The Past Has A Name
Anshika's POV
The bell rang.
Finally.
I had never been happier to hear that stupid bell in my entire life.
Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone started packing their bags.
People were talking about the new professor.
"He's strict."
"Bro, his notes are going to be huge."
"He's actually kinda scary."
I heard everything.
But I wasn't listening.
My hands were still shaking.
I shoved my notebook into my bag and stood up.
"Anshika."
I froze.
Dhruv.
I turned around.
He was staring at me with that expression.
The one that meant he knew I was lying.
"You know him."
It wasn't a question.
I looked away.
"No."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not."
"Anshika."
I sighed.
"Dhruv, please."
He went quiet.
For a few seconds, neither of us said anything.
Then he spoke softly.
"Did he do something to you?"
My throat tightened.
"No."
Not exactly.
He hadn't done anything today.
Not yet.
I forced a smile.
"Come on. I'm hungry."
"You always change the topic when you're uncomfortable."
"That's because I'm very talented."
He didn't laugh.
I grabbed his sleeve.
"Come."
He finally followed.
We stepped out of the classroom.
I took a deep breath.
One.
Two.
Three.
Okay.
I could do this.
I could survive one semester.
It wasn't like I was sixteen anymore.
I wasn't that girl.
I had changed.
He had changed.
Everything had changed.
So why did it still hurt like it happened yesterday?
LUNCH BREAK
I sat in the canteen with Dhruv, poking at my food.
"You're not eating."
"I am."
"You're stabbing your food."
"It's a new eating technique."
He rolled his eyes.
I smiled.
For a moment, things felt normal.
Then someone placed a file on the table.
I looked up.
My smile vanished.
Vedant.
He stood there with the same unreadable expression.
"Miss Patel."
I swallowed.
"Sir?"
"I need your assignment from last semester."
"What?"
"Your previous professor mentioned you had missed the submission."
I blinked.
"Oh."
I hadn't.
At least...
I didn't think I had.
"I submitted it."
"Then you won't have a problem showing me the copy."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
I stared at him.
He wasn't here because of an assignment.
We both knew that.
"Okay."
He nodded.
"Tomorrow."
Then he turned and walked away.
I watched him leave.
Dhruv looked at me.
"Okay, what the hell was that?"
"I don't know."
"Yes, you do."
I looked down.
My appetite was gone.
Because I knew something Dhruv didn't.
Vedant hadn't forgotten.
Not even a little.
And neither had I.
That evening, I returned to the PG alone.
Ansh and Anya were sitting in the living room, talking.
I gave them a small smile and went straight to my room.
I shut the door.
Locked it.
And leaned against it.
Silence.
Finally.
I opened my bag and pulled out my notebook.
A small photograph slipped out.
I stared at it.
For a few seconds, I couldn't move.
It was old.
Very old.
The corners were folded.
The colours had faded.
But the faces were still clear.
Mine.
And his.
I ran my thumb over the picture.
A painful smile appeared on my face.
"You came back."
My voice cracked.
I quickly wiped my eyes.
"No."
I shook my head.
"I won't cry."
Not for him.
Not anymore.
I put the photograph back inside the notebook and closed it.
But before I could put it away—
my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Unknown:
You still keep it?
My heart stopped.
I stared at the screen.
Another message appeared.
Unknown:
I thought you would've thrown it away.
I couldn't breathe.
My fingers went cold.
I didn't need to ask who it was.
There was only one person who could've known about that photograph.
One person who knew exactly where I kept it.
I typed three words.
Me:
Why are you here?
The typing bubble appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Then—
Vedant:
You know why.
I stared at the message.
And for the first time in years...
I was genuinely scared of what tomorrow might bring.
I stared at his message.
You know why.
My heart felt strangely heavy.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
I wanted to type so many things.
Why are you here?
Why did you come back?
What do you want from me?
But instead, I locked my phone and threw it onto the bed.
"No."
I whispered.
"No, no, no."
I paced around my room.
He couldn't just come back.
Not after years.
Not after everything.
And definitely not as my professor.
I stopped in front of the mirror.
The girl staring back at me looked completely normal.
Messy hair.
Tired eyes.
That stupid little smile everyone believed meant I was okay.
I touched my reflection.
"You're fine."
I whispered.
"You've been fine for years."
A lie.
A really bad one.
A knock came from the door.
"Anshika?"
Anya.
I quickly wiped my face.
"Yeah?"
"You coming for dinner?"
"I'm not hungry."
"You sure?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. I'm just tired."
She gave me a small smile.
"Okay. Goodnight then."
"Goodnight."
The moment she left, my smile disappeared.
I sat on the edge of my bed.
And that's when the memories came back.
Not the entire story.
Just pieces.
A laugh.
A voice.
A familiar perfume.
A pair of eyes looking at me like I was the only person in the room.
And then—
the last day.
The day everything changed.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"No."
I didn't want to remember.
Not tonight.
Not ever.
THREE YEARS AGO
"You're impossible."
I laughed.
"So I've been told."
He shook his head.
"Do you ever take anything seriously?"
"Nope."
"Not even me?"
I stopped laughing.
He was looking at me differently.
Softer.
I smiled.
"Especially not you."
He rolled his eyes.
But he smiled.
Back then, I thought that smile meant forever.
I thought people meant it when they said they'd stay.
I thought some promises couldn't break.
I was wrong.
I opened my eyes.
The room was silent.
My phone buzzed again.
I didn't want to look.
But I did.
His name wasn't saved.
Just an unknown number.
Another message.
Vedant:
You still keep it?
My breath caught.
I looked towards my notebook.
The old photograph was still inside.
My fingers immediately went cold.
How did he know?
I typed.
Me:
Why are you here?
Three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Vedant:
You know why.
My jaw tightened.
Me:
If this is about the past, leave it there.
His reply came almost instantly.
Vedant:
You don't get to decide that.
I stared at the screen.
Then typed the question I had been afraid to ask.
Me:
Then what do you want?
This time, the reply took longer.
Finally—
Vedant:
The truth.
I swallowed.
The truth.
Funny.
Because I'd tried to give him the truth once.
He hadn't listened.
Or maybe...
he had only heard the part he wanted to believe.
I put my phone away.
Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.
And yet...
I was terrified of it.
THE NEXT MORNING
I reached college early.
Which was unusual.
Dhruv looked at me suspiciously the second I walked into class.
"Who are you?"
I dropped my bag onto the desk.
"What?"
"You came early."
"So?"
"You hate college."
"I still do."
"Then?"
I shrugged.
"Couldn't sleep."
His smile disappeared.
"You okay?"
I smiled.
"Perfect."
He sighed.
"You're a terrible liar."
"I know."
I sat down.
For once, I didn't take the last bench.
I chose a seat somewhere in the middle.
Far enough from Vedant.
Far enough from the past.
At least, that's what I thought.
The classroom slowly filled.
Students laughed.
Talked.
Complained about assignments.
Everything felt normal.
Until the door opened.
Vedant walked in.
My heartbeat immediately changed.
He didn't look at me.
Not once.
He placed his books on the desk.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, sir."
He began the lecture.
And somehow...
he was completely normal.
Professional.
Calm.
Like we had never known each other.
Like there wasn't a history between us.
Like he hadn't texted me last night.
Like he hadn't come to this college with something planned.
I started taking notes.
Slowly, I relaxed.
Maybe this could work.
Maybe we could just pretend.
Maybe we could survive this semester without touching the past.
Then his voice stopped me.
"Miss Patel."
My pen froze.
I looked up.
He was looking directly at me.
"Yes, sir?"
"Could you explain the last topic?"
I stared at him.
"The... last topic?"
A few students laughed.
Dhruv covered his mouth.
Vedant didn't smile.
"Yes."
I looked at my notebook.
I knew the answer.
But my mind was suddenly blank.
I cleared my throat.
"The cell membrane..."
I began.
My voice shook slightly.
He listened.
Then nodded.
"Correct."
I lowered my eyes.
"Thank you, sir."
He turned back towards the board.
For a few minutes, everything was normal again.
Until the bell rang.
Everyone immediately started packing.
I shoved my notebook into my bag.
"Finally."
Dhruv stood up.
"Come on."
I nodded.
We were almost at the door when—
"Miss Patel."
I stopped.
Dhruv stopped too.
Vedant was standing beside his desk.
"Could you stay back for a moment?"
My heart dropped.
Dhruv looked at me.
"Why?"
Vedant's expression remained unreadable.
"It's regarding her academic record."
Dhruv looked suspicious.
I forced a smile.
"It's fine."
He didn't move.
"Anshika—"
"I'll meet you outside."
He hesitated.
Then finally left.
The classroom door closed.
Silence.
Just him.
Just me.
And years of things neither of us had said.
Vedant walked towards my desk.
I didn't move.
He stopped a few feet away.
"Sit."
I slowly sat down.
He placed a file on the desk.
I looked at it.
Then at him.
"What is this?"
He opened the file.
My breath caught.
There were papers inside.
Old ones.
Very old ones.
And on top—
was a photograph.
A photograph I hadn't seen in years.
My fingers went cold.
I looked at him.
"Where did you get that?"
His expression finally changed.
Just slightly.
He leaned against the desk.
"I think..."
He paused.
"...it's time you told me what really happened."
My throat tightened.
"I already told you."
"No."
His voice was quiet.
"You told me what you wanted me to believe."
I shook my head.
"That's not true."
"Then prove it."
I stared at him.
"How?"
He slid another paper across the desk.
I looked down.
And my entire body went still.
Because written across the top were words I had spent years trying to forget.
THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED.
I looked back at Vedant.
His eyes were cold.
"Tell me, Anshika."
He pushed the file towards me.
"Why did you lie to me that night?"
My lips parted.
I couldn't speak.
Because the truth was...
I hadn't lied.
Someone else had.
And I knew exactly who.
But if I told Vedant the name—
everything would change.
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