The office air had felt suffocating all day. The endless emails, back-to-back meetings, and the constant glare of his computer screen had drained every ounce of energy from Sidharth. By the time he left work, his head ached, and the thought of going back to his empty flat only made it worse.
He had been living alone for the past few years, ever since he moved to Mumbai for work. The city was alive, always buzzing, always moving—but for him, it often felt lonely. His flat was just a place to sleep, a space filled with furniture but devoid of warmth.
Needing fresh air, he had decided to go for a walk at Marine Drive. It was his escape—the one place where he felt some sense of peace, where the crashing waves drowned out the noise in his head. He hoped the cool breeze would ease the exhaustion weighing on his shoulders.
But then, he saw her.
She stood near the railing, looking out at the sea, her long hair swaying in the wind. The dim streetlights outlined her features, making her look almost ethereal. She wasn't just beautiful—there was something mesmerizing about her, something that made time slow down.
Sidharth stopped walking. His exhaustion disappeared in an instant.
His heart pounded in his chest as he watched her. He had been in relationships before, had met women who had caught his attention—but never like this. This wasn't just attraction. It was something deeper, something unexplainable.
He felt an overwhelming urge to walk up to her, to say something, anything.
Just as he took a step forward, a voice pulled him back.
"Bro, where are you lost?"
Sidharth turned to see his friend grinning at him. He had almost forgotten they had planned to meet here.
"Nothing, I just—" he started, but as soon as he turned back, the girl was gone.
His chest tightened. He quickly scanned the area, searching for her in the crowd. It didn't make sense—she had been right there just seconds ago. His eyes darted from one face to another, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Who are you looking for?" his friend asked.
Sidharth hesitated. "No one… never mind."
But he couldn't shake off the feeling. The rest of the evening, he barely spoke. His mind kept drifting back to the girl. Who was she? Where did she go? Had she even been real?
By the time he returned to his flat, he was exhausted, but sleep refused to come. He tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling, her face burned into his mind. He had never felt anything like this before. It wasn't love—it was something stronger, something obsessive.
Frustrated, he sat up and grabbed his phone. Without thinking, he dialed his friend.
"Dude, I need to talk," he said the moment the call connected.
His friend groaned sleepily. "What happened?"
"I need to go back to Marine Drive tomorrow," Sidharth said urgently. "I need to find her."
His friend sighed. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," Sidharth exhaled sharply. "I don't know why, but I have to see her again."
There was a pause, then another tired sigh. "Fine. We'll go."
But even as Sidharth put his phone down, a gnawing fear crept in.
What if she was never meant to be found?