Scene: Midnight Whispers at Marine Drive
After meeting Sudarshan, Sidharth looked visibly disturbed. The storm of thoughts raging inside him hadn't calmed down even a bit. As he and Unnati walked out of Sudarshan's building, the silence between them was heavy. They reached the parking lot and stood by Sid's car.
Unnati broke the silence first. "You okay?" she asked gently, looking at him with concern.
Sid gave a slow nod, but his eyes were distant, distracted. "Just… a lot on my mind."
"Where are we going now? Back home?" she asked.
He hesitated, then sighed. "Actually… I was thinking of going to Marine Drive."
Unnati blinked, frowning. "Marine Drive? Sid… it's past midnight. Are you serious?"
"I know it's late, but I feel like I have to go," he said, voice quiet. "I can't explain it. Ever since I met Sudarshan… it's like something got stirred up inside me. Like I'm being pulled by something invisible."
Unnati's concern deepened. "You've been quiet ever since we walked out of that place. This isn't like you, Sid. You look like you're carrying something heavy—something that's breaking you from inside."
Sid turned to her, leaning against the car. "It's strange. There's this feeling I can't shake. A connection to something… or someone. I need to be there, Unnati. Maybe it'll help me understand."
She stepped closer, her eyes holding onto him. "Then let me come with you."
He shook his head gently. "No. You've done enough today. You need rest. I need to do this alone."
"But why alone?" she asked, her voice rising slightly, not out of anger but worry. "Sid, you matter to me. More than I've ever said out loud. Seeing you like this—it scares me."
He looked at her, not flinching, but calm and composed. "I care about you, Unnati. Deeply. You're one of the people I trust the most. But I don't want to drag you into something I myself don't understand yet."
"Why do I feel like I'm losing you to something I can't see or touch?" she whispered.
"You're not losing me," he said. "But something is pulling me. I have to follow it. Just for tonight."
She sighed, defeated, her heart sinking. "At least… let me know you got home safe, okay?"
He nodded. "I promise."
The car ride to her flat was filled with unspoken tension. Unnati sat quietly, occasionally glancing at Sid, whose face remained distant, focused. When they reached her building, he got out and walked with her to her door.
She stopped at the entrance and turned to him. "You sure you want to go there now?"
"I have to," he said simply.
She lowered her gaze, her voice trembling. "Sid… I know you don't see me the way I see you. But that doesn't change the fact that I care. Maybe more than I should. I just want you to be okay."
He gave her a small, respectful nod. "And I appreciate you more than I can say. You've been there for me in ways I never expected. That means something."
She smiled weakly. "Even if it never becomes more?"
He looked into her eyes, firm but kind. "I don't want to give you hope I can't fulfill. But I value you, Unnati. Deeply."
She nodded, tears gathering in her eyes. "Goodnight, Sid. Please be careful."
"Goodnight," he said softly.
As she stepped inside and closed the door, Sid turned back to his car. The city was quiet now, the roads empty.
Unnati, from inside, stood by her window and watched his car disappear into the night. Then, acting on instinct, she called Akhil.
"Akhil, I'm worried," she said as soon as he picked up. "Sid's going to Marine Drive right now. It's midnight. He's not himself. I've never seen him like this."
Akhil's voice tensed. "What? Why would he go there now?"
"He says he feels pulled there. Like something's calling him. He looked… lost."
"Alright. I'll try calling him now."
"Please. Let me know if he answers."
"I will."
Akhil hung up and immediately dialed Sid's number.
Sid's phone buzzed in the car console, but he didn't pick it up. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even hear it. The sound of the ocean was louder in his mind.
Meanwhile, Akhil tried again. And again. Still no response.
Back at Marine Drive, Sidharth parked the car and stepped out. The cool breeze brushed past him like a whisper. The waves crashed gently against the stone barriers.
He began walking, the familiar coastline stretching ahead. Each step felt guided by something unseen. The moonlight danced across the water's surface, and the night wrapped around him like an old memory.
He stopped by a stretch where the waves splashed higher. He leaned against the rail, looking into the dark horizon.
A strange heaviness began to weigh down on him.
And then—
Tears.
They fell without his permission.
Soft at first, then pouring like the tide.
He dropped to his knees.
The pressure in his chest was unbearable. Panic overtook him, his breaths turning shallow and fast. His eyes darted around, searching for something, anything to anchor him.
He fumbled for his phone, only to realize he'd left it in the car.
His body gave in, and he sank to the ground, close to the edge. As he began to lie down, dizziness took over, and his head leaned dangerously close to a jagged rock.
And then—
Hands.
Soft, warm, and steady.
They caught him just in time.
His half-lidded eyes struggled to open.
Hair drifting in the sea breeze, eyes glowing under the pale light.
Her.
The mysterious girl.
The weight on his chest eased.
His heart slowed.
She placed his head gently on her lap, her hands comforting.
She said something, but he couldn't hear her words.
From her bag, she pulled a small bottle of water. She uncapped it and held it to his lips.
He drank slowly.
Her face—only half visible—was indescribably beautiful.
Her eye locked with his, and in that moment, it felt like the universe paused.
She looked like someone he had known forever.
His vision blurred, but her presence calmed him.
He looked into her eyes… and then darkness.
A vision.
A forest.
Rain pouring down.
He was running.
Calling her name.
Tears mixing with the rain.
Branches slashing against his arms.
He reached a lake.
She stood there.
Waiting.
He ran faster.
But just before he reached her—
A sword.
Straight through his chest.
He gasped.
His hand reached out to her.
She screamed.
Darkness swallowed him.
He jolted awake.
Beeping machines.
White walls.
A hospital.
He blinked, disoriented.
She was gone.
But her touch lingered.
In his chest, something new had awakened.
She was real.
And he had to find her.