Chapter 1: The City Without a Name
The city had no name, no signboards, no directions.
Yet Ayaan arrived there when he was most lost.
He stepped off the train with a tired heart and a worn backpack. The world he left behind was loud, full of people and promises that never kept themselves. Here, the streets were quiet. The air felt gentle, like it understood pain.
At a small tea stall, an old man served him tea without asking.
"You're new," the man said.
Ayaan nodded.
"New people don't stay long here."
"Why?"
"Because this city teaches you how to pause. And when you learn to pause, you remember how to move forward."
Ayaan stared at his cup. He had been running for too long. Maybe this city was where he could finally breathe.