"Modern Reunion Under the Banyan Tree"

Reunion Beneath the Banyan Tree

It had been ten years aback academy ended. Activity had taken me on a adventure I never expected. I formed hard, austere the UPSC exams, and now captivated a government job. But alike with aggregate I had achieved, I couldn’t balloon her—the quiet, academic babe from my academy canicule in Montfort School, Manjampatti, Trichy.

Back in school, I was the chic clown—always arise jokes, absent during lessons, or accepting scolded by teachers. Anybody knew me. She, on the added hand, was the opposite. Silent, focused, and so disregarded that abounding agents didn’t alike apperceive her name. Yet, I noticed her. Every day, I’d glance at her, acquisitive she wouldn’t bolt me staring. She looked so simple, yet beautiful, abnormally afterwards her glasses.

We almost spoke. I anticipate we exchanged words alone alert in all our years at school. She was acceptable in studies, while I was average. The chic backbone was 63, and yet she stood out to me. Alike admitting I spent every added moment cheating glances at her, I never aggregate the adventuresomeness to allocution to her.

School ended, and so did my adventitious to say annihilation to her. Activity confused on, and I focused on my studies and career. But memories of her would still appointment me occasionally, like a breeze bringing aback the aroma of an old, accustomed place.

One day, I heard about a academy alliance actuality planned beneath the banyan timberline area we acclimated to accept lunch. Memories of sitting abreast the date during lunchtime with accompany came hasty back. I wasn’t abiding if I should go. What if she didn’t bethink me? Or worse, what if she didn’t come?

But concern won, and I begin myself continuing beneath the banyan timberline on a brilliant afternoon in Trichy. The academy courtyard looked aloof as I remembered it. Students’ amusement echoed in the air, and the tree’s adumbration acquainted comforting.

I spotted old friends, exchanged greetings, and aggregate laughs. But I was additionally scanning the army for her. Then, I saw her.

She was sitting abreast the stage, area we acclimated to sit for lunch. She looked altered yet the same. Her glasses were gone, replaced by a calm confidence. She wore a simple yet affected affection saree, and I noticed a stethoscope blind from her shoulder. She was a doctor now.

For a moment, I froze. All the years, all the absent chances, came hasty back. Finally, I absolved up to her and alleged her name. She looked up, surprised, and afresh smiled.

“You remembered my name?” she asked softly.

“How could I forget?” I said, animated back.

We started talking, communicable up on aggregate that had happened aback school. She told me about her medical studies, the continued hours, and how she now formed at a hospital in Chennai. I aggregate my adventure through UPSC and my accepted job.

“I consistently anticipation you’d end up accomplishing article like this,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “You consistently had that agreeableness of abutting with people.”

I laughed. “And I consistently anticipation you’d become a doctor. You were consistently so focused.”

She smiled, a little shyly. “You were the alone aberration aback then,” she admitted.

Her words afraid me. “Distraction? You noticed me?”

“Of course, I did,” she said with a baby laugh. “You were absurd to avoid with all your jokes and antics.”

The chat flowed naturally, like no time had passed. We reminisced about our academy days—the teachers, the classes, and those little moments that seemed bush afresh but acquainted so adored now.

Finally, I asked, “Do you bethink the aftermost day of school? I never got to say goodbye to you.”

She nodded. “I remember. You were hasty around, aggravating to booty pictures with everyone. I anticipation you didn’t apprehension me.”

“I noticed,” I said, my articulation soft. “I aloof didn’t apperceive how to say goodbye.”

We sat in blackout for a moment, the weight of bond words blind amid us. But this time, I didn’t appetite to leave annihilation unsaid.

“I acclimated to anticipate about you,” I admitted. “Even afterwards academy ended. You were consistently there in the aback of my mind.”

She looked at me, her announcement unreadable, afore smiling. “And now we’ve met again. Maybe it’s time to alpha article new.”

Under the banyan tree, area so abounding of our academy memories were made, we begin a affiliation we hadn’t explored aback then. It acquainted like activity had accustomed us a additional chance.

As the alliance ended, I accomplished something. Sometimes, it’s not about the moments you absent but about the ones you actualize aback activity brings you aback together.