Prologue
The hum of machines echoed through the silent laboratory as Ayaan Mirza adjusted the settings on his time-travel prototype. His dark eyes scanned the holographic interface, equations dancing in mid-air, each symbol bringing him one step closer to rewriting the rules of time.
It was a lonely life, filled with nothing but numbers, theories, and a dream no one else believed in. He had sacrificed everything for this—relationships, friendships, even his own health.
Tonight, he was closer than ever. The final test run.
But just as he reached for his notes, something strange caught his eye. A single, aged envelope lay on his desk, one he was certain hadn't been there before. The paper was yellowed, fragile as if it had survived decades.
His heartbeat quickened as he picked it up. The ink had faded, but the words were clear.
"To my dearest Ayaan,
If you are reading this, it means fate has led you to the moment we always feared. You may not remember me, but I have loved you in ways time could never erase. Find me before time takes me away again.
I will be waiting for you… in another time.
—Zoya"
A chill ran down his spine. Who was Zoya?
He didn't know anyone by that name. And yet, as his fingers traced the letters, an ache settled in his chest—a deep, unbearable longing for something he couldn't remember.
But the strangest part wasn't the letter itself.
It was the date written at the bottom.
March 17, 1974.
Impossible.
He stood frozen, his mind racing through logical explanations. A prank? A coincidence? But the handwriting… something about it felt painfully familiar.
For the first time in years, Ayaan felt something beyond science and logic. A mystery tied to his name, to a woman he didn't know, and to a love story he had never lived.
And for the first time in his life, he was afraid.
Because deep down, he knew… this letter was real.
And he was about to uncover something that could change everything.