AFTER YEARS, IT WAS STILL YOU

CHAPTER 1 MEETING AFTER 10 YEARS Ten years. Sometimes ten years felt like a lifetime. Sometimes it felt like yesterday. For Anaya, that evening began like any other wedding she had attended growing up. There were flowers everywhere. Marigold garlands framed the entrance, strings of warm lights hung across the ceiling, and the wedding stage glittered beneath an arrangement of white and pink flowers. Music drifted through the hall while relatives moved from one group to another, greeting each other, taking photographs, and asking the same questions they asked at every family wedding. Anaya stood near the entrance with Naina. She adjusted the edge of her saree before looking at herself briefly in the reflection of a nearby glass panel. She was wearing an elegant saree in a soft, graceful shade, paired with a neatly styled blouse and delicate jewellery. Her long, dark, slightly wavy hair fell over one shoulder, and a few loose strands framed her face. She looked beautiful. Not because she was trying to. Anaya had never been someone who dressed to demand attention. She simply carried herself with a quiet confidence. The confidence she had built over years of becoming her own person. Naina stood beside her in a saree of her own, looking equally beautiful but in a way that matched her personality completely. Her saree was brighter, her jewellery a little more expressive, and her lively eyes seemed to be searching the entire hall for something interesting. Or someone. Anaya noticed. “What?” she asked. Naina smiled innocently. “Nothing.” “You’re looking at me strangely.” “I’m just observing.” “That’s my job.” Naina laughed. “You’re a writer. I’m allowed to observe you.” Anaya shook her head. “You’re impossible.” “I know.” Naina adjusted her saree and leaned closer. “So…” Anaya already knew where this was going. “So what?” “You know who’s coming today, right?” Anaya looked at her. “I know.” “Aarav.” She said his name casually. But somehow, hearing it aloud made something inside Anaya pause. She immediately looked away. “Yes. I know.” Naina’s smile widened. “And?” “And what?” “You’ve known since morning.” “So?” “So you’ve been unusually quiet.” “I’m always quiet.” “No, you’re not.” Anaya laughed softly. “Why are you acting like I’m waiting for someone?” Naina raised an eyebrow. “Because you are.” “I’m not waiting for anyone.” “Really?” “Really.” Naina studied her face. “Then why did you ask me three times whether he was definitely coming?” Anaya’s eyes widened. “I did not.” “You did.” “I was just asking.” “Exactly.” Anaya sighed. “He’s an old classmate, Naina.” “I know.” “That’s all.” “Of course.” “Naina.” “Okay, okay.” Naina lifted both hands in surrender. “I’m not saying anything.” Anaya narrowed her eyes. “You already said enough.” Naina laughed. “Come on. Let’s go to the stage.” They began walking through the hall. Neither of them noticed the man who had not yet arrived. Somewhere across the city… Aarav’s meeting had gone longer than expected. He looked at the time on his phone and sighed. He had promised Rishabh he would be at the wedding. He had also promised himself he wouldn’t be late. Apparently, neither promise was going particularly well. “One more thing,” the person across the table said. Aarav looked up. He listened, responded, discussed the final details, and finally closed the file in front of him. “Let’s finish the rest tomorrow.” The meeting ended. Aarav stood and checked his phone. There was already a message from Rishabh. Where are you? Aarav smiled. He typed a reply. Leaving now. Another message appeared almost immediately. Don’t tell me you’re still in the meeting. Aarav shook his head. I was. Rishabh replied: You’re impossible. Aarav put his phone away. He had been busy all day. Architecture work. A business responsibility. Another discussion with his old classmates about their new venture. Life had become full. Very different from the days when his biggest concern had been unfinished homework and whether a teacher would notice him sitting at the last bench. He drove home first. He needed to change. As he stood in front of his wardrobe, his eyes moved across the clothes before settling on a traditional kurta. A wedding. Old friends. A school reunion of sorts. He picked it up. While getting ready, he caught himself thinking about the wedding again. And then, without warning, about her. Anaya. Rishabh had mentioned her days ago. You’ll see Anaya after ten years. Ten years. Aarav had smiled at the time. He had pretended it was just another school friend returning to his life. But he knew better. He remembered her. Of course he remembered her. How could he not? The front bench. Her books. Her handwriting. The way she used to turn around whenever the boys at the back became too loud. The way she smiled when something genuinely made her laugh. The girl who had never known how often someone at the last bench had been watching her. Aarav shook his head slightly. He had spent years moving forward. College. Architecture. Work. Business. Responsibilities. Life. But some memories didn’t need to be remembered deliberately. They simply remained. He finished getting ready, wore the kurta, checked himself once in the mirror, picked up his keys, and left. As he drove toward the wedding hall, the city passed around him. Traffic. Streetlights. People heading home. Cars moving in every direction. But Aarav’s mind wasn’t completely there. He was thinking about one person. Would she look the same? The thought made him smile. Then he corrected himself. Of course she wouldn’t. Ten years had passed. They weren’t children anymore. He wondered what she had become. Where life had taken her. Whether she still wrote. Whether she still sat quietly when she was thinking. Whether she still had that same smile. Rishabh had told him she would be there. And for the first time in years, Aarav felt something he hadn’t expected. Nervousness. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “It has only been ten years,” he murmured to himself. Then he laughed quietly. As if that made it sound small. The wedding hall Anaya and Naina reached the area near the stage. The wedding ceremony was still underway, and guests were gathering around to take photographs. Naina looked around. “Where is everyone?” “Who?” “Our old classmates.” Anaya smiled. “You mean the people you haven’t spoken to in ten years?” “Exactly.” Before Anaya could reply, Naina suddenly stopped. “Wait.” “What?” “Look.” Anaya followed her gaze. A familiar face stood a little distance away. For a moment, Anaya simply stared. Then her eyes widened. “Rishabh?” The man turned at the sound of his name. His face immediately lit up. “Anaya?” Naina laughed. “Rishabh!” He walked toward them. For a second, all three simply looked at each other. Ten years had changed their faces. Their clothes. Their lives. But somehow, recognition came instantly. Rishabh laughed. “Oh my God.” Anaya smiled. “It’s really been ten years.” “Ten years,” he repeated. Naina shook her head. “You still look the same.” Rishabh pointed at her. “That’s a lie.” “It’s not.” “It absolutely is.” Anaya laughed. “You’ve changed.” “Thank you.” “That wasn’t necessarily a compliment.” He laughed. “Still the same Anaya.” “Still the same Rishabh.” For a few minutes, they stood together talking about life. College. Work. Friends. The people who had disappeared from their lives. The people who had stayed. The strange feeling of meeting someone after so many years and realizing that the person standing in front of you had once been part of your everyday life. Rishabh looked at them. “So, what are you both doing now?” Naina smiled. “Psychology.” “Of course.” “What does that mean?” “You always understood everyone else’s problems.” Naina laughed. “And Anaya?” Anaya smiled. “I’m writing.” Rishabh looked surprised. “Still?” “Still.” “What do you write?” “Contemporary fiction, romance… and spiritual books.” “That’s actually very you.” Anaya smiled. “Maybe.” Rishabh nodded. “Ten years, and you’re both completely different.” “You’re not?” Naina asked. “Of course I am.” He laughed. “I’m running my own business now.” Anaya smiled. “Look at us.” Rishabh nodded. “Yeah.” Three school friends. Three different lives. Ten years between then and now. And yet standing together felt strangely familiar. Then Rishabh glanced toward the entrance. His expression changed. Anaya noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” Naina looked at him suspiciously. “You’re hiding something.” Rishabh smiled. “Actually…” He paused. Then looked at Anaya. “Aarav is coming.” Anaya’s fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her saree. She had known. Naina had told her. She had spent the evening pretending it didn’t matter. But now that Rishabh had said his name… It suddenly felt real. Anaya looked at Naina. Naina gave her a knowing smile. Anaya immediately whispered, “Don’t.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You were about to.” Rishabh laughed. “You two haven’t changed.” Naina smiled. “We’re just going to the stage.” Rishabh nodded. “I’ll come with you.” They began walking. Anaya tried to focus on the wedding. On the flowers. The music. The people around her. Anything except the fact that somewhere behind them, a boy she had not seen in ten years was walking into the same hall. Except he wasn’t a boy anymore. Neither was she. Aarav finally reached the wedding hall. He stepped out of the car and adjusted his kurta before walking inside. The noise of the wedding immediately surrounded him. He looked around. So many people. Some familiar. Some strangers. Then he spotted Rishabh. Aarav smiled. There he was. Rishabh was standing near the stage. Aarav started walking toward him. Rishabh hadn’t noticed him yet. Aarav was only a few steps away when Rishabh suddenly looked up. Their eyes met. Rishabh’s face broke into a grin. “Aarav!” Aarav smiled. “Finally.” “Don’t start.” “You said you were coming early.” “I had a meeting.” “Of course you did.” They laughed. Rishabh stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to see you.” “You too.” Then Rishabh glanced toward the stage. Anaya and Naina were walking ahead of him. His eyes moved back to Aarav. For a moment, he said nothing. Aarav noticed. “What?” Rishabh smiled. “Nothing.” “Why are you smiling like that?” “You’ll see.” Rishabh started walking toward the stage. Aarav followed him. Anaya was listening to Naina when something made her slow down. She couldn’t explain it. Maybe it was the sound of footsteps behind them. Maybe it was Rishabh’s sudden silence. Maybe it was simply instinct. She stopped. Naina looked at her. “What happened?” Anaya didn’t answer. Slowly… She turned around. And saw him. Aarav. Standing only a short distance away. For one second, Anaya didn’t move. The wedding hall disappeared. The lights disappeared. The music disappeared. The conversations around her became distant. All she could see was him. Ten years. Ten years since she had last seen him. But her mind didn’t take her to the man standing before her. It took her somewhere else. Somewhere much younger. Somewhere quieter. A classroom. Rows of desks. A blackboard. A girl sitting at the front. A boy sitting at the last bench. A boy she had never realized was watching her. Aarav looked at Anaya. And something inside him changed too. He wasn’t standing in a wedding hall anymore. He was back in 2012. Back in that classroom. Back at the last bench. Back to the girl in front of him. The girl who had never known. The girl he had silently noticed. The girl whose name had stayed with him long after the classroom was gone. Neither of them spoke. Neither needed to. Their eyes met after ten years. And in that single moment… 2025 disappeared. The classroom returned. 2012 began. CHAPTER 1 MEETING AFTER 10 YEARS Ten years. Sometimes ten years felt like a lifetime. Sometimes it felt like yesterday. For Anaya, that evening began like any other wedding she had attended growing up. There were flowers everywhere. Marigold garlands framed the entrance, strings of warm lights hung across the ceiling, and the wedding stage glittered beneath an arrangement of white and pink flowers. Music drifted through the hall while relatives moved from one group to another, greeting each other, taking photographs, and asking the same questions they asked at every family wedding. Anaya stood near the entrance with Naina. She adjusted the edge of her saree before looking at herself briefly in the reflection of a nearby glass panel. She was wearing an elegant saree in a soft, graceful shade, paired with a neatly styled blouse and delicate jewellery. Her long, dark, slightly wavy hair fell over one shoulder, and a few loose strands framed her face. She looked beautiful. Not because she was trying to. Anaya had never been someone who dressed to demand attention. She simply carried herself with a quiet confidence. The confidence she had built over years of becoming her own person. Naina stood beside her in a saree of her own, looking equally beautiful but in a way that matched her personality completely. Her saree was brighter, her jewellery a little more expressive, and her lively eyes seemed to be searching the entire hall for something interesting. Or someone. Anaya noticed. “What?” she asked. Naina smiled innocently. “Nothing.” “You’re looking at me strangely.” “I’m just observing.” “That’s my job.” Naina laughed. “You’re a writer. I’m allowed to observe you.” Anaya shook her head. “You’re impossible.” “I know.” Naina adjusted her saree and leaned closer. “So…” Anaya already knew where this was going. “So what?” “You know who’s coming today, right?” Anaya looked at her. “I know.” “Aarav.” She said his name casually. But somehow, hearing it aloud made something inside Anaya pause. She immediately looked away. “Yes. I know.” Naina’s smile widened. “And?” “And what?” “You’ve known since morning.” “So?” “So you’ve been unusually quiet.” “I’m always quiet.” “No, you’re not.” Anaya laughed softly. “Why are you acting like I’m waiting for someone?” Naina raised an eyebrow. “Because you are.” “I’m not waiting for anyone.” “Really?” “Really.” Naina studied her face. “Then why did you ask me three times whether he was definitely coming?” Anaya’s eyes widened. “I did not.” “You did.” “I was just asking.” “Exactly.” Anaya sighed. “He’s an old classmate, Naina.” “I know.” “That’s all.” “Of course.” “Naina.” “Okay, okay.” Naina lifted both hands in surrender. “I’m not saying anything.” Anaya narrowed her eyes. “You already said enough.” Naina laughed. “Come on. Let’s go to the stage.” They began walking through the hall. Neither of them noticed the man who had not yet arrived. Somewhere across the city… Aarav’s meeting had gone longer than expected. He looked at the time on his phone and sighed. He had promised Rishabh he would be at the wedding. He had also promised himself he wouldn’t be late. Apparently, neither promise was going particularly well. “One more thing,” the person across the table said. Aarav looked up. He listened, responded, discussed the final details, and finally closed the file in front of him. “Let’s finish the rest tomorrow.” The meeting ended. Aarav stood and checked his phone. There was already a message from Rishabh. Where are you? Aarav smiled. He typed a reply. Leaving now. Another message appeared almost immediately. Don’t tell me you’re still in the meeting. Aarav shook his head. I was. Rishabh replied: You’re impossible. Aarav put his phone away. He had been busy all day. Architecture work. A business responsibility. Another discussion with his old classmates about their new venture. Life had become full. Very different from the days when his biggest concern had been unfinished homework and whether a teacher would notice him sitting at the last bench. He drove home first. He needed to change. As he stood in front of his wardrobe, his eyes moved across the clothes before settling on a traditional kurta. A wedding. Old friends. A school reunion of sorts. He picked it up. While getting ready, he caught himself thinking about the wedding again. And then, without warning, about her. Anaya. Rishabh had mentioned her days ago. You’ll see Anaya after ten years. Ten years. Aarav had smiled at the time. He had pretended it was just another school friend returning to his life. But he knew better. He remembered her. Of course he remembered her. How could he not? The front bench. Her books. Her handwriting. The way she used to turn around whenever the boys at the back became too loud. The way she smiled when something genuinely made her laugh. The girl who had never known how often someone at the last bench had been watching her. Aarav shook his head slightly. He had spent years moving forward. College. Architecture. Work. Business. Responsibilities. Life. But some memories didn’t need to be remembered deliberately. They simply remained. He finished getting ready, wore the kurta, checked himself once in the mirror, picked up his keys, and left. As he drove toward the wedding hall, the city passed around him. Traffic. Streetlights. People heading home. Cars moving in every direction. But Aarav’s mind wasn’t completely there. He was thinking about one person. Would she look the same? The thought made him smile. Then he corrected himself. Of course she wouldn’t. Ten years had passed. They weren’t children anymore. He wondered what she had become. Where life had taken her. Whether she still wrote. Whether she still sat quietly when she was thinking. Whether she still had that same smile. Rishabh had told him she would be there. And for the first time in years, Aarav felt something he hadn’t expected. Nervousness. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “It has only been ten years,” he murmured to himself. Then he laughed quietly. As if that made it sound small. The wedding hall Anaya and Naina reached the area near the stage. The wedding ceremony was still underway, and guests were gathering around to take photographs. Naina looked around. “Where is everyone?” “Who?” “Our old classmates.” Anaya smiled. “You mean the people you haven’t spoken to in ten years?” “Exactly.” Before Anaya could reply, Naina suddenly stopped. “Wait.” “What?” “Look.” Anaya followed her gaze. A familiar face stood a little distance away. For a moment, Anaya simply stared. Then her eyes widened. “Rishabh?” The man turned at the sound of his name. His face immediately lit up. “Anaya?” Naina laughed. “Rishabh!” He walked toward them. For a second, all three simply looked at each other. Ten years had changed their faces. Their clothes. Their lives. But somehow, recognition came instantly. Rishabh laughed. “Oh my God.” Anaya smiled. “It’s really been ten years.” “Ten years,” he repeated. Naina shook her head. “You still look the same.” Rishabh pointed at her. “That’s a lie.” “It’s not.” “It absolutely is.” Anaya laughed. “You’ve changed.” “Thank you.” “That wasn’t necessarily a compliment.” He laughed. “Still the same Anaya.” “Still the same Rishabh.” For a few minutes, they stood together talking about life. College. Work. Friends. The people who had disappeared from their lives. The people who had stayed. The strange feeling of meeting someone after so many years and realizing that the person standing in front of you had once been part of your everyday life. Rishabh looked at them. “So, what are you both doing now?” Naina smiled. “Psychology.” “Of course.” “What does that mean?” “You always understood everyone else’s problems.” Naina laughed. “And Anaya?” Anaya smiled. “I’m writing.” Rishabh looked surprised. “Still?” “Still.” “What do you write?” “Contemporary fiction, romance… and spiritual books.” “That’s actually very you.” Anaya smiled. “Maybe.” Rishabh nodded. “Ten years, and you’re both completely different.” “You’re not?” Naina asked. “Of course I am.” He laughed. “I’m running my own business now.” Anaya smiled. “Look at us.” Rishabh nodded. “Yeah.” Three school friends. Three different lives. Ten years between then and now. And yet standing together felt strangely familiar. Then Rishabh glanced toward the entrance. His expression changed. Anaya noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” Naina looked at him suspiciously. “You’re hiding something.” Rishabh smiled. “Actually…” He paused. Then looked at Anaya. “Aarav is coming.” Anaya’s fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her saree. She had known. Naina had told her. She had spent the evening pretending it didn’t matter. But now that Rishabh had said his name… It suddenly felt real. Anaya looked at Naina. Naina gave her a knowing smile. Anaya immediately whispered, “Don’t.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You were about to.” Rishabh laughed. “You two haven’t changed.” Naina smiled. “We’re just going to the stage.” Rishabh nodded. “I’ll come with you.” They began walking. Anaya tried to focus on the wedding. On the flowers. The music. The people around her. Anything except the fact that somewhere behind them, a boy she had not seen in ten years was walking into the same hall. Except he wasn’t a boy anymore. Neither was she. Aarav finally reached the wedding hall. He stepped out of the car and adjusted his kurta before walking inside. The noise of the wedding immediately surrounded him. He looked around. So many people. Some familiar. Some strangers. Then he spotted Rishabh. Aarav smiled. There he was. Rishabh was standing near the stage. Aarav started walking toward him. Rishabh hadn’t noticed him yet. Aarav was only a few steps away when Rishabh suddenly looked up. Their eyes met. Rishabh’s face broke into a grin. “Aarav!” Aarav smiled. “Finally.” “Don’t start.” “You said you were coming early.” “I had a meeting.” “Of course you did.” They laughed. Rishabh stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to see you.” “You too.” Then Rishabh glanced toward the stage. Anaya and Naina were walking ahead of him. His eyes moved back to Aarav. For a moment, he said nothing. Aarav noticed. “What?” Rishabh smiled. “Nothing.” “Why are you smiling like that?” “You’ll see.” Rishabh started walking toward the stage. Aarav followed him. Anaya was listening to Naina when something made her slow down. She couldn’t explain it. Maybe it was the sound of footsteps behind them. Maybe it was Rishabh’s sudden silence. Maybe it was simply instinct. She stopped. Naina looked at her. “What happened?” Anaya didn’t answer. Slowly… She turned around. And saw him. Aarav. Standing only a short distance away. For one second, Anaya didn’t move. The wedding hall disappeared. The lights disappeared. The music disappeared. The conversations around her became distant. All she could see was him. Ten years. Ten years since she had last seen him. But her mind didn’t take her to the man standing before her. It took her somewhere else. Somewhere much younger. Somewhere quieter. A classroom. Rows of desks. A blackboard. A girl sitting at the front. A boy sitting at the last bench. A boy she had never realized was watching her. Aarav looked at Anaya. And something inside him changed too. He wasn’t standing in a wedding hall anymore. He was back in 2012. Back in that classroom. Back at the last bench. Back to the girl in front of him. The girl who had never known. The girl he had silently noticed. The girl whose name had stayed with him long after the classroom was gone. Neither of them spoke. Neither needed to. Their eyes met after ten years. And in that single moment… 2025 disappeared. The classroom returned. 2012 began.