Chapter - 6

(Sadhvi's POV)

It was Saturday evening, and the Delhi sky had turned a gentle shade of orange. The weekend mood had taken over, and after a tiring week of lectures and deadlines, I finally gave in to Riya and Kirti's constant pestering.

"You're coming with us," Riya had said.

"No excuses," Kirti had added.

And here we were now, stepping into a quiet, beautifully lit restaurant in Hauz Khas. Strings of fairy lights hung like stars from the ceiling, and soft instrumental music played in the background.

"Table for three," Riya told the hostess.

I followed them in, adjusting the dupatta on my shoulder and trying to relax. A part of me was still thinking about the dreams, the temple, the mystery—but I needed this break.

As we sat down, I noticed the place wasn’t crowded, just a few families and professionals. The air smelled of grilled spices and warm bread. Comforting. Familiar.

"God, I needed this," Kirti sighed, checking her phone.

"You say that every time we go out," I smiled.

Just then, I felt something.

Like a pull.

A strange sensation, like someone had touched the back of my neck without actually touching it. I looked up, confused.

Across the room, someone had just walked in.

A man. Tall. In a dark blue blazer, crisp white shirt underneath. Hair neatly set, eyes scanning the room.

I didn’t know why... but the moment I saw him, everything around me paused.

He didn’t see me at first.

But something inside me whispered: Him.

Not as a crush, or an attraction, but like a piece of a puzzle had just slid into place. Like my soul had leaned forward.

And then... he turned.

And our eyes met.

(Aryan's POV)

I was already running ten minutes late.

Rakshit had messaged: "Client already here. Don’t mess this up. Wear your architect face."

I smirked as I stepped into the restaurant. The place looked cozy, nice. Perfect for casual meetings. I spotted Rakshit near the back, waving me over.

And then, I stopped.

There was a girl.

Sitting at a table near the entrance. Dressed simply, but with a quiet grace. Her hair was left open, and she was smiling softly at her friends. But something about her made everything blur out.

I didn’t even realize I had stopped walking.

She looked up. And our eyes met.

It felt like... I knew her.

Not from here. Not from now. But from something older. A time I couldn’t explain. A memory I couldn't touch.

For a few seconds, the room fell away. It was just her and me.

Her face... why did it feel like I had seen it before? In the firelight of a dream? In some forgotten memory?

But she looked away.

And suddenly, I remembered where I was. I walked ahead to join Rakshit, trying to focus.

But my heart was still with that moment.

Sadhvi's POV

"Hey, you okay?" Riya asked.

"Yeah," I said quickly. "Just... I thought I saw someone I know."

Kirti turned to look. "The guy in the blazer?" she whispered. "Because damn."

I laughed. "No, not like that. It just felt... weird."

But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. That look. That strange recognition. Who was he?

Meanwhile, Rakshit was finishing up small talk with the client when Aryan joined.

"Finally," Rakshit whispered. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"Maybe I did," Aryan muttered, distracted.

Sadhvi's POV)

It was Saturday evening, and the Delhi sky had turned a gentle shade of orange. The weekend mood had taken over, and after a tiring week of lectures and deadlines, I finally gave in to Riya and Kirti's constant pestering.

"You're coming with us," Riya had said.

"No excuses," Kirti had added.

And here we were now, stepping into a quiet, beautifully lit restaurant in Hauz Khas. Strings of fairy lights hung like stars from the ceiling, and soft instrumental music played in the background.

"Table for three," Riya told the hostess.

I followed them in, adjusting the dupatta on my shoulder and trying to relax. A part of me was still thinking about the dreams, the temple, the mystery—but I needed this break.

As we sat down, I noticed the place wasn’t crowded, just a few families and professionals. The air smelled of grilled spices and warm bread. Comforting. Familiar.

"God, I needed this," Kirti sighed, checking her phone.

"You say that every time we go out," I smiled.

Just then, I felt something.

Like a pull.

A strange sensation, like someone had touched the back of my neck without actually touching it. I looked up, confused.

Across the room, someone had just walked in.

A man. Tall. In a dark blue blazer, crisp white shirt underneath. Hair neatly set, eyes scanning the room.

I didn’t know why... but the moment I saw him, everything around me paused.

He didn’t see me at first.

But something inside me whispered: Him.

Not as a crush, or an attraction, but like a piece of a puzzle had just slid into place. Like my soul had leaned forward.

And then... he turned.

And our eyes met.

(Aryan's POV)

I was already running ten minutes late.

Rakshit had messaged: "Client already here. Don’t mess this up. Wear your architect face."

I smirked as I stepped into the restaurant. The place looked cozy, nice. Perfect for casual meetings. I spotted Rakshit near the back, waving me over.

And then, I stopped.

There was a girl.

Sitting at a table near the entrance. Dressed simply, but with a quiet grace. Her hair was left open, and she was smiling softly at her friends. But something about her made everything blur out.

I didn’t even realize I had stopped walking.

She looked up. And our eyes met.

It felt like... I knew her.

Not from here. Not from now. But from something older. A time I couldn’t explain. A memory I couldn't touch.

For a few seconds, the room fell away. It was just her and me.

Her face... why did it feel like I had seen it before? In the firelight of a dream? In some forgotten memory?

But she looked away.

And suddenly, I remembered where I was. I walked ahead to join Rakshit, trying to focus.

But my heart was still with that moment.

Sadhvi's POV

"Hey, you okay?" Riya asked.

"Yeah," I said quickly. "Just... I thought I saw someone I know."

Kirti turned to look. "The guy in the blazer?" she whispered. "Because damn."

I laughed. "No, not like that. It just felt... weird."

But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. That look. That strange recognition. Who was he?

Meanwhile, Rakshit was finishing up small talk with the client when Aryan joined.

"Finally," Rakshit whispered. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"Maybe I did," Aryan muttered, distracted.

And fate wasn’t done playing yet.
Aryan and Rakshit sat across from a well-dressed client in the elegant corner of the restaurant, blueprints spread neatly over the table. Aryan was explaining the design flow of the new hotel project, his tone calm and confident. Rakshit, ever the charmer, added a few witty remarks between technical points, keeping the mood light. Just as the waiter placed fresh drinks on the table, Rakshit leaned toward Aryan and whispered, “Bro, you’ve got this part. I really need to hit the washroom before I start fidgeting like a five-year-old.” Aryan chuckled under his breath and gave a small nod, continuing the conversation while Rakshit got up and walked briskly toward the washroom.

After finishing his business, Rakshit was drying his hands as he stepped out of the restaurant's washroom, humming to himself, still grinning about a joke Aryan had cracked earlier. He adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, looking effortlessly stylish as always.

Lost in his thoughts, he turned the corner sharply—just as someone else did too.

THUD.

A sharp gasp. A handbag slipped from someone's arm. A phone clattered to the floor.

"Ouch!" a voice snapped.

Rakshit blinked, stepping back. "What the—?"

A girl stood in front of him, holding her elbow. She had curly hair pulled up in a messy bun, bold eyeliner, and an expression that could stop traffic.

"Do you not look where you’re going?" she demanded, picking up her phone.

"Excuse me?" Rakshit raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who took the corner like a Formula One driver."

She scoffed. "You're just mad because you got caught being clumsy."

"I wasn’t clumsy. I was walking. Like a normal person. With eyes. You should try it sometime."

"Wow," she said sarcastically. "Do they teach sarcasm at your school for oversized egos?"

He grinned, intrigued now. "Only if they teach dramatics at yours."

A waiter passed by, and both of them instinctively stepped aside—into each other again.

"Ugh, seriously?" she muttered.

"Maybe the universe just wants us to argue," Rakshit smirked.

She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe the universe wants you to apologize."

"Not happening, Miss Drama Queen."

She crossed her arms. "Fine. Then neither am I."

They glared at each other, tension crackling like static. Then, without another word, she turned and walked off.

Rakshit stood there for a moment, watching her go.

"Huh," he muttered to himself. "Interesting."

And with a shake of his head and a small smile tugging at his lips, he headed back to Aryan’s table—completely unaware that this wasn’t the last time he’d run into that girl.

The deal was done.

Aryan and Rakshit shook hands with the client as laughter and compliments passed around the table. It was one of those rare moments where everything fell into place smoothly. The client stood up, impressed and already talking about future collaborations.

"Great work, Mr. Rajawat. I think this will be the beginning of something long-term," the man said, patting Aryan’s shoulder.

Aryan gave a calm nod, his signature quiet smile in place. "We look forward to it."

Rakshit added with a wink, “And next time, we pick a restaurant with better dessert. Just saying.”

As the client walked away, Rakshit grabbed his phone and grinned. “I’ll go find that chocolate mousse I’ve been dreaming about since lunch.” He waved casually and disappeared toward the buffet counter.

Aryan chuckled and slid the project file back into his leather bag. He stood, adjusting his blazer. The restaurant was still busy with the Friday crowd. The light was warm, music soft, and everything felt strangely pleasant.

He turned to leave the table—right as someone came from the opposite direction, fast.

BUMP.

A sharp breath. Her elbow knocked his forearm, and a notebook slipped from her fingers.

“I’m so sorry!” she said quickly, bending down at the same time he did.

Aryan looked up.

Their eyes met.
It was her.
And the world... stopped.

For a strange, suspended second, the noise of the restaurant faded behind a silent fog. Aryan stared into eyes that seemed to pull something out of him—something old, something buried. He didn’t know her. But his heart reacted like it had known her forever.

Sadhvi froze too.
It was him. The same man.
The moment she looked into his face, her breath hitched. The sharp edges of her day softened. She didn’t recognize him, yet her soul felt... startled. Stirred. Like seeing someone from a half-remembered dream.

“I—uh, here.” Aryan handed her the notebook, his fingers brushing hers.

“Thanks,” she whispered, almost to herself. Her voice came out lower than usual.

There was a pause. A strange silence bloomed between them. Neither moved. Neither smiled. But something in their gazes lingered.

“I’m Aryan,” he said, almost involuntarily.

Sadhvi blinked. “Sadhvi.”

She wasn’t usually this quiet. But right now, words felt heavier than normal. Like if she spoke too loudly, something delicate might break.

Aryan nodded once. “Nice name.”

“So is yours,” she replied, voice slightly steadier.

And then, just as quickly, a friend of hers called from a table behind.

“Sadhvi! Over here!”

She turned, looking a little dazed. “Coming!” she called back.

Aryan stepped aside to let her pass, still watching her.

As she walked away, he stood rooted, feeling something he couldn’t explain curl through his chest.

And Sadhvi, though she didn’t glance back, felt the weight of his presence behind her—as if some invisible string had been tied between them in that accidental bump.

Both of them thought the same thing without realizing it:

“Why did that feel like more than a stranger "??

Sadhvi's POV

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

My heart was calm, but my mind was racing. I kept seeing Aryan’s face. Hearing his voice. Feeling that strange moment when we touched hands.

It wasn’t just attraction.

It was something my soul recognized.

But I didn’t understand it yet.

Somewhere far away, a temple stood in ruins inside my dream. Fire cracked in the distance. And two shadows walked toward each other.

Closer.

Closer.

But not yet together.

Aryan's POV

I stood by my window, a glass of water in hand. The city lights twinkled below. My mind was full.

Sadhvi.

That name.

Why did it sound like something I had whispered before?

Not in this life.

In some dream.

She was familiar. But not in a normal way. It felt ancient. Deep.

Like we had met in firelight, under stars, with war drums echoing around us.

I closed my eyes.

The dream came again.

Blurry.

But this time, I saw a girl. Standing in white stone hallways. Her eyes full of tears. Her lips saying something I couldn’t hear.

I opened my eyes, breath caught in my throat.

Who are you, Sadhvi?

And why does it feel like I’ve known you forever?