In Another Lifetime

Series 1 – The First Glance

It was a quiet day, filled with both calm and sadness. The air outside was cold, and the wind touched his hands like tiny needles. He wore so many layers that he looked almost like a beggar trying to keep warm. His nose ran endlessly, and his thoughts were all over the place.

Just a few minutes earlier, his blanket had caught fire. Flames had eaten everything—his pillow, his quilt, even his wallet. The smell of smoke still lingered. He stood there, lost and tired, searching for a little peace.

So he put on his hooded jacket and stepped outside.

And that’s when he saw her.

At the far end of the road, she walked slowly toward him. Her long outer scarf hung loosely from her shoulders, and only her face was visible.

That face—he had seen it before. Not in this world, but in his dreams.

He had never met her, yet his heart already knew her. Maybe dreams show us what our souls already remember.

From that moment, every breath of his began to whisper her name—a name he didn’t yet know.

 

Series 2 – The Missed Moment

When she walked closer, even the cold wind seemed to bow. He felt weak in his knees, his heart ready to burst. For a moment, life felt alive again.

The world stood still. Only she moved—and with every step she took, everything around her seemed to move too.

He wanted to call her, to say something—anything. But his mind went blank. He didn’t even know her name.

While he searched for the right words, she walked past him and disappeared into the distance.

His heart sank. It was like waiting all night for a shooting star and missing it when it finally appears.

He stood there, frozen, watching her go. Instead of peace, he found pain. Instead of hope, he found silence.

The wind howled in sympathy, blowing wild and strong, as if sharing his grief.

He returned home with a broken heart and a ten-rupee note in his pocket. He decided he would not give up. He would find her again.

 

Series 3 – The Chase

The next morning, he saw her again—or maybe he only hoped he did. She was walking ahead, and every step she took pulled him forward. His heart beat faster than ever before.

He tried to get closer, but the distance between them never seemed to shrink.

Does she even know me? Does she care?

He shook the thoughts away. Love doesn’t ask such questions—it only moves forward.

Then a car stopped beside her. She bent slightly, opened the door, and got in.

By the time he came back to his senses, the car had already gone.

Only melting snowflakes and silence remained.

He stood there, empty and lost, staring at the road that had taken her away.

He wanted to run after her—to run until the world ended.

And so, he did.

 

Series 4 – The Journey

Fate wasn’t kind. Every time he tried to get closer, life pushed him farther away.

He saw her car again, speeding down the road. He waved at passing vehicles, begging for a lift, but no one stopped.

Then a bus honked loudly and pulled up. He climbed onto the roof—there was no space inside.

The cold wind hit his face hard, but he didn’t care. Love had given him a courage he never knew he had.

He held on tightly as the bus raced through the icy air, dodging trees and wires. He kept his eyes fixed on her car ahead.

Finally, both vehicles stopped. He saw her step out. His heart thumped wildly.

He jumped down, handed the fare collector ten rupees, and walked toward her—slowly, nervously, hopefully.

 

Series 5 – The Disappearance

The street was busy, full of life and noise. He walked on one side; she on the other. He didn’t want her to think he was following, so he stayed across the road.

Now and then, he glanced at her face—but the sunlight never hit her just right. He could never see her clearly.

Then someone called his name. It was Atif, his mischievous friend.

“Ahmed! What are you doing here?”

“Buying a physics book,” Ahmed replied quickly.

Atif laughed. “A physics book—or following a girl?”

Embarrassed, Ahmed looked away. And when he looked back—she was gone.

He searched the crowd, trying to remember the color of her scarf, her shoes, her bag. But everyone looked the same.

He had lost her again.

 

Series 6 – The Search

Ahmed wasn’t someone who asked for help easily. He hated owing people anything. But love makes us do strange things.

He searched every corner of the market, hoping to find her. Then his phone buzzed—his father calling.

“Where are you?”

“Studying, Baba,” he lied.

“You have exams in five months! Come home right now!”

The call left him shaking, but not defeated. He called Atif instead.

“Come meet me. Please.”

After a while, Atif arrived. They searched together.

And then—they found a girl wearing the same outfit. Ahmed’s heart raced.

He ran to the other side of the road and waited for her to turn around. When she finally did—

It wasn’t her.

It was someone else entirely.

Some things in life are better left unseen.

 

Series 7 – The Memory

That face stirred memories from the past. Her name was Sadaf—and she was once his everything.

Years ago, Ahmed and Sadaf had walked side by side through life—laughing, dreaming, holding hands.

But life split their paths. The road that once joined them now led in two different directions.

He thought time had healed him, but seeing her face again—even if it wasn’t really hers—broke the wound open.

He boarded a crowded bus home. The ride was torture—people pushed, shouted, stepped on him. Someone’s elbow hit his face; someone else stained his clothes.

But the real pain was inside. He didn’t die that day—but he saw what heartbreak truly means.

 

Series 8 – The Letter

Years later, a letter found its way to Sadaf. It had slipped out from an old book Ahmed had once given her.

She picked it up, curious. The handwriting was his—slanted and shaky. She began to read.

“I saw you that day, Sadaf. And I swear, the universe folded itself just to frame you in my eyes.”

Every word cut deep. He had poured his heart into that letter—every dream, every ache.

“If love had a weight, I’d be buried under it. But even if I drown, I’ll keep swimming toward you.”

Her eyes filled with tears. She didn’t know whether to smile or cry. She realized—she had never stopped being a part of his story.

 

Series 9 – The Awakening

That night, Sadaf couldn’t sleep. She lay awake, holding the letter to her chest. It felt alive, like his heartbeat was trapped inside it.

She tried to hate him for still loving her. But she couldn’t.

Because the truth was—she still loved him too.

She had left him not because she stopped feeling, but because she was told that love like theirs was too wild, too wrong. She had chosen peace over passion.

But now, his words brought everything back.

In the darkness, she whispered his name. “Ahmed...”

And then, she spoke softly into the silence:

“Ahmed, I never stopped carrying you. I just forgot how heavy you were until tonight. You were always there—breathing, burning, waiting. If love could speak, it would only say your name.”

And for the first time in years, she allowed herself to miss him. Truly, deeply, and without guilt.

 

Series 10 – The Eternal Echo

Ahmed waited. Days became weeks, weeks became months. But no message came.

Still, he hoped.

He kept her letter close—its edges torn, its ink fading, but its meaning eternal.

He knew the truth: They were never meant to meet again. But that didn’t make their love any less real.

Love doesn’t always mean having someone. Sometimes, it means letting them go with peace.

At night, Ahmed would whisper her name—and somewhere far away, Sadaf would whisper his.

They lived different lives, but their hearts beat the same song.

Because some love stories aren’t meant to be lived—they’re meant to be remembered forever.

 

Epilogue – Across the Stars

In the stillness of night, their hearts still meet—Across the stars, in dreams so sweet.

Though fate kept them far apart, They live forever in each other’s heart.

No farewell spoken, no last goodbye, Just whispered love beneath the sky.

Two souls who loved, yet never stayed, A timeless bond that will never fade.

— Written with heart by Owais Wani