Finally, she had landed in London.

The city smelled like rain and freedom — and a hint of nerves she couldn’t shake off.

She took a cab straight to the apartment she’d be calling home for the next year. Maybe longer. Only destiny knew.

When she reached the building and rang the bell, the door opened — and time seemed to stop.

Of all the people she could have run into in London, he was the last one she expected.

Arjun Rathore.

Her high school regret. Her old rival.

And the boy she sometimes accidentally checked up on — the one whose name still lingered in her search history like a secret she refused to admit.

She liked to believe that scrolling through his profile once in a while was harmless. “Everyone does it,” she’d tell herself.

But standing there now, at the doorway of their shared apartment, every harmless glance suddenly felt far too real.

She didn’t smile. Didn’t say a word. Just pretended she didn’t recognize him.

Because this was the same boy who had once made her cry — on their farewell, in front of everyone.

Without a word, she stepped past him and wheeled her suitcase inside.

For a moment, silence filled the apartment — thick, uncomfortable, and buzzing with memories neither of them wanted to touch.

“Uh… Nandini?” His voice broke the air, her name sounded strange in his voice

She froze. He still said her name the same way — slow, careful, like he wasn’t sure he deserved to. “Still remember my name?” she asked, a bitter edge hidden under her calm tone.

He looked startled, searching for words.

“I— I didn’t know—”

“That I’d end up here?” She cut him off, lifting an eyebrow. “Yeah, neither did I.” Then she went to her room.

Arjun just stood there — frozen. He watched her disappear into her room, and for a moment, it felt like he was watching the years slip away, all the memories of that farewell day flashing in fragments.

She’d changed. Of course she had. The soft, shy girl who once blushed when someone praised her was gone. The woman standing before him now carried herself like armor — confident, bold, untouchable. Her eyes no longer held innocence, but silence. The kind that hides pain. And when their eyes met, just for a second, he saw it — the sadness he had put there. The regret hit him harder than he expected.

Arjun didn’t know what destiny was trying to pull this time, but one thing he was sure of — he wanted to fix what he broke. No matter how long it took.

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