Every evening became a secret escape. Schoolwork, parents, brothers—none of it mattered once my phone lit up with his name. It was like breathing in air I never knew I needed.
We didn't talk about grand things. Sometimes it was silly jokes, sometimes just:
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes. You?"
"Not yet. Waiting for mom to come back."
Simple words, but I clung to them like treasures. They weren't just messages; they were proof that somewhere, just an hour away, someone thought of me.
But love can't stay hidden forever. It grows, pushing against the walls of fear.
One late afternoon, the house was empty. My parents were out, and my brothers were busy. I stared at my phone, trembling, before pressing call.
"Hello?" His voice was soft, unsure. Hearing him for the first time made my stomach twist with something between fear and joy.
"It's me," I whispered.
He laughed nervously. "I know. But... why did you call?"
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "I... I needed to tell you something. I... I think... I love you."
Silence. For a moment, I thought the line had dropped. My heart pounded.
Then he spoke, his voice lower now.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," I said, quickly, almost desperately.
"You cannot leave me one day and go. Promise me."
My eyes stung with sudden tears. I pressed the phone closer as if I could hold him through the line.
"I promise. I won't leave you."
That was the night our story truly began.
It was 9th May 2019. I was wearing purple. The color has never been the same since—it became the color of love, of him, of us.
People would laugh if they knew. A seventeen-year-old girl, in love with a boy she hasn't even met. But they didn't understand. My heart belonged to him, every beat echoing his name. I had already built our whole future in my head—our laughter, our fights, even our marriage.
And yet, at the back of my mind, there was always the shadow of fear.
What if my parents find out? What if my brother knows? What will they do to me?
But when his voice said, "I love you too," all those fears melted. For that moment, it was just us. Two hearts, one promise.