Chapter 3: Fated Encounters : A call that changed everything

That night, sleep betrayed me.

Thousands of questions. Racing thoughts.
A storm of curiosity I couldn’t tame.
If I didn’t get my answers soon, I might just explode from the sheer anticipation.

I tossed and turned, restless, my heart drumming against my ribs. My mind screamed for answers, but my memory refused to cooperate. His face—why couldn’t I recall his face?

Frustrated, I reached for his wallet again, my fingers trembling as I flipped through it. My breath hitched when I found it—a photograph tucked neatly inside.

And just like that, my world paused.

I could not take my eyes off him.
Sharp jawline, piercing eyes, a presence that lingered even through the glossy paper.
He looked so good. Too good.

A strange pull. A connection I couldn’t explain.
It felt like I had known him for ages, like the universe had stitched some invisible thread between us.

"Oh my god!"

What is this?
I had never felt this way before—this sudden, reckless attraction.
This stranger, this man, had catapulted my emotions into a free fall.
I didn’t even know what love was supposed to feel like,
Yet somehow, I felt it now.

"Control yourself, woman!" I scolded myself, shaking my head.
"You can never judge a book by its cover.
He might be a CID officer, but that ID card doesn’t tell me who he truly is."

"Cut the crap and just sleep," my brain warned.
But my heart? Oh, my heart was already dancing.

With one last look at his photograph, I made a decision.
"Okay, I’ll call him first thing in the morning."
Tucking the wallet away, I let exhaustion finally take over.

The Next Morning

With trembling fingers, I dialed his number.

Ring 1… no response.
Ring 2… still nothing.
Ring 3… silence.
Ring 10…

"Hello? Who is this?"

A voice—deep, commanding, sharp enough to slice through my nerves.

I froze. My throat went dry.
"This… is…"
Panic took over. My breath hitched.
I cut the call.

My phone rang almost instantly.

"Hello, Miss? Who are you? Are you okay? Do you need any help?"

His voice, firm yet concerned, sent shivers down my spine.

Of course, he’d react this way. Any normal person would.
I swallowed. "Are you busy?" I asked, my voice barely steady.

"Please, can you make this quick?" he said, impatience lacing his words.

Arrogant. Just as I suspected.

"Oh my god, so arrogant," I muttered under my breath.

"Miss… whatever, I am very busy. I don’t have time for idiotic chats. If you’re in the mood to flirt, go find someone else and leave me alone," he grunted.

Excuse me?!

???? Anger ignited, slow and steady, burning through my veins.

"Mr. Arjun! I am neither in the mood to chat nor flirt with you!"
I took a deep breath, gripping the phone tighter.
"I found your wallet on the sidewalk yesterday. I thought I’d do the decent thing and return it. But you? You’re just plain mean!"

A pause.

"Oh… I’m sorry," he said, his tone softer now.
"Thank you. But I’m a little busy right now. I’ll meet you in the evening to collect my stuff."

Click.

He hung up.

He. Hung. Up.

Silence.

My fingers curled into a fist around the phone.
I blinked. Once. Twice.
Did this man just—?!

"What the hell?! Meet me in the evening? Where? Near his grave? What an asshole!"

With a frustrated groan, I grabbed a pillow and hurled it across the room. It thumped against the wall and flopped lifelessly to the floor—useless, just like this conversation had been.

I let out a slow, shaky breath, my heart still racing.

Is the wallet just lost, or holding a key?
A hidden truth or mystery?
When their paths at last align,
Will it be chaos… or a sign?

Will Arjun actually meet her in the evening, or will fate have other plans?