Aarav was only 20 when he received the devastating news: a rare, incurable illness had given him just three years to live. Struggling to come to terms with his fate, Aarav distanced himself from everyone he loved, including Akanksha, his childhood friend and the girl he secretly loved.

 

 

One sleepless night, consumed by despair, Aarav wandered into the woods. As he walked deeper, the atmosphere grew thick with an eerie silence. Suddenly, a figure appeared before him—a tall, dark silhouette with eyes that burned like embers. It was the Devil.

 

“Why do you look so lost, young one?” the Devil asked, his voice a sinister whisper.

 

“I have nothing left to lose,” Aarav replied, tears glistening in his eyes. “If you’re here to take me, then do it.”

 

The Devil smiled, intrigued by the boy’s courage. “What if I told you that you could have more time? That you could change the course of your life—and the lives of others—before your time runs out?”

 

Aarav hesitated, but the temptation was too strong. “What do you want in return?”

 

“Your soul,” the Devil replied simply. “Three years from now, when your time comes, I will claim it. But until then, you may have whatever you desire.”

 

Aarav agreed, sealing his fate with a handshake. 

 

At first, he used his newfound power to right the wrongs of his past. He saved his parents from the car crash that had killed them years ago. He brought back his best friend Kabir, who had drowned trying to save a stranger. Each wish brought him closer to Akanksha, who was astonished by the miraculous events surrounding Aarav.

 

As time passed, Aarav’s feelings for Akanksha grew stronger. He confessed his love to her, and they shared a blissful year together, making memories that would last a lifetime. Yet, deep down, Aarav was haunted by the deal he had made. The thought of leaving Akanksha behind tore at his heart.

 

In his final months, Aarav began to notice something unsettling. The people he had brought back seemed different—hollow, as if the essence of life had been drained from them. He realized that the Devil’s bargain had come with a price far greater than his soul. 

 

Determined to make things right, Aarav confronted the Devil once more. “You’ve taken more than you promised,” he accused, his voice trembling with anger.

 

The Devil laughed, a sound that echoed through the darkness. “I gave you what you asked for, Aarav. You never specified how those lives would return. You have one wish left. Use it wisely.”

 

With a heavy heart, Aarav made his final wish: to undo everything. To return everyone to their rightful place, even if it meant losing the precious time he had gained with Akanksha. The world shifted, and everything returned to how it was before Aarav’s pact with the Devil. His parents were gone, Kabir was lost to the river, and Akanksha had no memory of their year together.

 

Aarav was alone again, but his heart was lighter, knowing that he had done the right thing. As the three years drew to a close, Aarav spent his final days watching over Akanksha from afar, cherishing the brief moments they had shared. 

 

On the last day, he visited the woods one final time. The Devil was waiting.

 

“It’s time,” the Devil said, extending a hand.

 

Aarav nodded, accepting his fate. But as the Devil reached for his soul, Akanksha appeared, tears streaming down her face. Somehow, she had remembered. 

 

“Please,” she begged the Devil. “Take me instead. Let him live.”

 

The Devil shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”

 

Aarav smiled sadly at Akanksha, wiping away her tears. “I have no regrets,” he whispered. “You gave me more love than I ever deserved. That’s enough.”

 

And with that, Aarav’s soul was claimed, leaving Akanksha to mourn the loss of the boy she had loved but never truly known.

 

In the end, Aarav’s sacrifice was his redemption, and his love for Akanksha became the one thing even the Devil could not take away.