There was a time when paths were clear,
And laughter echoed in the air,
A group of friends, a carefree ride,
With hearts that didn't have to hide.

Through winding roads, the breeze would play,
With Preksha’s smile, the world felt right,
Her cousin too, and Suryavanshi,
We rode like winds, so wild and free.

Suryavanshi, my oldest friend,
A bond so strong, it had no end.
Yet when Preksha came into sight,
My gaze would shift, my heart took flight.

Her eyes, like windows to the sky,
Reflecting light, a soft reply.
In them, a world of wonder spun,
A quiet storm, a setting sun.

Her beauty, like soft rain's glow,
A light that made the world feel slow.
Not love, but something stirred inside,
A feeling I could not confide.

We'd play the games, so full of cheer,
The simple joy of friends so near.
Tag, chicklets, laughter in the sun,
Every moment shared was never done.

In rain-soaked skies, alone I’d ride,
A solitary joy I couldn’t hide,
She asked me why, as she rolled past,
I answered, "Alone, it feels so vast."

And though we didn’t speak that day,
The moments stayed in the sway...
Not love, but a sense of belonging true,
A time of peace that only grew.

I saw her last at a birthday bright,
A celebration, joy taking flight,
But no words passed, just glances shared,
A distance grew, yet none compared.

Now, I see her through the lens of time,
In stories shared, a distant rhyme,
Our paths diverged, and yet I find,
The memories still live in my mind.

For it wasn’t love, but something more,
A bond that time cannot ignore,
The bicycle rides, the rain-soaked days,
The quiet moments, the quiet ways.

I moved away, to another place,
A new house, a new life to embrace.
The streets once familiar, now feel strange,
But still, in my heart, things don't change.

And though I rarely visit now,
The past still whispers, soft somehow,
In every turn, in every space,
A little part of her I embrace.