The morning light was slowly entering the room. Sunlight was falling on Mehreen's bed through the thin curtains of the window. But that light could not dispel the darkness inside her.
She had not slept properly all night.
After talking to Rashed last night, a strange restlessness had arisen in her mind. That silence in Rashed's eyes, that evasive answer—everything seemed to have awakened a thousand questions in her mind.
Even after she woke up in the morning, those questions did not leave her.
Mehreen slowly got up and went to the kitchen. She put water on the stove to make tea. The small kitchen was silent, only the sound of boiling water could be heard.
She was thinking about last night.
Rashed did not stay long. He sat for a while and left quietly.
As he left, he only said—
"Take care of yourself."
Hearing these words, Mehreen felt as if there was a lot of distance hidden in the words.
She made tea and sat down by the window.
The people on the street had already started their day's work. Some were going to the office, some were opening shops.
Everything was so normal.
Only her life seemed to be abnormal.
Just then, the phone on the table suddenly rang.
Mehrin was a little startled.
An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
She stared at it for a while. She thought—maybe it was the wrong number.
But the phone was ringing repeatedly.
Finally, she answered the phone.
"Hello?"
There was no sound on the other side for a few seconds.
Then a female voice was heard.
"Are you Mehrin?"
Mehrin was a little surprised.
"Yes… I am Mehrin. But who are you?"
There was silence on the other side for a while.
Then the voice said again—
"It's not very important to know who I am now."
Mehrin's eyebrows furrowed.
"Then why did you call?"
The voice on the other side said in a slightly cold voice—
"Because you need to know some truths."
Hearing this, Mehrin's chest suddenly tightened.
"What truth?" she asked slowly.
A moment of silence.
Then the voice said—
"About Rashed."
Mehrin's hands trembled upon hearing this name.
"How do you know Rashed?"
The woman on the other side laughed a little.
That laugh was strange.
"I know him very well," she said.
An unknown fear began to build in Mehrin's chest.
"Who are you really?"
This time the woman said slowly—
"I just don't want you to stay in the dark."
Mehrin's throat went dry.
"What do you mean?"
There was another few seconds of silence on the other side.
Then the voice said in a very calm voice—
"The more you know about Rashed's life… the truth is actually much bigger than that."
A storm was raging inside Mehreen's head.
"Tell me clearly," she said.
The woman now said slowly—
"Do you know where Rashed was last night?"
Mehreen stopped.
"He was at home…"
That strange smile on the other side again.
"At home?" the woman said.
"Yes."
The woman now said slowly—
"Then this afternoon, if you dare… come to Dhanmondi Lake in the city."
Mehreen was surprised—
"Why?"
The woman's voice became very cold now.
"Because there you will see something with your own eyes… that can change your whole life."
Mehreen's hands were shaking.
"What do you mean?"
The woman didn't say anything else.
She only said—
"Come at noon today. If you dare to know the truth."
Then suddenly the phone went dead.
The room became silent again.
Mehreen sat with the phone in her hand for a long time.
A thousand questions were running through her mind.
Who is this woman?
How does she know Rashed?
And what is there in Dhanmondi Lake… that could change her whole life?
The wind suddenly started blowing a little harder outside the window.
Mehreen slowly closed her eyes.
She felt—maybe the biggest truth of her life was about to come before her today.
But will that truth break her… or show her a new path?
She still doesn't know the answer to this question.
Only one thing is certain—
If she goes to Dhanmondi Lake this afternoon…
the story of her life will never be the same again.