Hiten stood on the small balcony of their inn, hair slightly tousled, staring into the mist as if it held a secret he hadn’t yet uncovered. The trip had stretched longer than expected — five days of laughter, teasing, and quiet moments he knew he’d never forget.

Behind him, the door creaked open. Aarya walked in holding two steaming cups of coffee.

“Here,” she said, handing him one. “You’ll miss this view, won’t you?”

Hiten smiled faintly, eyes still on the horizon.

“Maybe. Or maybe I’ll miss how the view looked when you were standing in it.”

Aarya blinked, suppressing a smile. “There he goes again — the poet.”

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Poets don’t lie, Muffin.”

“Stop calling me that,” she said, failing to sound annoyed. “It’s too early for your nonsense.”

The teacher’s voice echoed from outside the window. “Everyone, pack up! We’ll be leaving after lunch. But first, we have a small farewell event before departure.”

Aarya sighed. “So soon, huh?”

“Yeah,” Hiten said softly. “It always feels soon when it’s good.”

---

The farewell event began in the open yard, surrounded by the mountain mist. Music floated through the air, and laughter filled every corner.

Some students performed songs, others shared their favorite trip memories. The teachers smiled proudly, praising the class for behaving responsibly.

Then, one of the teachers called out, “Special mention — Hiten and Aarya! They may not have won the challenge, but they’ve shown something rare — perfect teamwork.”

Everyone clapped and cheered. Aarya looked embarrassed.

“Perfect teamwork? We got lost in the forest.”

Hiten grinned. “Yeah, but we got lost together. That counts.”

She shook her head, smiling. “You’re impossible.”

---

Lunch passed, and as everyone packed their things, the sky slowly darkened. The wind shifted. Then — a single raindrop landed on Aarya’s hand.

“Rain?” she whispered.

Hiten stepped outside, tilting his head up toward the sky. “Rain always finds us, doesn’t it?”

The drizzle grew into a soft shower. Everyone else rushed to find shelter, but not them.

They stood near the lake’s edge — the same one that glistened under fog the first day they arrived.

Aarya looked at him quietly. “You said once that rain connects us.”

He turned toward her, water running down his hair. “And it still does.”

For a moment, they didn’t say anything. Just the sound of rain — steady, rhythmic, and familiar. It was as if the entire world had slowed down just for them.

---

As the buses rolled up, Aarya handed Hiten a small box.

“Don’t open it now,” she said.

He looked curious. “Why not?”

“Because it’ll mean more when I’m not around to explain.”

She smiled, soft but meaningful. He didn’t push further.

They boarded the bus. As it started moving, Rainvale slowly disappeared behind them — its mist, its sound, its magic.

---

Aarya fell asleep beside him again, her head resting on his shoulder just like on the first day.

Hiten looked down at her, then quietly opened the small box. Inside was a blue coloured pendant shaped like a tiny raindrop, which was looking more like a heart— glowing faintly under the dim bus light. Beneath it was a folded note:

> “So you’ll always carry a piece of our rain with you.”

He smiled, eyes soft. The bus rolled through fog and fading rain, the wipers moving to a slow rhythm — like a heartbeat against glass.

---

He whispered under his breath, barely audible,

> “From mist to storm, from laugh to sigh,

From silly fights to the quiet sky,

Each drop that falls still calls your name,

Different place — but the rain’s the same.”

Aarya stirred slightly, eyes half-open. “You wrote that now?”

Hiten blinked, caught off guard. “You were awake?”

She smiled faintly. “You think I’d sleep through your poetry?”

Her cheeks reddened as she turned toward the window, pretending to look away.

“Nice words,” she murmured softly. “Really nice.”

Hiten grinned, leaning back. “Thanks. But I was just describing the trip.”

“Sure,” she said, voice quiet but teasing. “The trip.”

Their laughter mixed with the rain’s melody, fading softly as the bus drove into the horizon —

leaving behind Rainvale, but taking every drop of memory with them.

---

Author Note:

The trip ends, but the bond only grows deeper. As the rain falls one last time over Rainvale, it leaves behind a promise — that some connections, like rain, always find their way back.