The year had been nothing short of a rollercoaster and Ananya couldn't help but pity herself. What started as a reputation had unraveled into a series of heartbreaks and disappointments. She had worked for so many fucking long hours, dedicated to that fucking company that, in the end, had no loyalty in return. Office politics had been her silent foe, and today, she had lost the battle, very badly. She was fired. Not because she was not good enough at work, but because of some dirty internal politics she had no role to play. What a nice way to end the year?

With a heavy sigh, Ananya unlocked the door to her house. Darkness welcomed her. But at that moment, she was glad that at least darkness welcomed her if not anyone else. She knew it didn't make any sense and she didn't have the zeal to make a sense out of her thoughts. She simply chuckled at herself, removing her shoes and keeping them in its spot.

Aimlessly walking into her oh-so-fan-of–one-direction room, she plopped herself onto the bed allowing the mattress warmth engulf her. Looking up at the ceiling, she replayed everything that happened today. She just couldn't stop thinking about that stupid company for God's sake.

"Fuck. Fuck Mr. Ravi and fuck the company and fuck everyone involved in this shit."

Ravi was her manager and he was no good. Ananya didn't have a good impression on him since her very first day but she had to put up with him and his tantrums. And she did, for the past six years. One thing is that, she now was glad that she didn't have to see that face. That face which looked like it was drawn by a toddler with a crayon.

"Ugh. I'm done. Let me forget everything that has happened," she muttered as she shifted, turning into her stomach, the coolness of the pillow kissing her face and she let out a soft sigh.

As she was on the brink of sleep, there went a soft rumble at a distance. The sound grew louder, and soon the quietness of the city outside her window turned into the pitter-patter sound of rain. Heavy rain, indeed.

"Seriously?" Ananya groaned, sitting up a little in bed. She looked out the window, watching the sky turn grey slowly, much to a contrast to the afternoon's weather.

"Chennai weather," she muttered, rolling her eyes. It had been hot and humid with zero air flow throughout the day and suddenly the clouds decided to weep.

Ananya leaned back into her pillow, her gaze still fixed at the tears of the clouds outside. "It's like a woman on her periods, always unpredictable. One minute, it's sunny, and the next, it pours like no tomorrow."

She couldn't help but chuckle at her weird comparison. "Chennai for sure is a woman," she concluded as she laughed at her thought. "Emotional, dramatic and never quite what you expect."

Getting up from the bed, she decided that if there was time for comfort food, it was now. Ice cream had always been her go-to on her bad days, a small bite of the sweetness could momentarily sweeten the bitterness of the reality. She walked over to the fridge, pulling it open eagerly.

Her eyes immediately landed on the familiar tub that rested at the corner. Excited, she grabbed it, already imagining the cool, creamy sweetness melting on her tongue. But as she peeled off the lid, she was hit with a wave of disappointment. The tub was empty, except the last few streaks of melted residue on the sides.

"Of course," Ananya muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "What did I even expect? Why would anything go right today?"

She stood there for a moment, staring into the empty tub as if waiting for the ice cream to magically appear. The ice cream tub was a perfect metaphor of her life at the moment, looking promising on the outside but utterly hollow on the inside.

With a sigh, she slammed shut the fridge, throwing away the empty tub into the trash.

As she was sulking over the empty tub, a sudden shrill of the doorbell startled her. She froze, glancing at the door. Her apartment wasn't exactly at the kind of location where she would expect unexpected visitors, especially not at this hour. She checked the clock on the wall, it was almost 11 p.m.

"Who on earth..." she muttered, her brows knitting together.

Her first thought was to ignore it. It could be some delivery guy at the wrong address. But then, the bell rang again.

Ananya hesitated. What if it's some serial killer who's on a run? Or what if it's some psychopath who loves to see people suffer? Oh for sure, she had to stop watching those kinds of series.

Taking a deep breath, she cautiously approached the door, her heart thudding in her chest.

"Who is it?" she called, her voice firm, masking the nervousness.

No response.

She took the badminton racket that was kept by the door. She held it along the net side of the racket. Slowly, she unlocked the door, and pulled it open, her grip on the racket tightening. She was ready to throw a hit.

Her breath hitched.

Standing there, drenched from head to toe, was a face she never thought she would see again. A face she was seeing after a whole fucking ten years. A face she had once fallen for. Vikram.

Her childhood sweetheart.

He looked exactly as she remembered, and yet somehow different—older, sharper and for sure more handsome than ever. He still carried the boyish charm she once adored. His hair clung to his forehead, rainwater dripping over his face.

There were two cones of ice cream in his hands, the chocolate cream melting and dripping onto his fingers.

"I wanted ice cream," he said, grinning like a child caught in mischief. "And I thought you might too."

✦✦✦

It was a regular sunny day in summer. Ananya was seven, sitting on the edge of the road outside her new house. The pavement was warm under her legs, and she absentmindedly kicked a pebble while watching the truck unload their belongings. Her parents were busy, giving instructions to the movers, leaving her feelings invisible, and frankly, bored.

The neighborhood was unfamiliar. The streets were strange and empty and she felt out of place.

That's when she saw him.

A boy, around her age, stood across the street, holding an ice cream cone that looked far too big for his tiny hands. He looked cheerful and he had an infectious smile. His gaze fell upon her and his curious expression quickly turned into a wide, toothy grin.

Without hesitation, he walked over to where she was sitting.

"You are new here, aren't you?" he asked curiously, tilting his head like a puppy.

Ananya nodded shyly.

"I'm Vikram," he said. "What's your name?"

"Ananya," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Ananya," he repeated, testing it out as if it was a new word he just learnt. "Pretty name. You want some ice cream?"

Before she could even react, he extended his half eaten cone towards her.

She blinked, startled. "But..." she looked up at him, "it's yours."

Vikram shrugged, smiling. "It's fine. We can share. My mom always tells me that you can make friends easily by sharing food."

Hesitating for a moment, Ananya finally accepted the cone, her tiny fingers brushing against his. The sweet cold treat melted on her tongue, lifting her mood instantly.

"Thanks," she said, munching the wafer of the cone.

"You're welcome," Vikram replied, plopping down beside her. "There's this ice cream truck that comes here every evening. They are so tasty. I'll show it to you soon."

That was how it started—a melting cone of ice cream on a sunny day, shared between two children who didn't know that they would become a very important person in each other's life.

✦✦✦

"Are you going to let me in?"

Ananya blinked, snapping out of her trance. "You're soaked!" she blurted, pulling him inside.

"And so are the cones", he said, shrugging.

Ananya took the cones from his hands, carefully placing them on the side table, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips realising how he had remembered her favourite flavour, pistachio. She glanced at him, drenched from head to toe, and shook her head in disbelief. "You're so clumsy and are a mess, Vikram," she muttered in disbelief.

Without waiting for his response, she turned and walked towards her room. The faint scent of the rainwater still lingered in the air. She picked a towel from her closet while her mind played a series of questions.

When did he come back to India? How did he find her? Was he already in a relationship, or worse married?

Clearing the questions that were overflowing in her mind, she returned back to the living room. "Here," she said, holding the towel out to him. "You'll catch a cold if you stay like that."

He took it, his fingers brushing against hers for a brief moment. He started drying his hair, but Ananya noticed that his mind was not here, like he wasn't sure what he was doing.

With a small shake of her head, she moved closer to him. "Let me help," she said.

He looked up at her, surprised, but he didn't move away. "Are you sure?" he asked, the smile still lingering on his lips.

"Yeah," she replied, as her hands reached up to take the towel from him.

The softness of the moment caught them both off guard. She carefully ran the towel through his damp hair, her fingers brushing against his scalp as she wiped away the water. It was oddly an intimate act, the kind that felt both natural and charged with unspoken tension. Her heart raced a little, for she was at this proximity with him after ten years. She didn't dare to look up to meet his gaze.

As she moved the towel down to dry the back of his neck, her hand lingered there longer than necessary. Vikram stood still, his breath hitched, and there was a flicker of something in his eyes. Something that fucking made her pulse quicken.

He cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Thanks," he said softly, his voice barely audible.

Ananya looked everywhere but him. "No problem," she mumbled, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Ananya and Vikram settled on the couch, as they finally took a moment to savour the ice cream cones. The cold sweetness of the dessert felt like a temporary escape from the tension that had hung in the air between them since the door had opened. They were in silence for a moment, both wondering how to initiate the conversation. Ten years ago, they talked about random-est shits with each other and now they didn't know how to start the conversation.

Ananya couldn't help but break the silence. "So... how did you find my house?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Vikram paused, he waited till the ice cream in his mouth had completely melted. A smile tugged at his lips. "It's one of a story," he began, his voice steady. "I was actually nearby, seeing a client. And I saw you as you were going into the apartment building. I didn't know you had shifted to Chennai."

Ananya's brows furrowed, taken aback. "You saw me?" she asked, wondering.

"Yep," Vikram continued, his eyes lighting up as he spoke. "It was just a quick glance. But I recognized you easily. You look the same as before, Anu. And you looked... I don't know... like you wanted to eat some ice cream or something?"

Ananya let out a small chuckle, her cheeks warming even more. "I guess it's a good thing that you decided to stop by then. I was having a fucking shitty day at work and  was craving for some ice cream," she said softly, feeling a mix of emotions bubbling up—surprise, nostalgia and for sure happiness.

He shrugged lightly, a playful glint in his eyes. "Good thing I did," he said. "I've been wanting to continue our ice cream pact for... far too long."

The ice cream pact. A pact that they made.

✦✦✦

It was a warm afternoon, and Ananya, just nine years old, was stomping along the sidewalk beside Vikram, her school bag bouncing with every step. The day had been long, and the disappointment weighed heavily over her shoulder, heavier than her school bag. She had just lost the English elocution competition, and the sting of not winning gnawed at her. Tears had been pouring down her face ever since the last bell rang, and no matter how hard she tried to hold them back, they kept flowing.

Vikram, who had always been the one to make her laugh, glanced sideways at her. His expressions softened when he saw the tears trace down her cheeks. "Anu, come on, don't cry," he said gently, reaching out to tug at her sleeve. "You were amazing out there, Anu. You don't need a trophy to prove it."

But Ananya sniffed, wiping her nose on his sleeve. Though that made Vikram gross out, he didn't mind that, at least for the moment. "I should've won. Everyone laughed at my mistake..." she trailed off, her voice trembling.

Vikram didn't say anything more. Instead, he took her hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. They continued walking in silence until they neared their house. That was when Vikram's eyes suddenly lit up.

"There it is!" he exclaimed, pointing down the street.

Ananya blinked, still sniffling, her gaze followed his finger. She saw the ice cream truck parked across the road, the familiar jingles of the truck's music drifting in the air. Without a second thought, Vikram pulled her hand and dashed towards the truck, his energy contagious.

"Wait- Vikram. I-" Ananya started to protest, but Vikram wasn't listening. He tugged her along as she stumbled, half-laughing despite herself.

When they finally reached the truck, Vikram stood on his toes and ordered two cones—pistachio for Ananya and Vanilla for himself. He handed the pistachio cone to Ananya.

As he gave her the cone, he grinned, his eyes full of mischief. "Listen Anu," his voice playful yet serious, "whenever either of us feels like crying or just needs to talk, we'll call the other, and we'll have ice cream together. No matter what. This is our pact. The ice cream pact."

Ananya blinked at him, confused for a second. "Really?" she asked in her tiny voice.

He nodded, extending his pinky. "Really. A pinky promise."

Ananya smiled through her tears, her hand instinctively extending to meet his. She wrapped the pinky around his, sealing the promise they had just made.

The pact reminded them that no matter how tough life got, there was always an ice cream waiting to be shared, and a friend to lean on.

✦✦✦

The memory faded back into the present, and Ananya found herself staring down at the ice cream cone, a soft smile tugging at her lips. It felt like nothing had changed, like no time had passed.

Vikram's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I still remember how you wanted one more scoop but you weren't able to finish it. Not gonna lie, but you were kind of a troublemaker, back then," he chuckled, his voice filled with fondness.

Ananya laughed, her heart felt light. "I was nine, Vikram," she teased, taking a bite of her ice cream.

The sudden sound of the firecrackers in the distance pulled them both from their quiet conversation. Ananya glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight.

She looked up at Vikram, an excited glint in her eyes. "You want to go watch the firecrackers?"

Vikram gave her a playful grin. "Lead the way," he said.

They locked the door and walked to the elevator. The moment the doors closed, the silence between them seemed more comfortable. It was simply two people enjoying each other's company without needing to say much.

Ananya couldn't help but ask, her voice a little quieter than usual, "When did you get back from Japan?"

Vikram leaned against the walls of the elevator, his gaze briefly flicking to hers. "A week ago. I'm actually on a vacation. I'll be leaving in two days."

Ananya felt a strange feeling in her chest upon hearing his words. Though she knew they hadn't been in touch much over the years, the thought of him leaving so soon again made her heart ache.

Noticing the change in her expression, Vikram quickly added, "I'll show you the picture of Mount Fuji that I took. They're so pretty."

Ananya's face brightened, "You're still into photography, huh?"

Vikram smiled softly, the familiar warmth in his eyes as he spoke. "Yeah, it's more of a hobby now. Capturing moments that are special makes life more special, I guess? If that makes sense."

Ananya nodded, her smile matching his. She remembered his love for photography, the way he could make even the simplest thing to look beautiful through a lens.

✦✦✦

She was sixteen, standing by a small bridge crossing over a calm, flowing river. The sky was crystal clear, and the air reeked of fresh grass and earth. She had been waiting there for a while, confused but patient, as Vikram had called and informed her that he needed to meet her for something important.

She had no idea what it could be, but the excitement in his voice when he called her name, "Anu!" made her heart race. He came running towards her, his face glowing with happiness, his eyes sparkling with mischief she had always found endearing.

"What's with all this excitement?" Ananya asked, her voice filled with curiousity.

Vikram didn't answer quickly. He made her wait, dragging out the suspense with a teasing smile. Finally, after a few minutes that felt like forever, he dug into his bag and held out a camera.

Ananya's face lit up in an instant. "Is that..." she gasped, her eyes widened.

"Freaking yes," Vikram said, his grin almost as wide as the camera. "It's the camera that I've been asking since a long time. My parents finally bought it for me!" His voice was filled with excitement.

Ananya could sense the happiness pouring out of him, and it filled her heart with happiness. Vikram always loved capturing moments, the way he saw the world through the lens was different, more meaningful. And now, here he was, holding his dream in his hands.

She couldn't help but smile as she stepped closer to him. "I'm so happy for you, Vikram."

Vikram's smile softened. "Anu," he said quietly, "will you stand here for me? I want to capture this moment."

Ananya raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why here? And why now?"

"Because I want to capture all the meaningful things in my life." He took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto hers. "And you Anu, you're one of the most important people in my life."

And, in that moment, the world just stopped around her. Ananya blinked, with her heart starting to thump against her chest. It was the first time he had ever said something of that sort-something so naked, something which made her perceive him in an entirely different manner.

It was in that moment that Ananya realized he was no longer just her friend. She started falling for him right then and right there. The feelings for Vikram had always been there, hidden in the nooks and corners of her heart, but now they seemed to surface, impossible to ignore.

Vikram, noticing her hesitation, smiled gently. "You don't have to pose for me if you don't want to," he teased, breaking the tension. "But...if you could, I'd love to capture this moment."

Ananya, still going through the range of emotions, nodded merely. She entered the frame, and the camera clicked. Then she knew that it had always been Vikram, always. There was no denying to it now.

✦✦✦

The jolt of sound from the elevator door sliding open brought Ananya back to her senses, and she stepped out with Vikram. The winter breeze was quite cool as the terrace opened out to a sky full of brilliant colors.

They stood in comfortable silence, watching the bursts of light and listening to the distant cheers of people celebrating the arrival of the new year.

Ananya faltered, throwing a furtive glance towards him from her corner of vision. She had managed to suppress all her queries for the night, but standing beneath the broad horizon of the starry sky made her ask just then.

"So..." she went on cautiously in a tone slightly louder than the crackling of fireworks, "are you... umm, married?"

Vikram turned to her, taken aback by her question. A soft chuckle escaped as he shook his head. "Nope. Not married."

Ananya bit her lip, deciding whether to push further. Curiosity won. "What about a girlfriend? Or a special one?"

He burst out laughing for the second time, this one with a sharp edge of playfulness. "Why are you so interested in my love life, Anu?"

Her face flushed slightly while she looked in every direction but not his eyes. "Just curious."

"Well, in that case," he said, leaning forward a little, "the answer is still no."

Ananya let out a small sigh, one she hoped he wouldn't notice, but the faint relief in her expression gave her away. "Then okay," she said casually, trying to hide the fluttering in her chest.

Vikram raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!" she retorted, trying to act all cool as she turned her gaze back to the sky. "There's no need to overthink."

He laughed. "You're impossible, you know right?"

"And you too are predictable, Mister," she tossed back at him, trying not to hide the grin on her face.

The clock struck twelve, and the sky lit up with an explosion of color. The two of them looked at each other instinctively, smiles spreading across their faces.

"Happy new year," they both said in unison.

And after a beat, Vikram added, "Long live our ice cream pact."

- THE END -