A Spark that never faded
Amaya leaned back against the cold metal of the park bench, the crisp winter air biting at her cheeks. Her phone rested on her lap, the glow of the screen illuminating the name she hadn’t thought about in years: Rayan Mathur.
She stared at the profile picture on his social media account—a snapshot of him standing in front of a grand university building in Berlin. His easy smile and confident posture were the same, but his face carried a maturity she hadn’t seen back in high school.
Amaya couldn’t believe it had been eight years since she last saw him. He’d been her first real crush, the boy whose every move she’d memorized from the corner of her eye during classes. She had never mustered the courage to talk to him, let alone confess how her heart raced whenever he walked into the room.
“Pursuing an MBA in Germany,” she murmured, reading his bio aloud. A faint ache settled in her chest. He’d always dreamed big, and it seemed he was living those dreams now.
Her thumb hovered over the Follow button, hesitating. What would he think if he saw her name pop up after all these years? Would he even remember her? With a sigh, she locked her phone and tucked it into her coat pocket.
This wasn’t the time to dwell on old fantasies. She had just finished her final licensing exams in dentistry and was preparing to decide what to do with her career. Her parents expected her to set up a clinic in India, but Amaya had always wanted more. She wanted to explore, to grow beyond the boundaries of her small hometown.
Still, the thought of Rayan being in Germany planted a seed in her mind. What if she could work there? Dentists were in demand internationally, and it wasn’t an impossible dream. Her fingers itched to search for opportunities, to research the process of moving to Germany as a foreign-trained dentist.
But before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out to see a text from her cousin, Meera.
> “Amaya! Guess what? I have a surprise for you. Call me when you’re free!”
Amaya smiled, shaking her head at Meera’s enthusiasm. She called her back immediately, the phone ringing only once before Meera picked up.
“Finally! I thought you’d ignore me forever,” Meera teased.
“I’ve been busy studying,” Amaya replied with a laugh. “What’s this big surprise?”
“You won’t believe it. I’m dating someone!”
Amaya’s smile widened. “That’s great, Meera! Who’s the lucky guy?”
There was a pause, and Amaya heard Meera giggle nervously. “Well, remember I told you about this guy I met at a conference in Berlin? He’s from India too, super smart, and…you might even know him.”
Amaya’s heart skipped a beat. “Who?”
“Rayan Mathur.”
The name hit her like a jolt of electricity. For a moment, she couldn’t speak. The warmth in her chest turned cold, her thoughts racing as she processed the revelation.
“Amaya? Are you still there?” Meera’s voice broke through her haze.
“Yeah,” she managed, forcing her tone to stay even. “That’s…wow. Small world.”
“I know, right?” Meera gushed. “He’s amazing. We’ve been dating for six months now. He’s so ambitious and kind, and I think you’d really like him.”
Amaya swallowed hard, the smile frozen on her face. “He sounds great. I’m happy for you, Meera.”
As her cousin continued talking, Amaya stared out at the empty park, her thoughts tangled. The seed of hope she’d felt earlier now felt foolish. But beneath the disappointment, a quiet resolve began to form.
She wouldn’t let this deter her. Germany wasn’t about Rayan; it was about her dreams, her growth. If she happened to cross paths with him and Meera, so be it.
Her journey was just beginning.
