The light hit directly in Aanya's eyes, causing her vision to blur for a moment. Instinctively, she stepped forward, trying to see clearly through the fading glare. Then she stopped—she was too close.
Vansh stood right in front of her, close enough for her to notice the cold mist escaping from his breath. The wind carried her loose strands of hair, brushing gently against his face.
Neither of them spoke. The faint blue light of dawn softened everything around them, yet the silence between them felt strangely pronounced.
Aanya had moved forward and was now face-to-face with Vansh, their faces inches apart. They were lost in the moment as the wind blew and her hair brushed against his cheek.
"Hello?" Vansh broke the silence.
Aanya rubbed her eyes; the voice was familiar but disorienting. Slowly, she turned away and noticed Mika's father approaching.
"Aren't you a bit late to join the group?" he questioned Vansh.
"Actually, I was waiting for everyone to move before I started on my own," Vansh replied, unsure of why the man was asking him this.
"Why would you do that?" Uncle asked suspiciously.
Vansh glanced ahead at the trail.
"Most guides don't allow people to use this path."
"Why not?" Aunty asked curiously.
"I don't know if you noticed," Vansh explained, "but compared to the main route, this side is smoother. Less loose rock, too."
He pointed lightly toward the trail ahead.
"During the rainy season, water flows through here and clears out most of the smaller stones. The other route is steeper and rougher."
Mika's father looked down at the ground beneath his shoes, finally noticing how clean the path actually was.
"Actually, we missed both the route and the group," Aunty said, her concern for her family evident. "So, do you know the endpoint of the route?"
Vansh nodded in affirmation. Aunty then asked if they could tag along with him, and he agreed.
They made way for him to lead. As he moved forward, he caught Aanya's gaze, and she looked at him intently. Neither exchanged any words.
Mika slowly approached Aanya and asked, "What is he doing here?"
Aanya was just as surprised as Mika, but she felt even more taken aback. Finding him here was the last thing she expected.
Mika's father approached her with a furrowed brow. "I really don't know if we can trust him," he said, glancing at Vansh.
Mika nodded in agreement. Her mother interjected, "Come on, we should be grateful that someone is here to help us. You two are just being sceptical for no reason."
Aanya spotted Vansh in the distance and said with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about him; he means no harm." As she moved ahead, Mika hurried to catch up. "Wait for me!" she called, and soon all five of them were walking together.
"Hey," Aanya broke the ice, her eyes brightening as she looked at Vansh. He returned her gaze, a bit taken aback. "Oh, hey," he replied, unsure of how to navigate the sudden attention.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Aanya continued, tilting her head slightly, her curiosity piqued.
"Yeah, I had some other things planned," Vansh said, trying to sound casual, but his nervousness showed.
Mika chimed in, her eyes narrowing playfully. "So, do you know all these secret routes through the hills? Or are you just pretending to be an expert?"
Aanya shot Mika a look that seemed to say, "Seriously?"
Vansh chuckled, easing the tension. "Oh, not really! I just found out about this place from a post online. I think it's not well-known, and only a few people have ventured here."
Mika raised an eyebrow. "Oh! So you did your research. Impressive!" she said, though internally, she couldn't shake the image of him and Aanya together.
As they approached the endpoint, the sweet sound of a cricket filled the air, blending with the rustle of leaves. Birds flew gracefully overhead when an unusual noise suddenly caught everyone's attention.
Vansh, calm and collected, suggested they ignore it. Everyone but Aanya followed his lead, but her curiosity made her step aside. Unfortunately, her foot landed on a loose rock, twisting her ankle and sending her off balance.
In that moment, Vansh's heart raced. He saw her about to fall and rushed forward, catching her just in time. She leaned into his arms, and he instinctively wrapped one arm around her to keep her steady.
For a brief second, her fingers tightened instinctively around his sleeve.
The distance between them shortened again—
Not intentionally.
Not completely accidentally either.
"You okay?" Vansh asked quietly.
Aanya blinked once, still startled.
"…Yeah."
Mika witnessed the scene and felt a surge of fear. She quickly hurried over, gently pushing Vansh aside as she helped lift Aanya. "Careful, Aanya," she said softly.
Aanya stood up and saw Vansh. Her uncle and aunt witnessed the scene but did not intervene.
"You have to be careful," her aunt said to Aanya.
"Yeah, the rock was just loose there," Aanya replied as she watched Vansh. "Thank you."
Vansh nodded his head in acknowledgement. He suggested, "It would be better if we get there soon; the sunrise is going to happen any time now."
Everyone watched him move forward and then followed him.
As they reached the endpoint, they discovered that several other people had also travelled this route; they were not alone.
Everyone was gathered at the endpoint, some standing at the steep edge and others in the middle. They were all having a good time.
Vansh slowly turned back as he noticed that everyone was in the middle. "I'm sorry, but I need to go to the other side, so I'll be leaving now," he said, bidding them farewell.
The aunt and uncle thanked him for his help. "Thank you!" they said.
Aanya was watching him leave and waved goodbye. Mika observed her. "Aanya usually talks a lot, but this time she was silent. What's going on with her?" Despite her concerns, Mika felt relieved that the guy had left.
Vansh quietly stepped away from the group, disappearing into the growing crowd. Mika's father stretched his arms lightly and smiled.
"Alright, everyone. The sunrise should start any minute now."
People slowly turned toward the eastern horizon as a faint golden light began to spread across the distant clouds. Excited voices filled the hilltop. Some stood near the edge, taking pictures, while others waited in silence for the sun to appear. Aanya remained beside the others, the cold wind brushing against her hair. She tried to search for Vansh through the crowd with her eyes.
Vansh found a spot on the side of the cliff. He gently placed his bag on the ground and unzipped it. The cold wind swept quietly across the hilltop while distant voices blended into the morning air. He pulled out the camera body with practised familiarity. Then, reaching inside again, he took out the lens and gently fixed it into place with a soft click. The camera felt natural in his hands.
Without saying anything, he stepped closer to the edge, where the hills stretched endlessly beneath the fading blue dawn. Clouds drifted between the valleys like slow-moving waves, and far beyond them, the horizon began to glow faintly with gold.
Vansh lifted the camera toward the sunrise side. The lens focused quietly. One frame. Then another. The first light of morning slowly touched the clouds.
As the sunrise lifted over the horizon, warm golden light spilt across the clouds beneath the hills. Smiles appeared everywhere. Mika's excitement returned as she lightly grabbed Aanya's arm.
"Look at that…"
Even Aanya couldn't hide her smile. The cold wind, the drifting clouds, the endless light stretching across the sky— for a moment, everything felt distant from the world below. Nearby, their parents quietly enjoyed the view in their own way. On the quieter side of the hill, Vansh continued adjusting the settings on his camera. The lens captured fragments of the morning, one frame at a time— Clouds drift through the valleys, birds fly across the brightening sky, and trees sway gently in the wind. Each click felt meaningful to him—small moments that people usually forget. Yet somehow, he wanted to preserve them.
Vansh stepped back slightly, lifting the camera for one final shot of the sunrise. The golden light had finally begun to touch the clouds perfectly. He pressed the shutter. Click.
Suddenly, a figure entered the frame. Vansh lowered the camera slightly and saw Aanya standing in front of him. The morning light wrapped softly around her, and strands of her hair moved in the wind. For a second, he froze.
"I—sorry," Vansh said quickly. "I didn't mean to take your picture."
Aanya blinked once before stepping closer.
"Can I see it?"
There was no anger in her voice—only curiosity. Vansh hesitated for a brief moment before handing her the camera. For some reason, it felt strangely personal. Aanya looked down at the photo displayed on the screen. The sunrise stretched behind her, clouds glowing gold beneath the hills while the cold blue of dawn still lingered faintly around the edges.
Somehow, the picture didn't feel staged at all. It felt natural. Quiet. Alive.
Aanya noticed him; his eyes were filled with distress. She offered a small smile, one that seemed to hold curious plans for him.
"It's beautiful! Can you take some more pictures of me, if you don't mind?" Her tone carried a hint of request as she handed him his camera. Vansh was puzzled by her request.
Looking through the lens, he saw her standing there with her hands behind her back, slightly tilted, and wearing a bright smile. Each click and each pose felt familiar, almost like he was capturing someone he had known for a lifetime.
With the click of the shutter, a vision appeared before him — a small girl with the same eyes and smile. She stood there, and Vansh was holding onto that moment.
Aanya noticed he was standing still, without taking the photo.
"Hello?" she softly called out to him.
She stepped closer, now right in front of him. "Vansh?" Her sweet voice reached his ears, and he slowly lowered the camera to meet her gaze.
He was about to say something when, far away, Mika was looking for Aanya. "Where did this girl run off to?" she wondered. Earlier, they had all been having fun together; Aanya was full of energy, and Mika had been supporting that energy. After taking a few pictures with their phones, they had spread a blanket to take a break. Aanya announced she wanted to explore all sides of the cliff. Mika tried to follow her, but their mother pulled Mika away to help with something. Their father had gone to the restroom.
Now, unable to find her anywhere, Mika wandered across the hilltop, searching. And then—she spotted her. Standing beside Vansh. Again. Mika stopped walking immediately. "...Seriously?" Without hesitation, she hurried toward them. "AANYA!"
Vansh was distracted by her voice.
Every voice around him faded into silence; he could see people talking, their mouths moving and their laughter visible, yet no sound reached him. The world around him blurred strangely, like ripples moving across water.
Aanya and Mika were conversing. Mika was clearly scolding Aanya for wandering off again and ending up with this guy once more, though she avoided directly pointing at Vansh. Aanya looked more confused than apologetic as Mika lightly grabbed her wrist and began pulling her back toward their spot.
They barely took two steps before Aanya suddenly slowed down. Then she stopped completely and looked back at Vansh, who stood there motionless, the camera hanging loosely in his hand.
For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Aanya quietly walked back toward him, step by step. With each step she took, the distortion around him slowly began to fade. The blurred movements steadied. Voices returned little by little—the wind, distant laughter, and footsteps against the grass. Reality gradually settled back into place.
By the time Aanya stopped in front of him, everything felt normal again.
"If you don't mind, would you like to join us for snacks?" Aanya offered gently.
Behind her, Mika stared in disbelief. "What does this girl even see in this guy…?" she thought to herself.
Vansh blinked once, slightly caught off guard by the offer. "It's fine," he replied politely. "You should spend time with your friend. I'll just take a few more pictures." His voice remained calm, though he had already noticed Mika's expression.
Aanya turned to Mika instead. "He can come, right?"
Mika froze for a second, clearly hoping Vansh would decline on his own. "Yeah… I'm basically a stranger," Vansh added calmly before she could respond. "I don't really want to intrude like that. But… thank you for asking."
That only made it harder for Mika to refuse directly. Aanya looked at her expectantly.
Mika let out a quiet sigh. "...Fine."
Aanya immediately smiled and turned back toward Vansh. "There. Now you can't refuse."
Vansh was speechless. Refusing again would be awkward. He crouched down to pack his camera, removing the lens and placing it in the black bag.
"You guys can go ahead," he said softly. "I'll catch up."
Mika seemed ready to leave, but Aanya shook her head.
"I'll wait," she said.
Vansh glanced up. "You don't have to."
"I know," she replied gently.
Despite Mika's tired expression, Aanya waited.
Meanwhile, back at their spot, Mika's father had finally returned. He found his wife sitting quietly on the blanket, peacefully enjoying the sunrise.
"Where are the kids?" he asked as he sat beside her.
She explained what had happened, but just as she finished, the three of them were already walking back toward the blanket.
Mika's father blinked in surprise. "I didn't know you called him over, too," he said to his wife.
She looked just as confused. As they approached, Mika's mother smiled warmly at Vansh. "Looks like you ended up with us again."
Aanya quickly apologised, "Sorry… I asked him myself without telling anyone first."
But her mother simply waved it off. "It's alright. Come, sit."
Vansh quietly placed his bag to the side before sitting down near the corner of the blanket, keeping a careful distance from everyone else.
Aunty took out all the boxes, paper cups, and finally, a flask. Vansh quietly observed the arrangements she had made—everything was neat and organised. Meanwhile, Aanya and Mika opened the boxes one by one, placing the lids neatly underneath them.
Inside were sandwiches, biscuits, fruits, cakes, and cookies.
One particular cookie box immediately caught Vansh's attention. Unlike the others, it was less than half full. He recognised those cookies instantly. Aanya noticed his gaze lingering on the box and picked one up before offering it to him.
"You can take one," she said.
But Vansh wasn't really staring at the cookie itself; he already knew where those cookies were from. Mika's mother noticed the nearly empty box and sighed dramatically.
"Sorry about that. Most of them disappeared before sunrise." Her eyes slowly shifted to Mika. At that exact moment, Mika was innocently reaching for a cherry. The moment she noticed everyone staring at her, she froze.
"…What?"
Nobody replied.
"Okay, fine," Mika admitted shamelessly. "They were tasty, alright? I couldn't stop eating them." She tossed the cherry into her mouth afterwards.
"And those cakes too," she added casually. "I seriously want more from that shop."
For the first time in a while, Vansh quietly reached into his bag and pulled out a fresh packet of cookies. He held them out toward Mika.
"There you go."
Mika blinked in confusion.
"…Pardon?"
Beside her, Aanya suddenly chuckled softly. Mika immediately regarded her suspiciously.
"It's fine," Mika said quickly. "I was just talking about the cookies."
Aanya smiled and casually took the packet from Vansh.
"The cookies and cakes you ate yesterday," she said, "were from his café."
Silence hung in the air. Mika slowly turned back to Vansh in disbelief.
"…Your café?"
"It's my aunt's," Vansh corrected calmly. "I just help out there sometimes."
He offered the cookies to Uncle and Aunty as well, and both happily accepted them.
"And those coffees from yesterday too…?" Uncle suddenly asked hopefully.
His wife immediately slapped his thigh lightly.
"Don't act greedily."
"It's fine, Aunty," Vansh said quietly. "Actually…"
He opened his bag again and pulled out several small handmade sachets, none of which had labels. They were his own. He carefully tore one open from the corner—not because he had to, but because he hated spilling things.
He emptied the powder into a paper cup before adding only a spoonful of hot water first. Always first, because he hated unmixed powder settling at the bottom. He stirred slowly until it became a smooth paste before finally pouring in the remaining hot water.
The smell changed instantly—soft coffee, warm sugar, and beneath it, a faint hint of cinnamon.
He handed the cup to Uncle politely.
"Careful. It's hot."
Uncle took a sip, then paused. His sleepy expression vanished almost instantly.
"…Wait," he said, staring at the cup. "This is even better than yesterday."
Nearby, Vansh had already begun preparing another one. This time, the smell was different—chocolate. He prepared three cups quietly before handing two to Mika and Aanya.
The warm paper cups settled into their cold hands. Both took a sip, then immediately covered their mouths slightly in surprise. Not because it was extravagant, but because something so simple tasted unexpectedly comforting.
"It's so good!" Everyone complimented Vansh's skill.
"Why don't you try these sandwiches?" Aanya offered him one, and he took a bite before complimenting Mika's mother. Everyone was having a good time, talking and laughing together. Vansh mostly sat quietly, observing them. After a while, he slowly lifted his camera and began to click a few pictures naturally. At first, Aunty hesitated, but her husband gently held her shoulders, providing Vansh with the perfect moment to capture.
After some time, Mika's mother asked Aanya about her past. "Aanya, how many years have you lived in this city?"
Aanya looked toward her. Mika and her father had always lived in the city, while her mother had mostly stayed abroad due to her profession and had recently returned for vacation. "Not too long. When I was young, I lived outside the country. I came back recently, you could say."
Then she slowly turned toward Vansh. "But I'm happy that I returned and…" She paused, looking at him.
The moment Aunty called her by name, Vansh went still. A faint pain began to spread through his head as his fingers froze around the paper cup. Aanya.
Her name echoed in his mind—strangely familiar yet impossible to recall completely. For a brief second, a vision flashed through his thoughts: a small bench in an empty classroom. Two young kids sat there quietly—a little girl and a younger version of himself. He watched them from afar but couldn't understand what he was seeing. The memory felt incomplete and distant, as though buried too deep to access properly.
"…having good times again," Aanya finished with a smile, completely unaware of what was happening in Vansh's mind.
Before silence could settle too heavily, Aanya suddenly suggested, "We should take a group picture before leaving."
Everyone agreed immediately. Vansh quietly pulled out a small tripod stand and placed the camera near the edge. Even while adjusting the timer, his attention kept drifting toward Aanya.
"Hey…" he called softly, but she couldn't hear him over the wind and the crowd leaving the cliff.
Everyone gathered together while the timer blinked quietly. Vansh looked at Aanya for a brief moment before finally facing the camera himself. Click. The picture came out perfectly, and soon everything began to be packed away.
Aanya was about to join Mika and her family when she suddenly heard someone calling her again. "Hey."
She turned back. Vansh stood there quietly, as if he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how.
"Is everything alright?" she asked gently.
"My name is Vansh." His words were calm and polite.
Aanya blinked in confusion. " I know it. I know you," she said to herself, but something about the way he said it felt strangely significant. For a brief moment, she simply looked at him. Then, as if she finally understood what he meant, her expression softened.
"Ah…" she murmured to herself. "Now I see."
A cold breeze swept softly between them while birds flew across the brightening sky beside the cliffs. Slowly, Aanya smiled brightly. That smile alone made Vansh's heartbeat stumble. Her hands rested behind her back as she tilted slightly forward, the wind gently brushing through her hair.
"And my name is Aanya," she said aloud
"Aanya.D"