Jhanvi stood frozen, her eyes locked onto the man in front of her. Something eerily familiar about him—an unspoken connection that sent shivers down her spine—was there, lingering in the air between them. She couldn't place it, couldn't name it.

Her heart pounded against her ribs as she gazed at him, searching for an answer in his eyes. And then—her phone rang.

The shrill sound jolted her from the trance. She blinked, momentarily disoriented, before glancing at the caller ID. Reva.

She swallowed, hesitating for a second before answering. 

"Hello?"

But even as she spoke into the phone, her gaze drifted back to him.

He was still looking at her. Still standing there.

There was something in his eyes—something raw, something unguarded. Love. But not just love. Innocence. A childlike vulnerability, as if he was staring at something precious he had lost long ago.

Jhanvi felt an ache bloom in her chest. She didn't know why, but it felt... unbearable.

Lowering her eyes, she inhaled sharply, trying to calm the storm inside her. But when she looked beside him, her gaze fell on a small packet of red gulal resting at his feet.

Before she could stop herself, she bent down, picked it up, and poured the vibrant color into her hands.

And then, as if drawn by some unseen force, she reached out and smeared the red gulal across his cheek.

The moment her fingers touched his skin, he closed his eyes.

A single tear escaped from both of their eyes at the same time.

Jhanvi had no idea why she did it. She couldn't even explain what she was feeling. But in that moment, it felt... right.

And Aryan—he felt it too.

His body trembled ever so slightly, his breath hitching. A flash of something flickered across his mind, a memory just out of reach. 

His heart clenched as if grasping at a name, a word, a feeling that had been buried deep within his fractured mind.

Jaan.

The word echoed inside him, repeating like a broken melody.

Jhanvi swallowed the lump in her throat, her fingers still stained with red.

She looked up at him, eyes brimming with unspoken emotions, and whispered—

"Happy Holi."

And then, before she could stop herself, she stepped back. One step. Then another. With every step away from him, something inside her twisted painfully.

She didn't know why.

She didn't even know who he was.

But somehow... walking away from him felt like losing something irreplaceable.

Meanwhile...

Aahan stepped out of the Bisht house, his heart pounding so violently that he could hear the echoes of his own heartbeat in his ears. The world around him blurred, the voices of the past screaming in his mind, drowning out everything else.

 His steps were unsteady as he walked down the lonely road, the weight of what he had just learned pressing down on his soul like an unbearable burden.

The cold evening wind lashed against his face, but he didn't flinch. He couldn't feel anything—not the chill, not the exhaustion. Only the storm raging inside him.

And then, as if fate itself was guiding him, his eyes landed on a Mahadev Mandir by the roadside.A place of solace. A place where lost souls find their way.

Without a second thought, Aahan turned toward it.

The temple stood silent, illuminated by the soft glow of flickering diyas. The scent of sandalwood and incense filled the air, wrapping around him like an embrace. 

The rhythmic ringing of the temple bells felt almost like a heartbeat—steady, unwavering.

But his heart?

His heart was breaking, piece by piece.

Aahan took slow, faltering steps inside before his knees finally gave out. He dropped to the floor, his hands trembling as he folded them together in prayer.

His lips parted, but only a broken whisper escaped.

"Bhole...!"

His voice cracked, raw with pain. His shoulders shook as a tear slipped from his eye, tracing a burning path down his cheek before falling onto the cold temple floor.

The ache in his chest grew unbearable. His breathing turned ragged. His thoughts spiraled back into the moment that had changed everything.

Flashback—Inside the Bisht House

"Your daughter... Jhanvi..." Aahan's voice trembled, barely more than a whisper. "She looks exactly like my late Bhabhi."

The Bisht couple froze. Their eyes, once calm, widened with something unspoken. Fear? Pain? A secret long buried?

A deafening silence followed before they finally spoke.

"Jhanvi is not our real daughter."

Aahan felt his world tilt.

His breath caught in his throat as the words sank in. He stared at them, waiting for them to take it back, to tell him he had misheard.

But they didn't.

Instead, they told him the truth.

How they had found her—injured, unconscious, lying by the riverbank like a broken doll abandoned by fate.

How she had no memory of who she was.

How she had been living a borrowed life, her real identity buried beneath the sands of time.Aahan felt his chest tighten as realization struck him like lightning.

Jhanvi wasn't just any girl.

She was Anjali.

The woman Aryan had mourned every single day of his existence.

Back to the Present—Inside the Temple

Aahan's breath hitched as he came back to the present, his hands shaking as he wiped his tears.

A broken, breathless laugh escaped his lips.

"I don't know what fate has written for Bhai and Bhabhi..." His voice was hoarse, thick with emotions he couldn't contain. 

"But I know one thing."

A deep breath.

A small, trembling smile.

"There is no one in this world happier than me today."

He exhaled sharply and got to his feet, a newfound determination settling in his gaze. His eyes searched for the pandit standing near the altar.

"Pandit ji," Aahan called out, his voice steadier now,

 "Mujhe 101 panditon ka bhoj karwana hai."

The priest looked at him, a knowing smile gracing his lips. 

"Lagta hai tumhari koi manokamna poori ho gayi hai, beta."

Aahan let out a deep, shaky breath, his lips curving into a heartfelt smile as he gazed up at the idol of Mahadev.

"Meri Sita jaisi Bhabhi zinda hai..." he whispered, his voice carrying both awe and devotion.His eyes glistened with tears, but this time, they were of gratitude.

"Woh apne Ram ke liye wapas aayi hai."

And as the temple bells rang louder, echoing through the sanctum, Aahan closed his eyes and finally let his heart believe in miracles.

Jhanvi's (Anjali) POV:

I walked away from him, but something inside me felt... wrong. It wasn't just an encounter—it felt like I had left behind a part of myself. My heart was pounding, my hands still trembling from what had just happened.

Ignoring the strange turmoil inside me, I reached Reva's house and rang the bell. She opened the door almost immediately, her brows furrowed.

"Where were you for so long?" she asked, arms crossed.

I stepped inside without answering, my mind still lost in the moment. Sitting on the couch, I took a deep breath, trying to make sense of it.

Reva sat beside me, nudging my arm. "Jhanvi, are you okay? What happened?"

I swallowed hard and looked at her. 

"Something strange happened today, Reva..." my voice was barely above a whisper.

She frowned. "What?"

I exhaled shakily. "I saved a man today... he was stuck in the crowd."

Reva's eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to put it into words. 

"There was so much chaos, people throwing colors, music blaring. And then, I saw him. He was crouched down in a corner, holding his ears, as if the noise was too much for him. There was so much pain on his face... like he was afraid of the sounds."

Reva leaned in, now completely focused.

"I couldn't just stand there and watch, Reva. I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the crowd."

Reva nodded. "Then?"

I closed my eyes for a second, the memory flashing in front of me again. 

"The moment he steadied himself and looked at me... he just said one word." I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.

"'Jaan'..."

Reva's lips parted slightly, her brows furrowing. "What?"

I nodded. "That was the only word he said... like I was someone he had been searching for, someone he had lost a long time ago."

Reva grabbed my hand. "Jhanvi, what are you saying?"

I shook my head. "I don't know, Reva! But when he looked at me... there was recognition in his eyes. Like he knew me."

I looked at her, my eyes burning. "I don't know what this was. But it felt... like I had found something I didn't even know I had lost."

Reva held my hands tightly and sighed.

"Jhanvi, which book have you been reading this time? How many times do I have to tell you—the world of books is different from real life! Stop imagining these dramatic scenarios, yaar."

I shook my head, my brows knitting together. 

"Reva, I'm serious! This really happened."

She crossed her arms, giving me a skeptical look. 

"So, you're telling me you pulled some random guy out of a crowd, he looked at you like a long-lost lover, called you 'Jaan,'"

I opened my mouth to argue but then realized how ridiculous it sounded when she said it like that. I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"I know how it sounds, but I swear, there was something about him... something familiar."

Reva studied me for a moment before shaking her head.

 "Jhanvi, do you even hear yourself? This sounds straight out of a reincarnation drama."

I looked away, my fingers clenching into fists. 

"Maybe it does. But it didn't feel like fiction when I was standing there. It felt... real."

Reva softened a little. 

"Okay, fine. Let's say this did happen. Then who is he? Do you know him?"

I bit my lip, shaking my head. 

"No... but he knew me. At least, that's what his eyes said."

Reva let out a deep breath, rubbing her forehead. 

"Yeh toh bada filmy ho gaya. So, what now? Are you going to search for him? Find out if he's your long-lost soulmate?"

I chuckled dryly.

 "I don't even know his name, Reva."

She smirked. "That didn't stop Heer from finding Ranjha."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious."

She sighed dramatically. "Okay, fine, let's think logically. If fate really wanted you to meet him, then he'll cross your path again, right?"

Her words lingered in the air, and for some reason, a part of me believed them.