Meher woke up suddenly.
Her heart was beating fast, like she had been running in a dream. For a few seconds she just sat there on the bed, staring at the wall across from her. The room looked the same.
Same light blue curtains.
Same small study table covered with books.
Same photo frame of her and Rhea from years ago.
But something inside her chest felt heavy. Then it hit her. This day. Her stomach tightened. "I remember this…" she whispered.
In her last life, this was the day everything started going wrong. The day Rhea created another scene. The day her parents blamed her again. And just like she remembered. The door opened suddenly.
Rhea walked in without knocking.
Her hair was still a little messy, and she had that same irritated look on her face.
"Seriously, Meher?" she said, folding her arms. "You're just going to ignore what happened yesterday?"
Meher looked at her quietly. In her last life, she had panicked here. She had apologized immediately, afraid the fight would get worse. But now she knew exactly how this conversation would go.
"You pushed me into the pool," Rhea continued, her voice rising. "In front of everyone. Do you know how embarrassing that was?"
Meher blinked slowly. You pushed me first, she thought. But last time, no one had listened.
Rhea stepped closer to the bed.
"Mom and Dad are really angry," she said. "You should just say sorry before they come in here."
Meher studied her face. The fake concern. The little smile she was trying to hide. Everything was exactly the same. Except Meher wasn't the same girl anymore.
"I'm not apologizing," Meher said calmly.
Rhea frowned. "What?", "I said I'm not apologizing." For a second Rhea just stared at her.
"You're unbelievable," she snapped. "You're the one who pushed me!"
Meher tilted her head slightly. "You slipped because you grabbed my arm." Rhea scoffed loudly. "Wow. So now you're making up stories?" Meher felt the familiar anger rising in her chest, but she kept her voice steady.
"You know what happened."
Rhea rolled her eyes dramatically. "Whatever. Stay stubborn then. When Dad comes in here, don't start crying." Meher almost smiled. Last time I cried, she thought. This time she wouldn't. Rhea walked toward the door but stopped before leaving.
"Oh, and by the way," she added casually, "Aarav asked about you yesterday."
The name made Meher's chest tighten. For a moment she couldn't breathe. In her last life, hearing that name had made her blush. Now it just made her cold.
Rhea watched her reaction carefully.
"See?" she said with a smirk. "I knew that would get your attention."
Meher looked straight at her. "Tell him not to bother." Rhea blinked.
" What?", "I'm not interested." That wiped the smirk off her face. "You're acting really weird today," Rhea muttered. Then she shook her head and opened the door.
"Fine. Be dramatic."
And with that, she walked out. The door closed behind her. The room fell quiet again. Meher slowly leaned back against the wall. Her hands were shaking. "God…" she whispered softly. Everything was happening exactly the same.
The same words.
The same arguments.
The same manipulations.
But this time…
She was changing the script. She looked toward the photo frame on the table. Her and Rhea smiling at the camera. It felt like a picture of two strangers. "I'm not that girl anymore," Meher said quietly.
And this time, she meant it.