Author’s POV
The aftermath of last night’s scream still lingered somewhere inside the house.
Not openly.
Not loudly.
But enough to leave behind an uneasy silence nobody really talked about.
Well…
almost nobody.
Because the three troublemakers of the house were sleeping peacefully like chaos had exhausted them completely.
Early morning sunlight slipped through the windows of Aarohi’s house while the kitchen downstairs slowly turned into another battlefield entirely.
Despite the family’s wealth and status, both Madhura —Aarohi's mother— and Pallavi —Aarohi's chachi (aunt)— loved cooking for everyone themselves. For them, the kitchen wasn’t responsibility.
It was comfort.
Routine.
Love.
But the moment Pallavi entered the kitchen—
a loud scream echoed through the house.
“WHAT IS THIS?!”
Vegetables were scattered everywhere.
Half-cut carrots covered the floor.
Spices had somehow exploded across the counter.
One pan sat in the sink looking suspiciously burnt beyond recognition.
The entire kitchen looked less like a cooking space and more like evidence from a crime scene.
Within seconds, family members rushed downstairs in confusion.
Madhura took one look around the kitchen…
and closed her eyes slowly.
She already knew.
No investigation needed.
“This has Vihaan, Kiasha, and Aarohi written all over it,” she declared calmly.
Pallavi folded her arms. “At this point I’m convinced these three would survive the devastation just by creating chaos around them.”
Meanwhile—
the three culprits were fast asleep near the dining area after their midnight Maggie disaster.
Completely unaware of the destruction they had left behind.
Madhura walked toward them with terrifying calmness.
“Vihaan,” she called firmly while shaking his shoulder.
He pushed her hand away half-asleep. “Five minutes aur…”
[Five minutes more...]
Wrong answer.
Pallavi immediately picked up a steel plate nearby and hit it loudly with a spoon.
CLANG!
Vihaan and Kiasha shot awake in pure horror.
“Kaun mar gaya subah-subah?!” Vihaan shouted dramatically.
[What’s with all the mourning so early in the morning?]
Kiasha clutched her chest. “Mumma! Heart attack ho jata mujhe!”
[Mumma! I might get a heart attack!]
But Aarohi?
Didn’t move at all.
Still asleep.
Still peacefully unconscious.
Vihaan stared at her in disbelief. “Isko toh earthquake bhi nahi utha sakta.”
[Even an earthquake couldn't wake her up.]
He grabbed a glass of water from the table and without hesitation poured it directly on her face.
Aarohi gasped loudly, instantly sitting up.
“BHAIYUUUU!”
[BROTHERRRRR!]
“Finally,” he sighed dramatically. “Sleeping Beauty returned from the dead.”
Aarohi glared at him murderously while Kiasha laughed uncontrollably beside them.
But the second all three noticed Madhura and Pallavi standing there silently—
their expressions changed.
Guilty.
Very guilty.
Pallavi crossed her arms slowly.
“So…” she said sweetly. “Kal raat earthquake sirf kitchen mein aaya tha?”
[Did the earthquake only hit the kitchen last night?]
Kiasha accidentally snorted.
Big mistake.
“Actually…” she admitted carefully, “hum bas Maggie bana rahe the.”
[Actually... we were just making maggie.]
Vihaan turned toward her in betrayal.
Aarohi looked equally offended.
“Traitor,” Vihaan whispered.
“Absolutely shameless,” Aarohi added.
“Excuse me?” Kiasha blinked. “Main sach bol rahi hoon.”
[Excuse me? I'm telling the truth.]
Madhura pressed her fingers against her forehead. “Maggie banayi thi ya kitchen pe war announce kiya tha?”
[Did you make Maggie or did youdeclare a war on the kitchen?]
The three stayed silent.
Mostly because none of them had a valid defense.
Then suddenly Aarohi’s eyes widened dramatically.
“Oh no.”
Everyone looked at her.
“I forgot Meera was waiting for me!”
And before anyone could stop her—
she ran.
Vihaan stood up immediately. “Perfect timing. Mujhe bhi office ka urgent kaam yaad aa gaya.”
[Perfect timing. I also remembered urgent office work.]
Pallavi narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Abhi?”
[Now?]
“Very urgent,” he confirmed confidently while escaping toward the door.
That left Kiasha alone.
Unfortunately.
Pallavi smiled dangerously. “Aur tum?”
[And you?]
Kiasha pointed at herself innocently. “Main toh bas emotionally support kar rahi thi sabko.”
[I was just emotionally supporting everyone.]
Nobody looked convinced.
Two seconds later—
she also disappeared upstairs before another lecture could begin.
Madhura sighed deeply while looking at the destroyed kitchen again.
“These three will never grow up.”
Pallavi chuckled softly. “Honestly? Good. The house would feel boring otherwise.”
And just like that—
another chaotic morning ended with laughter instead of anger.
Far away at Rathore Industries, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more different.
Silence.
Controlled.
Sharp enough to make people nervous without reason.
Golden sunlight filtered through the massive glass windows of Atharv Singh Rathore’s office while he stood near them silently, hands resting inside his pockets.
But his mind wasn’t inside the office.
It was somewhere else entirely.
Back inside that crowded mall.
Back to that one moment.
That bracelet.
That strange familiarity.
Why can’t I stop thinking about her?
The thought irritated him more than it should have.
Atharv had spent years controlling every emotion that threatened to distract him.
So why was one faceless stranger suddenly sitting inside his thoughts like she belonged there?
A knock interrupted him.
Kabir entered carefully with a file in hand. “Sir, today’s meeting with the board members has been rescheduled to—”
Atharv didn’t respond immediately.
Kabir paused.
“…Sir?”
That finally pulled Atharv out of his thoughts.
“Hmm?”
Kabir blinked once. “I’ve been explaining the schedule for the last five minutes.”
Before Atharv could reply—
the cabin door opened without warning.
Yash walked in first.
Vivaan followed behind him carrying coffee.
One look at Atharv’s face and both immediately noticed something was off.
Yash frowned slightly. “Why do you look like you haven’t slept in three business days?”
Vivaan sat down casually. “Forget sleep. This man looks emotionally disturbed.”
Atharv gave him a flat look. “I was peaceful before both of you entered.”
“Liar,” Yash replied instantly.
Kabir quietly placed the file on the desk and escaped before the chaos could involve him too.
Vivaan leaned back comfortably. “So… are we finally discussing the mysterious mall girl?”
Atharv exhaled slowly.
He should’ve known they wouldn’t let it go.
“It’s nothing.”
“Interesting,” Vivaan nodded thoughtfully. “Because people usually don’t stare at nothing for two days straight.”
Yash smirked faintly. “Exactly. Kal bhi lost tha. Aaj bhi lost hai.”
Atharv looked away briefly before speaking.
“I don’t even know her face properly,” he admitted quietly. “But something about her felt familiar.”
Neither Yash nor Vivaan interrupted this time.
That itself said enough.
Atharv rarely talked about things that genuinely affected him.
“I saw the bracelet on her wrist,” he continued slowly. “And for one second… it felt like my mind stopped working.”
The room fell silent.
Vivaan exchanged a quick glance with Yash.
Because now they understood.
This wasn’t random curiosity anymore.
This was memory.
And memories were dangerous territory for Atharv.
Yash’s expression softened slightly. “Arvi…”
Atharv laughed once under his breath.
A tired laugh.
“I know how insane this sounds.”
“No,” Vivaan replied calmly. “It sounds like something finally managed to affect you after years.”
Atharv’s jaw tightened faintly at that.
Yash leaned forward slightly. “And maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
For a moment nobody spoke.
Then Atharv looked down briefly before saying something quieter.
Something more honest.
“I’m just tired of memories following me everywhere.”
That line changed the atmosphere instantly.
The teasing disappeared.
Because both Yash and Vivaan heard what he actually meant behind those words.
Years had passed.
But Atharv still carried old memories like wounds that never closed properly.
Vivaan finally broke the silence gently.
“You can’t punish yourself forever for missing someone.”
Atharv didn’t answer.
Maybe because he didn’t have one.
Or maybe because some grief becomes so familiar that letting it go feels worse than carrying it.
Yash stood up first, forcing the atmosphere lighter again before things became too heavy.
“Alright,” he clapped once. “Enough emotional suffering. We have work.”
Vivaan nodded dramatically. “Yes. Unfortunately work doesn’t stop just because life becomes complicated.”
That finally earned the faintest smile from Atharv.
Small.
Brief.
But real.
And after they left the cabin—
Atharv’s expression slowly disappeared again.
His hand moved toward his wallet almost unconsciously.
He stared at the old photograph for a long moment.
Then his eyes shifted toward the bracelet visible around the little girl’s wrist.
The same bracelet.
The exact same one.
For the first time in years…
a thought entered Atharv Singh Rathore’s mind that terrified him more than grief ever had.
What if some memories never actually leave?
And what if…
some people don’t either?
And maybe the scariest thing about memories isn’t that they stay…
Maybe it’s that sometimes—
they return wearing a different face. ✨
So tell me honestly…
Do you think Atharv is just attached to an old memory?
Or is fate slowly bringing someone back into his life again…? 👀
And WHAT exactly happened to Aarohi that still terrifies her this much?
Your theories literally make my day, so don’t disappear silently this time. 🖤
— your author, Elara
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