Aanya sat cross-legged on her bedroom floor, surrounded by the soft rustle of old papers. Her fingers traced the edges of faded photographs, each one a window into a time long past. "I wonder where you are now, Ramanpreet," she murmured, her heart heavy with nostalgia.
Aanya remembered the day she first met Ramanpreet Kaur Chahal in second grade. Ramanpreet had been the new girl, her ponytail swaying as she nervously introduced herself. They had clicked instantly, an unspoken bond forming as they shared crayons and giggles. "We were inseparable back then," Aanya thought with a wistful smile.
"I have to leave, Aanya. My family is moving," Ramanpreet had said, her voice tinged with sadness. Aanya had felt a pang of loss, clutching the handwritten notes they exchanged. "Promise you'll write?" Aanya had asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
After Ramanpreet left, Aanya found solace in Pooja's company, ignoring Ramanpreet's warnings. Pooja had seemed charming, but beneath her smile lay a sharp edge. "Aanya, don't you see? She's not really your friend," others warned, but Aanya turned a deaf ear, until the day Pooja's betrayal struck her like a cold wave.
Aanya sighed, the weight of lost time pressing down as she searched for Ramanpreet online. Each fruitless search felt like another door closing. "I wish I still had that number," she whispered, recalling the day her mother had unknowingly discarded the box of precious notes.
Aanya closed her eyes, imagining the moment she would find Ramanpreet again. The past might be tangled with pain and regret, but the future held a glimmer of hope. "One day, I'll find you, and we'll pick up right where we left off," she vowed, determined to mend the threads of their friendship.
