Always You

The apartment terrace smelled of chalk, dust, and mango juice—the three things eight-year-old Arjun loved the most. He was kneeling on the floor, drawing a crooked sun with yellow chalk. His tongue poked out in concentration, and the hot Hyderabad breeze blew his messy hair into his eyes. “Your sun looks like a lemon,” a voice teased behind him. Arjun turned. There she was. Meera. The new girl from Flat 402. White frock, tiny ponytail, eyes sparkling like she owned the sky. Arjun blinked. “It's a sun.” “No, it’s a lemon,” she insisted, stepping closer and placing her hands on her hips like a cartoon character. “It’s a sun!” “It’s a lemon!” They stared at each other—two stubborn kids defending their opinion like the world depended on it. And then suddenly… Meera giggled. Not a small laugh. A full, bell-like, uncontrollable giggle. Arjun felt something warm spread in his chest. He didn’t know why, but he liked that sound. “Fine,” he grumbled. “It’s a little like a lemon.” “A little?” Meera raised an eyebrow. “A little,” he repeated. She sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched. Arjun froze like a statue. “Let’s draw again,” she said. “Together.” Together. Arjun had never liked that word until that moment. They picked up a piece of chalk each and started drawing—Meera making clouds, Arjun making taller clouds, Meera calling her clouds prettier, Arjun arguing again. Within minutes, the terrace was covered in their scribbles. Two suns. Three clouds. Four crooked stars. A stick boy. A stick girl. And a small heart in the corner that neither of them admitted to drawing. Meera suddenly stood up. “My mom says we’re shifting again tonight.” Arjun’s chalk dropped. “Shifting? Where?” “I don’t know… another city. Another school.” She tried to sound brave, but her voice wobbled. Arjun didn’t know why his chest tightened so painfully. They had met only today… but it felt like they were supposed to meet long before. Meera removed a tiny digital keychain from her pocket. A cheap pink one with a single red button. “My dad bought this. You press it… and it plays a recorded message.” She pressed the button. A soft beep. Then her voice, tiny and sweet: “You will always be in my heart.” Arjun stared at her, completely still. Meera pressed it again, letting the message repeat. Then she placed the keychain in his palm. “You keep it,” she whispered. The breeze blew across the empty terrace. Arjun’s fingers closed around the keychain like it was treasure. “You’re coming back, right?” he asked quietly. Meera looked at him. Those big eyes—full of innocence and something he didn’t understand yet. “I don’t know,” she said. And before he could say anything, their parents called from downstairs. Meera gave him one last smile. A smile Arjun would remember for years. Then she ran down the stairs, her frock fluttering behind her. Arjun stood alone on the terrace. Holding the keychain. Listening to the recording. “You will always be in my heart.” --- End of Chapter 1