"She weeps in silence, lost in the shards of yesterday,

He fights his ghosts, yet in her warmth, they fade away."

AUTHOR'S POV(VIHAN):

The morning light seeped through the curtains, but it did nothing to chase away the darkness inside him. Vihan sat up, his breathing heavy, his forehead damp with sweat. The same nightmare. Again. His past refused to leave him, clawing at his mind like a relentless ghost.

A sharp knock on his door made him snap out of it.

Maa: "Beta, open the door."

He ran a hand through his messy hair, exhaling before pulling the door open. His mother stepped inside, her eyes instantly scanning his face. She didn't need to ask—she already knew. The exhaustion in his eyes, the slight tremble in his fingers, the way his jaw clenched—it all told the same story.

She sighed, her voice gentle yet firm.

Maa: "Vihan, please. Listen to me. Consult a doctor. It's been years since that accident. You can't keep living in the past. You have to forget it and move forward."

Vihan looked away, pressing his lips together. He hated these conversations. Hated the pity in her voice, the concern in her eyes.

Vihan: "I know, Maa. And I will. I just... need time."

She didn't argue—she never did anymore. She just let out a tired sigh and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Maa: "Time won't heal anything if you don't let it, beta."

With that, she left, closing the door softly behind her.

Vihan sat back on his bed, rubbing his face. The silence of his room felt deafening. His thoughts were relentless, the same question looping in his head—

Will I ever be able to move on? Or will the past haunt me for a lifetime?

He didn't have an answer. And that scared him the most.

Vihan sat in his office, surrounded by stacks of files and the constant ringing of his phone. Meetings, schedules, reports—his day was filled with them. He barely had time to breathe. But just as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples to ease his headache, his phone vibrated.

A message. As soon as he read it, his breath hitched.

"You really thought you would get away with everything? You murderer. You will pay the same price."

His fingers clenched around the phone, his face losing all color. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Who sent this? And why now?

Just then, the door to his office swung open. Shekhar, his assistant and closest friend, walked in carrying a file.

"Here's the—" Shekhar paused mid-sentence, his sharp eyes catching the sudden change in Vihan's expression. "Hey, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Vihan quickly composed himself, locking his phone and setting it aside. He couldn't let anyone know about this—at least, not yet.

"Nothing," he muttered, shaking his head. "Just... not feeling well today."

Shekhar raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "You? Not feeling well? Since when do you let that affect you?"

Vihan forced a smirk. "Guess even I'm human, Shekhar."

Shekhar studied him for a moment before sighing. "Fine, be mysterious. But at least go home early today. You look like crap."

Vihan only hummed in response, his mind still racing with the message.

The second he stepped into his house, he wasted no time. He needed answers. He needed someone he could trust.

Marching straight to Ritvik's room, he found his younger brother lounging on the couch, headphones in, scrolling through his laptop.

"Ritvik," Vihan's voice was firm.

Ritvik glanced up, instantly noticing the seriousness in his brother's eyes. He removed his headphones. "What happened?"

Vihan handed him his phone. "Trace this number. I don't care how long it takes, but find out who sent this. And don't let anyone know—not even Shekhar."

Ritvik frowned as he read the message. "This... this is serious, bhai. Who would send you something like this?"

Vihan exhaled sharply. "That's what I need to find out."

Ritvik nodded. "Give me some time bhai. I'll see what I can do."

Vihan gave him a grateful nod and left the room. His body was exhausted, his mind running in circles, but amidst the chaos, there was one thing that brought him some comfort.

Her. His Gummy Bear.

She was the only one who could distract him from this mess. The only one who made him forget, even if just for a little while.

He had never seen her, never met her in real life, yet she had a hold on him stronger than anyone ever had. He knew he could find out who she was, where she lived, everything—one command, and he'd have all the answers.

But something inside him stopped him.

Because if he found out, if he saw her in reality, nothing would stop him from making her his. And that wasn't right.

With a deep breath, he leaned back against his bed, his phone resting in his palm, waiting for a message from her.

Waiting for the only person who could bring him peace.

AUTHOR'S POV(SAISHA):

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the soft hum of background chatter filled the cozy café as Saisha sat across from Vaishnavi and Rivan. The café had always been their safe space—a little corner of the world where they could escape reality, even if just for a while.

She stirred her coffee absentmindedly, watching the dark liquid swirl as if mirroring the chaos in her mind. It had been over three weeks since she broke up with Arsal, yet the ache in her chest hadn't fully faded.

Vaishnavi and Rivan had refused to leave her alone, constantly keeping her distracted, making sure she was never lost in her thoughts for too long. She was grateful for them.

Letting out a deep breath, Saisha finally spoke, "I think I know why I was so desperate to make that relationship work."

Both of them turned to her with concern. Vaishnavi frowned. "Saisha, you were never desperate. Don't say that."

"That bastard fumbled big time losing a gem like you," Rivan added, shaking his head. "That's on him, not you."

Saisha gave them a small, sad smile. "No, listen to me. I've been thinking a lot. You both know how my family is... I was never given the things I truly craved—love, attention, someone who actually listened to me. I got that from Arsal. Or at least, I thought I did." She took a shaky breath. "I convinced myself that this was it... that he was all I needed. So I held on so tightly, even when it was hurting me. Even when I knew he wasn't treating me right."

Tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them. Vaishnavi reached over, pulling her into a tight hug. "Saisha, trust me. God will bless you with so much love that you'll forget everything you lost. This pain? It's temporary. Something better is coming for you."

Saisha sniffled, nodding into her shoulder. "I hope so..."

Rivan smirked, trying to lighten the mood. "Hope? , it's a fact. Some idiot is out there right now, waiting for a chance to treat you right."

Saisha laughed softly before looking at him teasingly. "You know... won't your cousin be mad if he finds out you're hanging out with me? I mean, I am his ex, after all."

Rivan rolled his eyes. "Saisha, come on. I know he's my brother—well, technically my cousin—but after my older brother passed, Arsal and I became close, like real brothers. That doesn't mean I'll blindly support him when he's wrong." He shrugged. "And what I have with you is worth more than just blindly picking sides. You're like my little sister."

Saisha gasped dramatically, sitting up straight. "Little sister? Excuse me, Rivan, but I'm  few months older than you! Who are you calling little?" She pouted, crossing her arms.

Vaishnavi and Rivan burst out laughing.

"Oh, please," Rivan teased. "You act like a kid sometimes."

Saisha smacked his arm playfully. "Rude."

As the laughter settled, a familiar voice called her name.

"Hey, Saisha!"

She turned to see Riya approaching, holding a few envelopes in her hand. With a bright smile, Riya handed her one. "Here, this is for you guys."

Saisha took the envelope and glanced at it. "What's this?"

Riya grinned. "The college fest invitation! You remember, right? The end of this week? It's our last fest, so you have to come. No excuses!" She wagged a finger playfully at them before turning to hand more invitations to others. "See you all there!"

As Riya walked away, Saisha glanced at the invitation in her hands. A genuine smile spread across her face.

"Three more months," she murmured, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Vaishnavi tilted her head. "Three more months for what?"

Saisha exhaled, a mixture of relief and anticipation filling her. "Three more months, and I'll finally be done with my MBA from Raipur College. Then I can step forward toward my new dream—finding the job I actually love."

Vaishnavi grinned. "That's right! You have a bright future ahead, Saisha. No looking back now."

Rivan raised his coffee cup. "To new beginnings?"

Saisha and Vaishnavi clinked their cups with his.

"To new beginnings."

For the first time in weeks, Saisha felt something she hadn't in a while—hope.

Saisha quickly wrapped up her work that night, double-checking that everything was done as her project was to be submitted tomorrow . She had been looking forward to this—her mandatory nightly conversation with him.

She grabbed her phone, settled into bed, and typed out the first message.

Saisha: Hi, are you there?

The reply came almost instantly.

Masked Man: Did you even have to ask?

She smirked, shaking her head.

Saisha: Were you waiting for me?

Masked Man: No. Why would I?

Saisha: Well... seems like it.

Masked Man: Tch. Don't assume things, Gummy Bear.

She smiled at the nickname but didn't acknowledge it.

Masked Man: Today you look bright and happy. May I know the reason? Well, I kind of know it—leaving a toxic relationship should make you happy. But you look too happy, so...

Her smile faded slightly.

Saisha: Don't do that. Stop reminding me about my relationship, okay?

Masked Man: Alright, alright. No need to get defensive. So what's making you so excited today?

Saisha: There's a fest at my college! Finally, I'll get to enjoy something after what feels like a century.

Masked Man: Oh? That does sound exciting. What actually happens at a fest?

Saisha blinked. "Wait... what?" she muttered to herself before typing.

Saisha: Oh wow, senior citizen, lemme educate you. It's like an annual function where there's music, parties, games... you meet new people, make memories, and just enjoy life for once.

Masked Man: Sounds chaotic.

Saisha: That's the fun part!

Masked Man: Hmph. Be careful around new people, Gummy Bear. You don't want to fall into the pit of relationships again, do you?

Saisha rolled her eyes, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

Saisha: Can you stop that? you sound sad that you didn't get to experience relationship and fest too mr.senior citizen.

Masked Man: Okay, okay, I'm sorry. No more lectures. and also I'm not into chaotic mess so I'm happy this way .

A comfortable silence followed. She found it strange how talking to him felt like a necessity now.

Saisha: Well... goodnight. It's late.

Masked Man: Goodnight, Gummy Bear. Sleep well.

Saisha stared at the screen for a few extra seconds before locking her phone.

He was a mystery. But somehow, one she didn't mind unraveling.

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