The sun was beginning to set as the old, familiar sounds of laughter and chatter echoed through the café. The group of friends, who hadn’t met in two years, gathered around a table. Ananya sat quietly at one corner, nervously playing with her bracelet, while Rhea and Arjun argued over something trivial, their voices filling the space.

"Arjun, it’s not that serious!" Rhea rolled her eyes.

Arjun smirked. "You just don’t get it, do you?"

A few months ago, none of them would have thought that they’d be sitting here together. Ananya had distanced herself after misunderstandings piled up. They hadn’t even tried to reach out. Two years of silence—until now. But today was different. Today, they were ready to fix things.

Ananya’s gaze flickered to each of them—Rhea, Arjun, Karan, and Meera. They were the same, yet so different. Time had changed them all. Her heart felt heavy with memories.

"So, where did all this begin?" Ananya finally broke the silence, her voice soft yet strong. "Where did our friendship go wrong?"

Rhea’s face faltered, guilt flashing in her eyes. "Ananya, I... I don’t even know. I’m sorry for everything."

The words hung in the air like a cloud too heavy to hold back. Arjun and Karan exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

"We all made mistakes," Karan admitted, his voice sincere. "We should’ve talked to you, Ananya. We were too caught up in ourselves."

Ananya smiled faintly, but her eyes still held the weight of the past. "It was never just about misunderstandings, Karan. It was about trust. When all of you stopped talking to me, it felt like I wasn’t important anymore."

The group fell silent. The guilt weighed on them, and in that silence, Ananya’s mind drifted back to the past.

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Flashback: Ananya’s Perspective

It was a sunny afternoon two years ago. The five of them had sat together at this very café, laughing and making plans. Ananya remembered how Rhea had been the first to leave that day, her phone buzzing with notifications. Arjun had been distracted, lost in his own world, and Karan—well, he’d been too busy flirting with Meera, as usual.

Ananya had felt the distance creeping in, slowly but surely. She remembered feeling invisible, as if they no longer cared. "I thought everything would be fine, that you’d all understand me. But when you got so lost in your own worlds, I felt like I didn’t matter anymore."

Her voice faltered as she spoke. "Do you remember how it felt when all of you ignored me? The friendship we thought would last forever… it just disappeared."

Rhea reached out and gently held Ananya’s hand, regret shining in her eyes. "We never realized how much it hurt you, Ananya."

Arjun sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "It was our fault. We should’ve been there for you. I’m really sorry."

Maya leaned forward, a soft smile on her lips. "We’ve all missed you so much, Ananya. Every one of us. And we should never have let this happen."

Karan’s voice was barely a whisper. "I can’t even imagine how you must have felt. We were such idiots."

Ananya nodded slowly. "I never expected much, but I didn’t expect this either."

The conversation turned lighter after that, but the emotions still lingered in the air. Rhea tried to break the tension with a joke.
"So, do we have any plans for our reunion? And just so you know, if anyone suggests a movie, I’m leaving."

Arjun laughed. "How about a trip? We could all use some fresh air."

Ananya’s eyes brightened. "A trip sounds perfect."

The others agreed enthusiastically. And just like that, the plan was set—a weekend getaway in the mountains. A chance to reconnect, laugh, and make up for lost time.

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End of Episode

Hi! It’s your author. My dear reader, if you liked this episode and want to know more about what happened in the past and what’s going to happen in the future, please like the story and comment your thoughts. It would help a lot! 🎀

Thank you!! See you soon with another banger episode!

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