FLASHBACK CONTINUES – INT. AHAAN'S OFFICE – NEXT MORNING
Dim morning light filters through the half-closed blinds.
Ahaan wakes up groggily on the couch.
His head throbs.
His shirt is wrinkled. His coffee sits cold beside him.
He sits up slowly, rubbing his temples.
AHAAN (groggy):
"…Mahi?"
No answer.
He stands, confused. Looks around the room.
There's no sign of her.
His phone is dead.
His mind foggy.
He checks the security camera monitor next to his desk — the screen is blacked out.
AHAAN (to himself):
"Did she come back or… was that…?"
The memory is blurry — flashes of someone touching him, someone saying his name — but her face isn't clear.
He runs a hand through his messy hair.
---
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE – MOMENTS LATER
Ahaan steps out of his office and sees a cleaning lady picking up something from the floor.
Crumbs.
Crumpled muffin wrappers.
And next to it — a small gift bag with a note half-crumpled inside.
He picks it up carefully.
> "Surprise :) Happy birthday, sleepyhead. I came a day early… but guess I was the one surprised. – Mahi"
His heart drops.
AHAAN (whispers):
"No… no, Mahi—"
He spins around, rushes down the corridor to the exit gate.
---
EXT. INTELLIGENCE BASE – SAME MOMENT
He dials her number.
Switched off.
Calls again.
Unreachable.
He stands in the parking lot, barefoot, eyes scanning the empty street.
Thunder cracks in the sky. Rain begins to fall.
---
INT. MISHRI'S ROOM – SAME TIME
Mishri sits on her bed, calm as ever.
Drying her hair with a towel.
She looks at the screen showing a glitched camera feed — she disabled it before slipping the powder into his coffee.
She smiles faintly.
MISHRI (softly):
"And just like that…
she's gone."
She opens her drawer, pulling out a burned photo — Mahi and Ahaan, smiling in the rain.
She watches it burn away completely this time.
---
INT. AHAAN'S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Ahaan sits alone in the dark, drenched in guilt.
Still calling.
Still no answer.
A tear runs down his cheek — but he doesn't even notice.
AHAAN (broken):
"What did I do…?"