Small Story 385.

Small Story 385: A Strange Coincidence Jyothi was delighted to see Rashmi at the mall. "Hi!" Jyothi greeted her. "What a pleasant surprise to meet you here!" "Hi Jyothi," Rashmi smiled. "We always seem to meet in a mall or a restaurant. How are you?" "I'm fine. You know, even though we meet frequently, we’ve never exchanged numbers." "True," Rashmi agreed. Jyothi whispered, “We’ve been meeting like this for the past three years and never thought to share contact details.” "Come, let’s sit on that bench and talk," Rashmi suggested. They sat and chatted for half an hour, discussing various topics—especially films, old Kannada movies of Rajkumar, and new ones featuring current actors. Before parting, they finally exchanged numbers. A few days later, Rashmi received a call from Jyothi inviting her to her daughter’s birthday party. On the day of the party, Jyothi arrived at Rashmi’s independent house in Jayanagar with her son, Vishwa. It was a large gathering. Seeing them, Rashmi warmly greeted Jyothi and introduced her daughter, Vrindha. To everyone’s surprise, Vishwa was delighted to see Vrindha. “Mom,” he said later, “I’ve met Vrindha a few times before—just like you and Aunty Rashmi—but we also never exchanged numbers.” After a delicious dinner, Jyothi thanked Rashmi. “Just like us, Vishwa and Vrindha have met many times by coincidence. Isn’t it strange?” she said. Rashmi whispered, “ Vrindha is going to Dubai next week for further studies.” Jyothi replied, “What a coincidence! Vishwa is going to Sydney next week too!” Both friends laughed. “What a coincidence indeed,” they said. “This must be destiny—and divine blessings from God.” Everyone agreed, smiling, and then they bid each other goodbye. K.Ragavan 1-10-25