Part 14 – Pieces of a Forgotten Past

Maya turned the key over in her palm, the rusted metal cold against her skin. Was this the key they had been searching for?

Arjun exhaled, glancing between her and the wooden box. "Well, go on. Let's see what was worth hiding."

Maya swallowed hard and slid the key into the small lock. It resisted at first, but then—with a soft click—it turned. The moment she lifted the lid, the scent of aged paper and something faintly metallic filled the air.

Inside lay a small leather-bound journal, a bundle of loose notes, and a folded map.

Aditya reached for the journal with shaky hands. The leather cover was cracked with time, the pages inside yellowed and brittle. His fingers brushed over the initials engraved on the front.

R.S.

Maya frowned. "Not your sister's?"

Aditya shook his head. "No… This belonged to someone else."

He carefully opened the journal, scanning the first page.

> "The first dream came to me on a night thick with rain. It was not a dream—it was a message. A warning. And I was not the first to receive it."

Maya's breath caught. "The first?"

Arjun leaned closer. "Are they saying someone had these visions before them?"

Aditya flipped the page, his voice steady but tense.

> "If you are reading this, you are part of something far older than you realize. These dreams did not start with me. They did not start with you. They began long before, passed from one to another like an unbroken chain."

Maya felt a chill run down her spine. There were others before them.

Aditya turned to another section, where uneven handwriting filled the pages.

> "The drawing. It was never just an image—it was a cycle. A message left in fragments, scattered through time. Those who see it must decipher its meaning before it is too late."

Arjun tapped the table. "So we were right… it's a puzzle. A repeating event. But what happens if we don't solve it?"

Aditya flipped further, his brows furrowing. "It doesn't say. But it does give us another name."

He turned the book toward them, pointing at a passage:

> "I sought out the one who came before me. His name was Anirudh Sahay. He was the first recorded dreamer."

Maya repeated the name under her breath, committing it to memory.

Arjun's gaze darkened. "If he was the first, maybe he knew why this is happening."

Aditya pulled out the folded map from the box. Unfolding it, they saw a town circled in red, along with strange symbols sketched in the margins.

Maya traced her fingers over the markings. "What do these mean?"

Aditya shook his head. "I don't know. But I think we just found our next clue."

Maya exhaled slowly. The answers were out there—but so were the dangers. And they only had six days left to piece it all together.

The Night Before the Journey

The living room was dimly lit by the flickering glow of a lone candle. The three of them had decided to sleep here, taking turns keeping watch—just in case. The weight of their discoveries pressed down on them, but exhaustion eventually won.

Arjun had taken the first shift, sitting by the window, arms crossed, eyes sharp. But when his turn ended, he barely muttered a word before lying down and drifting off.

Now, it was just Maya and Aditya.

They sat close, backs against the couch, staring into the quiet shadows of the house.

"You never told me how she died," Maya said softly, glancing at Aditya.

His fingers traced the grain of the wooden floor. "She was obsessed with my dreams," he murmured. "She thought she could find answers where no one else could. And one day… she didn't come back."

Maya felt a sting of sorrow. She could hear the pain in his voice, the same pain she carried for her brother.

"I lost someone too," she admitted. "My brother. He was everything to me."

Aditya turned to her, their eyes locking. "You still think about him a lot, don't you?"

She nodded. "Every day."

A silence settled between them—heavy, intimate. And then, without thinking, Aditya leaned in.

Maya didn't stop him.

The kiss was slow, unspoken emotions unraveling between them. For a moment, she let herself feel—let herself forget everything else.

It was becoming deeper, they couldn't stop,

His lips parted hers, and his tongue finding hers, his hands on her back , pulling her towards him, Maya's hands swept on his neck in his rhythm, then reality struck, but it was difficult to stop , he started kissing her neck , his hands moving inside her crop top almost near her chest...

But then, reality crashed back.

She pulled away, heart pounding. "I—I shouldn't have…"

Aditya studied her, his voice gentle. "Did you want to?"

Maya hesitated. She didn't regret it. But she was confused.

"I don't know," she admitted.

He didn't press her, just gave a small peck on her lips and nodded. "Get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow and a long life ahead."

Maya lay down, her thoughts tangled, but for the first time in a while, she felt something other than fear.

She couldn't sleep thinking about the kiss, it was nothing like she shared with Arjun , it was more than just a kiss, what not could have happened if she didn't control herself and drifted off to sleep thinking about Aditya and his lips..

The Morning After

When Maya woke up, she felt warmth—too close, too familiar.

Her head was resting against Aditya's chest.

Her breath hitched.

Before she could move, she heard a sharp sound—someone standing up, footsteps moving away.

She turned her head.

Arjun.

He was already up, staring at them, his face a storm of emotions.

Then, without a word, he grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the house.

The sound woke Aditya and found his face inches away from Maya's and planted a kiss on her lips wishing her Good morning,

Maya was shocked and got up you can't keep kissing me like this, Arjun just...

She was about to shout but Aditya got up instantly and pulled her towards him with his hands on her back " shh.. don't think too much, I love you and can't let you go, I know you do too, you are just feeling bad for Arjun, it's okay he will understand, you just get used to this and accept your feelings for me" and forcefully kissed her deeply on her lips .

Maya tried to push him away but couldn't move his strong arms and eventually gave in to her feelings and kissed him back.