Raghav never meant to keep it this long.
The white cotton tee was ten years old—faded, with a cracked band logo from a concert he barely remembered. It had survived countless washes, a breakup, three moves, and even his mother’s annual "Why don’t you throw this rag away?" speeches.
But tonight, as he pulled it on before bed, something strange happened.
The First Memory
A scent hit him—not detergent or sweat, but rain on hot pavement. The fabric warmed against his skin, and suddenly, he wasn’t in his apartment anymore.
He was 19 again, laughing under monsoon skies, arms around friends who’d scattered across the world now. The tee was crisp and new, clinging to his shoulders as they danced in puddles, screaming lyrics they didn’t know.
Then—snap—he was back in his silent bedroom, heart pounding.
The Stains That Spoke
Raghav turned on the light, examining the shirt like he’d never seen it before.
- The coffee splash on the hem? It hummed with the nervous energy of his first job interview.
- The faint ink streak near the pocket? His hands smelled like pen ink, his ex-girlfriend’s laughter echoing as she doodled on his sleeve during a boring lecture.
- That tiny burn hole near the collar? Bonfire smoke filled his nose, the night he kissed Riya for the first time.
The Choice
By dawn, Raghav sat cross-legged on his floor, the tee spread before him like a map. He could feel it pulsing—not with magic, but with time.
His mother was right. It was just a rag now.
But some things don’t exist to be useful. They exist to remember.
He folded it gently into a shoebox, right next to Riya’s old mixtapes. Some stories aren’t meant to be worn out.