With each step towards Vrinda's room, his heart grew heavier, echoing the multitude of emotions coursing through him. In his tumultuous mind, a whirlwind of thousands of unsettling possibilities unfolded, each more disconcerting than the previous, and none bringing solace to his troubled thoughts.

A part of him, the friend of Vrinda in him, wondered if Destiny would choose to shower mercy upon him. He imagined her reading through the book, her memory returning with each page. But deep down, he knew it was a far-fetched dream, a glimmer of fading hope in his heart.

His mind wandered, contemplating whether she secretly desired to meet Vivaan, the man she had dedicated the book to, holding it in his trembling hands. Would the fervent affection conveyed by the meticulously crafted words elicit the same feeling within her?

Though they were physically close, the emotional chasm between them felt immeasurable. If she were to insist on meeting the person she had idolized in her book, he would be left awkwardly shifting on his feet, desperately trying to string words together to form an excuse.

He scoffed at himself, realizing the predicament he had gotten himself into, as his restless fingers traced the elegant handwriting of the woman who had left an indelible mark on his heart.

As he grappled with numerous unanswered questions, his conscience remained steadfast, urging him to follow through with his decision to present her with the memories, forever preserved in her own words.

He pushed the ball into her court, waiting to see how she would respond. He would kneel, his head bowed in surrender, silently praying for a miracle to wash over her and restore her jumbled memories. Regardless of whether she chose to love him as Vivaan or Vihaan, or not love him at all, he would honor and accept her decision, just like he had with every other choice they had made in the past.

"Vihaan! Look who decided to show up! I thought you were tied up and couldn't make it today. I did not expect to long for your presence this intensely," she confessed, her lips curving into a joyous smile as her eyes shimmered with undeniable attraction.

"Indeed. Sorry, something came up, but I promised to see you every day. How could I possibly break my promise?" He asked, a slight smile forming at the corner of his lips, captivated by her enthusiasm to meet him.

He had made a solemn vow to himself to honor every promise he made to her from that moment on, determined to never break her heart or repeat the heartless mistakes of their past.

"Who knows, right? I thought maybe your girlfriend called or you had a date," she said, being nosy. Her unexpected query left Vivaan stunned, his eyes narrowing in response.

"My girlfriend?" he questioned, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What makes you believe that I am in a relationship? I don't have one," he replied, struggling to control the surge of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him, his voice cracking under the strain. Her flared nostrils conveyed the unmistakable certainty of her envy, creating a bittersweet moment that tugged at his heart.

"I noticed a picture of a girl on your phone that day when you were helping me walk. I thought she was your girlfriend because you don't have a sister," she said, smiling even more after he answered. There was a twinkle of cheerfulness in her doe-like eyes, and annoyance melted away, replaced by pure joy.

She couldn't comprehend why the knowledge of his lack of commitment brought her joy, but she allowed herself to be consumed by the overwhelming emotion. Many things lay on the floor of her subconsciousness, a jumbled mess that both perplexed and troubled her, offering no resolution.

Furthermore, the man in question shows no inclination to address their previous relationship, leaving her no option but to experience relief as her jealousy fades.

A mischievous desire to taunt her crawled its way into his heart, causing a subtle grin to grace his lips. "Oh, that one! It's a picture of someone special to me, you know. She's too awesome to be labeled as just my girlfriend," he responded.

The jealousy, which had disappeared before, came back and made her frown.

"Who's she?You never mentioned this 'Ms. to me. Special' till now," she demanded, her flared nostrils and flushed face widening the smirk playing on his lips. Just as he was about to disclose that it was her picture, he paused, recognizing that doing so would only add another layer of complexity to the situation, particularly after the vivid description he had just given.

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. "Forget that. I will tell you at a later time." He held out the book towards her, saying, "I got something for you," and she grabbed it from him with a hint of anger, her fingers trembling.

So, you like taking advantage of me not remembering anything about us?" Her voice filled with reproach. She looked away from him, her fingertips delicately tracing the intricate patterns on the book's cover.

With a deep sigh filled with regret and disappointment, he uttered, "You do not know." The smirk and the ghost of a smile vanished and the corners of his lips twitched downwards with the burden of remorse and agony pulling them down.

She let out an exasperated huff and rolled her eyes in response to his answer. As Vrinda opened the book, her eyes widened in shock at the first line.

"It's for Vivaan. Why are you handing it over to me?" she asked, looking at him and reading the sadness swirling in his eyes. The handwriting, familiar and comforting, flooded her mind with memories, while the name itself sent shivers down her spine.

"Read the first page, you'll get it," he said, looking away, worried she'd misunderstand.

Her expressions shifted rapidly as she read the message - surprise turning to shock, and eventually settling into an unexpressed agony. Her perturbed demeanor became evident as she tightened her lips and gripped the book tightly, revealing her inner turmoil to the person sitting beside her.

"Vivaan and I... we were lovers?" Her tone was filled with anxiety and panic. Words failed the man, leaving him with only the option to affirm or deny through gestures.

"This note says it's a wedding gift. Did we tie the knot?" Her eyes narrowed, and stress lines creased her forehead as she demanded an answer. Her mind became a battleground of a thousand more questions, all triggered by the original inquiry.

If she was married to Vivaan, it would mean that she had someone by her side, her supposed best friend, to share her life with. Yet, it would also indicate that her burgeoning sentiments for her fresh confidante were an act of disloyalty. As the conflict between the past and present intensified, she found herself questioning whether she could ever find clarity about the future.

"No, you weren't," he replied, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him as he realized his refusal would haunt him indefinitely.

"Oh," she sighed in relief, her voice barely above a whisper as she muttered under her breath, "I thought, you and me..."

The weight of her unspoken words hung heavy in the air, as she wrestled with her emotions, unable to bring herself to complete her statement. Dread pooled in the pit of her stomach, extinguishing any trace of enthusiasm in her thoughts. She had long believed that the man beside her felt more than friendship, and she interpreted her own blossoming emotions as a response to his. The news of loving someone, particularly Vihaan's own cousin, in such an intense manner that the love letter addressed to him unleashed a sense of warmth, left her in an unimaginable quandary.

It seemed unjust to her that she had experienced such profound love in the past, yet had no recollection of those cherished memories. It seemed unjust to the man that he had been forgotten by her, along with his love.

Caught in a web of uncertainty, Vivaan grappled with the weight of her words. He couldn't resist reading the last chapter of the book, forsaking the chance to savor every page written by his beloved. Little did he know, she had poured her heart and soul into every incident, even the darkest moments they had shared, along with countless unanswered questions for him.

He had always been resolute in his decision to disclose his identity to Vrinda only once she discovers the whole truth, believing it was best for everyone involved.

Vivaan found himself tangled in the very dilemma he had created, and frustration washed over him as he reflected on his choices. The choice before Vrinda was not an easy one - she had to decide between the one her heart had worshipped and the one she had expressed her deepest feelings to.