Novel & Cerita Around Me Familiar Faces

she said, drawing out the word, “the surprise doesn’t end here.” And then—before I could process her words—she grabbed both my hands and spun me. A gasp escaped my lips. The garden, which moments ago had felt so intimate, suddenly expanded before my eyes. People—familiar people—stood around the edges, grinning, clapping, raising champagne flutes. Every face was a thread in the tapestry of my life. Tim, Daniel, Maya, my aunt from Seattle, Mr. Grayson from down the street, even Dr. Patel from university.

Their faces, once hazy and unknown, now began to take on a sense of familiarity. A pang of guilt pierced my heart as I struggled to match names to their faces, desperately grasping at fragments of memories that remained elusive. One by one, they approached, extending their hands in warm greetings. Each person introduced themselves with kindness and understanding, acknowledging my absence and expressing their genuine pleasure at my return. They shared anecdotes, inside jokes, and recounted moments we had supposedly shared together. I listened intently, my mind searching for clues, desperate to regain a sense of connection. As the meeting commenced, I found myself immersed in a whirlwind of in

Crystal glasses clinked. And then it happened. Conversations slowed. Heads turned. Every pair of eyes in the room shifted to me. Old family friends. Business partners. Faces I hadn’t seen in years. Faces I had left behind on purpose. And now they were all staring.

I don't have to hurry. Unfamiliar faces welcomed us in the wide pool area of ​​the mansion. As what've Markus said, their batchmates are going. So, that explains why I don't know them at all. Some greeted Neri, others recognized me as a Mongreco. Immediately, I spotted my brother and his friends. As usual, there were many women around. They were on the edge of the pool, holding drinks. I rolled my eyes. There are bathers. Some have their own world and talk side by side. The music is not that loud. Just enough to keep the place from getting boring.

His presence beside me was steady, grounding in a way I didn't expect to need. “Stay close,” he said quietly. I nodded. We moved forward together, stepping further into the house. Faces turned. Some recognized me immediately. Others took a second longer, their expressions shifting from curiosity to surprise and then something else I couldn't quite name. It doesn't matter. I kept walking. We passed a few relatives first, distant ones. People I vaguely remembered from gatherings like this, their greetings polite but not personal. “Welcome.” “It's been a while.” “You look well”

I took another deep breath and tried to calm myself down. As I approached the receptionist, I saw a familiar face. It was my old neighbor, Mr. Johnson. I hadn't seen him in years, but I remembered him fondly. He was always kind to my family before I and my mom moved even if I was little, it was hard to forget his voice as he attended to someone in front of me.

I whipped my head instinctively to look behind and I saw them. Two of them were familiar faces, only the one in the middle with an average height, I had never met before. "Hello, sugar." One of the familiar faces greeted, flashing his black and brown dentition, which was probably a result of too much tobacco consumption. "Miss us?" The unfamiliar one added. "Let us take this to a more quiet and private place, shall we?" The first man who greeted me said. I slowly let go of the door handle and followed them.

I jerked away instinctively. He did it again. He lifted my face. He forced me to look out into the crowd like some prized animal. This time I snapped. My eyes met his with a sharp venomous glare. He chuckled. “Feisty,” he whistled. He grinned wide. “They always come in like that.” My gaze swept across the room. I searched for anything. Anyone to anchor me. And then I saw them. Familiar faces. Businessmen in suits. The very people who once shook my father’s hand. I recognized one. He had a daughter my age. He had eaten at our dinner table. He had praised my father even.

sensing a presence behind me. “Aarya?” The voice was familiar, and dread coursed through me. Baba. Swiveling around, I found my entire family standing there, and shock coursed through me. My eyes widened, and I struggled to swallow my spit. “You look like you saw a ghost. What’s going on, bubbles?” Amit’s voice broke through my astonishment. I sprang to my feet and hugged them, feeling their warmth and familiarity. I haven’t seen them for months. “Baba, Maa, what are you doing here?” I blurted out, my heart racing.

I paused which stretched too long. I forced a small smile. “Occupational hazard, I guess.” But he didn’t smile back. Instead he leaned forward slightly. “Strange." He murmured. My pulse quickened. “What is so strange in it ? Many people do it .” “ I don’t know why it feels… familiar. Like I have seen it before .” The word hit harder than it should have. I tightened my grip on the cup. “Maybe you’ve seen it somewhere,” I said lightly. “People have habits.”