Rain.
That was the first thing he remembered.
Not the voices.
Not the faces.
Just—
Rain.
Heavy.
Relentless.
Unforgiving.
It blurred everything.
The streets.
The lights.
The people.
Just like that day.
Sarthak stood still in the empty corridor.
His phone still in his hand.
Screen dark.
But his mind—
Was not.
"…Try me."
He had said that.
But now—
The past was already answering.
A drop of water fell from his hair.
Or maybe—
It was not water.
"Sarthak."
A voice.
Soft.
Careful.
He turned.
Mahi.
She had followed him.
Of course she did.
"You should not be here," he said quietly.
"And you should not be alone."
Silence.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Then—
Mahi stepped closer.
"…You remember it too, don't you?"
Sarthak laughed.
But there was no humor in it.
"Remember?"
He looked at her.
"I never forgot."
The words were heavy.
Honest.
And dangerous.
Mahi's expression softened.
"…Then stop pretending like it does not exist."
That was it.
The final push.
Something inside him—
Gave in.
FLASHBACK
Rain poured endlessly from the sky.
The road was empty.
Silent.
Except for one sound—
"Why didn't you come earlier?!"
Her voice.
Broken.
Shaking.
Sarthak stood there.
Breathing hard.
"I came as fast as I could—"
"That was not enough!"
She stepped back.
Closer to the edge.
Her eyes—
Filled with tears.
Fear.
And something worse—
Hopelessness.
"You said you would help me…" she whispered.
"I am here," Sarthak said desperately.
"Just come down. We can fix this."
"No, we can't."
Her voice cracked.
"They already know."
Silence.
Sarthak's heart dropped.
"…What do you mean?"
"They know everything!" she cried.
Her hands trembled.
"My family… my friends… everyone—"
She laughed weakly.
"They are all looking at me like I am a mistake."
"That is not true—"
"It is!"
Her scream cut through the rain.
"You do not understand!"
Sarthak took a step forward.
"I do."
A pause.
"I was alone too."
Silence.
For a moment—
She looked at him.
Really looked.
And her expression softened.
"…Then save me."
The words—
Were barely audible.
But they hit the hardest.
Sarthak reached out his hand.
"Come here."
Just one step.
That was all it would take.
Just one—
A sound.
Footsteps.
Voices.
"Hey! They are over there!"
Everything froze.
Her expression changed instantly.
Fear returned.
Stronger.
"No…"
She stepped back.
"Sarthak, wait—"
"I am sorry."
The words came out suddenly.
Too suddenly.
Before he could react—
She fell.
"No—!"
His hand—
Missed.
By inches.
END FLASHBACK
Silence.
The corridor returned.
But the air—
Felt suffocating.
Mahi's eyes were filled with tears.
"…You tried to save her," she whispered.
Sarthak did not respond.
Because that was not the part that mattered.
"They blamed you," she continued.
"For something you did not do."
A pause.
"…And I did not say anything."
That—
Got his attention.
Slowly—
He looked at her.
"What?"
Mahi lowered her gaze.
"I was there," she said.
"I saw everything."
Silence.
"I could have told them the truth…"
Her voice shook.
"But I was scared."
Each word—
Heavier than the last.
"…So I stayed quiet."
Sarthak stared at her.
Not angry.
Not shocked.
Just—
Empty.
"…Why are you telling me this now?"
Mahi clenched her fists.
"Because someone else already knows."
A vibration.
Both of them froze.
They did not need to check.
They already knew.
Still—
Sarthak took out his phone.
Unknown Number.
Again.
He opened it.
"Beautiful memory, right?"
Mahi's breath hitched.
"But you forgot one thing…"
Sarthak's eyes narrowed.
"She was not alone that day."
Silence.
The world stopped.
"…What does that mean?" Mahi whispered.
Sarthak did not answer.
Because his mind—
Was already racing.
Someone else?
That day—
There was no one else.
Or at least—
That is what he believed.
Another message.
"Want to know the truth?"
A pause.
"Then stop hiding."
The screen went dark.
Silence.
For a long moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Then—
Sarthak looked up.
His expression—
Different.
Not broken.
Not weak.
Focused.
"…I am done running."
Mahi looked at him.
And for the first time—
There was no distance between them.
"Then I will help you," she said.
A pause.
"No more lies."
Sarthak nodded slightly.
"…No more lies."
But deep inside—
A single thought remained.
If someone else was there that day…
Then everything he believed—
Everything he suffered for—
Might be a lie.
To be continued…