Twilight draped the city like an old silk saree - faded at th edges, but shimmering with memories.
The temple courtyard was quite except for the disant hum of bhajans and the soft clinking of diyas floating in the water through nearby. The scent of sandalwood and marigold clung to the air, sweet and ancient, like a whisper from another time.
Meera adjust the dupatta around her shoulders and looked up at the old stone mandir at Sitamgar. Something about this place stirred something inside her - something she couldn't explain. Her heart beat faster, not out of nervousness, but like it was remembering o rhythm it had once known.
And then, she saw him.
Across the courtyard, just outside the temple's sanctum, he stood - backlit by the setting sun, eyes scanning. He looked like he belonged to this place, and yet, like he didn't. Like her.
Shiv. He wasn't looking for anyone. But when his eyes met hers, he paused. The air shifted- subtle but undeniable. In that moment, neither of them blinked. It was too fast to call a connection, too deep to be called a coincidence.
Something ancient passed between them.
He frowned slightly. Not from confusion, but recognition. She looked away first.
As she turned toward the temple steps, her breath caught in her throat. Her hands trembled just a little as she lit a diya. Why did he feel like a memory?
He approached slowly, unsure why his feet moved. "Excuse me", he said softly, just behind her.
"I don't mean to sound strange, but..." He hesitated, then smiled-awakward, honest . "Do I ... know you?"
Meera looked at him, really looked. Into those eyes that seemed to hold stars. Into that smile that felt like something she had once called home.
She didn't answer. Because she didn't know how to say,
"Maybe. In another life."