Episode-2

Chapter 2: The Silent Connection

The days had blurred together for Aaradhya. Work, her tiny rented room, and the strange man across the street became her reality. She had to admit, there was something compelling about him — something almost magnetic. Each time she glanced out her window, he was there, whether it was day or night.

The awkwardness of their first interaction lingered in her thoughts. He had spoken to me..., she kept thinking. The words "I see you" echoed in her mind, sending shivers down her spine.

At first, she had convinced herself it was just a coincidence. Maybe he was just friendly, or perhaps lonely. But the more she observed, the more things didn’t add up. The other houses on the street were lived in, occupied by families or students, but his house — the one directly across from hers — always seemed empty.

She tried not to think too much about it. After all, who was she to question someone else's life? But her curiosity, as it always did, got the best of her. One evening, as dusk settled and the world outside her window faded into the soft glow of streetlights, she found herself once again staring at his house.

And there he was. Standing by the window, as usual. She watched as he leaned against the frame, his eyes scanning the street. When he saw her watching, he smiled, that same calm, knowing smile. Aaradhya’s heart skipped a beat, and before she could stop herself, she smiled back.

But then… something strange happened. He didn’t look away. His smile didn’t waver, but there was something more — an intensity in his gaze that made Aaradhya feel as though he was peering straight into her soul. She could feel her palms grow sweaty, her breath becoming shallow.

She pulled back, almost instinctively, and backed away from the window. What am I doing? she thought. I’m losing my mind.

The next day, she tried to avoid thinking about him. She spent the whole morning in her room, catching up on work. But by afternoon, her curiosity had taken hold again. She couldn’t stop herself from looking outside.

To her surprise, he was there again, but this time, he wasn’t at the window. Instead, he was standing on the front porch of his house, looking directly at her. Aaradhya’s heart raced, and she quickly turned away. But just as she was about to pull the curtains, she heard something.

It was a knock.

She froze, her breath caught in her throat. The knock echoed through the silence of her room, and Aaradhya’s thoughts spun wildly. Who would be knocking at this hour?

It was a soft knock, but loud enough for her to hear clearly. Hesitantly, she walked to the door and opened it.

Standing on the other side was the same man from across the street. His expression was calm, but there was a hint of something more in his eyes — something searching, almost as if he was looking for something, or someone.

“Hello,” he said, his voice low and warm, like the sound of the rain on a quiet evening. “I’m Krish. I live across the street.”

Aaradhya’s heart skipped again. She’d never seen him this close before. His features were more distinct now — the dark eyes that held so much emotion, the strong jawline, the gentle curve of his lips. For a moment, she was speechless. How was it that she hadn’t seen him walk over?

“I—uh, hi,” Aaradhya stammered, her voice barely a whisper. “What… what brings you here?”

Krish smiled softly, though there was a sadness behind his eyes. “I thought we should formally introduce ourselves,” he said. “I see you looking out your window sometimes. I figured I should say hello.”

His words felt too casual, too familiar. Aaradhya blinked, wondering if she had misunderstood. Was he really standing there, talking to her like this?

But her mind could barely keep up with the situation. She stepped aside to let him in, if only for politeness.

As he stepped into her tiny living room, the air seemed to grow heavier, more suffocating. There was something unsettling about his presence, as though he didn’t belong — as if he were an intruder, but in a way that was hard to explain.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Krish continued, his voice so soft it almost felt like a whisper.

Aaradhya didn’t know how to respond. She had so many questions in her mind, so many uncertainties. Why was he here? How did he know so much about her? But she simply nodded.

“No, you’re not disturbing me. I… I was just surprised to see you.” Aaradhya’s voice trembled slightly.

Krish smiled again, his eyes lingering on hers. “I’m glad to hear that. You know, it gets lonely out here sometimes. I’m not used to seeing many people around.”

His words hung in the air, but Aaradhya couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. The longer she stood there, the more her unease grew. It wasn’t just his presence — it was his familiarity with her, as if they had known each other far longer than they actually had.

She tried to shake it off, but the gnawing suspicion lingered in the back of her mind.

“Are you okay?” Krish asked suddenly, his gaze softening as he watched her. “You seem a little… distracted.”

Aaradhya blinked, shaking herself out of her thoughts. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, though the words felt hollow.

As Krish left her apartment that evening, she stood at the door, her hand on the handle, watching him walk back across the street.

He turned back once, flashing that same eerie, knowing smile.

And Aaradhya realized then that she didn’t know anything about him — but she desperately wanted to.

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