No one knows what to do .
Everything thing is messy,unexpected and confusing.
Falling didn't feel like falling anymore.
It felt like sinking.
Slow.
Endless.
Like something beneath him was pulling—not fast enough to kill him, but not slow enough to let him think.
Karan tried to move.
Tried to grab onto something.
Anything.
But there was nothing.
Only darkness.
Only voices.
---
«"You promised…"»
«"You left…"»
«"Come back…"»
---
"STOP!"
Karan screamed, his voice tearing through the void.
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
---
And then—
He hit the ground.
---
Hard.
The impact knocked the air out of his lungs.
Karan gasped, curling slightly as pain shot through his body.
Cold floor.
Rough.
Real.
---
He stayed there for a few seconds.
Breathing.
Shaking.
Trying to understand—
If this was real.
Or just another illusion.
---
Slowly—
He pushed himself up.
His hands trembled against the surface.
Dust clung to his fingers.
---
He looked around.
And froze.
---
It was the house.
---
But not the same.
---
The walls were cleaner.
The air lighter.
The silence… normal.
---
Karan's brows furrowed.
"What…?"
---
He stood up slowly.
Turning in place.
Everything looked—
New.
Alive.
---
The furniture wasn't covered anymore.
The windows were open.
Light streamed in.
---
It looked like—
Someone actually lived here.
---
"…before," Karan whispered.
---
A memory.
A timeline.
Something from the past.
---
His chest tightened.
"I'm… seeing it."
---
Not imagining.
Not dreaming.
---
Seeing.
---
A sound broke the stillness.
Soft.
Light.
Footsteps.
---
Karan turned sharply.
The staircase.
Someone was coming down.
---
His heart started pounding.
Fast.
Loud.
---
And then—
He saw himself.
---
Younger.
Smaller.
Standing halfway down the stairs.
---
Karan's breath stopped.
"No…"
---
The younger version looked around nervously.
As if he was hiding.
As if he wasn't supposed to be there.
---
"…that's me."
---
Karan took a step forward instinctively.
But something stopped him.
---
He couldn't move closer.
Like an invisible barrier held him back.
---
"Hey!" he called out.
No response.
---
The younger Karan didn't react.
Didn't hear him.
---
Because this wasn't happening now.
---
This had already happened.
---
Karan swallowed hard.
"I'm… watching it."
---
Another sound.
This time—
A voice.
---
"Where are you hiding?"
---
Karan froze.
---
That voice—
---
His chest tightened painfully.
---
"…Dad."
---
A man's footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Heavy.
Controlled.
---
Agha Mehra.
---
He walked into view.
Younger.
But the same presence.
The same sharp gaze.
---
The younger Karan stiffened instantly.
Fear flashing across his face.
---
"Come here," Agha said firmly.
---
The tone wasn't loud.
But it wasn't gentle either.
---
The younger Karan hesitated.
Just for a second.
---
Then slowly—
He stepped down.
---
Karan watched.
Frozen.
---
Something felt wrong.
Not just the situation.
But the feeling.
---
Fear.
Not normal fear.
---
Something deeper.
---
"Did you go upstairs again?" Agha asked.
---
The younger Karan shook his head quickly.
"No."
---
A lie.
---
Karan felt it immediately.
---
Because he remembered the feeling.
That instinct.
That need to hide.
---
Agha stepped closer.
---
"Don't lie to me."
---
Silence.
---
The younger Karan's hands clenched.
---
"I didn't—"
---
Agha grabbed his arm suddenly.
Tight.
Too tight.
---
Karan flinched instinctively.
Even though he wasn't being touched.
---
"You don't go there," Agha said, his voice low now.
Dangerous.
---
The younger Karan nodded quickly.
"I won't."
---
Agha stared at him for a moment longer.
Then—
Let go.
---
"Good."
---
He turned and walked away.
---
Silence returned.
---
The younger Karan stood still.
For a few seconds.
Not moving.
---
Then—
Slowly—
He looked up.
Toward the staircase.
---
Toward the corridor.
---
Toward—
That door.
---
Karan's chest tightened.
"No… don't…"
---
But the younger Karan moved.
---
Step by step.
---
Climbing the stairs.
---
Karan tried to follow.
But he couldn't.
The invisible barrier remained.
Holding him back.
---
"Wait!"
---
No response.
---
He could only watch.
---
The younger Karan reached the corridor.
Looked around.
Nervous.
Careful.
---
Then—
Walked straight to the door.
---
The same door.
---
Closed.
Silent.
Waiting.
---
Karan's breathing quickened.
"This is it…"
---
The younger Karan hesitated.
His hand hovering near the handle.
---
For a moment—
It looked like he might turn back.
---
But then—
A voice.
Soft.
Faint.
---
"…Karan…"
---
Karan's eyes widened.
---
"No…"
---
The younger Karan froze.
Listening.
---
"…help me…"
---
The same voice.
The same one.
---
Shrishti.
---
Karan's chest tightened painfully.
"She was there…"
---
The younger Karan's fear shifted.
Changed.
---
Into something else.
---
Concern.
---
He grabbed the handle.
---
"No, don't open it!" Karan shouted.
---
But it was too late.
---
The door opened.
---
Darkness inside.
---
The younger Karan stepped in.
---
And disappeared.
---
The door slammed shut.
---
Silence.
---
Karan stood frozen.
His heart pounding violently.
---
"…that's how it started."
---
A voice spoke behind him.
---
Karan turned sharply.
---
Atharav.
---
Standing there.
Watching.
---
"You saw it," Atharav said quietly.
---
Karan's breathing was uneven.
"That was… me."
---
Atharav nodded.
---
«"The first time."»
---
Karan shook his head.
"No… that doesn't make sense—"
---
«"It doesn't have to."»
---
Silence.
---
Karan looked back at the door.
Closed again.
Still.
---
"What happened after that?" he asked.
---
Atharav didn't answer immediately.
---
Instead—
He stepped closer.
Standing beside Karan.
---
«"You went inside," he said.
"You heard her."
"You believed her."»
---
Karan's chest tightened.
---
"And then?"
---
Atharav looked at him.
Directly.
---
For the first time—
There was no calm in his expression.
---
Only something darker.
---
«"You left her there."»
---
Karan's heart stopped.
---
"No…"
---
«"You promised to come back."»
---
A sharp pain hit his head again.
---
Karan staggered.
Images flashing.
Faster this time.
Stronger.
---
A hand reaching for his.
A voice crying.
A door closing.
---
"I didn't—"
---
«"You did."»
---
Karan dropped to his knees.
Clutching his head.
---
"I don't remember!"
---
Atharav crouched slightly.
Looking at him.
---
«"That's why it repeats."»
---
Karan looked up.
Tears in his eyes.
---
"…what repeats?"
---
Silence.
---
Then—
Atharav answered.
---
«"This loop."»
---
Everything went still.
---
Karan's breath hitched.
---
«"You come back."
"You remember a little."
"You break."
"And then—"»
---
He paused.
---
Karan stared at him.
---
"…and then what?"
---
Atharav's expression didn't change.
---
«"You forget."»
---
Karan's heart dropped.
---
"No…"
---
«"And it starts again."»
---
The house flickered.
---
The past dissolved.
---
The light faded.
---
Darkness returned.
---
Karan stood alone.
---
Breathing heavily.
Shaking.
---
Because this time—
He understood something.
---
Not everything.
But enough.
---
He had been here before.
---
And no matter what he did—
---
He always came back.
---