The rain tapped gently against the classroom windows — soft, steady, and a little too poetic for a regular school day. Inside the KG classroom, chaos ruled. Crayons rolled off tables, water bottles spilled, and tiny voices argued over absolutely everything.
At the back bench, two five-year-olds sat — not quietly.
"Aarav!" Aisha whisper-yelled. "You're copying my butterfly again!"
Aarav didn't even flinch. "It's not copying if I do it better."
"You just made the wings bigger!"
He looked up with a smug little smile. "That's called improvement."
She huffed and turned her back to him. "I'm not talking to you."
"Finally," he said, flipping his drawing sheet.
But after barely ten seconds, she slid a yellow crayon toward him without looking.
He blinked. "…What's this for?"
"You forgot yellow. Butterflies need yellow."
A pause. Then a soft "…Thanks."
They fought every single day. Over drawings. Over snacks. Over who got to sit closer to the window. But when it was lunchtime, Aisha always opened her tiffin first and handed him the first bite without asking.
That's how they were — a mess of arguments and affection, stuck together like magnets that pushed and pulled at the same time.
---
Just then, the classroom door creaked open.
"Aarav beta," the teacher called softly, "someone's here to meet you."
He turned, confused. "Me?"
She nodded. "Come outside."
Aarav looked down at his desk… then at Aisha.
He stood up, but something about the moment felt heavy — heavier than any school day ever should.
A minute passed.
Then two.
The classroom door opened again. Aarav walked back in — slowly this time. His face was pale, and he was biting his lip.
"Aisha…"
She looked up, startled. "What happened?"
"I… I have to go," he said. "They're taking me."
"Where?"
"Korea. I'm… being adopted."
Silence fell between them.
The noise of the classroom faded.
Only the rain sounded louder now.
Aisha's lips trembled. "But… you live here. With me."
"I know." His voice cracked. "I don't want to go either."
She shook her head quickly, panicking like only a child could. "Then don't. Tell them no. Just—stay."
He looked at her, eyes glossy. "I can't."
Then he stepped forward. Close. Closer. He touched her braid — the one he used to tease every morning.
"I'll come back," he whispered. "I promise. Wait for me… and don't forget me, okay?"
Before she could say anything back… he ran.
And that was the last time she saw him.
---
⏳ 15 Years Later…
The phone screen buzzed.
Again.
Unknown:
> "Hey."
"You probably don't remember me."
"But I think I remember you."
Aisha frowned and locked her screen.
"Weirdos." she muttered.
But the texts kept coming.
Not creepy. Not flirty.
Just soft. Patient. Familiar.
After a week of silence, she finally gave in.
Aisha:
> "Do I know you?"
Unknown:
> "Not anymore. But once, I think you did."
And just like that, it began.
Late-night chats. Quiet laughter.
They never exchanged names. Never crossed boundaries.
But he remembered the way she hated the rain.
And she started waiting for his goodnight messages.
---
🎁 Aisha, Age 25 — Present Day
"I'm telling you," Aisha said, holding up a dress in the shop, "if Aarav cared, he would've come back by now."
Her best friend looked up from the changing room. "Girl, it's been twenty years. He's probably dating some K-pop star by now."
Aisha forced a smile. "Exactly. He probably forgot me years ago."
But her voice cracked — just a little.
---
She returned home later that evening, bags in hand. The sky was painted in dusty pinks, and the faint smell of wet mud lingered in the air.
She pushed the door open…
And stopped.
The main door was already unlocked.
Heart skipping, she stepped inside — cautiously.
Her eyes scanned the hall.
A shadow moved.
Her breath hitched.
There was someone standing there — tall, silent, backlit by the dim hallway light. His frame was unfamiliar… but something deep inside her knew.
She stepped forward slowly.
"Who…"
The figure turned slightly — just enough for her to catch the curve of his jaw, the silhouette of his face.
And then… he spoke.
> "Did you wait for me?"
---
TO BE CONTINUED...
🔜 Chapter 2: "some promise return