It had been raining all day, the kind of steady downpour that blankets the city in a quiet melancholy. Maya stood by the café window, watching droplets race down the glass, her thoughts lost in memories of Arjun. It had been two years since she had last seen him, but on days like these, when the sky was heavy with rain, it felt as though time hadn’t passed at all.
They had met during a summer internship in Delhi. Arjun was the charming, easygoing type—always quick with a joke, always ready to lighten the mood. Maya, on the other hand, was more reserved, preferring quiet corners and the company of books. But something about him drew her in. Perhaps it was his laughter, full of life and warmth, or the way he could make her feel like the only person in a crowded room. Whatever it was, she found herself spending more and more time with him as the summer went on.
One rainy afternoon, much like today, they found themselves stuck in the office after everyone else had left. The power had gone out, and the only light in the room came from the faint glow of the storm outside. They had been talking about their dreams, their hopes for the future, when Arjun suddenly turned to her, his voice quieter than usual.
“Maya, can I tell you something?”
Maya looked up from her notepad, the rain outside pattering softly against the windows. “What is it?”
He hesitated for a moment, as if searching for the right words. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
The world seemed to stop in that moment. Maya’s heart raced, and for a brief second, she couldn’t breathe. She had been feeling the same way, but had kept it to herself, afraid that saying it out loud might ruin the fragile connection they had.
“I think… I’m falling for you too,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
Arjun smiled then, the kind of smile that made her feel like the sun had just broken through the clouds. They spent the rest of the evening talking, their hearts full of the promise of something new, something beautiful. That night, under the stormy sky, they shared their first kiss.
The months that followed were a whirlwind of late-night conversations, spontaneous trips, and quiet moments stolen in the middle of busy days. They had talked about the future, about what they wanted from life, and everything seemed to fall into place—until it didn’t.
The internship ended, and with it came the reality of their separate lives. Maya had been offered a job in Mumbai, while Arjun’s career was taking him abroad. They had promised to stay in touch, to make it work, but the distance between them grew, and eventually, the calls became less frequent. Then, one day, they stopped altogether.
Now, standing in the café, Maya wondered if she had made a mistake. She had been afraid to follow him, to leave behind the life she had built for herself. She had chosen her career over him, believing that if their love was strong enough, it would survive the distance. But now, two years later, she wasn’t so sure.
The door to the café jingled, and Maya’s heart skipped a beat. She turned, half expecting to see Arjun standing there, dripping from the rain, his signature grin on his face. But it was just another stranger, shaking off an umbrella and ordering a coffee.
Maya sighed, sinking back into her seat. She had no reason to think he would be here, no reason to believe that after all this time, he still thought about her. But then again, the rain had always been their thing—their connection, their story.
Just as she was about to leave, the door chimed again, and this time, she froze. Standing in the doorway, soaked to the bone, was Arjun.
“Maya,” he breathed, his eyes locking with hers.
She stood, her heart pounding in her chest. “Arjun, what are you doing here?”
He laughed, running a hand through his wet hair. “I could ask you the same thing. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“I… I just came to think,” she admitted. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
“I didn’t expect to see you either,” he said, stepping closer. “But I’m glad I did. Maya, I’ve missed you. More than I can say.”
Maya’s eyes filled with tears. “I’ve missed you too, Arjun. Every day.”
For a moment, they stood there, the rain still pouring outside, their words hanging between them like a lifeline. Finally, Arjun reached for her hand.
“I don’t want to miss you anymore,” he said softly. “I want to be with you.”
Maya looked up at him, her heart full of all the things she had left unsaid. “I want that too,” she whispered.
And just like that, under the gray skies of the city, their story began again, with the rain as their witness.
