Vivid Imagination

CHAPTER 7: A step closer

As Saraswati walks to the old age home, her mind replays the events from last night at the reunion. She remembers the way her classmates tried to embarrass her, and then… him. That mysterious man. He was there, just when she stumbled—strong arms catching her before she even realized she was falling.

"Who even was he?" she mutters under her breath, hugging herself against the chill morning air. "Tall, mysterious, probably a figment of my imagination. Just my luck."

Her thoughts tease her as her pace slows. "And why can’t I shake this feeling… like I know him? A classic case of déjà vu, maybe?" She rolls her eyes at herself. "Oh, Saraswati, stop obsessing. You didn’t even see his face!"

But somehow, she can’t shake the warmth of that touch or the way he seemed to appear out of nowhere. A shiver of excitement and frustration runs through her. "Who shows up to save someone and just... vanishes?"

Then, of course, there’s Ved. Her lips quirk in a half-smile. Ved, her school crush, the boy who used to make her heart flutter with a single glance, now playing knight-in-shining-armor at a reunion where she was hardly in the mood to be saved. "Oh, Ved, still swooping in like a hero," she murmurs with a chuckle, "though I don’t think I need rescuing anymore."

"So, let’s see," she muses aloud, counting on her fingers. "One mysterious stranger who feels oddly familiar. One ex-crush who swoops in dramatically." She sighs, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Can’t a girl attend a reunion without it turning into a rom-com?"

With that, she quickens her pace, trying to shake off the thoughts. After all, she’s here to help out at the old age home, not to indulge in daydreams about strangers and past crushes.

Saraswati pushed open the gates of the old age home, inhaling the familiar scent of blooming marigolds and the faint aroma of chai. This place always felt like a second home to her, a place where laughter was plentiful and stories were told with an old-world charm. Her mood instantly lightened as she walked through the front garden, waving to a few of the elderly residents she recognized.

As she stepped inside, her face broke into a warm smile when she spotted Meera Aunty, the spirited 75-year-old who always teased her about everything from marriage to her choice of colorful scarves.

"Ah, look who decided to bless us with her presence today!" Meera Aunty called out, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Late night, was it? You look like you have something on your mind, child."

Saraswati rolled her eyes but couldn’t hold back a grin. “I’m here, aren’t I, Aunty? And yes, I might’ve had a long night. Can’t a girl have one reunion without getting questioned the next morning?”

Meera Aunty chuckled. “Reunions at your age are either full of drama or proposals. So, what’s it this time?”

Saraswati laughed, shaking her head. “A little of both, actually, though mostly drama. And no, no proposals—just a very mysterious man catching me when I tripped.” She shrugged, feigning nonchalance, though her mind lingered on his face, or rather, the fact that she hadn’t seen it. "And then Ved showed up," she added, rolling her eyes playfully.

“Oh, you have quite the audience, my dear.” Meera Aunty winked, as if she knew something Saraswati didn’t. “Be careful, or you might end up with a line of suitors out the door.”

Saraswati blushed, trying to hide her amusement. "If only they were here for more than just one look," she thought. She placed her bag on a nearby chair and got to work setting up for the anniversary celebration, glancing around the room that was already decorated with ribbons and bright colors. She couldn’t help but feel a little spark of excitement—whoever this mysterious man was, he had left her feeling more alive, more curious, than she had in a long time.