After reconciling with his mother, Aarav and Anjali return to Varanasi. One rainy afternoon, as they walk through the drenched streets, Aarav stops under a small shelter and looks at Anjali with an expression she hadn’t seen before.
«There’s something else I need to tell you,» Aarav begins, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rain.
Anjali, her heart racing, looks at him expectantly.
«When I saw you for the first time at the ghats, it wasn’t by chance. I knew you’d be there,» Aarav confessed.
«How did you know?» Anjali asked, surprised.
«A mutual friend told me about you. He showed me some of your photos, and I knew you’d be here to capture the sunrise. I wanted to meet you, but I didn’t expect this…» he gestured between them, «for us to come this far.»
Anjali stood in silence, absorbing the confession. The revelation took her by surprise, but it also made everything make more sense. Their encounter hadn’t been entirely fortuitous, but that didn’t change what she felt for him.
«So, has this been planned?» she asked, more curious than upset.
«Not entirely. I wanted to meet you, yes, but I didn’t expect you to become so important to me.» Aarav looked at her intensely. «What I feel for you is real, Anjali.»
The sincerity in his voice dispelled any doubts she might have had. Anjali smiled, taking his hand.
«Then it seems destiny had a hand in this after all,» she replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
