700 ᏦᎥᏝᎧᎷᏋᏖᏒᏋᏕ ᏗᏇᏗᎩ

Chapter 15: The Key That Returned After Eight Years

And she completely forgot about the key.

Until one random afternoon.

She was digging in her old bag for a pen—

—and her fingers brushed something cold.

The key.

Harsha’s key.
The same key she picked up eight years ago.
The same key she never got to return.

She stared at it for a long time, confused and surprised.

Why now?
Why after all these years?

She put it safely inside her wallet.

THE REUNION — COLLEGE

On the first week of her joining engineering, she walked into a classroom—
and froze.

Harsha was sitting in the second row.

Older. Taller.
But still carrying the same silent loneliness in his posture.

He didn’t look up.
Didn’t react.
Didn’t even recognize her.

she walked straight toward him.

The scrape of the bench made Harsha flinch.
He snapped out of his thoughts, genuinely startled.

A girl.
Sitting beside him.

He jerked upright so quickly that his pen fell.

"Ah-! Oh- uh- sorry! I didn't see- I mean-"

Kavi burst into a small laugh.

"Finally you noticed," she said.
Then she tilted her head, studying him.
"How are you, Harsha? Didn't expect to see you here."

Harsha blinked.

Confused.

Surprised.

Chapter 15: The Key That Returned After Eight Years

Harsha blinked.
“No… sorry.”

So she told him everything.
About the key.
About the fight.
About how she never got to give it back.

-----

Present Day: The Meeting

After lunch, Kavi and Harshan sat outside the lab, the gentle hum of campus life around them. Kavi had just washed her lunchbox and leaned back casually.

“By the way,” she said, “how’s your shoulder now?”

Harsha rotated it slightly.
“Yeah… somehow cured.”

Kavi narrowed her eyes.
“Why are you talking like an old man? Be bold, da.”

Harsha blinked again.
“I… got used to it. But I’ll try.”

“Good. That’s the spirit. Now—your key.”

She placed the key in his hand.

“This key… stayed with me for eight years,” she said proudly.

Harsha stared at it.

“It’s… my terrace key,” he finally said.
“That place used to be my spot. After I lost the key, I… never went again. Until one day”

Remembering ishwaani.....

He didn’t mention

"Maybe then I'll see someone again" he said

"Who is it ? " Kavi asked.

"I'll tell you when time comes " Harsha said having everything inside him.

Kavi then asked her second question—
“How did you even pass the exam? You didn’t attend half the classes!”

Harsha shrugged.
“I went to a tuition center. I actually enjoyed it there. Studied whatever I could. Got bio-math group because of that. But… look where I ended up.”

Kavi laughed.
Then suddenly—

“Okay enough. What are you eating?”

Harsha looked down.
“I skip lunch. Breakfast too. Sometimes dinner.”

She slapped his arm lightly.
“You idiot! Give your stomach something, man!”

Then she split her lunch into half and pushed the box towards him.

He refused.
She forced him.
He ate.

“Thanks… for keeping this key safe,” he said quietly.

“There’s a legend,” she grinned.
“If you keep something of someone’s memory, you’ll meet them again someday. Maybe that’s how I saw you.”

Harsha looked at her,

Again thinking about the ring ishwaani gave....

She continued, “Also… I talked to some girls. They told me not to talk to you.”

Harsha’s eyes lowered.
“If it’s uncomfortable… you don’t have to. I don’t mind.”

“Hey loosu,” she flicked his forehead,
“Why would I listen to them? I don’t care what anyone says. I just wanted to tell you what people say about you.”

That’s when they noticed—

Everyone was staring.

Kavi cursed under her breath.

“Ahh shit. Forgot these people exist.”

She leaned closer and whispered:

“Harsha… be careful. In this city? Once in three days… murder news releases. unofficially ”

Harsha froze.

“Wait… what?”