It was one of those sticky, sun-drenched Saturdays at the end of August—the kind where the air feels heavy, like it's waiting for something to happen. A holiday weekend. The streets were loud, buzzing with people finishing errands before the festival week.
I didn't know then that the day would etch itself into my memory.
That afternoon, Priyanka and I went for our usual maths coaching. It was around 3:30 pm, mid-afternoon, and I remember clearly what I wore—a pale pink shirt tucked into slightly torn blue jeans, casual slip-ons, and my hair tied up loosely. carried a tote bag that felt unnecessarily heavy. It was hot enough to make my skin prickle, but something about the day already felt… unusual.
On the way, I found out something that made my heart flip. Shresth had shifted his family's shop. It was now right next to my coaching center. Of all places, of all coincidences… life really does play strange games.
Priyanka and I exchanged glances when we heard.
"Looks like destiny is hinting at something," she teased lightly, but I brushed it off, pretending it didn't matter.
But inside? Inside, the butterflies had already started their restless dance.
---
Around 4:15 pm, in the middle of solving a dull trigonometry problem, I texted him.
"Where are you?"
His reply came quick:
"At work, why?"
I stared at the screen for a second, wondering if I should say it. Then I typed,
"Oh… I just came here for maths classes."
A few moments later, another text popped up.
"Okay. When you head out, just call me. I'm here only, at Defence Colony."
My stomach did that weird flipping thing. I tried to stay calm, but Priyanka caught the tiny smile forming on my face.
"So?" she whispered.
I just shrugged, but she knew. She always knew.
---
Coaching ended around 4:45. Priyanka's brother happened to be passing by and offered to take us home. It made sense—our homes were far, about 11 kilometers away, and normally we'd have to take a bus.
But… I wanted to see him. Really see him, not just through texts or fleeting glimpses. This would be the first time, officially.
Priyanka understood. She always did. She told her brother she'd make some excuse to her parents later.
"Go meet him," she said softly. "Then take the bus home."
So I agreed.
---
When we stepped out of the coaching center,
I saw him
Not the way I imagined, though. He didn't come straight to me. He was just… there. Riding his scooty past us, like we were invisible. No pause. No smile. Just a casual, fleeting glance before he disappeared into the lane.
My heart sank. What was that supposed to mean?
"Wow. That was… anticlimactic," Priyanka muttered.
I tried to laugh it off, but inside I was confused. Did he forget? Did he change his mind? Or was it just him being… Shresth—difficult to read, distant on purpose?
---
I called him while walking down the lane with Priyanka and Tanisha. He didn't pick up the first time.
That was it. I told myself not to expect anything. Maybe I should just go with Priyanka's brother and leave it.
The clouds were gathering by then, dark and heavy. A few drops fell on my arm. Then more. Within minutes, the sky opened up.
It started raining.
Could the day get any worse? I thought bitterly.
I sighed, pulling my bag closer, ready to just head home.
And then…my phone rang.
His name flashed on the screen.
---
"Where are you?" he asked the moment I picked up.
"Still walking. It's raining," I replied, trying not to sound annoyed.
"Stay there. I'm coming."
And just like that, my heart betrayed me again, fluttering when it shouldn't have.
---
A few minutes later, his scooty appeared, skidding slightly to a halt in front of me.
For a second, I just stared. He was there—really there. Slightly damp from the rain, hair falling into his eyes, his usual calm expression hiding whatever storm was inside him.
"Let's go," he said simply, holding out an umbrella.
I hesitated.
"I can just take the bus—"
"No. I'll drop you at least near the stop. Get on."
I stood frozen for a second, nervous. I'd never sat behind a guy like this before, not in the city. My father's reputation, my own hesitation—it all tangled in my head.
"Come on," he insisted, his tone soft but firm.
So I gave in.
---
I climbed on slowly, clutching the umbrella awkwardly. That's when I realized the scooty didn't have a side stand. I couldn't just balance casually.
I felt his slight movement in front as he adjusted his grip. The rain was softer now, the streets glistening under the dim orange streetlights.
The ride was quiet. I could smell the faint mix of rain and his cologne. The wind pushed my hair lightly, and I stared at the passing streets, my heart a mess of unsaid things.
He didn't talk much—just small, polite questions.
"Had lunch?"
"Where do you stay exactly?"
Each word felt calm, controlled.
---
When we reached near the bus stop, he stopped gently.
"That's it. You'll get a bus from here," he said.
I nodded, stepping off. For a moment, I wanted to say something—anything—to make it less ordinary. But the words wouldn't come.
"Thanks," I said finally, holding his gaze for a second longer than necessary.
He just nodded once. "Go safe."
And then he was gone.
---
I went home that day with his face stuck in my mind. The way his hair moved slightly in the wind. The way his voice stayed calm even when everything else felt restless. The way he insisted quietly but firmly.
It wasn't a big moment to anyone else. Just a rainy evening, a scooty ride, a simple drop.
But for me? It was the first time.
The first time I saw him not as the distant boy I vaguely remembered, but as someone real. Someone who unknowingly stirred something in me.
---
And yet, as I sat by my window that night, watching the rain continue to fall, I asked myself—
If this was just the beginning, what was waiting for me ahead?
Because sometimes, it's not the storms that change your life. It's the quiet drizzle before them.
---
[Cliffhanger for the next chapter]
You think it ended there? No. That rainy ride wasn't the last. It was just the first of many little moments that pulled us closer. And what followed? Late-night calls, fights I didn't see coming, secrets I never thought he'd tell, and choices I wasn't ready to make. But we'll get there. For now, remember this rainy day—it started everything.