“Oi, you there!”

A loud shout pierced Sanjay’s ears. The voice came from his left side, through the darkness, which had engulfed the surroundings like a thick blanket. It was as if, the night itself had spoken up and called him. Sanjay suddenly snapped out of his trance like state. He was staring at the water flowing calmly below. The reflections of the lights from the shores of the rivers played on the surface of water making it a kaleidoscope of colours. The reflection of colours played on the surface of the cold river water as if a young artist is having fun mixing his colours on a canvas. Sanjay was lost in the playful world of reflections. He imagined himself being a part of the dark canvas of water and found himself being a member of the cacophony of the reflections.

“Hello!?”

The voice called again. It seemed distant. Sanjay wanted to keep looking at the water. The water was calling him, asking him, pleading him to leave everything behind and to join with them. But it seemed the voice wanted to pull him away from the calm he was feeling with the silent waves.

Sanjay turned his head slowly, releuctantly to his left. A heavy fog had descended on the bridge. It was common at this time of the year. The lamps on the road kept flickering and in that blinking lights, a shadow, an outline of a man in the fog kept appearing and disappearing. Sanjay squinted his eyes to look clearly, but he still couldn’t make out clearly in the faint yellow flickering fluorescent light. The roads were empty at this time of the night. And no one usually comes up walking on this bridge in the middle of a cold foggy misty night. Sanjay suddenly woke up from his trance like state. He blinked twice. His hands were holding the railing of the bridge. He looked down, his white shoes came into immediate focus behind which he could see the tranquility of the cold comforting waves of the river.

The dark shadow had come closer now and a clear outline of a man was to seen walking towards him. Sanjay kept looking at the man. He noticed the man was wearing glasses, was clean shaven. He was wearing a jeans, though he could not tell the colour in the yellow tint of the head lamps of the road. A tall lanky man wearing a loose t shirt. Even though he could make some parts of his face, it was still blurred due to the fog and light. As the man came near him, his footsteps slowed down as if realizing the situation. The sports shoes he was wearing were white and quite similar to what Sanjay was wearing.

Sanjay exhaled loudly, while mildly shaking his head. He wanted to end this quickly and wanted to be alone. After a lot of deliberation he had chosen this spot because of its remoteness. No one was supposed to be here at this time of the night on this road. Sanjay was almost expecting a response from the man to not to do something stupid but instead what he heard from the mouth of the man surprised him.

“ Thank god, I met someone on this road. Can you show me this address? I want to reach this place. It’s an emergency!” Said the man extending a piece of folded up paper to Sanjay.

Sanjay now had a better view of the man and even in the dark atmosphere and faint light, he could make out the features of the man’s face. He had neatly combed jet black dark hair, with a crease on his left side. The glasses he wore were a little large for his face and had a black medium sized frame. His eyebrows was very distinct. An immaculate jawline and seemed a little over six feet in height.

‘Wait, what did he ask me?’ Sanjay thought to himself.

And almost immediately as if answering his question, the man asked again with eager eyes. He seemed completely oblivious to the current situation.

“Don’t come close.” Sanjay said suddenly taking command of the situation. “ What do you want? Sanjay asked.

“Could you show me the road to this address?” the man said again, completely ignoring Sanjay’s situation.

Sanjay got a little irritated. Couldn’t the man see that he was on the other side of the railing of the bridge and about to jump. And where did this man even come from? He just wanted to die alone. The roads were supposed to be empty. Sanjay felt like his head was going to explode. Cant he do just one thing properly. Cant he die alone in peace.

“ Listen man, I am in the middle of something and…..” Sanjay began to talk.

“ I just want the address. Could you just see it? I promise I will be on my way. Just take a look at it, point me in the direction and I will leave.” The man said. His face was earnest and he took a step back while saying this. “I don’t want to cause any trouble for you. I am really lost. This is a completely new neighbourhood for me. My phone just ran out of battery and I am roaming in circles trying to find this place.”

Sanjay contemplated his position for a while and after a few seconds shook his head in reluctant acceptance.

“ Give me that paper!” He said, extending his hand towards the man and indicating the man to give the paper.

The man slowly, very cautiously walked towards him and raised his hand with the piece of paper in his hand and slowly transferred the piece to Sanjay, who grabbed it in frustration.

The paper was folded a few times and a little crumpled. It was slightly wet given the weather.

“Errm….I don’t want to pry but you need two hands to open the paper. You might want to come this side…..” The man couldn’t finish his sentence, Sanjay glanced at the man and grunted in a muffled voice, “ What do you think, this is a joke?” He was getting annoyed now.

Instead of giving the paper back, Sanjay backed towards the railing and leaned against it, with his feet placed firmly on a beam of the structure. He then put his hand around one of the railing and stood more comfortably now. A cold comforting wind now steadily blew across the river. It seemed the wind brought a sense of assurance and calmness to Sanjay. He breathed deeply the cold air. The air stung lightly his lungs but he could feel the sudden light feeling. His head was clearing up.

He carefully opened the piece of paper and on it was written an address in an immaculate handwriting. Sanjay looked confused after he read the address. What is this, he thought. He looked up towards the man and blurted, “ What is this?”

The Man looked quizically. “ What do you mean? It is an address where I want to go.”

“This is my place. My address. What are you doing with my address in your hand?” Sanjay confronted the man.

The stranger didn’t flinch. In fact, a hint of a smile formed on his lips as if he had expected the question. His eyes softened as he stared at Sanjay, then at the crumpled piece of paper. Slowly, he spoke.

“You always ask me that,” he said, his voice steady but filled with an odd familiarity.

Sanjay’s confusion deepened. “What the hell do you mean, ‘always’? We’ve never met before!”

The man let out a small sigh, his breath visible in the cold air. He looked down at the river, watching the reflections of the streetlights ripple on the surface. For a moment, it seemed as if the swirling water had him captivated, just as it had mesmerized Sanjay earlier. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he turned back to Sanjay.

“We’ve met here before, many times actually,” he said, his tone unnervingly calm. “And every time, you ask the same questions.”

Sanjay’s grip on the railing tightened. His frustration grew. This was supposed to be a night of solitude, his escape, his moment to end it all. And now this man—this stranger—was talking like they’d known each other for years. The absurdity of it made Sanjay’s blood boil.

“You’re messing with me!” Sanjay shouted. “What kind of sick joke is this?”

The man didn’t react to the outburst. He simply nodded, as if he understood the anger. “You don’t remember, but I do. I remember all the times we’ve stood here, just like this, on this same bridge. I remember what you’re feeling—what you’re thinking. And I also remember what happens next.”

Sanjay felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine. There was something in the man’s voice, something unnervingly certain. The stranger stepped a bit closer, cautiously, his hands raised slightly as if to show he wasn’t a threat.

“I’m not here to stop you,” the man continued. “That’s not how this works. I’m here because I’ve been where you are. And because I know the regret that comes after.”

Sanjay blinked. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”

The man hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly. “I’m you, Sanjay. From another time, another loop.”

Sanjay’s breath caught in his throat. His mind raced to reject the absurdity of it, but there was something about the man’s eyes—something all too familiar. The way he stood, the way he looked out at the river, the way his voice carried a deep weight, like he had seen things Sanjay couldn’t yet understand.

Sanjay wanted to dismiss it as nonsense, but something in his gut told him to listen.

“Another loop?” Sanjay repeated, his voice barely a whisper.

The man nodded. “Every time you come here, you think it’s the first time. But it isn’t. You’ve stood in this exact spot, on this exact night, many times before. Every time, I try to stop you, to help you understand. And every time, we end up right back here.”

Sanjay felt dizzy, like the world around him was tilting. “What do you mean, ‘right back here’? You’re saying I’m stuck in some kind of... time loop?”

The man nodded again, his eyes filled with a strange sadness. “Yes. And you never remember. Every time, you come here, and you think it’s the end. But it never is. I’m proof of that.”

Sanjay’s heart raced, his pulse thudding in his ears. He glanced down at the river below, the cold water that had seemed so inviting just moments ago. Now, it felt distant, like it was slipping further away, out of reach.

“I don’t understand,” Sanjay whispered, his voice shaking. “Why is this happening? What do you want from me?”

“I want you to break the cycle,” the man said simply. “But the only way to do that is for you to make a different choice.”

Sanjay shook his head, backing away from the railing. “What choice? I came here because I’ve made my choice! I can’t keep living like this—I can’t—”

The man’s voice cut through his panic. “You think you’re ending the pain. But all you’re doing is resetting the loop. Over and over again.”

Sanjay stopped, his chest heaving with breath. The weight of the man’s words hung heavy in the air. He didn’t know what to believe anymore. The world felt unreal—like he was trapped in some kind of nightmare that he couldn’t wake up from.

“What do I do?” Sanjay asked, his voice barely audible.

The man stepped forward, his expression softening. “You don’t have to decide everything tonight. You don’t have to fix everything. But you do have to step away from that ledge.”

Sanjay’s hands trembled as he gripped the railing, staring down at the swirling water. For the first time that night, he hesitated. His body was frozen between two worlds—one where he let go, and another where he held on.

The man’s voice softened. “Look at the paper.”

Sanjay glanced down at the crumpled paper in his hand. The address. His address. His home. The place he had walked away from. Slowly, he unfolded it again, staring at the familiar handwriting. A surge of memories flooded his mind—his family, his friends, the people who had tried to reach him, tried to help him. He had pushed them all away.

“You have more to live for than you think,” the man said quietly. “But you won’t see that if you let the darkness consume you.”

Sanjay’s vision blurred as tears welled up in his eyes. He didn’t know if he believed the man—if this loop was real, or just some twisted trick of his mind. But something inside him shifted. The heaviness in his chest lightened, just enough for him to take one step back from the edge.

The man smiled softly. “That’s it. One step at a time.”

Sanjay turned to face him, wiping his eyes. “What happens now?”

The man shrugged. “That’s up to you.”

Sanjay took a deep breath, the cold night air filling his lungs. He felt the weight of the decision before him, but for the first time, it didn’t feel unbearable.

He looked out at the river one last time, then turned and walked away from the edge.

As he did, the fog seemed to lift, just slightly. And though he couldn’t be sure, for the first time in a long time, Sanjay felt like he was walking toward something—rather than away from it.

He looked out at the river one last time, then turned and walked away from the edge.

As he did, the fog seemed to lift, just slightly. The air was still cool, but the weight of the night felt lighter, as though something had shifted.  Sanjay glanced back at the spot where the man had stood, but there was no trace of him now, only the empty bridge and the soft whisper of the river below.

As Sanjay continued walking, he noticed something strange—a flicker in the air, almost like a mirage. He blinked, and for a moment, the world around him shimmered. The bridge, the river, everything felt off-kilter, like a dream slipping out of focus.

Suddenly, he found himself back at the beginning of the bridge, his hands gripping the cold metal railing, staring down at the water. He gasped and spun around. Hadn't he just left this place? He was sure he had walked away, but here he was, right where he started.

A shiver ran down his spine. He looked over his shoulder, expecting to see the strange man again—but there was no one. The fog was thicker now, swallowing the distant lights, and the silence was unnerving.

Sanjay’s breath quickened. He took a few steps forward, feeling the uneven pulse of the streetlights flicker around him. With every step, it was as if the world reset itself. He glanced at his shoes, and they were wet—yet he hadn’t stepped into water.

His mind raced, but no matter how far he walked, he always ended up back at the same spot, gripping the railing, staring into the river. Was he dreaming? Hallucinating?

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. A figure, faint but unmistakable, stood in the fog—a younger version of himself. Sanjay’s heart skipped a beat. The figure was standing exactly where he had been moments ago, looking out at the river, lost in thought.

It wasn’t just a hallucination. It was him—from years ago.

Sanjay took a step back, watching his younger self silently. The figure was as real as he was, staring into the same water, lost in the same darkness. And in that moment, Sanjay realized—this wasn’t the first time he had stood here, contemplating the end. He had been here before, many times, in different moments of his life. He had forgotten, but the bridge hadn’t.

The loop was real, and it wasn’t just the night repeating itself. It was his life, replaying the same choices, the same regrets, over and over.

Sanjay’s heart pounded in his chest. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and this time, he walked forward with purpose. As he passed his younger self, the fog parted, and he felt something shift again. The road ahead seemed clearer, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. This was it, he just had to keep walking forward. The answer to end the loop was to move forward, which he never did. Who knows how many times. And almost everytime, his memory too reset with the loop.

But now there would be no more loops, no more echoes of the past to trap him here.

Sanjay glanced back one last time, where his younger self still stood at the edge, contemplating. He wanted to call out, to warn him, but instead, he simply smiled. Maybe that version of himself needed to be there, just as he had. Maybe that was part of the journey.

But this time, Sanjay was ready to leave it behind. For the first time, he felt like he was walking toward something unknown, something real—and not just away from the pain of the past.

And with that, he stepped into the night, the bridge finally fading into the fog behind him.