Wedding preparations filled the house.
Voices.
Laughter.
Soft chaos.
Everything looked perfect.
And yet—
Something felt… different.
Anaya sat quietly on her bed.
Phone in her hand.
Screen glowing in the dim light.
She hesitated for a moment.
Like she was about to do something—
She wasn't supposed to.
Then slowly—
She unlocked it.
A familiar page opened.
She didn't say the name out loud.
Didn't even let herself think it clearly.
Because for some reason—
It felt… personal.
Her eyes moved across the lines.
"If I had stopped that moment—would you have stayed?"
Her breath paused.
Just slightly.
"…why does this feel like—"
She stopped herself.
Shook her head.
"It's just a story."
But still—
Her fingers didn't scroll immediately.
Because something about it—
Stayed.
She read further.
"You left without a goodbye.And I never learned how to stop waiting."
Her chest tightened.
A strange feeling.
Unfamiliar.
Like something was missing—
But she didn't know what.
"…weird."
She whispered.
Because she didn't remember anything like that.
And yet—
It hurt.
"Anaya!"
Her mother's voice broke the moment.
"Coming!"
She locked her phone quickly.
Placed it aside.
Like she was hiding something.
Even from herself.
Later that evening—
Lights shimmered softly across the house.
Reyansh stood near the balcony.
Lost in thought.
"…you look serious."
He turned.
Anaya.
"…just thinking."
She walked a little closer.
"…about?"
A pause.
"…nothing important."
She raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…you always say that."
The words slipped from him.
Unknowingly.
She blinked.
"…always?"
A small pause.
"…I mean… you seem like the type."
He corrected quickly.
But something lingered.
"…hmm."
She nodded lightly.
Silence settled.
Comfortable.
Strange.
Because neither of them understood—
Why it didn't feel unfamiliar.
"…you should rest," she said softly.
There it was again.
That care.
And for a second—
He just looked at her.
Like he was seeing two timelines at once.
"…you say that a lot."
This time—
He didn't correct himself.
She frowned slightly.
"…do I?"
"…yeah."
He said quietly.
And something in his tone—
Made her pause.
But before she could ask—
Voices called her from inside.
"I'll come!"
She turned.
Walking away.
And he watched.
Because even now—
She left like that.
Without knowing—
She always took something with her.
Later that night—
Anaya lay on her bed.
The room quiet.
Lights dim.
She picked up her phone again.
Hesitated.
Then opened it.
Same page.
Same writer.
Her eyes softened slightly as she read.
"You called me by a name no one else knew.And I thought that meant I belonged somewhere."
Her cheeks warmed faintly.
"…what kind of lines are these…"
She turned onto her side.
But didn't close it.
Didn't scroll away.
Because even if she didn't admit it—
She liked reading it.
Felt drawn to it.
Like the words—
Were trying to reach her.
And somewhere else—
Reyansh sat in the dark.
His screen open.
The same lines.
His lines.
"…you're still reading it, aren't you…"
A soft, almost invisible smile appeared.
Not happy.
Not sad.
Just—
Knowing.
Because now—
Fate had done something strange.
It brought her back.
And made her read—
The version of him—
She never got to understand.
But he wouldn't tell her.
Not yet.
Because some truths—
Needed the right time.
And some feelings—
Were better discovered.
Not revealed.
The next morning felt lighter.
At least on the surface.
Preparations continued.
Voices filled the house again.
Like nothing had ever been broken.
Anaya stood near the dining table.
Helping arrange things.
Half-focused.
Because somewhere—
Her mind wasn't fully there.
"…can you pass that?"
Reyansh's voice.
Close.
She turned slightly.
Without thinking—
"Yeah, Ansh—"
Silence.
The word—
Hung in the air.
Too clearly.
Too suddenly.
Both of them froze.
Anaya blinked.
"…I—"
Her own voice felt unfamiliar.
Did she just—
Reyansh stared at her.
Not moving.
Not speaking.
"…what did you say?"
His voice was low.
Careful.
"…I…"
She hesitated.
Confused.
"…Ansh?"
The name felt strange now.
On her own tongue.
"…I don't know, it just slipped."
She let out a small, awkward breath.
Trying to brush it off.
"…you call me Ana sometimes, right?"
A pause.
"…so I thought… it's fair?"
She tried to smile lightly.
"…I mean, if you don't like it, I won't say it again."
Silence.
But Reyansh—
Wasn't hearing just her explanation.
He was hearing something else.
That name.
Ansh.
A name—
He hadn't heard in years.
Not from anyone else.
Only from her.
Back then.
When everything was still—
Right.
His chest tightened.
Because she said it—
So naturally.
Like it belonged there.
Like it always had.
"…you called me by a name no one else knew—"
The words slipped.
Before he could stop them.
Anaya looked at him.
Confused.
"…what?"
He froze.
Realizing.
What he almost said.
A pause.
Then quickly—
"…I mean—"
He looked away slightly.
Trying to steady himself.
"…it's just new for me."
A small breath.
"…but I liked it."
That was safer.
Simpler.
But his voice—
Still carried something deeper.
Something she didn't understand.
"…oh."
She nodded slowly.
"…then… okay."
A small, shy smile appeared.
"…Ansh."
This time—
She said it softer.
More aware.
And somehow—
That made it worse.
Because now—
It wasn't just a slip.
It was real.
Reyansh didn't respond immediately.
Because inside—
Something was shifting again.
Not breaking.
Not hurting.
But… stirring.
Because maybe—
Just maybe—
Some part of her—
Still remembered.
Even if she didn't know it yet.
And that thought—
Was dangerous.
Because hope—
After all these years—
Wasn't something he trusted easily.
But still—
It found its way back.
Quietly.
Just like that name had.