Parallel Hearts : Two Worlds, One Love

Saharsh and Deepak entered Saharsh's room like two brave soldiers marching into battle—or, at least, one brave soldier and one overdramatic companion.

Just before stepping in, Deepak paused at the doorway, looked up dramatically, and muttered, "Are you ready to die for your friend?"

Saharsh shot him a look. "You're not dying, fat-brain. Shut your mouth and move. Or stay out here—I'll check it alone."

"No, no! I'm ready to die. Let's go!" Deepak replied, puffing his chest as if he were charging into war.

They both entered the room with exaggerated pride. Saharsh looked around thoughtfully. "So what do you think could be the center of all this? It was your idea, after all."

Deepak squinted, thinking deeply as he slowly scanned the room. After a few seconds of intense observation, he said, "I have no idea."

Saharsh rolled his eyes. "You're useless."

"Hey! Don't forget, this was my idea," Deepak snapped back.

But then his eyes lit up as if struck by a flash of genius. "Wait! Think about every time this happens. Where do you always swap from?"

Saharsh's eyes widened. "My bed."

"Exactly! Maybe there's something under your bed."

Saharsh raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this isn't another excuse to raid my snack stash?"

"I swear on all the paneer in the world, I'm serious," Deepak declared. Then he hesitated. "But what if we end up in another unknown universe and just... die?"

"Stop whining," Saharsh said, already bending to check under the bed.

Deepak followed, crawling cautiously.

They checked every plank, nail, and inch of flooring. Nothing. Not even a scratch or marking to hint at something unusual.

Both crawled out and looked at each other, silently asking the same question: Now what?

After a moment of silence, Saharsh said, "Archit."

"Archit?"

"My senior from school. He works as a junior scientist in a lab—one that deals with frequency research. They experiment with different levels and even try to support string theory with real-world data."

Deepak leaned in. "And how exactly do you plan to get help from him without telling him anything?"

"That's the problem," Saharsh admitted. "If I tell him the truth, he'll go public. He's the type who'd announce it to the world. And I can't handle that."

"Oh, so now you're scared of being famous?" Deepak teased.

"You know why," Saharsh replied sharply. "Don't bring that up."

"Okay, fine. No more background talk," Deepak said. "So what do we do?"

"We meet him tomorrow. It's been years. Let's first see what he's working on, how he's doing. Maybe we'll find a way to steer the conversation and get what we need. If we go in blindly, we'll only bring more problems."

"Right," Deepak agreed. "Let's try."

Saharsh picked up his phone and dialed Archit.

"Hello? Who's this?"

"Archit Bhaiya, it's Saharsh. From school. Your junior. Hostel roommate."

"Saharsh! It's been ages, man. I only had your Instagram. What's up?"

"Actually, Bhaiya, we're working on a project—something involving frequency anomalies. I was hoping to meet you and learn more. You're the best person I know in this field."

"Ahh, good to hear you're into something real. If you need internships or jobs in this domain, just ask. I'm always here."

"Thank you, Bhaiya. Can we meet tomorrow?"

"Sure. Come to my office. We'll head to my place from there. I also have some good news to share."

"Awesome. See you tomorrow."

"Bye!"

Saharsh hung up.

"So... we'll know more after meeting him," Deepak said.

Saharsh exhaled. "Yeah. I've taken this whole swapping thing too calmly. Maybe because Rakshita is stuck in it with me, I never really felt the fear. But now that I think about it, it's terrifying."

Deepak spoke softly. "Maybe your inheritance—your lineage—has something to do with this. You're not... ordinary."

"Don't," Saharsh interrupted, suddenly tense. "We—my family and I—pretend to be normal, but it's exhausting. Just drop it."

"Okay, okay. No more poking." Deepak smiled. "Want to go to the roof and use your fancy telescope?"

"Let's go," Saharsh said, already walking.

"Jo hukum, mere aaka," Deepak said with a mock bow, only to get flicked on the forehead.

They both sank into beanbags beside the telescope. Two eyepieces. One sky.

Minutes passed as they stargazed in silence.

"I understand why you've been calm," Deepak broke the quiet. "But what about Rakshita? She handled all this like it was nothing."

"I don't know how she's doing it," Saharsh replied. "But there's something about her... she doesn't panic. She listens. She thinks. Maybe that's why it's easier when she's around."

"It's like watching a sci-fi anime unfold in real life," Deepak chuckled. "Almost feels like 'Your Name'."

"This is different. We didn't swap souls."

"Still... the vibes are strong. And you falling for someone who handles chaos with such grace? Unexpected."

"I HAVEN'T fallen for anyone!" Saharsh said, flustered.

"Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that." Deepak grinned.

Saharsh stood up, walking to the edge of the rooftop. The city sparkled below—lights, buildings, distant sounds of vehicles cutting through the night.

He stared, lost in thought. Has Rakshita ever seen this view? Even with all its glow, he missed the earthy calm of village nights.

He looked down at the pendant he wore. Inside, a photo of him and his Dadaji.

"It was easier when I believed people became stars after death... maybe I would've searched for you in the sky, Dadaji, if I didn't know the truth."

A single tear rolled down.

Deepak, watching silently, let the moment be.

Later, they returned to the room.

Deepak fell asleep instantly.

Saharsh lay wide-eyed, thoughts spinning. Tomorrow is Wednesday. If we get something from Archit Bhaiya... can we even make sense of it in time?

He thought of home. Maybe I should visit. Maybe the stories weren't stories after all.

Eventually, he drifted into sleep.

Only to be woken by Deepak—wielding a sword.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! That's not a toy! It's real!"

"I know it's real! That's why it's so cool! Teach me!"

"It's not practical. I learned it from Dadaji, but it's not useful in real life."

"Still... it's cool. Give it to me!"

"Shut up and put it back. THIS is why I don't invite you."

"But Rakshita comes every Sunday—"

"She doesn't know about the locker. Or where it is."

"Aha! You DO still care. That makes me more important."

"Just shut up, Deepak."

"FINEEE," Deepak groaned, reluctantly putting the sword back.

Saharsh threw a pillow at him, laughing softly. "You're impossible."

Deepak caught it. "And you still keep me around. That's loyalty."