Jai carried a bored expression, carrying the shopping bags as he followed his mother for her shopping spree. The market bustled with life. Stalls lined the street, selling trinkets, handmade crafts and jewellery.

Suddenly, he stopped. His breath caught. At a jewellery stall, Baani stood, examining bangles. His eyes narrowed over the bangle she was holding, a silver one with a lotus motif, identical to one from his dream.

Jai’s heart pounded in his chest. Without his permission, his feet carried him towards her. Baani notices him approach and looks at him in surprise. 

She lifted the bangle slightly and asked.

“Do you think this suits me?”

Jai swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He says in a small, hesitant voice.

“It…it looks perfect. Jaise tumhare liye hi bana ho.”

(Like it is made for you.)

Baani chuckled, slipping it onto her wrist. She teased and said.

“Perfect? Tum toh jewellery expert nikle.”

(You turned out to be a jewellery expert.)

Jai forced a smile, trying to sound casual.

“Nahi…bas kabhi kabhi aisa lagta hai na jaise kuch cheezein…pehle se hi tumhari hoti hai.”

(No…just something it feels that somethings…are already yours.)

Baani tilted her head, curious at his choice of words.

“Hmmm. Interesting thought. Mujhe nhi pata tha tum philosopher bhi ho.”

(I didn’t know you were a philosopher too.)

Jai laughs lightly, but his eyes remain fixed on the bangle. His mind raced back to the dream. Her laughter. The lotus motif. 

‘Sapna…aur ab sach.’

(Dream…and now reality.)

He thought to himself. Baani admired the bangle on her wrist, then looked up at him again, her smile warm.

“Thanks for the approval. Ab mujhe ye lena hi padega.”

(Now I have to get this.)

Jai nods, still unsettled. Baani takes out a crisp 200 rupee note from her purse and hands it over to the shopkeeper.

Out of nowhere, the sky darkened suddenly, clouds heavy with monsoon rain. Jai cursed softly, clutching the shopping bags.

He grasps Baani’s hand and sprints towards the nearest shelter. They duck under a shop’s awning. Jai ruffles his hair to remove the water and looks at Baani.

She brushes the wet strands of hair from her face, laughing lightly at her drenched state. The sound of her laughter cuts through the rain, familiar in a way that makes Jai’s chest tighten.

Their eyes meet and in that instant a flashback hits.

Rain poured down a narrow village path. Jai and Baani run together, their clothes soaked, their laughter echoing against the storm. They duck under a small shop for shelter.

Baani brushed wet strands from her face, laughing. Jai looked at her, feeling warmth, belonging, as though they’ve always been tied together.

Jai blinked, breathless. The rain. Her laughter. Her gesture. All identical.

“This…this already happened.”

He whispered in a low voice, almost to himself. Baani titled her head in confusion.

“Kya?”

(What?)

Jai shook his head quickly, forcing a smile.

“Nothing. Just…deja vu.”

Baani chuckled, pulling her dupatta tighter.

“Deja vu? Maybe the rain just makes everyone feel that way.”

Jai nodded, but his eyes lingered on her, unsettled. The dreams weren't just echoing…they were replaying themselves in reality, detail by detail.

The room glowed faintly under the flicker of a single candle. Jai sat at a wooden desk, pen in hand. He wrote quickly, the ink blotting in places, as though he fears time will run out.

When he finishes, he folds the letter and seals it into an envelope. Baani, waited outside the house, her eyes soft but steady. Jai handed her the letter. 

She smiled softly and whispered.

“Mai isse apne dil ke paas rakhungi. Hamesha.”

(I will always keep it close to my heart. Always.)

She pressed the letter to her heart, her expression filled with quiet devotion. Jai watched her, his heart aching with both love and fear.

The book cafe is hushed, filled with faint rustle of pages and the scratch of pens along with a strong aroma of coffee and sweets.

In a quiet corner, he noticed Baani, bent over her notebook, scribbling with intense focus. Her hair fell loosely across her face and she paused occasionally, biting her lip as she wrote.

Jai made his way towards her and plopped himself down, in front of her. Her focus breaks and she grins up at him.

“I was waiting for you. Tum order kro. Mujhe ek book dhundni thi.”

(You order. I have to find a book.)

She gets up to look for her book and Jai’s eyes move to the paper she was scribbling on.

He picked it up and scanned the words. It’s a short poem, written in Hindi, signed with her initials.

Dil mai chhupa ek raaz hai

Meethi meethi si awaaz hai

Aankhon mai hai ek sapna

Tu hi toh hai mera apna

Tere bina mai adhoora hu

Tere pyaar se hi toh pura hu

Haathon mai tera haath ho

Bas yuhi tera saath ho

Har khushi tujhse hai meri

Tu hi toh hai zindagi meri

Pyaar apna hamesha rahe

Dil se dil yahi kahe

(There’s a secret hidden in my heart,
 A sweet, soft voice that sets it apart.
 In my eyes, a dream does glow,
 You’re the one I’ve always known.

Without you, I’m incomplete,
 With your love, I feel complete.
 Your hand in mine, that’s all I seek,
 Together forever, strong yet meek.

Every joy begins with you,
 My life itself is shaped by you.
 Our love will always stay,
 Heart to heart, it finds its way.)

Jai’s breath caught. The words…similar to the ones he saw in his dream. He whispers, almost trembling.

“Ye…ye kaise ho skta hai? I…I don't understand anything.”

(This…how is this possible?)

Baani joins him but stops short, seeing him so distraught.

“Jai? Kya baat hai?”

(What happened?)

“I don’t understand Baani. Ye sab kya ho raha hai. This feels…unreal.”

(What is happening?)

She looked at him in confusion. He asked her to settle down as he narrated to her everything that has happened since the time he met her. Baani listened to him in shock.

Her own mind spiralling with confusion. He finished and they sat in silence for some time. Baani processed everything.

“Mujhe…nhi pata ye sab kya hai…I don’t know about the past but I can say one thing about the present, Jai.”

(I…don’t know what this is…)

She then looked square into his eyes and said.

“Mera kal kya tha mai nhi jaanti par mera aaj yahi hai ki…I love you, Jai.”

(I don’t know what my past was but my present is that….I love you, Jai.)