The Big Tree
Eleven years ago, under the shade of a great pine tree, two children played, their laughter echoing in the warm summer air. One was a boy, Shyam, and the other, a spirited girl named Raitha. Beneath the tree's vast branches, they argued in jest over who would become successful first when they grew up.
"I'll be a famous inventor!" Shyam boasted, puffing out his chest.
Raitha laughed. "And I'll be a renowned author! Let's see who makes it first."
Their playful quarrel ended in a promise—one sealed with laughter, not seriousness. They vowed to return to this very tree when they achieved their dreams. But as life often does, it carried them in different directions, separating them for nine long years. Neither of them returned, burdened by the feeling of unfulfilled promises.
For Shyam, however, the absence of Raitha became unbearable. One summer day, just as warm as the one from his childhood, he decided to return to the village and the tree that had once been their sanctuary. After a grueling seven-hour train journey, he arrived at the place that had always been etched in his memory. The sights, the smells, the gentle rustle of the wind—it all felt like stepping back in time.
Shyam made his way to his old home, where an elderly man greeted him at the door. With his snow-white hair and kind eyes, the village chief—Shyam's grandfather—stood there with a wide smile.
"Back for good, are you?" his grandfather asked.
Shyam nodded, exhaustion clear on his face. "I think so, Grandpa. The city… it just isn't for me anymore."
The old man chuckled. "You've made the right choice, my boy. Peace is here if you're willing to find it."
Wanting to help his grandson start fresh, the grandfather handed Shyam the keys to an old noodle shop he once owned. "Take this," he said. "This was my life's work, and now it's yours. Make it yours, and you'll find your own happiness."
Grateful for the gift, Shyam took over the shop. It became his haven, a place where he could find purpose while rediscovering the simplicity of village life. But every evening, after closing the shop, Shyam would walk to the tree. He would sit beneath its shade, watching the sun dip below the horizon, hoping against hope that Raitha would one day return.
Days turned into months. For six months straight, he waited under that tree, his heart growing heavier with each passing day. His grandfather had mentioned that Raitha hadn't been seen in the village since they parted, but Shyam refused to give up. He couldn't let go of the promise they made, even if he felt he wasn't the successful man he once dreamed of being.
One crisp winter evening, as the first stars began to dot the sky, Shyam sat on the bench by the tree, staring blankly at his phone. The cold air bit at his skin, and his breath formed small clouds in the icy air. He was on the verge of giving up—ready to accept that Raitha might never return. But just as he prepared to leave, he heard the sound of footsteps crunching on the frosty ground.
He looked up, and his heart stopped.
There, standing in the soft glow of the moonlight, was a young woman with pitch-black hair that shimmered in the pale light. Her eyes sparkled, wide with disbelief, and her breath escaped in visible wisps. Her figure was graceful, but it was her face—so achingly familiar—that sent Shyam's heart racing.
"Is… is it really you, Shyam?" Raitha's voice trembled, a mix of shock and joy.
Shyam stood, his face turning bright red, his chest pounding with an intensity he hadn't felt in years. Words failed him for a moment, but then he smiled, his voice bursting with excitement.
"Yes! It's me!"
The two stood frozen for a moment, drinking in the sight of each other. All the years of separation, the missed moments, and the unspoken feelings hung in the air between them. But in that instant, it didn't matter. They were together again, under the big tree that had always waited for them.