The Last Letter Before Midnight (Short Story)

 

Paris, A Cold October Evening

Aditi Sharma stood at the doorstep of her cozy book café near Montmartre, a steaming cup of lavender tea in her hands. The autumn wind rustled the golden leaves across the cobbled street. She felt peaceful—until she saw the envelope.

No stamp. No address. Just her name.

To Aditi, for your 30th birthday.
– Yours, always.
Aditya.

Her fingers trembled.

It wasn’t the first time.

For five years, she had received letters like this. Always on her birthday. Always signed "Aditya."

But she didn't know any Aditya. Not in this life.

The first time it came, she’d laughed, thinking it was a prank. By the third, she started keeping them. By the fourth, she began to dream of a man with stormy eyes and a broken voice.

Then they stopped. Two years passed.

She had moved on — or so she thought — until today.

This letter was different.

Inside was a single line:

"Midnight is coming. You promised to remember me before then."

A Visit to the Forgotten

Her chest tightened. That night, she found herself walking to an old music conservatory at the edge of the Seine. She didn’t know why, but her feet moved like they remembered a path her mind had erased.

She followed the sound of piano music — soft, haunting — to a small hall dimly lit by a chandelier. On the stage sat a man, his face partly hidden in shadows, playing a tune that tugged at something buried deep in her soul.

She whispered, “Aditya?”

The music stopped. He turned.

His face was scarred on one side, beautiful on the other. His eyes — stormy, unreadable — locked with hers.

"You’re late," he said.

"I... do I know you?"

"You did. Once. Before the fire. Before you forgot me."
His voice was bitter, trembling.

“I didn’t forget,” she whispered. “I... don’t remember.”

He pulled a small letter from his coat. “You wrote this. On the night you left me. You said if I waited, you’d come back before midnight... to decide if we begin again, or forget forever.”

She took it, opened it — her own handwriting stared back at her.

Aditya,
If I ever forget, find me. Play the melody.
If I remember, I’ll be there by midnight. If not… burn this letter.
— Aditi

Tears welled in her eyes. “I remember the music.”

"Do you remember us?"

Silence.

Then she took a breath — and walked toward him.

At midnight, they stood beneath the chandelier — two broken hearts that had been whole once, broken by fire, time, and secrets — now finally remembering each other.

And choosing to love again.

🌙

The Last Letter Before Midnight… was opened.
And this time, not forgotten.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unspoken Sparks - Chapter 6 (Last Episode)

  Chapter 6: The Confession & The New Beginning The tension in Raychand Industries had reached its limit. Rumors swirled. Whispers about Aditya and Aditi grew louder. Some speculated. Some envied. But Aditi stayed focused, as always—poised, distant, dedicated. Except now, her heart wasn't as quiet as her face. And neither was Aditya’s. He saw her in everything. In every decision. Every plan. Every moment of silence. Her absence made the air feel heavier. Her presence? Like calm fire. He had denied it for weeks. But now… he couldn’t anymore. That Friday Evening – Office Rooftop Aditi had just wrapped up late-night reporting. The office was nearly empty, and the city lights sparkled in the distance. She stepped out to the rooftop for a breath of air. What she didn’t expect… was him. Aditya stood there, sleeves rolled up, no phone in hand—for once. Just… waiting. He turned as she approached. “You’re still here?” she asked. “I was waiting for you,” he said softly....
Read more

🖤 The Monster Inside Me 🖤 - Chapter 5 (Second Last) [“He thought he was a monster—until she looked into his darkness and chose to stay.”]

  Chapter 5: The Monster’s Voice Silence. That’s what Aditi chose after walking out of Aditya’s penthouse. Not the dramatic kind. The real kind — the kind that hurts more than any scream could. No calls. No messages. No replies. Nothing. And Aditya… he let her go. Not because he didn’t want her. But because he wasn’t sure he deserved her. It had been four days. Four long, echoing, manuscript-free days. Aditya sat in his study, the room heavy with memories and ghosts that had grown louder since Aditi left. Her absence was not quiet — it thundered in every corner she used to sit, in every coffee cup that remained untouched. So he did what he had always done with pain. He wrote. But this time, it wasn’t a book. It was a letter. A manuscript with no chapters, no structure, no edits. Just a title: “The Girl Who Dared to Touch the Monster” 📓 Excerpts from the letter: “I never told you, Aditi, but your voice made the screaming inside me quieter.” “You didn’t...
Read more

🖤 The Monster Inside Me 🖤 - Chapter 6 (Last) [“He thought he was a monster—until she looked into his darkness and chose to stay.”]

  Chapter 6: Our Monsters Can Coexist Final Chapter Healing isn’t a sunrise. It’s a dim lightbulb that flickers. A hallway that echoes with memories. A slow dance with shadows that sometimes lead, sometimes follow. But when Aditi and Aditya began again — this time, it wasn’t about fixing each other. It was about accepting that maybe... they were never broken to begin with. Just bruised . And still beautiful. 🌅 One Month Later: Aditi moved into Aditya’s penthouse — not because she needed a place, but because he needed her in his. It wasn’t romance that brought her there. It was presence . Some mornings were silent — both typing, heads down, coffee cups clinking now and then. Other days were stormy — Aditya still woke up drenched in nightmares, still sat at the piano with eyes closed, fingers trembling. But now, when he broke... She was there to hold him. Not to fix. Just to hold. 🛋️ Their Therapist Asked Once: “How do you define your relationship?” Aditi...
Read more