2| THE UNKNOWN FLAME
1025 Words
The sunlight streamed through the window, bathing Aaradhya’s room in a soft golden hue. But she didn’t notice. Her world had shrunk to the walls around her, the diary in her hands, and the face that haunted her every thought. Her tears had dried hours ago, leaving behind red, puffy eyes and a heaviness she couldn’t shake.
She gripped her phone with trembling hands and dialed Riya’s number. Her heart raced as it rang, every second feeling like an eternity.
“Ara?” Riya’s voice came through, light and cheerful as usual. “What’s up?”
“Riya, I… I need you to come over,” Aaradhya said, her voice barely steady.
“Now?”
“Yes, now! Please, Riya, I’m going crazy here,” Aaradhya begged, her voice breaking. “I need you.”
The desperation in her tone silenced Riya for a moment. “I’ll be there in ten minutes,” she said softly before hanging up.
True to her word, Riya arrived quickly. She barely had time to take off her shoes before Aaradhya grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the room.
“Whoa, Ara, what’s going on? You look… exhausted,” Riya said, her eyes scanning Aaradhya’s disheveled appearance.
“I can’t do this anymore,” Aaradhya said, pacing the room. Her hands gestured wildly as she spoke. “I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t even think straight! He’s in my head, Riya, and I don’t know how to get him out.”
Riya blinked, trying to keep up. “Wait, who? Are you talking about that guy you mentioned before? From the bookshop?”
“Yes!” Aaradhya exclaimed, her voice rising. “I saw him once, Riya—once—but it was like the entire world stopped. His eyes… oh god, his eyes.” She pressed her hands to her chest, as if the memory physically hurt her. “They weren’t just looking at me; they were holding me. Like I was the only thing that mattered in that moment.”
Riya’s brows furrowed. “Ara, I get it, he was attractive, but you’ve never even spoken to him! How can you feel this way about someone you don’t even know?”
Aaradhya turned to her, her eyes blazing. “That’s the thing, Riya—I do know him. I don’t know how, but I feel it in my soul. It’s like he’s a part of me I didn’t even know was missing until I saw him.”
Riya opened her mouth to respond, but Aaradhya wasn’t done.
“Do you know what it feels like?” Aaradhya continued, her voice trembling. “To be consumed by someone you’ve never spoken to? To have every thought, every breath, every heartbeat revolve around them? I feel like I’m losing my mind, Riya. And I don’t even know his name!”
Riya sat on the bed, her expression softening. “Ara… you sound like you’re in love with him.”
“I am,” Aaradhya whispered, her voice cracking. “I’ve fallen so deeply, so completely, and I don’t even know how it happened. All I know is that I need to see him again. I need to know if he feels it too. If he… if he remembers me.”
Riya reached out and took Aaradhya’s hands in hers. “Ara, listen to me, and I want to help you, but this isn’t healthy. You’re torturing yourself over someone who might not even be real—someone who might just be a figment of your imagination.”
“No!” Aaradhya pulled her hands away, shaking her head violently. “He’s real, Riya. I saw him. I felt him. And I know he felt it too. I saw it in his eyes.”
Riya sighed, leaning back. “Okay, let’s say he’s real. What are you going to do? Walk around the city hoping to bump into him again? Stalk every bookshop in town?”
“If I have to, yes!” Aaradhya said fiercely. “I’ll do whatever it takes, Riya. I’ll search every corner of this city if it means finding him.”
Riya stared at her, stunned by the raw determination in her voice. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”
“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life,” Aaradhya said, her voice steady despite the tears streaming down her face. “He’s out there somewhere, Riya. I know he is. And I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I have to find him.”
Riya let out a long breath. “Okay. Okay, I’ll help you. But you have to promise me one thing.”
“What?” Aaradhya asked, hope flickering in her eyes.
“If this gets too much—if you start losing yourself in this—you’ll stop,” Riya said firmly. “You’ll let it go. Promise me that, Ara.”
Aaradhya hesitated, her heart warring with her mind. Finally, she nodded. “I promise.”
“Good,” Riya said, standing up. “Now, tell me everything. Every single detail about him, about that moment, about how he made you feel. Maybe we can figure out where to start looking.”
For the first time in days, Aaradhya felt a spark of hope. She sat beside Riya and poured out her heart, describing his piercing gaze, the way his presence had filled the room, the magnetic pull that had left her breathless.
As she spoke, she felt lighter, as if sharing her burden had eased the weight on her chest. But deep down, she knew the ache wouldn’t go away—not until she found him.
And she would find him. No matter what it took.
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