The silence inside the apartment felt unbearable.
Mahi couldn't stop staring at the front door.
Her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears.
Outside—
Someone was standing there.
Waiting.
Watching.
And according to Madhav...
They had found her.
The thought alone made her stomach twist.
"What do you mean they found me?"
Her voice came out quieter than she intended.
Madhav remained near the door.
Alert.
Focused.
Every muscle in his body tense.
As if expecting something terrible to happen.
"I'll explain later."
Mahi immediately glared.
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"Mahi—"
"No."
She stepped closer.
Her frustration finally boiling over.
"You keep saying later."
Another step.
"You keep saying trust me."
Another.
"You keep saying you'll explain."
Her eyes burned with emotion.
"But you never do."
For a moment neither spoke.
The apartment felt smaller.
The air heavier.
Five years of hurt stood between them.
And neither knew how to cross it.
Then—
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The sound echoed again.
Slow.
Patient.
Almost polite.
Which somehow felt worse.
Much worse.
Because whoever was outside didn't seem nervous.
Didn't seem rushed.
They were calm.
Confident.
Like they already knew something nobody else did.
Madhav slowly looked through the peephole again.
His expression immediately darkened.
Then—
To Mahi's complete shock—
He unlocked the door.
"What are you doing?"
No answer.
The door opened.
And a stranger stepped inside.
---
The man looked around sixty.
Silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
Dark coat.
His posture was straight.
Confident.
Disciplined.
The kind of person who commanded attention without speaking.
The moment he entered—
His gaze landed on Mahi.
And something strange happened.
His expression softened.
Not much.
Just enough to notice.
"Miss Mahi."
Mahi froze.
He knew her name.
Immediately.
Without introduction.
Without hesitation.
A chill crawled down her spine.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled faintly.
"My name is Mr. Khanna."
The answer explained absolutely nothing.
Mahi folded her arms.
"And why are you here?"
Instead of answering—
Mr. Khanna reached into his coat.
Madhav immediately stepped forward.
Protective.
Ready.
Dangerous.
The movement was so fast Mahi barely registered it.
For a moment she thought a fight was about to start.
But Mr. Khanna simply removed an envelope.
Old.
Cream-colored.
Sealed.
And handed it to her.
"This belongs to you."
Mahi frowned.
"What is it?"
The older man's eyes met hers.
His answer changed everything.
"A message from your father."
The room froze.
"What?"
Mahi blinked.
Then blinked again.
Her father had died years ago.
How could there be a message?
How?
The envelope trembled slightly in her hands.
And for the first time that night—
She saw genuine fear in Madhav's eyes.
---
Five Years Earlier
College life had become easier.
Mostly because of one person.
Madhav.
Whether she liked it or not.
And according to him—
She definitely didn't.
At least that was what he claimed.
Regularly.
Very regularly.
"You're impossible."
Mahi walked across campus carrying three books.
Madhav walked beside her.
Carrying none.
Because apparently watching her struggle was entertaining.
"I've heard that before."
"From me."
"Many times."
"Exactly."
Madhav grinned.
Mahi rolled her eyes.
Somehow every conversation with him turned into an argument.
Not serious arguments.
The ridiculous kind.
The kind that ended with laughter.
The kind she secretly looked forward to.
Though she would never admit that.
Ever.
Then suddenly—
A bicycle appeared out of nowhere.
Moving fast.
Too fast.
Straight toward Mahi.
She didn't see it.
But Madhav did.
Instantly.
Without hesitation.
He grabbed her arm.
Pulling her backward.
Directly into him.
The bicycle sped past.
Missing her by inches.
Silence.
For one strange moment—
Neither moved.
Mahi could hear his heartbeat.
Fast.
Strong.
Close.
Very close.
Slowly she looked up.
And discovered he was already looking at her.
The world seemed to stop.
Students disappeared.
Noise vanished.
Everything blurred.
Leaving only them.
Then—
"You're welcome."
Mahi immediately pushed him away.
The moment shattered.
Completely.
And Madhav laughed for the rest of the day.
---
Present Day
The envelope sat on the table.
Untouched.
Unopened.
Dangerous.
Mahi stared at it.
Almost afraid to touch it.
Her father had died when she was younger.
She remembered the funeral.
The tears.
The grief.
The emptiness afterward.
There was no way.
No possible way.
This message could be real.
Yet here it was.
Lying in front of her.
Waiting.
Finally—
She picked it up.
Carefully.
The seal cracked.
The paper unfolded.
And suddenly—
A photograph slipped out.
Mahi caught it instinctively.
Then froze.
The color drained from her face.
"No..."
Her voice barely existed.
The photograph showed two families.
Standing together.
Smiling.
Happy.
One family was hers.
The other—
Belonged to Madhav.
Her eyes widened.
Her hands shook.
Because the photograph wasn't recent.
It wasn't from college.
It wasn't from five years ago.
It was old.
Very old.
The date written in the corner made her blood run cold.
Twelve years ago.
Twelve.
Years.
Ago.
Mahi stared at the image.
Then at Madhav.
Then back at the image.
Her mind refused to process what she was seeing.
Because standing beside a younger version of her...
Was a younger version of Madhav.
They looked around eleven years old.
And they were holding hands.
The photograph slipped from her fingers.
Impossible.
This was impossible.
"We never met before college."
Her voice sounded distant.
Weak.
Confused.
Nobody answered.
The silence itself became an answer.
And suddenly—
Everything changed.
Every memory.
Every coincidence.
Every unanswered question.
Because if this photograph was real...
Then Mahi and Madhav's story hadn't started in college.
It had started years earlier.
Long before either of them remembered.
Long before either of them understood.
And whatever secret connected their families...
It was far older than she imagined.
End of Chapter 4
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