Part 27 – Lost Roots

The car moved forward again, but the silence inside was deafening. The weight of the revelation sat heavy in the air.

Maya stared at the photograph in her hands, tracing the faded edges with her fingertips. She had always known she was adopted, but seeing herself in that orphanage—standing next to Aditya—made it real in a way she wasn't ready for.

Who were my real parents?

She looked at Aditya, his grip tightening on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched. She could tell he was thinking the same thing.

Arjun finally broke the silence. "So… neither of you know where you came from."

Maya exhaled shakily. "I thought I did. But now? I don't even know if my whole life was a lie."

Aditya scoffed bitterly. "Same here. All these years, I thought my parents abandoned me, that I was just another orphan. But if I was in that orphanage, if we were both there… then why don't we remember anything?"

Maya's fingers dug into her palms. "What if… what if someone erased it?"

Arjun frowned. "You mean, like, deliberately?"

Aditya nodded grimly. "Think about it. If we were given up for adoption together, we should have at least some memory of each other. But we don't. It's like something—or someone—wiped it away."

The thought sent chills down Maya's spine.

Arjun leaned back, arms crossed. "And now you're both having these visions. That can't be a coincidence."

Maya's voice wavered. "I just want to know the truth."

Aditya's expression hardened. "So do I."

For the first time, he looked directly at her, and she saw something in his eyes—something she felt deep in her bones.

A shared loss. A missing past. A void neither of them could fill.

Arjun sighed. "Then we keep looking. This estate, the orphanage… they have to lead us to something."

Maya swallowed the lump in her throat. She had spent her life thinking she had a family, a home. But now, she wasn't sure where she belonged.

She met Aditya's gaze again.

Neither of them said it aloud, but they both knew—this wasn't just about the visions anymore. It was about finding out who they really were.