Navigating the Unknown

Siya woke with a start, her eyes fluttering open to unfamiliar surroundings. A dull ache spread across her temples as her gaze swept the room, struggling to make sense of the chaos in her mind. The bedroom was small, simple—a far cry from the sleek, modern apartment she was used to. The bed beneath her was large, dressed in plain linens, and a wooden dresser stood against one wall, next to a bedside table holding an oil lamp. She spotted three doors: one leading to a closet, another to a second bedroom, and the last to a bathroom.

Confusion gnawed at her, making her feel like a stranger in her own skin. She raised her hands to her face, and her heart froze.

These hands…

They weren’t hers.

Her fingers were thinner, paler than she remembered. Trembling, Siya scrambled out of bed and rushed to a nearby mirror. What she saw in the reflection wasn’t her. It was someone else—someone completely foreign.

Her mind spun in panic, and suddenly, a searing headache struck, forcing her to clutch her head in pain. Images flooded her mind—memories that weren’t her own, but felt real nonetheless. She remembered the moment she received her award for excellence in the medical field, the pride on her parents' faces, and the drive home afterward. But then… the accident. The crash. The shattering of glass.

"I died…" she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "But how…?"

As the pain subsided, clarity began to settle. Slowly, she pieced together what had happened. Her soul—her very essence—had been transported into another body. The body of a 20-year-old woman named Aria Sharma.

Siya's breath caught in her throat again as another realization hit her. This wasn’t just a random body. Aria was married. And the year was 1997.

She took a few steps back, her legs weak, as more of Aria’s memories flooded in. Unlike Siya, Aria was… difficult. Temperamental, always looking for a reason to pick a fight, especially with her husband. Aria had been raised in the city, where life was full of comforts, but now she lived in a remote area, 300 miles away from the bustling streets. And her relationship with her husband, Ayan, was far from perfect. They fought constantly. Aria resented him, rarely missing an opportunity to taunt or make his life harder.

In fact, Aria hadn’t even shared a bed with him in months.

Siya shivered as a cold draft swept through the room. She pulled the thin blanket tighter around herself and turned to examine the space again. There were two rooms—one for Aria, and one for Ayan. His room, much like hers, was humble and decorated in a simple, modest style. Nothing here spoke of wealth or luxury.

Siya’s stomach churned. She had no idea how to live this life, how to navigate this era with its limited conveniences. As she moved toward the stove to start a fire, she paused, staring helplessly at the unfamiliar contraption. She had no idea how to use it. Growing up in a wealthy family and living in the modern world had shielded her from such basic tasks.

Now, thrust into a life of simplicity and isolation, Siya realized that surviving here was going to be more difficult than she had ever imagined.

Siya’s breath came in shallow bursts as the reality of her situation began to settle in. This was her life now, or rather, Aria's life—a life filled with frustrations, distant relationships, and an unfamiliar world. Everything about this existence was wrong, yet it felt unnervingly real.

As her eyes scanned the room once again, searching for something that might ground her, she heard a faint creak behind her. The door opened slowly, and there, standing in the threshold, was Ayan.

He looked younger than she expected—mid-twenties, with strong features, dark hair neatly combed, and eyes that seemed to hold both weariness and restraint. His presence was solid, commanding, even though he stood quietly, observing her with an unreadable expression.

“Aria?” he called, his voice even, calm. "You’re awake."

Siya swallowed hard, uncertain how to respond. Aria. That was who he saw, who he thought she was. To him, she wasn’t Siya, the skilled doctor with a sharp mind and a modern life. She was Aria, his difficult wife.

"Yes," she replied hesitantly, her voice quieter than she intended.

Ayan stepped closer, his gaze lingering on her as if searching for something. His expression remained neutral, but she could sense the weight of tension between them, thick and palpable.

“You should rest,” he said finally, his tone formal, almost distant. "It’s been a long few days. I’ll have Lara bring you something to eat."

Siya blinked, momentarily disoriented by the mention of another name. Lara? She fumbled through Aria’s memories, trying to recall the faces and names connected to this life.lara , it seemed, was a housekeeper or a servant, someone who helped around the house.

“Thank you,” Siya managed, feeling her heart race as she tried to appear calm.

Ayan’s eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned to leave the room. Just before he stepped out, he paused. “If you need anything, just ask. Don’t… push yourself too hard.”

With that, he was gone, the door closing softly behind him.

---

Navigating the Unknown

Siya sat back on the bed, her mind whirling. It was strange—Ayan's demeanor wasn't unkind, but there was a coolness between them, a formality that hinted at how far apart Aria and Ayan had drifted. For all of Aria’s tempers and complaints, Ayan had remained calm, composed, as if their disagreements no longer affected him. But the underlying distance in his words made Siya feel uneasy.

How had things gotten so bad between them?

She wandered through the house, taking in its simplicity. It was humble, furnished with only the essentials, nothing extravagant. Aria had been used to wealth, to the bustling energy of the city, but here, it was quiet. The silence was heavy, broken only by the distant sounds of the wind outside and the occasional clatter of Nalini’s work in the kitchen.

When Siya approached the window, the vast expanse of the remote countryside stretched out before her. Mountains loomed in the distance, and the forest surrounding the house seemed endless. It was beautiful, in a way, but also isolating. There was no city bustle here, no noise of cars or chatter of people.

She felt suffocated by the stillness.

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Siya’s Inner Conflict

Later that evening, Siya sat alone in her room, staring blankly at the small fire Nalini had lit in the stove. The warmth helped push back the chill that clung to the old house, but it couldn’t chase away the unease that had settled deep in her chest.

How was she supposed to live this life?

She wasn’t Aria. She didn’t belong in 1997, with its unfamiliar rules, social norms, and technology. And she certainly didn’t belong in this marriage. Siya could feel Aria’s lingering resentment toward Ayan in the memories that still haunted her mind—their arguments, the bitter silence, the cold bed. But it wasn’t just about the marriage. Aria had never wanted to be here in the first place. She had despised leaving the city, leaving the life she had known.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Siya looked up to see Nalini entering the room with a tray of food. The woman was older, with graying hair pulled back into a loose bun and a face worn from years of hard work. She placed the tray on the small table by the bed, her movements efficient but gentle.

“Madam, I’ve brought your dinner,” Lara said quietly, casting a quick glance at Siya as if assessing her condition.

Siya smiled weakly, though her stomach churned at the thought of food. “Thank you, Lara,” she replied, though the words felt strange coming from her mouth.

Lara hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod. "You’ve been unwell for a while, madam. Take care of yourself. Sir has been worried."

Siya froze at that last sentence. Ayan had been… worried?

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Siya’s Growing Dilemma

Siya couldn’t shake the unease in her heart. If Ayan had been concerned, why had Aria been so distant? Was it truly that bad between them, or had something changed recently to make things worse?

She would need to navigate this delicate situation carefully. Aria had left a mess, and now Siya was left to pick up the pieces, but there was more to this than just the friction in their marriage. Siya could feel it—the subtle threads of something hidden beneath the surface, something deeper that she had yet to uncover.

But one thing was certain. If she were to survive this life, to avoid the resentment Aria had built, she would have to find a way to forge her own path. Not just as Aria, but as Siya—a woman out of her time, with skills and knowledge that could help her take control of this life.

Perhaps it was time to stop fighting the past and start finding a way to live in it.

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