Four children—Dhruv, Aditya, Arvi, and Surya—played joyfully in the playground, their laughter echoing across the park as if they had no care in the world.
They were playing a lively game of hide-and-seek, with Ben, the seeker, determined to find his friends as the others darted between trees and bushes, giggling and whispering to avoid being caught.
The four friends shared an inseparable bond. They attended the same school, sat together during lunch breaks, and spent their evenings playing and dreaming about the future.
At just eight years old, their lives revolved around each other, and they felt as though nothing could ever separate them.
However, life had other plans. Ben and Arvi were soon to move to different parts of the country. Arvi's family was relocating to West Bengal, while Aditya's was heading to Maharashtra.
The news was a heavy blow to the group, and for days, the playground was filled with a somber silence rather than their usual laughter.
On their last day together, the four friends decided to make it special. They gathered at their favorite spot in the park—an old banyan tree that had been the center of their adventures.
They carved their initials on a large rock which was beneath the tree, a symbol of their everlasting friendship, and made a pact to always stay in touch, no matter where life took them.
"We'll call each other every week," said Surya confidently, trying to hold back his tears.
The friends hugged tightly, promising to call each other , share stories about their new lives, and never forget the memories they had created together.
The goodbye was filled with tears and smiles, as they knew that while the distance might separate them physically, it could never diminish the love they had for one another.
5 years later
As the years went by, true to their promise, they stayed connected.They would call each other every day, sharing stories, dreams, and even the smallest details of their lives.Yet, one day, things changed. Arvi's phone stopped connecting. No matter how much Dhruv, Aditya and surya tried, they couldn't reach her. She had become the missing piece in their trio.
Of the three, Dhruv felt Arvi's absence the most. To him, she wasn't just a friend. She was his first childhood crush and perhaps the first love of his life. Her silence created a void in his heart, one he struggled to fill. For years, he held onto memories of her—the sound of her laughter, the way her eyes lit up when she was excited, and the unspoken connection they shared. He wondered if she felt the same, if she missed him the way he missed her.
Time moved on, as it always does. Five years later, Aditya returned to the town where they had once studied. The reunion stirred bittersweet memories. Despite attending different schools, the three of them had always made time for each other, meeting after classes to hang out at their favorite spots. Those moments were their escape from the mundane rhythm of school life, a sanctuary where they could be themselves.
Even though life had taken them on different paths, their bond had remained resilient. Distance couldn't weaken the memories of their shared laughter or the countless afternoons spent dreaming about the future. Dhruv and Aditya hoped that one day, Arvi would return to complete their circle. Until then, they clung to the fragments of the past, cherishing the hope that some connections are too strong to be broken, no matter how much time has passed.
3 years later
Dhruv was now 18 years old lived in the state of Andhra Pradesh. He had just finished his studies and was heading home after a long and tiring journey. On his way, he decided to take a path he hadn't walked in the recent days.
The path led him to a park where he and his other 3 childhood friends used to play. Seeing the park again filled him with memories. He couldn't help but smile as he walked to the old banyan tree at the corner of the park—a tree that had been their favorite spot.
The tree looked the same as it always had, with its big roots and wide branches. Dhruv sat down under its shade, leaning against its trunk. The soft wind blew through the leaves, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped.
For ten minutes, he sat there, thinking about nothing. he wanted a piece of mind as whatever was going through his stressfull life. It was a peaceful moment, a break from everything going on in his life.
Just as he was about to leave, something caught his eye. His heart skipped a beat. Was it a name? A symbol? or a carving? Whatever it was, it felt important, like it had a story waiting to be told....