The office suddenly felt too quiet.
Mira could hear the soft clicking of keyboards around her, the low hum of the air conditioner, and distant conversations from other desks.
But right now, all her attention was on Riya.
Because Riya's expression had changed.
The cheerful, relaxed look she always had was gone.
Something else had replaced it.
Worry.
"Mira… why are you asking about that place?" Riya repeated.
Her voice was calmer now, but Mira could still hear the tension in it.
Mira didn't look away.
"Because I was there last night."
Riya froze.
Completely.
"You… went there?" she asked slowly.
"Yes."
For a moment, Riya didn't say anything.
Her eyes moved around the office as if checking if anyone nearby was listening.
Then she leaned slightly closer.
"You shouldn't have gone there."
The words sent a small chill down Mira's spine.
"Why?"
Riya rubbed her forehead slightly.
"Mira… this is going to sound strange."
Mira almost laughed.
"Everything about this situation is strange already."
Riya looked at her carefully.
"Two months ago… on your birthday…"
She hesitated.
"…you disappeared for a few hours."
Mira frowned.
"Disappeared?"
"Yes."
Riya continued quietly.
"You left work early that day."
"You told everyone you had some personal plans."
Mira tried to remember.
But her mind was blank again.
Just like the rooftop argument.
"I don't remember that," Mira said.
"I know," Riya replied.
Mira blinked.
"What do you mean you know?"
Riya sighed softly.
Because this was the part she clearly didn't want to talk about.
"That night… you called me."
Mira's heart skipped.
"I did?"
"Yes."
Riya's voice became quieter.
"You sounded upset."
"Very upset."
Mira felt nervous suddenly.
"What did I say?"
Riya thought for a moment.
Then slowly answered.
"You said you had met someone."
Mira immediately thought of him.
Standing with her on the rooftop.
"You told me the meeting felt strange," Riya continued.
"Like you already knew him somehow."
That sounded exactly like the feeling Mira had now.
"But that's not the strange part," Riya added.
"What is?"
Riya looked directly at her.
"You said you felt like something bad was about to happen."
Mira's stomach tightened.
"What kind of bad?"
"You didn't explain."
"You just kept repeating the same thing."
"What thing?"
Riya's voice dropped slightly.
"You kept saying…"
She paused for a moment.
"If we keep meeting, something will go wrong."
Mira felt the words hit her chest heavily.
Because they sounded familiar.
Like something she might actually say.
"So you told me to stay away from him," Riya continued.
Mira whispered,
"And then?"
Riya sighed.
"You said you and him had already decided not to meet again."
That matched the security footage.
The promise.
The sentence about fate.
"But you sounded scared,"Riya said.
"More scared than I've ever heard you."
Mira's heart started beating faster.
"What happened after the call?"
Riya hesitated again.
"You asked me to do something."
"What?"
"You asked me to delete something from your phone."
Mira's eyes widened.
"Delete what?"
Riya slowly pulled out her own phone.
Opened an old conversation.
Scrolled back.
Very far back.
Then she turned the screen toward Mira.
A message.
From Mira.
Sent two months ago.
Mira:
"If I forget about tonight, don't remind me."
Mira's breath stopped.
"What…?"
Riya continued reading the next message.
Mira:
"And if I ever ask about the rooftop again… please pretend you don't know anything."
Mira stared at the screen in disbelief.
Her own words.
Written by her.
"I said that?"she whispered.
Riya nodded.
"Yes."
"But why would I say that?"
Riya looked at her carefully.
"Because the last thing you said before ending the call was…"
She paused again.
"You said you were afraid of remembering."
The words made Mira's entire body feel cold.
"Afraid of remembering what?"she asked quietly.
Riya shook her head.
"You never told me."
The office noise slowly returned around them.
But Mira barely noticed.
Her mind was stuck on one terrifying thought.
She had asked Riya to help her forget.
Which meant one thing.
Something had happened on that rooftop two months ago.
Something so serious…
That Mira herself had chosen to erase it from her memory.
And now…
That memory was slowly coming back.
But the biggest question remained.
What exactly had happened that night?