Unforgotten Love

1

Chapter 1

The Man From Her Past

"Mumma, can I have chocolate pancakes today?"

Anaya Mehra glanced at her five-year-old son, who was sitting at the dining table with a spoon in his hand and a hopeful smile on his face.

"You asked for chocolate pancakes yesterday."

Kabir grinned. "And they were very good."

"Nice try."

He dramatically sighed before resting his chin on the table.

"You never support my dreams."

Anaya laughed despite herself.

"Your dreams seem to involve eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"That's because chocolate is amazing."

The little boy's expression was so serious that she couldn't help smiling.

There were days when Kabir felt like the only thing holding her together.

The only reason she kept moving forward.

The only reason she never regretted the choice she had made five years ago.

Even if that choice had cost her everything.

Her smile faded slightly.

Five years.

Five years since she had walked away from the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.

Five years since she had disappeared without giving him an explanation.

Five years since she had chosen her unborn child over her own happiness.

"Mumma?"

Kabir's voice pulled her back.

"Hm?"

"You're thinking again."

She blinked.

The boy was far too observant for his age.

"I'm always thinking."

"You get a sad face when you think."

Anaya reached over and pinched his cheek gently.

"Finish your breakfast."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously but obeyed.

A few hours later, after dropping him at school, Anaya headed straight to the office.

Her event management company had been struggling for months. They weren't failing, but they weren't exactly thriving either.

Which was why the excitement in the office surprised her.

Everyone seemed unusually energetic.

Riya rushed toward her the moment she entered.

"You're finally here!"

Anaya frowned.

"What happened?"

Riya grabbed both her shoulders.

"We got it."

"Got what?"

"The contract."

Anaya stared at her blankly.

Then realization dawned.

"The charity gala?"

"Yes!"

Anaya's eyes widened.

The charity gala was one of the biggest projects they had ever applied for. Winning it would guarantee financial stability for months.

The entire office erupted into celebration.

Even their boss looked close to tears.

For the first time in weeks, Anaya felt a weight lift from her chest.

Things were finally getting better.

Or so she thought.

"There's one more thing," her boss announced.

Everyone quieted.

"The client has requested a meeting tomorrow morning."

"That's normal," someone said.

"It is."

The smile slowly disappeared from his face.

"The client is Rathore Industries."

Anaya froze.

The name hit her like a physical blow.

Rathore Industries.

One of the most powerful business empires in the country.

Hotels.

Real estate.

Luxury brands.

Money beyond imagination.

But that wasn't why her heartbeat suddenly became uneven.

Because there was only one Rathore she knew.

Only one man whose surname had haunted her for years.

No.

It couldn't be.

Thousands of people worked there.

The chances of meeting him were practically nonexistent.

Right?

Yet that uneasy feeling refused to leave her.

The next morning, she stood outside the headquarters of Rathore Industries.

The glass skyscraper towered over the city like a monument to power.

Anaya tightened her grip on her file.

She hated feeling nervous.

Especially when she didn't know why.

The receptionist escorted her team to the executive floor.

Everything about the place screamed wealth and control.

Polished marble floors.

Luxury décor.

Employees moving with quiet efficiency.

It felt like stepping into a completely different world.

The conference room was already prepared.

Anaya took her seat and opened her laptop.

The presentation loaded on the screen.

Her palms felt strangely cold.

Beside her, Riya nudged her.

"You okay?"

"Of course."

"You don't look okay."

"I'm fine."

Before Riya could respond, the door opened.

Several executives entered first.

Then more.

The room immediately straightened.

Clearly someone important was arriving.

Anaya lowered her gaze to her notes.

She didn't bother looking up.

Until the room suddenly became silent.

A different kind of silence.

The kind that made people stop breathing.

Something inside her twisted.

Slowly, she looked up.

And her world stopped.

A tall man stood at the entrance.

Black suit.

Broad shoulders.

Sharp features.

Dark eyes.

Eyes she would recognize anywhere.

Even after five years.

Aarav Rathore.

The file slipped from her fingers and landed on the floor.

The sound echoed through the room.

His gaze instinctively moved toward her.

The moment their eyes met, he froze.

For a second, neither of them moved.

Neither of them spoke.

The years between them seemed to disappear.

The late-night phone calls.

The promises.

The laughter.

The heartbreak.

The goodbye she never gave.

Everything came rushing back.

Shock flickered across Aarav's face.

It vanished almost instantly.

Replaced by something colder.

Something harder.

Something that made Anaya's chest tighten.

He looked away first.

As if she were a stranger.

As if she had never mattered.

The thought hurt more than it should have.

The meeting began.

People talked.

Presentations were discussed.

Questions were asked.

Anaya heard none of it.

Because she could feel his presence from across the room.

And somehow that was worse than looking at him.

Five years ago, she had left because she believed it was the only way to keep their child safe.

Now she wasn't even sure she had the strength to sit in the same room as him.

The meeting finally ended.

Relief flooded through her.

She quickly gathered her things.

All she wanted was to leave.

Immediately.

She stepped into the hallway.

Then stopped.

A familiar voice spoke behind her.

A voice she had spent years trying to forget.

"Five years."

Anaya's breath caught.

Slowly, she turned around.

Aarav was standing there.

Alone.

His expression was unreadable.

But his eyes were anything but calm.

There was anger in them.

Confusion.

Hurt.

And a thousand unanswered questions.

He took a step closer.

Then another.

Until only a few feet separated them.

"Five years," he repeated quietly. "And this is how I find you?"

Anaya couldn't find her voice.

Aarav laughed bitterly.

It was the kind of laugh that carried old wounds.

"You disappeared without a word."

His gaze locked onto hers.

"Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

And for the first time in five years, Anaya realized that walking away hadn't only broken her heart.

It had broken his too.

To be continued...