Sketching her Shadows

A Familiar Stranger

Satya's grip tightened around the sketchbook as he studied the girl in front of him. She wasn't Saanvi, but something about her felt connected. The cautious yet expectant look in her eyes told him that she knew exactly what she was searching for.

"Excuse me… that sketchbook… did you find it here?" she repeated, her voice steady but curious.

Satya nodded slowly, not sure if he should hand it over just yet. "Yeah, I did. A couple of days ago."

Relief washed over her face. "Thank God. I was really worried about it."

Satya hesitated. "Is it yours?"

The girl gave a small chuckle. "No, it belongs to my friend. She accidentally left it here."

Satya's heartbeat quickened. Her friend.

"What's her name?" he asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it.

The girl looked at him curiously, then smiled. "Saanvi."

Hearing her name from someone else's lips made everything feel real. She was close, just within reach, yet fate had once again placed a barrier between them.

Why Wasn't She Here?

Satya exhaled, trying to steady himself. "Where is she?"

The girl sighed. "She's at a wedding—her cousin's ceremony. She called me in a panic when she realized she'd forgotten her sketchbook. I happened to be nearby, so I told her I'd check if it was still here." She paused, studying Satya's expression. "Why? Do you know her?"

Satya debated what to say. He couldn't explain everything—the dreams, the sketches, the strange connection he felt with a girl he had never met. It would sound crazy.

"I've been looking for her," he admitted finally. "For a long time."

The girl tilted her head, intrigued. "That's interesting. She's been looking for something too… though she never really told me what."

Satya felt his breath hitch. Could she have been looking for me too?

A Missed Opportunity

The girl extended her hand. "I'm Aditi, by the way—her friend. You are…?"

"Satya." He shook her hand, still lost in thought.

Aditi glanced at the sketchbook. "I should probably take this back to her."

Satya hesitated. He had spent days waiting for this exact moment, and now it was slipping through his fingers. "Can you give her a message?"

Aditi raised an eyebrow. "That depends. What do you want me to tell her?"

Satya thought for a moment. Then, he opened the sketchbook to one of the drawings—the one that had started it all. The first portrait of Saanvi. He carefully tore the page and handed it to Aditi.

"Tell her that I need to meet her," he said. "And that I think she's been looking for me too."

Aditi studied him for a long moment, then took the sketch with a knowing smile.

"I'll tell her," she said.

And with that, she walked away, leaving Satya standing in the courtyard of the ancient fort, watching as fate once again rearranged the pieces of his journey.