Chapter Three

I Don't Know You

Ruhi didn't wait for the rain to stop.

She pulled her dupatta closer around herself, took a breath, and stepped back onto the road.

The rain immediately soaked through her clothes.

"Whatever. I'll deal with it when I get home."

She started walking quickly.

One step.

Two.

Three—

Suddenly, a hand closed around her wrist.

Ruhi stopped.

She closed her eyes in frustration.

"Seriously?"

For a moment, she just stood there, gathering the patience she was quickly losing.

Then she slowly turned around.

And there he was.

Ansh.

A frown appeared between her brows.

Her nose scrunched up slightly.

And for the briefest moment, Ansh almost smiled.

There it was.

That little expression.

The same one she used to make whenever he annoyed her.

He had always found it cute.

But before he could say anything, Ruhi sharply pulled her wrist out of his hand.

She turned around and started walking again.

"Ruhi..."

She ignored him.

"Ruhi, wait."

She walked faster.

Ansh followed.

"Ruhi..."

Nothing.

"Ruhi, please—wait."

She finally stopped.

Ansh reached her and caught her wrist again.

This time, she turned around so abruptly that he almost stepped back.

She looked at him with a cold, unfamiliar expression.

"Excuse me?"

Ansh blinked.

"Ruhi, it's me."

She stared at him.

Then her eyebrows lifted.

"Who are you?"

Ansh's mouth fell slightly open.

For a second, he genuinely didn't know what to say.

"What?"

Ruhi calmly pulled her wrist away.

"I don't know you."

He stared at her.

The rain poured around them.

"You... what are you talking about?"

"I said I don't know you, mister."

She took a step back.

"And what you're doing right now is harassment."

Ansh went completely silent.

His expression changed from confusion to disbelief.

"Harassment?"

"Yes."

"But—"

"Please leave me alone."

She turned around.

Ansh stood there, still trying to process what had just happened.

"Ruhi, you can't seriously—"

She looked back at him.

"I already told you. I don't know you."

And before he could say another word, she turned and ran.

Ansh remained standing in the middle of the rain.

Dumbfounded.

He looked in the direction she had disappeared.

Then down at his empty hand.

Then back at the road.

"What... just happened?"

He ran a hand through his wet hair.

Four years.

Four years of imagining what he would say if he ever saw her again.

Four years of wondering whether she'd hate him.

Four years of wondering whether she'd even remember him.

And when he finally found her—

She didn't know him.

He let out a disbelieving laugh.

"She really just..."

He stopped.

There was no point finishing the thought.

Because somewhere beneath his confusion, something else had begun to settle in.

She had recognized him.

He knew she had.

He had seen it in her eyes.

Which meant there was only one explanation.

She was lying.

Ansh looked down the road one last time.

Ruhi was already gone.

And for the first time that evening, he didn't care about the rain anymore.

He just stood there, completely soaked, trying to understand why the girl he had once known better than anyone had just looked straight into his eyes—

and called him a stranger.