Aarya stood frozen beside her study table.
The photograph trembled in her hands.
Not because of the wind.
Not because of the rain tapping against her bedroom window.
Because her hands refused to stop shaking.
Outside, Pune's monsoon night stretched endlessly across the city. Streetlights glowed through the curtain of rain while distant thunder rolled somewhere beyond the clouds.
Normally, rain comforted her.
Tonight it didn't.
Tonight it felt as though the storm was carrying secrets.
Her eyes returned to the photograph.
The same college courtyard.
The same Fine Arts building.
The same sunflower bracelet around her wrist.
And standing a few steps behind her—
The boy.
The boy with the camera.
This time his face was visible.
Dark hair falling carelessly over his forehead.
A faded denim jacket.
An old camera hanging around his neck.
But it was his eyes that held her attention.
There was something inside them.
Something familiar.
Something painful.
As if he had spent years searching for something he had lost.
Or someone.
Aarya swallowed hard.
Why did looking at him make her chest ache?
Why did he feel familiar?
The questions circled her mind until a soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Aaru?"
Her mother's voice came from outside.
"Dinner is ready."
Aarya quickly slid the photograph between the pages of a sketchbook.
"Coming."
The dining table felt unusually quiet.
Katha Deshmukh sat across from her, scrolling through work messages while occasionally reminding Aarya to eat.
Years of raising her daughter alone had made Katha strong.
The kind of strong that didn't need to announce itself.
But Aarya knew there were still moments when her mother missed the man they had lost.
Just like Aarya did.
Though neither spoke about it often.
"You're quiet tonight," Katha observed.
Aarya forced a small smile.
"Just thinking."
"That usually means trouble."
A laugh escaped Aarya before she could stop it.
For a moment the heaviness lifted.
Only for a moment.
Because the photograph waited upstairs.
And so did the questions.
---
The next morning arrived beneath grey skies.
Rain clouds still covered most of Pune.
Aarya slipped the photograph into her bag before leaving home.
If the picture truly showed tomorrow...
Then today should prove it.
Right?
The idea sounded impossible.
Yet she couldn't ignore it.
By the time she reached college, her stomach was already filled with nervous anticipation.
"Aarya!"
A familiar voice called out.
Saanvi appeared beside her carrying two iced coffees despite the weather.
"How are you alive?" Aarya asked.
"It's called determination."
"It's called caffeine addiction."
Saanvi placed a dramatic hand over her heart.
"I support your right to be wrong."
Aarya rolled her eyes.
For the first time since yesterday, she smiled genuinely.
That was Saanvi's gift.
Making difficult days feel lighter.
The two friends settled onto a bench near the Fine Arts building.
Students hurried around them.
Some carried canvases.
Some carried cameras.
Others looked like they had forgotten about assignments until the last possible moment.
Everything looked normal.
Aarya wished her life still felt normal too.
After a few minutes, she finally pulled the photograph from her bag.
Saanvi immediately groaned.
"Please tell me that's not another one."
Aarya's silence answered the question.
Saanvi snatched the photograph.
Her expression changed almost instantly.
"Okay. Nope."
"What?"
"Nope. I officially hate this."
Aarya looked down.
"What if nobody is doing it?"
Saanvi blinked.
"What does that even mean?"
Aarya opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
Because she didn't know.
And somehow that possibility scared her more than any explanation.
The rain began again.
Light at first.
Then steady.
Tiny droplets danced across the campus pathways.
Aarya absentmindedly looked toward the Fine Arts building.
And froze.
Her breath caught.
Near an old banyan tree stood a boy feeding biscuits to three stray dogs.
The same boy.
The same camera.
The same face from the photograph.
For a moment everything else disappeared.
The voices.
The footsteps.
The rain.
Only he remained.
One of the dogs pressed against his leg affectionately.
A small smile appeared on his face.
A gentle smile.
The kind that belonged to someone who loved animals.
The kind that belonged to someone kind.
For reasons she couldn't explain, Aarya felt tears sting her eyes.
Not sadness.
Not exactly.
Just a strange ache.
Like remembering a dream she couldn't fully recall.
"Aaru?"
Saanvi's voice sounded distant.
Aarya didn't answer.
She couldn't.
Her gaze remained fixed on him.
"Aarya."
Saanvi nudged her shoulder.
"What are you staring at?"
"The boy."
Aarya pointed.
"There."
Saanvi followed her finger.
Confusion immediately crossed her face.
"What boy?"
"The one beside the dogs."
Silence.
Then:
"Aaru..."
Something nervous entered Saanvi's voice.
"There are only dogs."
Aarya's heart skipped a beat.
Slowly, she looked at her friend.
Then back toward the banyan tree.
The boy was still there.
Watching her.
The dogs could see him.
She could see him.
But Saanvi couldn't.
A chill crawled down her spine.
The boy suddenly straightened.
His smile vanished.
His eyes widened.
As though he had noticed something alarming.
Something behind her.
Without warning, he started walking toward her.
Fast.
Very fast.
Aarya's pulse hammered in her ears.
Saanvi grabbed her wrist.
"Aarya, you're scaring me."
But Aarya barely heard her.
The boy stopped directly in front of her.
Closer than before.
Close enough to see raindrops caught in his hair.
Close enough to notice the exhaustion hidden behind his eyes.
Close enough to realize he looked relieved.
Relieved to see her.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Then his gaze shifted to the photograph peeking from her bag.
His expression changed.
Regret.
Fear.
Heartbreak.
All at once.
When he finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.
"You weren't supposed to see me."
Aarya stared at him.
"What does that mean?"
His jaw tightened.
As though he wanted to answer.
As though he had waited years to answer.
But before he could say another word, a group of students walked between them.
Only for a second.
One second.
That was all it took.
When they passed—
He was gone.
Completely gone.
No camera.
No footprints.
Nothing.
Aarya's breath hitched.
Then something white caught her attention.
A photograph rested on the rain-soaked ground where he had been standing.
Waiting for her.
_____________🌻____________
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