!"

The words had come like knives. Not from a stranger. From someone who mattered.

And since then...

Silence had been my only companion.

The flashback faded, but the ache stayed behind , just like it always did.

My eyes slowly fell on the small bottle kept beside my sketchbook.

Its white label had faded slightly.

The painkillers.

Yeah, the doctor had prescribed them.

When I fractured my rib cage in that accident a year ago.

But that wasn't the real wound. Not even close.

The physical pain? That went away.

But the pain inside... the one that curled in my chest every night like it belonged there, that pain never left.

I didn't even realise when the medicine stopped being for the body, and started becoming for the mind.

Every time the anxiety crept in...

Every time I felt like my lungs couldn't hold another breath...

I reached for those pills.

And sometimes...

I just feel like if I don't take them, I might die.

With trembling fingers, I opened the cap and took one.

Not because I wanted to.

But because I didn't know how to exist without it anymore.

"I miss you, Mumma..." I whispered so softly, the air around me almost swallowed it whole.

My phone suddenly vibrated. I blinked rapidly, wiped my face with my sleeve, and cleared my throat.

Aditi.

The only constant in my life.

My best friend. My soul sister.

We've been inseparable since kindergarten, not a single memory of my school life exists without her.

"Hello," I said, voice low and hoarse, the after-effect of crying never really hides, no matter how much you try.

"Aaru? What are you doing?" she asked, her tone as lively as always.

"Nothing... just making some sketches. You tell me, what's up?"

There was a pause on the line.

"You were crying."

My breath hitched.

"N-no, I wasn't," I replied quickly - too quickly.

God, why do I even try to lie to her? She reads me like a book.

She sighed on the other end.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Aaru. I know everything's just... too much lately. But listen, you don't have to go through all of this alone, okay? I'm right here. Always."

I didn't respond.

Just let the silence speak for itself.

She knew me well enough not to need words.

"Anyway," she added, her tone brightening again, "I called to say, let's grab dinner tonight? Please? No excuses."

I paused. I really wasn't in the mood.

"Fir kabhi, Aditi. I'm just... not feeling it today."

[Another time, Aditi. I'm just... not feeling it today."]

"And when are you feeling it, madam?" she snapped playfully. "Every time, you're working, sketching, sulking.

Enough! I'm dragging you out tonight. Final. Non-negotiable."

"Okay, okay..." I gave up with a tiny smile. "Text me the location. I'll come straight from work."

"Sharp 7 PM, okay? Don't you dare bail."

"I won't," I said. "Okay, I'll hang up now. See you."

"Bye."

I ended the call.

And like that, time began slipping through the cracks.

Hours passed.

It was almost 6:30 now.

I shut my laptop, arranged the sketches into a folder, and packed my bag.

Stepping outside the office, I adjusted my bag strap on my shoulder and stood quietly near the gate, waiting for a cab.

And that's when it happened.

That's when a black car pulled up right in front of me.

Sleek. Silent. Tinted windows. A couple of men in black stepped out, followed by a girl who looked nothing like someone I'd ever seen around.

Sharp eyes. Polished appearance.

Her entire aura screamed power and something... strange.

I ignored them. Weird people. Probably for some high-profile site visits.

But then the girl walked toward me.

And directly stopped in front of me.

"Hi, Aarohi," she said.

I froze.

My eyes narrowed slightly.

Huh? How does she know my name?

I blinked. "Umm... hi?" I replied hesitantly. "Do I... know you?"

She smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"No. Of course you don't. But you will. Soon."

She stepped a little closer. "I'm Sarah."

I nodded slowly, unsure. "Okay... how may I help you?"

She tilted her head, her lips curling with something that looked like amusement. Or mockery.

"You have to marry someone tomorrow. In my place."

My heart stopped.

"What?" I whispered, stunned.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

That was Chapter 1. Let me know what you felt about it in the comments✨❤️

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Words Count : 1073