Asha scrolled through her Facebook notifications one quiet Sunday morning when a new friend request caught her eye. The profile picture was familiar—a black-and-white photo of her as a ten-year-old, laughing beside a swing set. Heart pounding, she clicked on the name: “Priya Sharma.”
The Surprise of Memory
Asha’s mind flooded with memories of Priya, her best friend in fifth grade. They had built secret forts from cardboard boxes, shared tiffin snacks under the old banyan tree, and whispered hopes for the future while lying on the playground grass. Then Priya’s family moved to another city, and their contact dwindled to holiday cards and an occasional scribbled letter that stopped after a year.
Yet here was Priya, smiling at her through the glint of a tiny profile photo. Asha hesitated only for a moment before clicking “Accept.”
Reconnecting Across Time
Within minutes, a Facebook Messenger notification popped up:
Priya: “Asha! It’s been so long. I hope you remember me.”
Asha’s fingers flew across the keyboard.
Asha: “Priya! Of course I remember. I can’t believe it’s you. How are you?”
Their conversation spilled over into shared photos and long paragraphs of “Remember when…?” Asha learned that Priya had moved back to their hometown three months ago but had been too nervous to search for old friends. She’d spotted Asha’s name by chance on a class reunion post and decided to take a leap of faith.
A Picnic Under the Banyan
A week later, they arranged to meet at the same park where they used to play. The banyan tree stood tall, its canopy wider now, its roots thicker. Asha arrived early and paced beneath the sprawling branches until she saw Priya approach, carrying a thermos of chai and a box of ladoos—Asha’s childhood favorite.
When they hugged, time seemed to fold in on itself. “You haven’t changed a bit,” Priya said, and Asha laughed, pointing to Priya’s laugh lines and soft brown eyes that still held that mischievous spark.
They sat on a faded picnic mat, sipping chai and catching up on everything: college exams, first jobs, heartaches, and adventures. Priya spoke of pursuing art design in a city far away; Asha described her new role at an advertising agency. Between sips, they reminisced about the magic shows they’d staged for neighborhood kids and the secret club they’d sworn to keep forever.
Rekindling a Friendship
By afternoon, the sun cast golden rays through the banyan’s leaves. Asha and Priya laughed when they discovered they both still loved the same author—Nalini Singh—and planned to swap her newest novels. Priya confessed how lonely she’d felt returning to their childhood home without any old friends. Asha understood; when she’d moved to the city for her agency job, she’d given up so much of her old life.
“I’ve missed you,” Priya admitted, voice soft. Asha felt a warm ache in her chest. “Me too,” she replied.
They decided not to let years slip away again. They would meet every Sunday for chai under that banyan tree. They promised to send each other postcards whenever they traveled—like old times—and to support each other’s dreams, even if miles away.
A Friendship Renewed
As twilight fell, Asha and Priya stood up, brushing off grass stains. Before parting, they hugged once more, sealing a bond that distance had threatened but never broken. Walking home, Asha felt lighter than she had in years. A simple Facebook friend request had unlocked years of laughter, shared secrets, and the promise of countless afternoons to come.
And so, beneath the branches of that familiar banyan, two friends—separated by time but united by memory—began a new chapter, reminding themselves that true friendship, once rooted, can weather any distance.
