Sunday Story: Rekindled

It was an otherwise tranquil and unhurried morning. Birds perched lazily on the trees across the street and sang their mellow songs taking their time. There was one person, however, who felt anything but tranquil and unhurried. Nivedita had been restless the entire morning. One moment she was pacing up and down her room and when sitting, her legs kept dancing out of the anxiety she was having ever since she woke up.

It was the first day of 2022. One afternoon, as she had been going about her work at the office, Nivedita suddenly received a text message from an unknown number. Perplexed at first, she looked it up online. When the result showed up, her perplexion turned into surprise. it was from a classmate of hers from school—a classmate she secretly admired but did not have the courage to express to.

Seeing that classmate’s name flash on the screen of her mobile phone out of the blue moon left her disoriented at first. Once she was over it, she felt a sudden surge of excitement course through her body. All the feelings and memories from the past started to surface from forgotten corners of Nivedita’s being. It felt as if she had gone back in time.

It had been a week since Nivedita had received the new greeting from her classmate. The greeting had turned into a prolonged conversation that culminated in the revelation that he was in the same city as hers and consequently, the two decided to catch up at a nearby cafe. 

The day of the meeting had finally come and that was why Nivedita had been restless the entire morning. She had not been able to sleep the entire previous night. It was the first time ever that they were meeting each other—they had interacted a couple of times in the past, but it was always in the company of others.

It was half past two and Nivedita found herself taking a cab to the cafe the two had decided to meet at. As she boarded it, she could feel heart pounding through her chest. It was not before quite some time into the ride when she realised she had involuntarily been moving her leg. Before she could manage to calm it down, she reached her destination.

Clumsily, she got out of the cab and headed toward the cafe, visibly tensed. Entering through the door, she checked the time—she was 20 minutes earlier than their decided time. As she crossed the door, she looked around and walked toward the farthest and most secluded table she could find.

It had been 15 minutes since she had settled in when the bell at the door made a sound, suggesting somebody had entered. Nivedita looked up in its direction and saw him standing there, searching the cafe for her. The moment their eyes locked, his face split into a wide grin, and gleefully he walked toward her.

Nivedita looked at him as he settled in. Their eyes locked as he was sitting down on the chair and did not break contact until he had. They sat there, chatting, laughing, eating, reminiscing; but never did they even once break eye contact. 
Finally, when it was time to part ways, they exchanged good byes, hugged each other, and left. As the two turned around to go their own ways, they finally sensed it—the beginning of something new, something different, something…special.

Liked this story? Here is another one about new beginnings—The First Step