Destiny is a matter of chance. It is as challenging as it is beautiful. They say that destiny is God’s plan and that we must abide by every twist and turn that comes our way. Of course, our scriptures say that destiny is pre-written and cannot be changed. However, with hard work, resilience, love, and willpower, we can do anything. Maybe we cannot change destiny, but we can change the outcomes—for example, we can start from scratch after a mishap or overcome obstacles and begin anew. That is how life and destiny go hand in hand.

We begin a new life when we are born into this materialistic world. We have a family to call our own, and we also choose an extended family—our friends. With family and friends by our side, we can overcome any obstacle in our lives. However, we rarely discuss the struggle or the years of waiting involved in overcoming these obstacles, do we? No! No one talks about the hard work and the process of overcoming challenges.

Since life is a challenge in itself, we need to find our own paths to reach our goals. Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, while others have to work hard to earn money and fame. The struggle is real. In every walk of life, you meet many people—family, friends, or even acquaintances. However, not everyone will be kind to you. You do not need to lower your guard or stoop to their level, even if people try to force you to confirm what prevails in society. Society may even suggest that you are not worthy of belonging there if your goals and thoughts differ from the norm. Being different is often seen as a mistake or even a sin, as society labels it. Such instances bring about a change in the lives of people who go through these hard phases. At first, society blames you for being different; later, it accuses you of changing—again proving that you’re on the wrong path.

Rekindled Hearts is a saga of love, trust, resilience, revenge, and transformation. At times, we get so fascinated by what life has in store for us. When we don’t get what we desire, we sometimes take the wrong path and  along the way, we not only ruin ourselves but also harm the people around us. However, if someone is there to pull us back onto the right track, every journey can be revived, and the path to true love can be discovered with ease.

It’s a story of how Ruhana transforms herself into a new identity, one that is quite different from her reality. Her childhood friend, Vineet, is astonished by her attitude. Since they’ve met after a very long time, he refuses to believe that she is his childhood friend because of her fierce and no-nonsense demeanour. She keeps running after power and money, and he doesn’t like this change in her. However, as he finds her walking down the wrong path, he makes a silent promise to himself that he will bring her back to the right path and confess his feelings for her—only to rekindle the love they share.

***** 

In the garden, a little girl was sitting on the swing. She looked upset; her pretty eyes were filled with tears, and she was murmuring something under her breath, maybe letting out her frustration. She was five years old, and one sensitive soul.

She was lost in her own thoughts until someone gave a push to the swing. She smiled, knowing who it could be—her best friend, a young boy of her age. She turned back to look at him and he smiled at her, giving another push to the swing. She patted the space near her, signaling him to sit beside her. He smiled and took his seat near her, on the swing, his eyes never leaving hers. She sent a grateful smile to him.

“Thank you!” she said.

He raised his eyebrows toward her, as if amused by the question. “For what? For letting you swing? That’s what I am supposed to do,” he replied, his voice laced with love and admiration.

She nodded her head multiple times. She wasn’t thanking him for pushing the swing. “No, not for that, but for coming to look for me. Mumma is angry with me; she didn’t come to check on me. You know, I didn’t do anything, yet she’s upset. So, thank you for coming,” the girl replied innocently.

He smiled gently, “You don’t need to thank me for minimal things, you know. I saw you alone, so I am here. How can I leave my best friend alone?” he replied innocently, and she smiled, this time, whole-heartedly. 

The girl and the boy were best friends. He was a year older than her. These two were inseparable souls, as their mothers tagged them. The ladies often laughed that these two might end up marrying when they grew up. They shared a strong bond of friendship and allowed each other to scold, love, and even make decisions for one another. She might not listen to her mother, but she listened to her best friend, and vice versa. The bond they shared was so pure and beautiful that their parents were in awe of their relationship. It was unusual to find such a bond between small children, but these two were different. Their parents were proud of them and hoped that they would remain the same as they were at that moment.

The little girl looked at him, reached out to hold his hand, and gave it a light squeeze. She paused—it seemed she was contemplating her thoughts before blurting them out to her best friend. A few moments later, she turned to him, and her tone held a sense of finality.

“You need to promise me something,” she said, leaving no room for argument.

He glanced at her thoughtfully. “What is it? I will make a promise, but only if I can do it. Mumma says we must not make a promise just for the sake of it; we must try to abide by the promise,” he said, sensing that she might ask for something he might not be able to fulfill.

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. “You have to promise me that you will always be by my side. I know we might not be together, but you will always support me,” She looked at him intently, knowing that he would keep his word.

He smiled gently,“We will be together. No one will be able to take us away. I promise, I will be with you forever,” he said, his tone laced with admiration for her.

They shared a high-five. “Yes, we will do something together, just like Papa and Uncle do,” she said, and he agreed with her.

She smiled brightly and then hugged him. The two remained in the hug for a long time until they heard their mothers calling for them, and then they headed to their respective home.

*****

His trance is broken by a voice—deep, chaotic, and frustrated. He looks toward the source of the voice and finds a young girl his age talking on the phone. She’s scolding someone for not completing the work assigned to them. He sighs deeply. The sweet memory of the past turns bitter in an instant. He can’t believe that his friend has changed so much. She has always been a gentle soul, but right now, what he sees in front of him is something he doesn’t want to believe. He wishes this were just a dream and that once he wakes up, everything will be fine. She’d be the better version of the girl she was in her childhood.

He finds it hard to accept that she has changed so much that she doesn’t even acknowledge the little things he does for her. She no longer believes that small gestures matter. She’s still the little girl from his memories, yet she’s not the same soul.

Her sharp voice pulls him out of his trance for the second time. She’s still annoyed—ah! She gets irritated so easily! This is so unlike her; she used to be a fun-loving girl while he was the one who would get annoyed. But now, the roles have reversed.

“That’s not for me to think about. Why do you think you’re here? I need that tender, and I want it—by hook or by crook. It’s up to you.”

“No, I am not here to listen to your explanations. I can see the profits this deal can bring us. I want the file ready on my table before I reach the office. Did you get it?” she asks the caller. After receiving a satisfactory answer, she ends the call.

She turns around only to find him gazing at her quizzically. She shrugs her shoulders and then begins to speak, “What? Don’t stare at me! I did the right thing. Unless you shout at them, they won’t prioritise work. They only want money without putting in the effort.” She replies bluntly.

She is Ruhana Bisht, a businesswoman by profession. She’s outspoken, fierce, bold, and money-minded. She is deeply passionate about the work she has done and the business she has built through her hard work. She is the girl he has been thinking about.

And he is Vineet Shergill. He is a businessman too, but he misses his best friend. Ruhana is not the same girl he remembers. She once asked him to stay by her side, but now, she has turned away from him. He sighs deeply and suggests she calm down and have some coffee. He advises her to think carefully before making any decisions, but she refuses outright.

“No, it’s necessary, Vineet. These guys don’t work properly unless I shout at them. Huh, I already made it clear about that tender, but he still hasn’t filled it out. I just feel like firing him, but I can’t,” she says, clearly displeased with her manager and employees. He hands her a cup of coffee.

“Have some coffee, Ruhana. It will help you relax. And don’t chase after things too desperately. If something is meant for you, it will come to you,” he says calmly.

“I don’t agree, Vineet. You know what? We have to chase money and love. Otherwise, people will push us away. If you stay true, you won’t get what you deserve. Because no one gives you what you deserve—you have to snatch it,” she says, and it seems like she’s hurting as she speaks.

He disagrees with her, but her next words leave him baffled.