The storm rolled over the city like a restless beast, its growl echoing across the penthouse windows. Rain blurred the skyline, lightning split the darkness, and thunder shook the walls—but none of it was as frightening as the sound Aisha heard inside the apartment.
A soft, unmistakable knock.
Coming from the locked door.
Aarav froze where he stood in the hallway. For a second, he looked like a statue carved out of fear—his shoulders stiff, eyes wide, chest rising too fast.
"A-Aarav," Aisha whispered, "did you hear that?"
He didn't answer.
The knock came again.
Slow.
Faint.
But human.
Aisha stepped closer. Every instinct screamed at her not to, but curiosity tugged harder.
"Aarav… someone is in there."
His gaze snapped toward her, and for the first time since she met him, she saw pure terror in his eyes.
"No," he whispered hoarsely. "No one should be in that room."
But his voice trembled—meaning he didn't fully believe his own words.
Aisha glanced at the digital lock. It glowed red, mocking her with its silent secrets. "Who locked it?" she asked.
He swallowed hard. "I don't know. I… I don't remember setting any password."
Her heart thudded. "Then someone else did?"
Aarav didn't answer.
Thunder cracked again, shaking the lights. And then—
A soft voice seeped from behind the door.
Fragile.
Weak.
Desperate.
"Aarav…?"
Aisha felt the blood drain from her face.
Aarav stumbled back like the voice had punched the air out of him. He gripped the wall with both hands, breathing unevenly.
"No," he murmured. "No, no, no—this can't—"
Aisha grabbed his arm. "Aarav, who is she?"
"I don't know!" he snapped, then winced as if the shouting hurt himself more than her. "I don't know her… I don't remember anything!"
The vulnerability in his voice shattered something inside her. She placed her hand gently over his.
"It's okay," she whispered. "We'll handle it. Together."
Aarav closed his eyes, his forehead slowly touching hers—only for a moment—before he stepped back and nodded.
Another thud came from inside the room.
Followed by a pained groan.
Aisha's instincts kicked in. "She's hurt."
"We shouldn't open it," Aarav said shakily.
But even he didn't sound convinced.
Aisha took a deep breath, grabbed a metal vase from the hallway shelf, and lifted it.
"Aisha—don't!" Aarav hissed. "You can't just—"
She swung it hard at the digital lock.
CRASH!
Glass scattered. Sparks erupted. The keypad flickered.
She smashed it again.
And again.
The red light blinked wildly, then—
Click.
The lock released.
Aisha looked at Aarav.
He looked terrified.
But he nodded.
She pushed the door open.
---
Inside the Room
The air inside was colder, heavier—as if the walls themselves had been holding their breath.
Aisha stepped in slowly, her pulse trembling in her throat.
It wasn't a normal bedroom.
It was a private care room.
A medical cot.
IV stand.
Blankets.
A bedside tray with untouched food.
A heart monitor—unplugged.
A small bathroom door half open.
Someone had been living here. Hidden. Isolated.
And then Aisha saw her.
A woman.
Collapsed near the side of the bed.
Her long black hair tangled.
Her skin pale—almost grey.
Her lips cracked from dehydration.
A faint trickle of blood from her arm where an IV needle had fallen out.
Aisha rushed forward and knelt beside her.
"Oh my god—Aarav, call someone! She's unconscious!"
Aarav staggered inside the doorway, frozen. His expression twisted—like he was staring at a nightmare he had forgotten he had.
The woman's eyelids fluttered.
And then she whispered, weakly—
Painfully—
And with a familiarity that made Aisha's spine turn to ice.
"Aarav… is that… you?"
Aarav's knees buckled.
Aisha caught the woman's hand. "Don't move. You're very weak. Just stay awake, okay?"
"Who…?" the woman looked at her with clouded eyes. "Who are you?"
Before Aisha could answer, Aarav crouched down, shaking uncontrollably.
"Do you know me?" he asked, voice barely a whisper.
The woman blinked slowly. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes.
"Yes," she breathed.
"I know you better than anyone."
Aarav's breath hitched. His fingers dug into the floor. "But I—I don't remember you…"
The woman smiled weakly—sadly.
As if she had expected this.
"You forgot…everything," she whispered.
"But I never forgot you."
Aisha felt a strange ache in her chest. She didn't know who this woman was, but the pain in her voice felt real.
The woman tried to sit up but collapsed against Aisha's shoulder. Aisha held her carefully.
"You're safe now," she murmured. "We'll help you. Just stay conscious."
The woman's trembling hand reached up and brushed Aarav's cheek.
"I waited," she whispered, tears falling.
"I waited for you to open the door."
Aarav squeezed his eyes shut, breathing raggedly.
"I'm sorry," he choked. "I—I didn't know you were here."
Aisha had never seen him so broken.
Not even on the night he told her he had no memories.
---
The Warning
The woman coughed violently. Aisha tried to support her, but the woman grabbed her wrist instead.
Her voice dropped to a faint whisper.
"Don't trust… anyone here."
Aisha froze. "What?"
The woman shook her head weakly, her breath shallow and uneven. "This penthouse… this family… you don't know the truth."
Aarav leaned closer. "What truth? Please—tell me!"
The woman stared at him with a mixture of love and sorrow.
"You weren't supposed to come back here," she whispered.
"They wanted you to disappear."
Thunder shook the building, but none of them reacted.
"They think you forgot everything," the woman continued.
"But memory loss never lasts forever."
Aisha felt a chill sweep down her spine.
The woman's eyes locked onto hers.
"He will remember soon," she whispered.
"And when he does… all of us will be in danger."
Aisha's heart pounded. "What danger? What's going on?"
The woman's hand slipped from her wrist. Her voice weakened further.
"Don't let them separate you two," she whispered.
"He… trusts you. Even when he doesn't know why."
Aisha felt her breath catch.
The woman continued, barely audible now.
"You're the only one who can save him…"
Her head tilted forward—
And she collapsed completely.
"Aarav!" Aisha cried. "Call the doctor now!"
Aarav stumbled toward the emergency button and slammed it with his palm. The alarm blared through the penthouse.
Aisha held the woman tightly, her heart hammering.
Footsteps rushed toward them—security, staff, medics.
Aisha looked over her shoulder at Aarav.
He wasn't looking at the woman.
He was staring at the wall behind her.
At a photograph taped to it.
A photo of Aarav.
And beside him—
Aisha.
The same clothes she wore when she first entered the penthouse.
"What…" Aisha whispered. "How…?"
Aarav stepped closer to the photo, fingers shaking.
"Aisha," he said quietly, voice trembling.
"She didn't just know me."
His breath trembled.
His eyes darkened.
"She knew you."