“Strange coincidence. Kal raat…I dreamt of the same tree. Exactly like this.”

(Last night…)

Baani’s eyes widened slightly, curiosity flickering across them.

“Really? That’s…odd. Mujhe toh bas sketch krte waqt laga ki ye tree mujhe bula raha hai.”

(While sketching I thought this tree is calling me.)

Jai leaned in, searching her face for any memory.

“Aur uss sapne mai…tum bhi thi. Letters exchange kr rhe the hum dono. Aur tumne kaha…’Hum phir se milne ki liye bane hai’.”

(You were there in that dream too. We were exchanging letters. And you said…’We are meant to meet again.’)

Baani’s pencil stilled. She stared at him, a faint shiver ran through her. She whispered softly, almost afraid.

“Tumne…woh suna? Mujhe toh bas ek line yaad aayi thi jab sketch bana rhi thi. Same words.”

(You…heard that? I just remembered the line while sketching.)

A soft silence hung between them, heavy but intimate. The cafe noises faded into the background.

Jai looked at her, half-smiling, half-shaken.

“Coincidence bolu toh bhi…dil maan nhi raha.”

(If I call this a coincidence…my heart doesn’t agree.)

Baani met his gaze, her voice low.

“Shayad…kuch kahaniyan sachme dobara likhi jaati hai.”

(Maybe…some stories are really written again.)

Their eyes locked, the banyan tree sketched between them like a bridge across time.

Jai wanted to talk more, but his phone rang, indicating a call from his friends. They were about to reach. Jai promised to meet Baani soon and the two exchanged numbers.

Jai and Baani have been talking over calls for almost a month. There was no official relationship between the two. They claimed they were friends, but both of them knew the feelings ran deeper than friends.

Today, they planned a visit to a famous temple a few kilometers away from Delhi. It was about a 3 hour drive from Delhi. Jai’s friend, Krunal was driving. Aadrith sat in the passenger seat beside him. Jai, Baani and Hardik sat in the backseat.

They reached the temple by 6 PM. The sun dipped low, painting the sky in shades of amber and rose.

The temple is quiet at this time, its stone pillars weathered by centuries, carved with faded motifs of gods and stories long forgotten. The faint scent of incense lingered in the air, carried by the evening breeze.

Jai walked in with his friends and Baani, but as soon as he stepped past the threshold, his pace slowed down. His eyes scanned the temple walls, the worn steps, the flickering lamps near the sanctum. A strange heaviness settled in his chest.

“Yeh…ye sab dekha hua kyu lag raha hai.”

(This…this seems familiar.)

He muttered under his breath. He felt a rush of deja vu. The same pillars. The same fragrance. The same silence. Baani’s presence. The temple bells. The sense of loss. Her tears. His pleas.

Baani, walking a few steps ahead, paused near a carved stone wall. She ran her fingers lightly across the grooves, her expression softening. She whispers quietly, almost to herself.

“I feel like I’ve been here before…with you.”

Jai stopped in his tracks, staring at her. His throat tightened, but he forced himself to speak casually, though his voice carried a tremor.

“Tumhe bhi aisa lagta hai? Mujhe toh…bas ek ajeeb si familiarity ho rhi hai.”

(You also think so? I just…get a weird familiarity.)

Baani turned to him, her eyes thoughtful.

“Haan…jaise koi purani yaad ho. Par samajh nhi aa raha kyu?”

(Yes…like some old memory. Why I can’t understand why?)

They fall into step together, the group’s chatter fading into the background. The temple bells ring faintly, echoing through the courtyard.

Jai’s voice came out hesitant, testing the waters.

“Kabhi kabhi lagta hai…kuch jagah humse jyada yaadein rakhti hai. Jaise wo hamari kahani sambhal ke rakhti ho.”

(Sometimes I feel…some places carry more memories than us. Like they are keeping our stories alive.)

Baani smiled faintly, her fingers still traced the stone.

“Maybe. Ya phir hum dono hi jyada imagine krte hai.”

(Or maybe we’re imagining too much.)

Jai chuckled softly, but his gaze lingered on her. The way she fit into this place. The way her image in this place mirrored his flashbacks.

Jai spoke, half-smiling, his voice low.

“Ho skta hai. Lekin…coincidence thoda jyada ho raha hai na?”

(Maybe. But…isn’t this coincidence too much?)

Baani met his eyes, a flicker of recognition passed between them. Neither of them says more, but the silence between them feels heavier than words.

Baani joined her hands in front of the idol and closed her eyes. Jai looks at her for a beat longer before closing his eyes and joining his hands.

He asked God to give him answers for his dreams, his confusion. He opened his eyes and looked at Baani, only to see her already looking at him with a soft smile.

“Parikrama le?”

(Shall we take the rounds?)

He nodded and they took rounds around the temple with their hands joined in front of their chests. 

They dropped Baani to her house. Jai accompanied her till the gate.

“Phir kab milenge?”

(When will we meet again?)

She asked, biting her lip as she gazed at him. He smiled and leaned in mischievously.

“Jab aap kahengi. Waise…milna kyu hai?”

(Whenever you say. But…why meet?)

He teased and she frowned.

“Tum na…tang mat kia kro mujhe. Bol dia na milna hai…bas. Har cheez ka reason nhi hota.”

(You…don’t tease me. I told you I want to meet…that’s it. There’s no reason for everything.)

He flicked her nose softly before whispering.

“Hota hai. Bas hum usse accept nhi krna chahte.”

(There is. We just don’t want to accept it.)

She looked away but he could see a hint of smile on her lips.

“Yu hi samajh lo.”

(Think as you want.)

She mumbled, making him chuckle. Without another thought, he held the back of her head and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her temple.

She stood there shocked as he pulled back and whispered.

“Jaldi milte hai. Good night.”

(We’ll meet soon.)

Jai rushed back to the car where his friends were waiting.

“Ho gyi ashiqui toh chale?”

(Done romancing?)

Krunal teased and Jai rolled his eyes.

“Chup saale! Dost hai.”

(Shut up bastard! She is my friend.)

“Haan haan.”

(Yes yes.)

All the three of them echoed with teasing grins. Even Jai couldn’t hide his smile and chuckled.

The bazaar was alive with sound and color. Vendors shouted over one another, their voices blending into a chaotic symphony. Fabrics in crimson, gold and indigo swayed in the wind, hanging from wooden stalls. The air smelled of spices, mingling with the dust of the street.

Jai moved through the crowd, his senses overwhelmed. He felt drawn towards a small stall where bangles glimmered under the lantern light.

A smile formed on his lips. There she was. Baani. She picked up a silver bangle with a delicate lotus motif, slipping it onto her wrist as she bargained with the shopkeeper.

Jai’s hand instinctively reached out, desperate to touch her, to hold onto this vision. Before his fingers could graze hers, the bazaar dissolved into haze.