Aarav never thought he would return to this town, let alone sit on this old wooden bench by the lake. It creaked under his weight, just like it did back when he was seventeen, sitting here every afternoon with Zoya. She always said the lake reflected their friendship, sometimes calm, sometimes stormy, but always there.

But life happened. They drifted apart as people do. College, careers, new cities. No fights, no falling out, just silence that grew over the years until it felt too late to bridge the gap.

And yet, here he was, staring at the water, lost in the past, when a voice pulled him back.

"You still slouch when you sit, Aarav."

He turned sharply. Zoya stood there, hands in the pockets of her oversized hoodie, eyes amused but hesitant.

"Zoya?" The name felt foreign on his tongue after all these years.

"Surprised?" She smirked, but there was something behind it, a quiet nervousness, the same one he felt in his own chest.

Aarav scooted over, wordlessly making space. She hesitated for a second, then sat down. The bench creaked again, now holding both their histories.

For a while, they just sat there, watching the lake like they used to. The silence was thick, not uncomfortable, just full.

"Didn't think I would see you again," he finally admitted.

"Neither did I," she said. "But I heard you were back, and… I don’t know, it felt wrong not to come."

He glanced at her. "So, you wanted to see me?"

Zoya rolled her eyes. "Don’t make it weird, Aarav."

He laughed, and for the first time in years, it felt familiar. Like no time had passed. Like they were just two teenagers skipping tuition classes, talking about everything and nothing.

Then, her voice softened. "I missed you, you know."

Aarav swallowed. He didn’t expect that. Or maybe he did, and he was just too scared to hope. "I missed you too."

She exhaled, looking at the water. "I thought about reaching out so many times. But you know how it is. You keep waiting for the right moment, and before you know it, years have passed."

"Yeah," he murmured. "But maybe this is the right moment."

Zoya turned to him, really looking at him now. "Maybe it is."

The lake reflected the sky, shifting with the breeze, just like their friendship, uncertain, changing, but still there.

The Last Time They Sat Here

The last time they had sat on this bench together, it was raining. Not the heavy, dramatic kind of rain, but a soft drizzle, just enough to make the world feel different.

Aarav had been accepted into a university in Delhi, and Zoya was set to leave for Mumbai.

They were supposed to be celebrating, but the air between them was heavy.

"Three days left," Zoya had said, staring at the lake.

"Yeah."

"You think we’ll stay in touch?"

Aarav had laughed, not realizing then how naive he sounded. "Of course. We’ll text, call, send memes. Distance doesn’t matter."

Zoya had smiled, but there was something sad in her eyes. "People always say that. But life gets in the way."

"Not us," Aarav had said firmly.

But Zoya was right.

Life did get in the way.

And now, here they were, sitting on the same bench, as if the universe had hit rewind.

The Years in Between

"So, what have you been up to?" Zoya asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Aarav shrugged. "Work. Living in Delhi. You?"

"Work. Living in Mumbai." She smirked. "Wow, what an interesting conversation."

He laughed. "I know, right? So engaging."

A pause.

Then, she said, "I heard about your dad. I wanted to message you, but I… I didn’t know if I should."

Aarav felt a lump in his throat. His father had passed away two years ago, and it had changed something in him. He had felt lonely in a way he couldn’t explain, even when he was surrounded by people.

"I would have liked that," he admitted.

Zoya looked at him, regret flickering in her eyes. "I’m sorry."

"It’s okay. It’s not like I reached out either."

She nodded, biting her lip. "It’s weird, isn’t it? How easy it is to let people slip away. And how hard it is to bring them back."

Aarav exhaled, watching a leaf float on the water. "Maybe it’s not about bringing them back. Maybe it’s about finding them again, wherever they are now."

Zoya tilted her head, considering this. "I like that."

The Weight of Unsaid Things
There were things neither of them were saying.

Like how much they had missed each other. Like how both of them had assumed the other had moved on, too busy to care.

Like how, in another life, maybe they would have never lost touch.

But they were here now. And maybe that was enough.

Zoya suddenly stood up. "Come on."

Aarav blinked. "Where?"

She grinned. "Pani puri. Just like old times."

He laughed. "Still obsessed?"

"Obviously. And I know for a fact you still love it too."

She wasn’t wrong.

Aarav got up, and as they walked away from the lake, the past felt lighter, like it no longer had to be carried alone.

Maybe some things don’t fade. Maybe they just wait for the right bench, the right moment, and the right people willing to sit down and start again.