"Anshika… y-you?"
Om stood there, stunned.
He had barely recovered from one shock… and now another one stood right in front of him.
Anshika.
Her eyes—
Filled with jealousy…
And something deeper.
Pain.
Om felt uneasy. For some reason, he couldn't understand why her presence affected him this way… why he felt like he needed to explain himself to her.
He opened his mouth, trying to say something—
But before he could speak, Supriya stepped forward, her voice calm but firm.
"It's not what you think."
She moved closer to Anshika.
"I just wanted to thank Om. That's why I kissed him on the cheek. There's no need to misunderstand anything, Anshika. We both know there's no reason for any confusion between us."
Her tone was clear.
Straight.
But those words—
They hit Om in a different way.
Because suddenly—
He realized something.
He and Anshika… weren't anything.
No relationship.
No claim.
No right.
He didn't owe her an explanation.
And she didn't owe him one either.
Understanding that, Om stepped forward, about to speak—
But Anshika interrupted.
"I know."
Her voice was steady.
Too steady.
"And I understand… after everything that happened today."
She looked at Supriya.
"I consider Om a friend. You can't force someone to love you. And I've already made a new beginning with him—as a friend."
A small pause.
"So I don't think you need to explain anything to me."
Then she added casually—
"I just saw both of you missing from the club… so I came looking."
Silence.
But beneath her calm words—
Something was breaking.
Both Om and Supriya were surprised.
But Om—
He could see it.
The sadness in her eyes.
The heaviness she was hiding.
And then—
Something strange happened.
A voice.
Not outside.
But inside his head.
"Om… is there no place left for me in your heart?"
Om froze.
"That I made mistakes in my past… I accept that. But after I heard about your death in college… I never even talked to another guy."
His eyes widened.
"Every night… I blamed myself for your death. I cried… thinking I was the reason."
The voice trembled.
"Even today… I see dreams of you dying in different ways. You're alive… yet I've seen you die so many times because of me."
Om's breath slowed.
"God is already punishing me… at least you… don't make me suffer more."
Om's mind raced.
Those weren't just words.
Those were thoughts.
Anshika's thoughts.
He hadn't tried to read her mind.
He didn't want to.
Yet—
He could hear everything.
Clear.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
His heart pounded.
"These… these are her thoughts… but I didn't try to read them… then why am I hearing this?"
"Am I losing control over my powers…? No… that can't be."
"Or… are her emotions so strong that they're reaching me on their own?"
"…Or does she want me to hear them?"
That thought shook him even more.
And then—
Something else clicked.
She was thinking about his death.
About losing him.
Again and again.
Om snapped out of it.
Without wasting another second, he looked at both of them and said—
"Supriya… can I talk to Anshika alone for a moment?"
Supriya nodded immediately and turned to leave.
But before going—
She leaned close to Anshika and whispered softly in her ear—
"Yeah, for him it might've been just a 'thank you' kiss…"
A slight pause.
"But I kissed him with all my heart."
Anshika's eyes widened slightly.
Supriya smiled faintly.
"Anshu… I'm not going to lose this race easily. A guy like Om… you don't find someone like him twice. And if he's one of a kind…"
Her voice softened, but her words hit deep—
"Then I have every right to try and win him too… don't I?"
Silence.
Anshika looked at her.
Then smiled.
Calm.
Composed.
"Let's see."
Supriya smirked lightly—
And walked away.
Now—
Only Om and Anshika remained.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Om broke the silence.
"Can I tell you something?"
Anshika nodded innocently.
Om looked at her seriously.
"I don't know what you want… but I'm glad you're trying to make a new beginning."
His voice softened.
"But before that… you need to let go of your past."
Anshika's expression shifted slightly.
"I understand… sometimes in youth, people make mistakes. I've already forgiven you for that."
A pause.
"But more important than my forgiveness…"
He looked straight into her eyes.
"…is you forgiving yourself."
Her breath caught.
"Because if you can't forgive yourself… your heart will never find peace."
His voice turned gentle.
"So Anshika… it's better you forget that bad dream from your life… and start looking toward a better future."
Silence.
Heavy.
Anshika stood there—
Stunned.
She didn't understand how…
But somehow—
It felt like Om knew everything.
Like he was trying to heal something inside her.
Slowly, she replied—
"I'm trying."
Her voice was soft.
Real.
Om nodded slightly.
Then asked carefully—
"If you don't mind… can you tell me something?"
She looked at him.
"What happened… after I left college?"
The question hit her like a shock.
Her eyes widened.
She stared at him—
Frozen.
Because that question…
Wasn't just a question.
It was a door—
To everything she had been hiding.