The steady rhythm of the rain woke Neel. Staring up at the white ceiling of the hospital, he felt as though the world had suddenly become as blank as a sheet of white paper. The doctors called him 'Neel,' but the name sounded utterly foreign to his ears.
The cabin door opened, and a young woman stepped inside, holding a bunch of blue Aparajita flowers. Her eyes were clouded with exhaustion, yet a tiny smile played on her lips. She placed the flowers by Neel's pillow and gently rested her hand on his forehead.
"How are you feeling today?" Her voice felt strangely familiar to Neel, like the haunting melody of a very old song.
In a faint whisper, Neel asked, "Better. But... who are you?"
The woman's fingers trembled for a fraction of a second. Composing herself, she smiled. "I'm Meghla. For now, all you need to know is that these blue flowers were your favorite. So, I brought them for you."
Neel noticed a silver ring on the ring finger of Meghla's left hand. He had an identical ring on his own hand. Neel realized that this woman was a significant part of his life—perhaps his entire world. But the map of that world had been erased from his mind.
Looking out the window, Neel let out a heavy sigh. "Is it very painful to forget everything, Meghla?"
Meghla went to stand by the window. Outside, a gentle drizzle was still falling. In a low voice, she said, "Forgetting might not be the painful part, Neel. But seeing a look of strangeness in the eyes of the person you love—that is far more agonizing. However, I believe that even if memories fade, feelings do not. Our brain might have forgotten our story, but the heart must have tucked it away somewhere safe."
Neel remained silent. He felt as though, within the melancholic smile of this stranger, he was finding something that wasn't written in any book or diary. Perhaps something greater than the return of his memory was standing right in front of him—the story of getting to know someone all over again.