[RO]Palm Tree 🌴❤️‍🩹

I love visiting my amma’s place during summer holidays. It’s a big, beautiful village—quiet, warm, and full of life.

And the best part? The kalu Ramu uncle secretly gives me… Granny must never know 😄.

Every evening, I visit the toddy tree.

One day, I noticed someone new beside Ramu uncle. A boy… around my age.

Let’s make him my friend.

“Hi uncle, how are you?” I greeted.

“Good, beta. How are you?”

“Fine, uncle… who is this?”

The boy hid behind his father’s dhoti, clutching it tightly with his tiny hands, peeking out with curious eyes.

“He is my son, Raghu. Beta, he’s one year younger than you. Hope you both become good friends.”

“Hi, I’m Anshu,” I said, extending my hand.

“Say hi, Raghu,” his father nudged.

“…Hi.”

And just like that, under that toddy tree, something unbreakable began.

⸻

We played until the sky turned orange.

Laughed until our stomachs hurt.

Fought over silly things.

And made up just as quickly.

We became inseparable —he became my best friend.

But sometimes, Raghu wouldn’t come near the tree. Some days, he wouldn’t show up at all.

One day, he came with a swollen cheek.

“Who hit you? Was it that stupid Kalia? I’ll go beat him !”

He quickly grabbed my hand.

“No, it’s fine… I fell.”

He didn’t meet my eyes.

That was the first time I noticed…

Fear.

⸻

Sometimes, in the distance, I saw his mother.

Quiet. Tired. Always watching.

And sometimes at night—

There were sounds from his house

Loud voices.

Things breaking.

But I was too young to understand

________

Then summer ended.

“I have to go…”

“You’ll come back… right?” he asked.

“Of course, I will.”

We smiled.

Like promises never break.

———————

In city, things were different.

Mom and dad were always at work.

The house feels too big… too quiet.

I’d come back from school, drop my bag, and sit alone.

Sometimes I’d talk to myself.

Sometimes I’d just wait for the clock to move faster.

That’s when I missed that place the most.

The noise of laughter instead of traffic.

It had been three years…since I last went there.

But every summer—

my heart still went back.

To that village.

To that tree.

To him.

____________

This year—

I finally came back.

“I wonder how Raghu is …”

———————

“Hi granny , how are you!” I hugged her tightly.

“I’m good, my Gudiya, how are you ?.”

“I’m good granny …”

But my mind was already somewhere else.

⸻

That evening—

“Amma, I’m going for a walk.”

“Come back before dinner.”

“Okay!”

⸻

My feet already knew the way.

My heart reached before I did.

_______

There he was.

Under the same tree.

Looking up.

Still.

A smile spread across my face.

I tried to sneak up—

Crack.

He turned.

Curly hair . Taller . Sharper features

For a second—he just stared.

Like he had forgotten how to breathe.

“Anshu…?”

His voice was barely above a whisper. Disbelief. Shock. Something deeper.

I smiled, trying to act normal despite my racing heart.

“Hi, Raghu…”

“Oh my God…” he let out a soft, almost broken laugh, running a hand through his hair, “Anshu… after three years… I thought—you wouldn’t come back… I thought that was it…”

His eyes didn’t leave mine. Like if he blinked, I’d disappear again.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I said lightly, though my voice softened, “It’s such a lovely place… I really missed it.”

A pause.

Then, quietly—

“Me too.”

I frowned slightly.

“Liar… what did you miss? You live here all the time.”

He looked at me—quietly, seriously.

“I missed you.”

For a second, I forgot how to respond.

I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, turning them warm… pink.

This guy… he still teases me like before…

“Me too,” I said quickly, looking away, “I missed… everything. How we played… how Ramu uncle used to give us kalu secretly…”

I laughed softly.

But he didn’t.

He was still looking at me.

Not teasing.

Not joking.

Just… looking.

And for a moment—

I didn’t understand why his eyes felt so heavy.

—————————

We talked for a long time.

About everything.

Nothing felt awkward.

It never did with him.

⸻

Time flew by—it was almost time for dinner. I had to say goodbye to him now, or Granny would scold me. I wish time would slow down.

“Bye Raghu …”

“You’re leaving?” His voice dropped slightly.

“Yeah…Amma must be waiting for me”

“Can you stay a little longer.. please?”

“…. Okay… just a little longer. Otherwise, she will scold me.”

He smiled shyly, and my heart skipped a beat.

——-——

He looked at the tree.

Then back at me.

A faint smile.

Almost… relieved.

“Ah…”

“That’s why I was here.”

“What do you mean?”

He hesitated.

Then said softly—

“I just… had a feeling you’d come.”

A pause.

“Like… I was waiting for this.”

I laughed lightly.

“You’re acting weird.”

“Maybe,” he said.

But his eyes didn’t change.

⸻

Then—

“I have something to tell you, Anshu.”

————-

“I like you, Anshu…”

His words hit me all at once.

“…since the time you got angry for my hurt… you were always ready to defend me… you’ve been on my mind since then…”

My chest tightened.

“Thank you… for making my childhood happy… you were like sunlight in my abyss, I…”

“What…?” My breath hitched.

He likes me…? That shy Raghu…?

I couldn’t think.

I turned—

And ran.

⸻

The sound of my footsteps echoed loudly in my ears.

My heart was racing.

Raghu likes me… that was not my imagination…

Images flashed—

Him smiling when I scolded Kalia.

The way he used to look at me when I laughed.

Those lingering stares.

All those small moments I never understood.

⸻

I glanced back.

He was still standing there.

Not moving.

Not calling out.

Just… watching me.

There was something in his eyes.

Not anger.

Not confusion.

Something softer.

Something… hurt.

⸻

This is when you chase me, you fool…

Why isn’t he coming?

Why isn’t he stopping me?

⸻

He just stood there.

As if…

He already knew I wouldn’t turn back.

—————-

✨

Under the blanket, I buried my face.

Raghu likes me…

My heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

Then suddenly—

I froze.

You idiot.

I sat up.

“You ran away…”

I covered my face.

“You fool… you didn’t even answer him…”

His face flashed in my mind.

That slight sadness.

That stillness.

⸻

“I must have hurt him…”

I whispered.

“I have to fix this…”

Tomorrow.

I’ll tell him everything.

I liked him since day one.

——

✨

Next evening, I rushed out again.

“Amma, just 10 minutes!”

This time—I didn’t slow down.

⸻

But when I reached the toddy tree—

He wasn’t there.

⸻

Strange.

He always came.

Maybe he’s late…

I waited.

Minutes passed.

⸻

Maybe… he went somewhere?

Relatives?

Yeah… maybe that’s it.

He’ll come tomorrow.

⸻

But something inside me felt uneasy.

⸻

💥

At dinner, I asked casually—

“ Amma… I didn’t see Ramu uncle today…”

She went quiet.

Too quiet.

⸻

“You don’t know…?” she asked slowly.

My fingers tightened around the plate.

⸻

“It happened… a few months ago…”

Her voice felt heavier with every word.

⸻

“After Ramu fell from the tree… everything changed overnight.”

“He couldn’t work.”

“They had no money.”

“He started drinking… heavily.”

“He would shout… break things…”

“Hit his wife…”

I froze.

⸻

“His wife… poor thing… she endured everything.”

“People say she stopped speaking much.”

“Just… existed.”

⸻

“One night…”

Granny paused.

I felt my heartbeat in my ears.

⸻

“He came home drunk.”

“He started beating her again.”

“Raghu… couldn’t take it anymore.”

“He stepped in.”

⸻

“No…” I whispered.

⸻

“He pushed his father away.”

“That man…

Granny’s voice trembled.….lost control.”

“He picked up a knife…”

⸻

Everything went silent.

⸻

“He… slit his own son’s throat.”

⸻

The spoon slipped from my hand.

⸻

“Neighbors came running…”

“Blood everywhere…”

“They rushed him to hospital…”

⸻

Granny looked down.

“They couldn’t save Raghu.”

⸻

Something inside me broke.

⸻

“His mother…”

“She lost her mind.”

“She kept calling his name… for days…”

“Then one day… she disappeared.”

“No one knows where she went.”

⸻

“And Raghu…”

Granny’s voice softened

“They buried him under their toddy tree.”

⸻

Everything went silent.

No…

Granny must be mistaken.

I just saw him.

He talked to me.

He confessed

⸻

Next morning, I ran to the toddy tree.

Faster than I ever did

He wasn’t there.

I stepped closer

My hands trembling

His name was carved into the trunk.

The soil beneath…

Uneven

Raised

Fresh

Like something… buried.

⸻

My breath stopped

“No…”

⸻

Everything came crashing back—

His voice.

His smile.

His stillness.

His words—

“That’s why I was here…”

Tears fell before I could stop.

And suddenly—

I understood.

⸻

He knew.

He knew he couldn’t stay.

He knew… he was already gone.

⸻

He waited.

Not for himself.

For me.

⸻

He stayed back…

Just to see me one last time.

Just to confess.

Just to say goodbye.

⸻

That’s why you didn’t chase me.

That’s why you just stood there.

That’s why your eyes looked… sad.

⸻

Because , you had already accepted it.

⸻

And I—

Ran away.

⸻

Tears burst out uncontrollably.

Sobs wrecked through my chest.

“I’m sorry, Raghu…!”

“I’m so sorry…!”

My hands dug into the soil.

Wet with tears.

“I… I wish I had told you I loved you back”

“Why… why did I run away like such a fool…?”

“I’m sorry, Raghu… I love you…!”

“Please… I hope you’re listening… I love you more than anything…!”

" I loved you from the beginning ..."

“Just like I was your sunlight… you were mine too… my oasis…

You were always in my prayers… the reason my heart… my heart beat… the reason I loved this place…

I used to count the days just to see you…”

"You fool... why didn't you tell me earlier..."

My voice broke into helpless cries.

“You waited… didn’t you…?”

“Just to say goodbye one last time…”

Tears soaked the soil beneath my hands.

————-

What began under that tree…

ended beneath it.

And now—

all I have left….

is him…

in my memories,

in my prayers…

and in the “I love you”

he waited for…

but never heard.