The library was unusually quiet that morning. Only the occasional rustle of pages and the faint hum of ceiling fans broke the silence. Sunlight streamed in through tall arched windows, cutting golden shafts across the neat rows of desks. Students sat scattered across the hall, some with heavy stacks of books, others furiously scribbling notes. For most, it was exam season's battleground. For Shiva, however, it was more of a waiting room.
He sat at a corner desk, book open, his pencil tapping lightly against a blank page. His eyes skimmed a paragraph for the third time, the words dissolving before they could take root. His thoughts wandered to the sparring session Rohan had demanded last night, the jokes they'd cracked on the way back from class, and, most vividly, Leonor's smile when she had glanced his way in the courtyard yesterday. It had been just a fleeting thing, but it lingered like warmth on a cold morning.
"Still pretending to study?"
The voice pulled him back. Shiva looked up to see Rohan, grinning like a fox who had caught his prey. He leaned on the desk, arms crossed, eyes sparkling with mock accusation.
"Not pretending," Shiva replied smoothly, shutting his book with deliberate care. "I was just absorbing knowledge at a higher frequency than you can understand."
Rohan clutched his chest theatrically. "Ah, forgive me, oh enlightened master. I had no idea enlightenment came with droopy eyes and zero notes."
Before Shiva could retort, Priya appeared, balancing a stack of neatly organized notes in her arms. She set them down on the desk with a soft thud. "If you two spent half the energy you waste on arguing into actual studying, you'd be geniuses by now."
Shiva smirked faintly. "Genius looks exhausting."
Rohan leaned closer to Priya and whispered loudly enough for Shiva to hear. "Translation: he's lazy."
Priya tried to look stern, but her lips twitched upward. She sat down across from Shiva, already opening her notes like a general preparing for battle.
And then Leonor arrived.
Her presence changed the rhythm of the group instantly. She walked in quietly, her books held with easy grace, her hair tied back loosely with a few strands falling forward. She scanned the table and, without hesitation, sat down beside Shiva.
"Good morning," she said softly.
"Morning," Shiva replied, his voice more steady than he felt.
Rohan raised his brows dramatically, shooting Shiva a look so obvious that Priya had to elbow him in the ribs. Leonor pretended not to notice and began laying out her books.
For the next hour, the table became its own little world. Priya and Leonor exchanged notes and ideas, their voices low and clear. Shiva occasionally leaned over to read something, offering small comments, while Rohan alternated between doodling in his notebook and trying to whisper jokes.
It was Leonor's quiet laugh, though, that caught Shiva's attention again and again. It was never loud—just a soft sound, like a spark in the still air.
Finally, Rohan broke the studious calm. "So, about that trip this weekend—are we actually doing it, or is Priya going to drown us in notes again?"
Priya shot him a sharp look. "At least my notes keep us from failing."
"Failing isn't scary. Boredom is," Rohan countered dramatically.
Leonor chuckled. "I wouldn't mind a trip. It could be… refreshing."
Shiva glanced at her. "Where to?"
Rohan grinned. "Outskirts. A bit of hiking, maybe a campfire. The usual. Nothing crazy."
"It's always crazy when you're involved," Priya muttered, though her voice softened.
The idea took root quickly, weaving into everyone's mind. The thought of leaving the crowded halls and noisy streets behind for a few days lingered like a quiet promise.
---
That Evening – On the Rooftop
The dorm rooftop was alive with laughter and chatter that night. They sat in a loose circle, bags of snacks and soda cans spread around them. Below, the city pulsed with lights, skyscrapers glowing like grounded stars.
"This," Rohan declared, holding his soda like a toast, "is the real study break. Not those dusty library hours where I nearly suffocate on Priya's flashcards."
"Flashcards that will save you," Priya shot back, munching on chips without looking at him.
Leonor leaned against the low wall, her gaze lifted toward the sky. The constellations shone faintly above the city haze. Shiva sat beside her, his arm resting casually across his knee, listening more than speaking.
"Do you ever feel," Leonor murmured, her voice soft and almost lost to the breeze, "that nights like this pass too quickly?"
Shiva turned to her, catching the reflection of the city lights in her eyes. "Maybe that's why we remember them. Because they're brief."
Her lips curved into the faintest smile. "You always know how to phrase things simply."
Rohan leaned over suddenly. "Wait, did he just say something poetic? Write it down, Priya, the world may never hear it again."
Priya swatted him with an empty chip packet, and the moment dissolved into laughter. Yet the quiet thread between Shiva and Leonor remained, unspoken but present.
---
The Weekend Trip
Saturday morning, the small rented bus rumbled to life. The air was filled with excitement—bags tossed into the back, snacks packed, playlists ready. Rohan immediately claimed the seat by the aisle, declaring himself "captain of vibes," while Priya sighed and settled beside him, already pulling out a book.
Shiva found himself by the window, the morning sun warming his face as the city gave way to rolling fields. Leonor sat beside him, her eyes fixed on the scenery, hair swaying with the bus's motion.
"Feels strange," she murmured, "to leave everything behind, even if just for a weekend."
"Strange good, or strange bad?" Shiva asked.
"Strange good," she said, smiling faintly. "Like breathing differently."
The trip was filled with small moments: Rohan trying (and failing) to sing along to the music, Priya reluctantly laughing at his ridiculous dance moves, Leonor sharing snacks with everyone, Shiva quietly making sure no one left anything behind.
By afternoon, they reached a hillside on the city's edge. The air was cooler, fresher, carrying the scent of pine and earth. They hiked a short trail, setting up near a clearing that overlooked the valley below.
The evening was painted in warm colors as the sun sank, and a fire crackled at the center of their circle. Stories were shared—funny ones, embarrassing ones, even a few serious ones. Rohan's ghost story attempts were so bad that Priya had tears in her eyes from laughing too hard.
And amidst it all, Shiva found himself watching Leonor again. The firelight flickered across her features, casting soft shadows. She laughed at something Priya said, and the sound was clearer here, away from the noise of the city.
When she caught him looking, he didn't look away. Instead, he held her gaze for a heartbeat longer than usual. And she didn't look away either.
It was nothing dramatic, nothing sudden—just a quiet, steady thread weaving itself stronger.
---
That night, lying under the open sky with the embers glowing faintly, Shiva realized something. These days—these simple, fleeting moments with his friends, with her—were shaping into something he'd carry forever.
And though none of them knew it yet, these memories would one day be the foundation of an eternity, stretching beyond this world into realms they could not yet imagine.
To be continued....