A Rainy Encounter

The rain poured relentlessly, drenching the city in a misty haze. Mira rushed through the crowded streets, her broken umbrella flapping helplessly against the wind. The cold bit through her jacket, each drop feeling like a reminder of her mistake "Ah-i should've checked the weather before leaving".

As she took cover under the awning of a café, she bumped into someone. "I’m so sorry, I wa... " she stammered, her eyes frozen. she recognized a face which she had thought she'll never see again.

It was Aarav and in an instant, memories flooded her mind—rushing, overwhelming. A gust of emotions rose within her.

Mira and Aarav had been inseparable in college. They’d bonded over late-night study sessions, bad cafeteria coffee, and their shared dream of traveling the world. Aarav had a way of making Mira laugh even on her worst days, and she had been his anchor when life felt too overwhelming.

But life, as it often does, got in the way. Aarav’s family moved abroad, and Mira stayed behind, burdened by responsibilities she couldn’t abandon. They had promised to stay in touch, but time and distance eroded their connection.

And now, six years later, here they are-standing in front of each other, "So, is getting soaked in the rain with a broken umbrella the latest trend around here?" he teased her, with a gentle smile playing on his lips, as if no time had passed between them at all.

"Aarav!!?, How,. why..?? " still struggling to find words

She let out a small sigh of relief and collected herself, a thousand emotions rushing through her. "It’s been a while." she said

They ended up sitting inside the café, the rain pattering against the windows. Aarav looked the same,.yet different—his boyish charm replaced by a quiet confidence. He asked about her life, and Mira spoke of her work as a graphic designer, her small apartment, and her habit of walking through the city’s parks on weekends.

"What about you?" she asked, stirring her tea.

"I moved back a few months back," he said. "Started my own business. It’s been... busy."

They started to talk non-stop bout there life's,. then all of a sudden there was nothing to say, silence hit the air, Neither of them wanted to touch on the one thing that hung heavy between them—what had happened to their love. The silence stretched, brief but powerful, neither willing to break it.

"I never stopped thinking about you, Mira," Aarav said, He couldn’t hold back any longer, his mind desperate to ask the one question that had lingered in his mind all these years.