you are my destiny

chapter 60.

Then Ahana's breath caught as the screen lit up again.

An old video appeared - one she hadn't seen in years. It was grainy, shaky, clearly recorded on Advika's phone inside the metro.

Advika (behind the camera): "Hey, dude... Look over here. Our long-awaited twenties... how do you feel as you begin your 20th year of life?"

In the video, Ahana grinned shyly.
Ahana (20 years old): "I can already picture all the fun and turbulent days ahead... And now that you've gone through it, you've become such an amazing person..."

Advika: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ahana (laughing): "Should I also write a future message?"

Advika (snickering): "Sounds like so much fun..."

Ahana (teasing looking at the camera): "What do you think? You're not crying, are you?"

Both girls burst out laughing, their carefree voices echoing through the small metro carriage.

In the restaurant, present-day Ahana stared at the video, her smile trembling as tears streamed down her face. The innocence of that moment, the simplicity of their laughter... it filled her chest with warmth and ache all at once.

The screen shifted again.

Now a white board appeared, covered in photos of Ahana - her laughing, dancing, practicing with the squad, even sneaky candid shots someone had taken during ordinary days. Around the pictures were scribbled words, each one in different handwriting.

And then, all their voices overlapped together in the video:

"Ahana, cheer up... We'll always be with you."

Ahana's tears spilled freely as she leaned forward, reading the words surrounding her photos:

Neha: "Stay silly, stay loud - you make everything brighter."

Shravani: "When you smile, the world smiles too. Don't forget that."

Divya: "Courage looks best on you."

Rudra: "Thank you for being our strength."

Rihaan: "You're the coolest, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Armaan: "My first crush, my forever friend."

Advika: "My person. Always."

Reyansh: "The fire that never goes out."

Atharva: "A home for all of us."

Shagun: "Our little piece of hope."

Abhimaan: "My today, my tomorrow."

Ahana covered her face with her hands, shoulders trembling as her laughter and sobs mixed together. Surrounded by their love, she had never felt so overwhelmed... and so deeply, completely cherished.

Suddenly, the music started playing, and one by one, everyone jumped out of their hiding spots dramatically. Ahana chuckled loudly, covering her mouth in disbelief at their over-the-top entry.

Advika immediately ran toward the group, joining them in the center.

Advika: "Love you, Ahana!"

With that, the whole squad broke into a lively, synchronized dance, filling the restaurant with laughter, claps, and cheers. From behind, Abhimaan, Shravani, and Rajiv stood near the counter, simply watching Ahana's reaction-her eyes widening, her lips curving into the first genuine smile in days.

When the music ended, Advika turned to Ahana with her arms wide open.

Advika: "Ahana, let's do this together..."