The large seminar hall fell silent as June stepped forward to the podium. Her red saree with the white border glowed softly under the stage lights, and her hands trembled just a little. Today was important. Today she would speak in front of the most respected businessman visiting their college—Mr. Lucas Harrington.
She took a slow breath, looked at the audience, and began.
"Good morning to everyone present here. It is a great honour for us to welcome Mr. Lucas Harrington to our campus today. Sir, we are grateful that you spared your precious time to encourage students like us. Your journey, your achievements, and your discipline inspire hundreds of young minds who dream of shaping a better future…"
Her voice flowed like music—clear, confident, and full of admiration. She spoke about dedication, dreams, and how students wished to learn from successful people. Every line carried sincerity. Every word carried respect.
By the end of her speech, the hall erupted with applause. Students cheered loudly, teachers smiled with pride, and the principal nodded in appreciation.
But Lucas—he was still.
He didn't blink.
He didn't move.
For a moment, it felt like time had stopped around him.
He was simply staring at June… as if her voice had touched something buried deep inside him.
Something he had forgotten.
Something he never expected to feel again.
Lucas slowly stood up when the applause settled. His eyes followed June as she stepped down from the stage, looking relieved yet excited. There was a strange calmness spreading through his chest, and he couldn't understand why her voice felt so familiar… almost like a voice from a life he had lost long ago.
When June finished greeting the other guests, Lucas walked toward her. She was surprised and quickly tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Your speech was wonderful," Lucas said gently.
June's cheeks warmed. "Thank you, sir. I tried my best."
"What year are you studying?" he asked.
"I'm in my second year," she replied politely.
"And where is your home?"
"Near City Centre… not very far from college." She smiled shyly.
For a moment, June couldn't understand why her mind suddenly stopped working. She felt her heart skip once, then twice. It was so strange—standing in front of a man she had never met, yet feeling a soft pull inside her heart. She tried to control the sudden flutter.
Lucas noticed.
Her innocence, her simplicity, her respectful tone—everything impressed him more than he expected. There was something pure about her. Something that reminded him of someone he once knew… someone he lost.
Just then, her teachers joined them.
"Sir, June is one of our brightest students," her English teacher said proudly. "She writes beautifully and participates in every activity."
Lucas glanced at June again, noticing the way she stood—calm but slightly nervous. "That's very good," he said warmly. "The college is lucky to have hardworking students like her."
June lowered her eyes modestly.
The principal then invited Lucas for a short tour of the campus. June stepped back with her classmates while Lucas walked ahead with the teachers.
He observed everything carefully—the classrooms filled with chatter, the quiet library, the clean corridors, the discipline on every floor.
"Your students are very sincere," Lucas said.
The principal smiled proudly. "We try our best to maintain discipline and support them."
Lucas nodded. "I can see that."
But even while walking through the classrooms, his mind kept drifting back to June's speech, her voice, her calmness, her eyes that held a kind of soft warmth. Why did she feel so familiar? Why did his heart react as if it recognised her?
He shook the feeling away. Maybe he was just tired. Or maybe… fate was trying to whisper something he wasn't ready to hear.
By the time all formal events ended, June felt completely exhausted. She had smiled, spoken, walked, greeted, and attended all duties for the day. As she reached home, her mother welcomed her warmly.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"It was good, Ma," June replied, dropping onto the sofa. "Very tiring… but nice."
Her father smiled proudly. "That's my girl."
June went to her room soon after, lying on her bed with her saree still draped around her. She was tired, but her heart felt oddly full—like something beautiful had brushed past her life today.
She didn't know why she kept thinking about that moment… those eyes… that voice saying, 'You should be more careful.'
She closed her eyes and drifted into a soft sleep.
Meanwhile, Lucas took a different route home.
His car stopped in front of a warm, elegant house — not his mansion, but the place where he had been living for years.
The door opened even before he entered.
"Ah, you're back early!" said his mother
Lucas forced a smile, though his mind was somewhere else entirely.
They all sat for dinner together.
His mother placed food on his plate, noticing he looked disturbed.
"Lucas… is everything alright, beta?"
Lucas hesitated.
"I met someone today," he said slowly, voice softer than usual.
"A girl. When she spoke… when she looked at me… something inside me just—"
he exhaled sharply, unable to explain the feeling.
His father laughed lightly.
"Are you falling in love at first sight?" he teased.
Lucas shook his head immediately.
"No. It's not that. It felt like… I have known her before. Long before this life."
Both parents exchanged a worried glance.
"Lucas," his mother said gently, "you think too much. Maybe you're just tired. Eat properly."
Lucas nodded, but the confusion and ache in his eyes didn't fade.
After dinner, his parents went to their room, leaving him sitting alone in the hall — staring blankly, lost in the emotion he couldn't name.
He whispered to himself,
"Why do I feel like… I've met her before?"
And somewhere, far away,
June felt restless too — without knowing why.