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The Last Songbird - by Himanshu Maurya

Himanshu_M7738
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Synopsis
A quiet, observant boy named Leo spends his mornings sketching strangers in a park — not for art school, but as a personal ritual of appreciating fleeting beauty in everyday life. One day, he notices a girl who comes every morning at exactly 6:47 AM, sits under the same tree, and listens to music with her eyes closed. She never speaks, never notices him. But there's something about her presence — something serene, almost fragile.
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Chapter 1 - Chapter 1 – The Sketchbook Ritual

(Leo's Point of View)

The world is quieter at 6 a.m.

Not silent — just... gentler.The air is soft, still holding the night's breath. The park is nearly empty, save for a few early joggers and an old man who feeds the crows with biscuits. Even the trees seem to whisper more than rustle.

This is when I sketch best.Not because it's peaceful — but because nothing asks anything of me here. Not my voice. Not my smile. Just presence.

I always take the same bench, third from the eastern gate. It's crooked, leans slightly to the left, but it faces the lone tree at the center of the park — the one that catches the first light like it's made of gold. That's the heart of my sketches.

People come and go, unaware they've been captured in graphite. A girl with a sunflower-patterned umbrella. A boy with a lopsided backpack. An old woman who always hums the same tune. I name them in my sketchbook — not real names, just ones that feel right.

"The Cloud Walker.""Sleepless Boy.""Serenade Lady."

I don't know their stories. I don't want to.I just want to hold a moment of them — the way they tilt their heads, how they pause when tying a shoelace, or blink into the sun. Most people don't know how beautiful they are when they're not trying to be seen.

Then, one morning…She arrived.

6:47 a.m.Headphones in. A loose white dress. Sat beneath the tree like she belonged to it. Not under it — with it.

She didn't look around, didn't fidget, didn't notice anyone.Just leaned back, closed her eyes, and listened.

I didn't sketch her that day.

I told myself I'd wait — maybe she was just passing through.But the next day, at exactly 6:47, she was there again.

Same spot. Same stillness. Like a painting someone had left behind.

And I — for the first time in weeks — left a page blank.

Not because I didn't want to sketch her.But because I was afraid if I drew her, she might disappear.