The Ideal Stranger

Chapter 29: Echoes of the Past

  The days that followed were a blur of fear and paranoia. Aanya tried to go about her life, but every shadow felt like a threat, every stranger like a potential danger. She jumped at small noises, her mind constantly on high alert. The officers outside her apartment were a comfort, but even they couldn't erase the feeling that Kabir was still out there, watching from somewhere just beyond her reach.

  One evening, unable to bear the suffocating tension any longer, Aanya went through the old photo albums again, searching for more clues about Kabir. She flipped through the pictures of birthday parties, school events, and family gatherings, looking for any sign of him. There he was, always in the background, blending in with the other kids—his presence so unremarkable that she had never noticed him before.

  But now, with the weight of hindsight, every image felt like a warning.

  In one photo, taken during a school play when she was ten, Aanya spotted him in the far corner of the auditorium, staring at her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. He was watching her even then, a silent observer, unseen and unnoticed.

  She turned the page, her heart pounding faster. What else had she missed?

  Then, something caught her eye. A folded piece of paper, tucked between the pages of the album. Her fingers trembled as she pulled it out, unfolding it carefully. It was a note, written in a child's handwriting.

  "I see you, Aanya. I'll always see you."

  The breath caught in her throat as the realization hit her. This wasn't just a note. It was from Kabir. He had left it for her all those years ago, hidden away in the album, waiting for her to find it.

  She dropped the note, her hands shaking. Kabir had been planning this for years—long before she ever realized he existed.

  Her phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. It was another message from Raj.

  Raj: We found something. Meet me at the station.