Unexpected You

Episode 1: A Stranger Who Felt Familiar

I have always believed that life doesn’t give you choices… it gives you responsibilities.

Being the only hope of my parents was never a burden I complained about, but it was something I carried silently every single day. Middle-class dreams aren’t loud. They don’t demand. They just wait… patiently… hoping one day, things will get better.

And maybe that’s why I never learned how to ask for anything.

Not love.

Not comfort.

Not even someone to listen.

To the world, i was strong, independent, and focused.

But deep down I need someone with whom I can share my feelings.

Today is a very important day for me.

I was running late for my job interview — the one opportunity I couldn’t afford to lose. My mind was full of worries, my steps faster than usual, and my heart… heavier than ever.

I didn’t know that in my hurry, I was about to meet something I had been running from for years.

A dog.

My body froze the moment I saw it.

It wasn’t just fear… it was a memory.

A memory I had tried so hard to forget.

For a second, it felt like my past was happening all over again. My chest tightened, and my breath became uneven as the image from my childhood flashed in my mind.

I was just a little girl back then…

when a dog bit me.

I still remember the pain, the screams, the panic.

Even now… the mark remains on my leg.

A small scar, but a constant reminder that some fears never really leave you.

But before I could move away, the dog suddenly ran towards me.

And I panicked.

Everything happened so fast. I lost my balance and fell on the ground, my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

“Don’t… please… please don’t bite me…”

For a moment… I wasn’t here anymore.

I looked up, but only for a second.

A stranger stood there, worried, holding the leash of the dog that had terrified me. He offered his hand, trying to help me up.

He stepped closer, extending his hand towards me.

“Are you okay?”

But I didn’t take it.

I couldn’t.

Not because I didn’t need help…

But because I didn’t have time.

I could feel the bruise forming on my leg, a dull pain spreading slowly.But didn’t have time to look at it.

So , I stood up on my own and walked away, ignoring the pain, the fear… and him.

I didn’t know his name.

I didn’t know who he was.

And I don't think I will ever meet him again.

Will I meet him again.....?

She disappeared into the crowd before the question even settled in her mind.

From where he stood, the man didn’t move for a long moment. His eyes stayed fixed on the direction she ran, even though she was already gone.

He feels so bad for her because of his dog she got hurt.

On the other hand she reached the office. She reached there on time.Her heart was still racing—not just from running, but from everything that had just happened outside.

A staff member pointed her toward a registration desk.

“Write your details here,” he said.

She nodded quickly and took the form. She fills the form with her trembling fingers.

Around her, other candidates were also waiting—some confident, some nervous, all trying to act calm.

One by one, the names of the selected candidates were being announced.

The room stayed quiet, every sound making hearts jump for a second.

“Next—Ridha.”

She lifted her head instantly.

“This is it,” she told herself.

She walked into the interview room.

Inside, everything felt more intense than she expected—faces watching, questions waiting, silence pressing.

But she didn’t let her nervousness show.

She answered each question with calm confidence, her voice steady, her thoughts clear. Even when her mind tried to shake her, she held herself together.

Time passed quickly.

And then—

“Thank you. You are selected.”

For a second, she didn’t react.

Then a small smile formed on her face.

She had done it.

She was told to report for work starting from tomorrow.

I did it.... She told herself.

She stepped out of the interview building, her heart lighter than it had been in days.

The selection was done. Tomorrow, a new life would begin.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice someone walking in her direction.

Thud.