15. PAST

Murad stood at the entrance of the storeroom, the air thick with the scent of dust and forgotten memories. He hesitated for a moment, the dim light casting long shadows across the room. Determination set in his jaw, he stepped forward, his footsteps echoing softly against the wooden floor.

He scanned the shelves, each one cluttered with boxes and items from a life that seemed distant and fragmented. Finally, his eyes landed on a worn, leather-bound album tucked away in a corner. He reached for it, his fingers brushing off the thick layer of dust that had accumulated over the years.

With a deep breath, he carried the album to a nearby table and gently opened it. The pages creaked with age, revealing photographs of smiling children, their faces frozen in moments of joy and innocence. His heart ached as he recognized his younger self among them, surrounded by friends whose names he could barely recall.

Murad's eyes lingered on each photo, his mind straining to piece together the fragmented memories. Laughter echoed faintly in his ears, and snippets of old conversations danced at the edges of his consciousness. He saw himself playing on the school grounds, participating in class activities, and sharing secrets with friends.

Then, his gaze landed on a photo that made his breath catch. There she was—Taliya. She stood beside him, her shy smile captured forever in the photograph. Her eyes, so familiar yet distant, seemed to hold a secret that he couldn't grasp. The sight of her triggered a cascade of blurred images and emotions, flooding his mind with a mix of warmth and pain.

As the memories surged, Murad's head began to throb. He closed his eyes, willing the pain to subside, but it only intensified. The laughter grew louder, and the once-pleasant echoes turned into a cacophony of confusion. He snapped the album shut, the sound reverberating through the quiet room.

Murad staggered back, pressing a hand to his temple. The headache was relentless, a sharp reminder of the gaps in his memory and the turmoil that lay hidden within. He took a few deep breaths, trying to steady himself, but the disjointed fragments of his past refused to settle.

He leaned against the table, his eyes squeezed shut, as he fought to regain control. The memories were like elusive phantoms, haunting him with their incomplete stories and unanswered questions. He needed to understand, to uncover the truth, but the journey was fraught with pain and uncertainty.

Murad's resolve hardened. He couldn't afford to give up now. He needed to piece together his past, to understand the role Taliya had played in his life. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was the key to unlocking the mysteries that plagued his mind.

As the throbbing in his head subsided, Murad carefully placed the album back on the table. He knew he had to approach this with caution, to delve into his memories step by step. The path ahead was daunting, but he was determined to walk it, no matter the cost.

With a final, lingering glance at the closed album, Murad turned and left the storeroom. The echoes of the past still whispered in his ears, but he was ready to face them. He know would uncover the truth, one fragment at a time, and find the answers that had eluded him for so

TheTnpast haunted him until he went to bed. Climbing over the bed, he laid and turned off the light from the switch behind the bed. As they darkness engulfed his room, snippets of Taliya laughing and talking invaded his mind and he felt uncomfortable in his own skin. He tried to not think about her but he knew that at one point, Taliya is related to his past.

"Past is like stars, not because how they shine but because of we can see them even after they have died." The faint words echoed in his ears making him sweat in pain and fear. He curled into a ball as the loud thunder struck made him startle. Soon, the exhaustion creeped upto his as he dozed off into his slumber.

~☆~

Murad sat in his office, staring out of the large window that overlooked the bustling city below. The view was a blur of motion and color, but his mind was elsewhere, entangled in a web of conflicting thoughts and emotions. His encounter with Taliya at Rose Peak, and the subsequent fragments of memories it had stirred, left him feeling more lost than ever.

Every meeting with Taliya seemed to plunge him deeper into a storm of confusion and pain. The fleeting moments of recognition, the sharp headaches, and the emotions he couldn't fully comprehend—each encounter was a disaster, pulling him further away from clarity and peace.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched across his face. He knew Taliya was connected to his past, a past that was now a fragmented puzzle. But was it worth the pain to dig through those memories? Could he really handle uncovering the truths buried deep within his mind?

Murad's phone buzzed, breaking his reverie. He glanced at the screen; it was a message from Fahad, informing him of an upcoming board meeting. He sighed, setting the phone aside. The demands of his present life seemed trivial compared to the turmoil raging inside him.

He stood up and began to pace the room, his thoughts a chaotic swirl. Moving on from the past seemed like the logical choice. Focus on the present, build a future free from the shadows of forgotten memories. But every time he tried to let go, the image of Taliya would resurface, bringing with it an ache that refused to be ignored.

Murad paused, looking at his reflection in the window. The man staring back at him was a stranger, caught between two worlds—one he couldn't remember and one he couldn't fully embrace. His reflection blurred, and he closed his eyes, trying to steady his racing heart.

He thought of Taliya's face, the mix of sorrow and determination in her eyes. She knew something about his past, something important. But every encounter with her was a reminder of the helplessness that plagued him. How could he confront her when he couldn't even confront his own memories?

A knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts. Fahad entered, his expression concerned. "Murad, are you okay? You seem distracted."

Murad forced a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm fine, Fahad. Just a lot on my mind."
Earlier in the day, Murad has asked Fahad to drop the honorific when addressing him. Maybe, it was because of he didn't had any friend until Fahad; Fahad himself calls him his friend.

Fahad nodded, but his eyes remained worried. "If you need to talk, I'm here. You don't have to go through this alone."

Murad appreciated the offer, but he knew this was a journey he had to undertake on his own. He needed to make a choice—dig into the past and face whatever truths lay hidden or let go and focus on the future.

After Fahad left, Murad returned to his desk and picked up a pen. He began to scribble on a notepad, his thoughts spilling out in fragmented sentences. The act of writing seemed to clear his mind, if only a little.

"I need to know," he wrote. "I need to understand what happened and why it haunts me. But I also need to protect myself from the pain it brings."

He paused, staring at the words. The duality of his dilemma was stark. He was stuck, unable to move forward without first looking back, yet terrified of what he might find.

Murad set the pen down and took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do, even if it scared him. He had to face Taliya again, to seek the answers that only she could provide. It was the only way to free himself from the chains of his fragmented memories.

Determined, he stood up and grabbed his coat. The path ahead was uncertain, but he was ready to walk it. He would confront Taliya, dig into the past, and uncover the truths that had eluded him for so long. Only then could he hope to find peace and truly move on.

As he stepped out of his office, Murad felt a mix of fear and resolve. The fear churned in his guts making him drop the idead of meeting Taliya.

The sudden arrival of Fahad startled him, making him come out of his trance.

"Tell me what's wrong, Murad?" He asked crossing his arm, taking over the full duty to protect his just newly made friend.

"I am stuck, I want confront her but I-"

"Did you asked her out for dinner?" Fahad stopped his hand movements by his hands making Murad look away.

"And why is that?" He asked again, raising his left eyebrow.

"Every encounter with her makes me go into a land of blur memory and it pains very bad in the head just because if those memory." He explained with his slow hand movements.

"Then problem is solved, her existence is harming you health. You need to avoid her and about your amnesia. Follow your dietary plan and take your medications on time. You will remember everything soon." Fahad explained him making the ugly and nasty feeling take over his guts.

Half-heartedly he nodded and went back to his office.

If Taliya saw him, obeying his assistant's words, her eyes would have been widened like soccer. Because this Murad was nothing like the other one.