Before You Forget Me

The Day It All Began

Jaipur.

Five years ago.

—

The college campus was loud.

Chaotic.

Alive.

Freshers everywhere. Seniors dominating corridors. Laughter, arguments, energy in the air.

And right in the middle of it—

she walked in.

Ivara Dsena.

Confident.

Sharp.

Unbothered.

Like she owned every step she took.

—

“Move,” she said casually, pushing past a group blocking her way.

No hesitation.

No apology.

Just attitude.

—

And that’s when—

she bumped into him.

Hard.

Her books fell.

Silence.

For a second—

everything stopped.

—

“Watch where you’re going,” he said coldly.

She looked up.

Annoyed.

“And you watch where you stand.”

Their eyes locked.

Clash.

Instant.

No softness.

No curiosity.

Just—

ego.

—

Parth Dobreal.

—

“New here?” he smirked slightly.

“Try not to act like you own the place.”

Ivara picked up her books.

Unbothered.

“Maybe I do.”

She walked past him.

Without looking back.

—

And that was it.

The beginning.

Not of love.

Of war.

—

Days passed.

And somehow—

they kept crossing paths.

Canteen arguments.

Classroom debates.

Corridor clashes.

—

“You’re impossible,” Parth said one day.

“And you’re annoying,” she replied instantly.

“Then stop talking to me.”

“Then stop showing up everywhere.”

—

They fought over everything.

Assignments.

Opinions.

Space.

—

But slowly—

something changed.

—

One evening—

library.

Quiet.

Almost empty.

Ivara sat alone.

Focused.

Until—

a chair pulled beside her.

“You again?” she didn’t look up.

“Relax,” Parth said casually.

“I’m not here to fight today.”

She glanced at him.

Suspicious.

“That’s new.”

He smirked.

“Maybe I got bored of winning.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You wish.”

—

Silence followed.

But this time—

it wasn’t awkward.

—

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks into months.

—

Arguments turned into conversations.

Conversations into late-night calls.

Late-night calls into—

something they didn’t name.

—

“Why do I feel like you’re different with me?” Parth asked once.

Ivara paused.

Because she felt it too.

“I’m not,” she said.

But her voice—

was softer.

—

They started sitting together.

Laughing.

Sharing.

Understanding.

—

And one night—

on the same college staircase—

under light rain—

everything changed.

—

“Ivara…”

His voice was quieter.

Different.

She looked at him.

And for the first time—

there was no fight in her eyes.

“Hmm?”

He took a step closer.

Slow.

Careful.

Like the moment mattered.

“Why do I feel like I don’t hate you anymore?”

She smiled faintly.

Because she knew.

“I think…”

A pause.

“…we stopped trying to.”

Silence.

Soft.

Real.

—

And then—

he said it.

“I think I like you.”

Her heart skipped.

Because that wasn’t a joke.

That wasn’t ego.

That was truth.

—

She didn’t answer immediately.

Because for the first time—

she wasn’t in control.

—

“Ivara?”

He stepped closer.

And then—

she looked at him.

Straight into his eyes.

The same eyes she saw that night.

But this time—

there was no anger.

No hatred.

Just warmth.

Just him.

“I think…”

Her voice dropped.

“…I do too.”

—

And just like that—

the war ended.

And something else began.

—

Not perfect.

Not easy.

But real.

—

They didn’t know then—

that this love would cost them everything.

—

And five years later—

standing in the same city—

with no memory of him—

Ivara still felt it.

Somewhere.

Deep inside.

—

Because some beginnings…

never really end.

Time didn’t slow down.

It flew.

—

What started with fights…

turned into something neither of them expected.

And before they even realized—

they were no longer “Ivara and Parth.”

They were—

us.

—

“Tum dono normal couple kyun nahi ho sakte?” Ruhi rolled her eyes, watching them argue again.

“We are normal,” Ivara said instantly.

“Bas thode upgraded version hain,” Parth added with a smirk.

“Upgraded?” Paras laughed.

“Tum dono toxic premium version ho.”

“Shut up, Paras,” Ivara threw a pen at him.

—

The group burst into laughter.

Arbaaz leaned back on the chair, shaking his head.

“Bhai, sach bolu? Tum dono ka breakup hoga na, toh pura college band ho jayega.”

“Breakup?” Parth raised an eyebrow.

He looked at Ivara.

Calm.

Confident.

“Not happening.”

Ivara met his gaze.

And for once—

she didn’t argue.

Because somewhere—

she believed that too.

—

Nikhil smirked slightly.

“Confidence dekh rahe ho? Life ka biggest plot twist isi ke saath aata hai.”

“Tu chup reh,” Sam said, laughing.

“Tu hamesha negative hi kyun bolta hai?”

“I’m realistic,” Nikhil shrugged.

—

“Realistic ya jealous?” Ruhi teased.

“Main kyun jealous hoonga?” Nikhil scoffed.

“Kyuki tere paas koi Ivara nahi hai,” Paras added.

The group laughed again.

—

Moments like these—

became their life.

Canteen talks.

Late-night calls.

Group studies that turned into gossip sessions.

And stolen moments—

just the two of them.

—

“Ivara…”

Parth said one evening.

They were sitting on the college stairs.

The same place where everything started.

“Hmm?”

“Promise me something.”

She looked at him.

“Depends.”

He smiled faintly.

“Never leave.”

Her heart skipped.

Because the way he said it—

it didn’t sound casual.

It sounded like a fear.

She looked away for a second.

Then back at him.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

She said it easily.

Like it was simple.

Like it was guaranteed.

—

But life doesn’t work like that.

—

Months passed.

Then years.

—

Final year.

The last few days of college.

Everything felt heavier.

Like every moment mattered more.

Like time was slipping.

—

“Yeh last day hai?” Ruhi said softly.

“I hate this,” Paras added.

Arbaaz shook his head.

“Bhai, itni jaldi kaise khatam ho gaya?”

“Because time doesn’t wait,” Nikhil said quietly.

Even Sam didn’t joke this time.

—

Ivara stood there.

Looking around.

At everything.

At everyone.

And then—

at him.

Parth.

—

Their eyes met.

And suddenly—

everything else faded.

—

But something else had already started.

Something none of them were ready for.

—

Parth knew.

He had always known.

From the beginning.

From the moment he heard her surname.

Dsena.

—

Rivals.

Enemies.

Families that didn’t just dislike each other—

they destroyed each other.

—

He never told her.

Never brought it up.

Because for him—

she wasn’t her family.

She was Ivara.

—

But reality doesn’t stay hidden forever.

—

One evening—

Arbaaz pulled Parth aside.

His tone serious.

“Tu kab tak chupayega?”

Parth’s expression hardened.

“Main kuch nahi chupa raha.”

“Jhoot bol raha hai tu,” Arbaaz said.

“Usse pata chal gaya na…”

A pause.

“…toh sab khatam ho jayega.”

Parth didn’t reply.

Because deep down—

he knew.

That was true.

—

On the other side—

Ruhi sat beside Ivara.

Watching her quietly.

“Tu serious hai na iske saath?” she asked softly.

Ivara frowned slightly.

“Obviously.”

Ruhi hesitated.

“Tu jaanti hai na… uska surname?”

Ivara froze.

Just for a second.

“Dobreal…”

Her voice slowed.

“…so?”

Ruhi didn’t answer.

And that silence—

felt strange.

—

Because something had shifted.

Something they hadn’t faced yet.

—

That love—

wasn’t just theirs.

It carried history.

Rivalry.

And consequences.

—

And soon—

everything was about to change.

—

Because some love stories…

don’t break because of feelings.

They break because of the world around them.