YOU LIVE IN MY HEART

3.The Unseen Truth

The office was eerily quiet as Ananya Mehra packed up her laptop,

the late-night shift finally taking its toll. Her eyes were heavy, her

mind still reeling from the old college photo she’d found in her

drawer. She rubbed her temples, willing the memories to fade, and

grabbed her bag. In her exhaustion, she didn’t notice the drawer

she’d left slightly ajar, the faded photograph peeking out, catching

the faint glow of her desk lamp. With a final glance around the

empty office, she headed for the elevator, unaware of the storm

she’d left behind.

Minutes after the elevator doors closed, Vihaan Kapoor emerged

from his office. The CEO had stayed late to review quarterly

reports, but his mind wasn’t on numbers. It was on her—Ananya

Mehra. The fiery employee who’d yelled at him on her first day

back. Something about her felt familiar, nagging at the edges of his

memory. Her spark, her defiance—it stirred echoes of a past he’d

tried to bury. He’d overheard Nisha mention Ananya’s name

earlier, and it had sent a jolt through him. Could it be her? No, he’d

dismissed it. Too coincidental. But curiosity gnawed at him.

He wandered toward her cubicle, telling himself he was just

checking the office before leaving. His sharp eyes caught the open

drawer, the corner of a photograph sticking out. Frowning, he

hesitated. It wasn’t his place to snoop, but the pull was too strong.

He reached down and picked up the photo, his breath catching as

he studied it. Ananya trudged into her apartment after the meeting, the

weight of the day pressing down on her. The conference

room’s tension—Vihaan’s piercing gaze, the team’s chatter

about the client pitch and a potential office party—clung to

her like damp air. She dropped her bag by the door, the

strange message from the unknown number (“Have half day

leave we have important project tomorrow”) barely a flicker in

her tired mind. She’d check it later. Maybe. For now, her body

craved rest.

She didn’t bother changing, collapsing onto her couch in her

work clothes, the cream blazer crumpled beneath her. The

clock read 8:47 p.m., early for sleep, but her eyes were heavy,

her mind a blur of code, deadlines, and the unsettling prickle

she’d felt passing Vihaan’s office. The couch’s worn cushions

enveloped her, and within moments, sleep pulled her under.

In her dream, the world was soft, bathed in a golden haze. She

stood in an empty office, the hum of CyberPeak Solutions’

lights replaced by a warm, pulsing silence. A man stood before

her, tall and broad-shouldered, his sharp navy suit tailored to

perfection, a silver cufflink glinting under dim light. His face

was blurred, but his hazel eyes burned with intensity, locking

onto hers. He stepped closer, his presence magnetic, like a

storm drawing near. Ananya’s breath hitched as he leaned in,

his lips inches from hers, the air between them electric. Her

heart raced, a mix of fear and longing, as his hand brushed her

cheek—She jolted awake, her heart pounding, the couch

creaking beneath her. The apartment was dark, the clock now

reading 9:32 p.m. She pressed a hand to her chest, her breath

uneven.

“Again, the dream?” she muttered, her voice hoarse in

the quiet. It was always the same—a faceless man in a suit,

leaning in for a kiss that never landed, leaving her with a

hollow ache. She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake the image. It

felt too real, too close, those hazel eyes hauntingly familiar.

But she was too exhausted to dwell on it.

Ananya shifted, pulling a throw blanket over herself. The project

pitch loomed, the team’s talk of an office party if they succeeded

echoing faintly in her mind. Nisha’s teasing about beach stories,

Vikram’s samosa complaints, Vihaan’s clipped voice promising a

celebration—it all swirled together, muddled by the dream. She

closed her eyes, willing her mind to quiet. Sleep beckoned again,

and she let it take her, sinking back into the darkness.

The dream didn’t return that night, but the ghost of those hazel

eyes lingered, following her into the depths of her slumber.