It was a warm, honey-drenched morning when Rajan dragged his half-packed duffel bag to the porch. The sun had just begun its climb, casting golden beams across the sleepy town. A message pinged on his phone.
> "Bus leaves in 45! Bring snacks or suffer our wrath – Arjun."
Rajan chuckled. Typical Arjun. Still the loudest, laziest organizer of their group. He shoved a bag of chips and a pack of juice boxes into his bag, then paused. His gaze flickered to the strange white-paged book lying on his bookshelf—unchanged, unmoved.
He looked away.
"Not today." He muttered to himself. "Today, I'm just Rajan. No ghosts. No prophecies. No heartache."
---
The meeting point was a chaotic blur of voices, honking horns, and bags being tossed into the back of a rented minibus. Arjun was giving "instructions" no one was listening to, and Priya was taking selfies with Nikhil, her on-again, off-again "bestie."
And then Kabita arrived.
She stepped out of a sleek black car in a breeze of floral perfume and soft pink dress, sunglasses perched on her nose. Her smile was practiced and polite, especially when the man stepping out beside her—her supposed fiancé—wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
Rajan caught the moment. It pricked something inside him, but he shrugged it off.
What caught his attention more, however, was how Kabita subtly pulled away from the man's touch as soon as eyes weren't on them. How she kept her distance in a way so smooth only someone watching carefully would notice.
Rajan noticed.
He also noticed the last arrival.
Rani.
She stepped out of a vintage car like a scene from an old film—simple jeans and a flowing white blouse, hair braided neatly, eyes curious and kind. She was a mystery wrapped in grace, and unlike everyone else here, Rajan didn't know her from his "past life." Their paths had never crossed back then. But now?
She caught his gaze, smiled gently, and walked straight over to him.
"Hey," she said, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "Rajan, right? I've been meaning to talk to you for ages. You're kind of famous in our friend group."
Rajan blinked. "I… am?"
She laughed softly. "The quiet guy who always disappears after events? That one."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess that's me."
Rani tilted her head. "I don't think so. I think the real you doesn't hide. He's just waiting."
---
Once everyone was aboard the minibus, the energy shifted to something warmer, more familiar. Music blasted from someone's speaker, snacks were passed around, and a few started singing old Bollywood classics badly enough to offend birds.
Kabita sat in the row ahead of Rajan, but oddly enough, not next to her fiancé—who was busy on a call, seated farther in the front. Every once in a while, Kabita would glance back—not at the window, not at the scenery, but at Rajan.
He caught her once. Her eyes widened slightly before she turned away.
Rani, sitting beside him, noticed.
"You two have history?" she asked gently.
Rajan stared ahead. "Too much. Or maybe… just enough."
Rani didn't push. She just handed him a mint candy from her purse and smiled.
"Well," she said, "whatever the past is… this ride is about the now."
---
As the minibus winded up into the green hills toward the forested picnic spot, laughter spilled from the windows. The air turned cooler, and the scent of pine and wildflowers filtered in.
Rajan looked out at the passing trees.
For now, just for today—he decided—he wouldn't overthink.
He'd just… live.
.
.
The villa emerged like a dream between the trees—its white walls gleaming under the golden afternoon sun, framed by the soft rise of mountains behind and a sea of mist that rolled lazily over the valley below. Pine trees bordered the property, and beyond the cobbled path lay a garden dotted with lilac and wild tulips, blooming defiantly against the chill of altitude.
As the bus stopped, everyone leaned out the windows in awe.
"This place is insane," Arjun breathed. "Are we sure this isn't a movie set?"
They all laughed and rushed out, scattering like birds after a storm. Rajan hung back, carrying his own bag and helping unload a few others. When he looked up, he saw Kabita stepping down from the bus.
And she was staring right at him.
For a flicker of a second, Rajan saw it—the hesitation in her step, the way her fingers twitched like they wanted to reach for him, not the man beside her. But then her fiancé, Avi, descended behind her, resting a hand on her lower back in a possessive gesture.
Rajan looked away.
---
Inside the villa, rooms were assigned in pairs. Rajan got one of the upstairs rooms with wide windows and a view that felt like heaven had leaned just a little closer to earth. Mountains draped in green, sunlight painting the peaks gold—it was breathtaking.
He dropped his bag on the bed and sighed, letting himself fall back onto the soft mattress. The breeze carried the sound of laughter and footsteps outside. Someone was already lighting a grill. Somewhere, music was playing faintly from a phone speaker.
Then came the knock.
He knew that knock. Soft. Hesitant.
He didn't answer. The knock came again, more urgent now. And then her voice.
"Rajan? Can we talk?"
He sat up, heart thudding. He didn't want this. Not now. Not yet.
A moment passed. The door creaked open slightly.
Kabita stepped inside.
She looked nervous, vulnerable in a way that clashed with the confident woman from the city. Her eyes held a shimmer he hadn't seen in years—if ever.
"I just…" she began, voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to say hi. It's been a while."
Rajan turned his back, pretending to adjust his bag.
"You've already said enough, haven't you?" he muttered.
Her breath hitched. "Rajan, I know you hate me, but—"
"I don't hate you." He turned to face her, eyes tired. "I'm just done trying."
Before she could respond, footsteps stormed down the hall.
Avi appeared at the door, lips drawn tight.
"Kabita," he said sharply, stepping between them. "What are you doing here?"
She froze. Rajan stood still, unreadable.
"It's fine," Rajan said, quietly. **"She was just leaving."
Avi looked from Rajan to Kabita, his jaw tightening. "I don't think we should confuse the past with the present. We came here to relax. Right?"
Kabita said nothing.
She gave Rajan one last look—full of unspoken things—before turning away and walking out the door, Avi's hand brushing her arm in silent control.
Rajan stood alone in the silence of his room, the wind whispering through the open window.
Outside, laughter carried on. The grill sizzled. The sky faded into a soft twilight blue.
But inside him, something quiet shattered again.