That moment…
when our hands touched—
it didn't feel accidental.
It felt like something…
was trying to come back.
We both sat there…
silent.
Breathing uneven.
Eyes filled with confusion.
And something else.
Something deeper.
"You saw it too… right?" Riya asked softly.
I hesitated.
But lying didn't feel right anymore.
"…yes," I said slowly.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
"What did you see?" she asked.
I looked down.
Trying to put it into words.
"A road…" I whispered.
"A loud sound…"
"And you…"
My voice stopped.
Riya's eyes filled instantly.
"Crying…" she completed.
I looked up—
shocked.
"You saw that too?"
She nodded.
Tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.
"It felt so real…" she said.
"Like it already happened…"
My heart started pounding.
Because I knew—
it did.
"But how is that possible?" she asked.
"We don't even know each other…"
Silence.
Heavy.
Truth hiding between us.
"I think…" I said slowly,
"…we're forgetting something."
She looked at me—
hope and fear mixed together.
"What do you mean?"
I took a deep breath.
"I don't know how to explain it…"
"But it feels like…"
I paused.
"…we've already met before."
Riya's heartbeat seemed to match mine.
"Not just met…" she whispered.
"Like we… meant something to each other."
Those words hit deep.
Because that's exactly what it felt like.
Suddenly—
another flash hit.
Stronger this time.
Clearer.
Her laughter.
Her voice—
"You won't leave me, right?"
My head hurt.
I held it tightly.
"Ahh…" I groaned.
Riya stood up instantly.
"What happened?"
"I… I heard you…" I said.
Her breath stopped.
"What… did I say?"
I looked at her.
Directly.
"You asked me…"
My voice softened.
"…not to leave you."
Tears fell from her eyes.
Because somewhere…
deep inside—
she remembered saying it.
"I don't understand…" she whispered.
"Why does it feel like…"
She placed her hand on her chest.
"…I've already lost you once?"
My heart broke silently.
Because that feeling…
was true.
For a moment…
neither of us spoke.
We just stood there—
two people…
connected by something they couldn't remember…
but couldn't ignore either.
"I'm scared…" she admitted softly.
"Me too," I said.
"But running from it…"
I shook my head.
"…won't make it go away."
She looked at me.
"What do we do then?"
I took a step closer.
This time—
I didn't stop myself.
"We find out the truth."
Her eyes searched mine.
"For both of us?"
I nodded.
"For both of us."
And for the first time…
it didn't feel like we were strangers anymore.
It felt like—
we were starting something unfinished.