The Road to Tomorrow

Arjun had always known the city of Bengaluru like the back of his hand. The narrow lanes, the busy marketplaces, the hum of life that never seemed to stop. Yet, it had been years since he had last walked these streets, years since he’d been home.

His memories of the city were ones he carried with him wherever he went, even though he had tried, in many ways, to leave them behind. The people, the places, and especially one girl—the girl who had once been his closest companion.

Arjun's heart had never truly left Bengaluru, even as his life had led him far from it. He had traveled, studied, and built a life that was far removed from the person he had been all those years ago. But there had always been a pull—a deep, unspoken tie to his past, to the girl who had stood by him through so much, and to the city that had witnessed their growth.

Yui.

He thought of her often. The memories of their shared laughter, the quiet moments when they’d talked about their futures, and the way her presence had always felt like a quiet anchor in his chaotic world. When he left, it was as if a piece of him had stayed behind.

And then, there was Sanya—his sister, the one person who had always been able to understand him. Her absence had been a slow, quiet one, but even then, Arjun had felt the weight of her leaving. There was a longing he couldn’t explain, and yet, he didn’t know if it was the same kind of longing he felt for Yui.

It wasn’t until recently that Arjun had learned that Yui was returning to Bengaluru. She had been gone for years, too, chasing her own path, finding herself in places far beyond the city. But now, she was back. And in that moment, Arjun knew—he had to see her again.

It was a warm evening when Arjun found himself standing at the corner of her street, waiting. He didn’t know exactly why he was here or what would come of this meeting. Maybe it was to finally lay to rest the ghosts of their past. Or maybe, just maybe, it was to find something he had lost long ago.

And then, as fate would have it, he saw her.

Yui.

She was walking down the street, the same determination in her stride that he remembered, yet something had changed. Her eyes carried the weight of years, just as his did. She had grown—both in the world and in herself.

Arjun’s smile appeared before he could stop it. It was the same smile that had once been a reassurance between them, the kind that said everything would be okay. But now, it felt different. It was quieter, softer. His gaze softened as he watched her approach.

"Yui," he said, his voice warm but carrying a deeper weight than it ever had before. “It’s been too long.”

Yui froze, her heart skipping a beat. The recognition came instantly—like an old song she hadn’t heard in years. Arjun. The boy she had once protected, the same one who had stood by Ren when the world had felt too harsh. The same boy who had left so suddenly, chasing his own dreams, leaving everything behind.

She had always wondered what had become of him, but standing here now, face to face with him, she realized just how much she had missed his presence. The comfort of his friendship. The ease of their conversations. The way he always seemed to understand her, even when she didn’t understand herself.

Her voice faltered as she spoke. “Arjun,” she said softly, the name feeling foreign but familiar all at once. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

He smiled again, a little more gently this time, as if acknowledging the years that had passed. “I heard about Ren,” he said quietly. “I... I know how hard this must be on you. But if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

The sincerity in his voice struck her deeply, cutting through the years of separation. Yui hadn’t realized how much she needed this—his understanding, his quiet presence. She had tried so hard to do everything on her own, to carry the weight of Ren’s condition and her own grief without ever asking for help. But now, with him standing here, she felt something shift inside her.

“I’m... I’m going to leave, Arjun,” she said softly, her voice filled with both uncertainty and resolve. “I need to. I have to see the world, to show Ren the places he can’t go. I want to make memories for him. For me. But... I don’t know how to do it alone.”

Arjun’s expression softened, his eyes full of understanding. He knew what it was like to feel lost, to need a direction but not know where to find it. He reached out, his gaze holding hers. “You’re not alone, Yui. You never have been.”

In that moment, something inside Yui shifted. It was as if she had been holding her breath for all these years, waiting for the moment to exhale. Arjun’s words were like the calm after a storm, the promise of something new—something that could finally bring her peace.

“Sometimes, the only way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the places you’ve never been,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “This journey is my way of becoming who I need to be—for myself, for Ren... for us.”

The promise hung in the air between them, unspoken but understood. Yui knew that the path ahead would be difficult, that the weight of her choices would linger. But now, with Arjun by her side, it felt like she could finally move forward—not just for Ren, but for herself as well.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over the street, they stood together—no longer the children they once were, but not yet the people they were meant to become. Their reunion had been a quiet one, full of unsaid words and years of distance, but it had brought them back together. And with it, a promise of what lay ahead.