Chapter 1 --- When Two Strangers Shared an Umbrella .
Purulia was wrapped in a quiet winter afternoon when Ritwik first noticed Ananya. The college campus glowed under soft sunlight, students moving in clusters, laughter echoing through red brick corridors. And there she was—standing on her toes in the library, trying to reach a book that seemed just out of her grasp.
"Looking for this?"
The voice was warm, almost teasing.
Ananya turned around to see a tall boy holding the book in his hand, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
"Yes… thank you," she replied softly.
"Thank you isn't enough," he said lightly. "Maybe a cup of coffee someday?"
She smiled faintly. "We'll see."
That "we'll see" became the beginning of something neither of them had planned.
At first, it was about shared notes and occasional conversations. Then it became tea at the college canteen. And one rainy afternoon changed everything.
Ananya had forgotten her umbrella. The rain poured relentlessly, and she stood under the corridor roof, unsure of what to do.
Ritwik walked up beside her and quietly opened his umbrella.
"Let me walk you home."
They walked side by side under one umbrella. The distance between them was small, but the silence was loud with unspoken emotions. The scent of rain mixed with her shampoo. Her shoulder brushed lightly against his arm. It felt unfamiliar, yet strangely right.
"You're very quiet," Ritwik said.
"Not everyone needs many words," she replied.
He smiled. "That's good. Mystery is beautiful."
That night, Ananya realized she was waiting for his message.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. Their conversations deepened—from studies to dreams, from fears to childhood memories.
One evening, during the college annual fest, Ananya wore a blue saree. Ritwik couldn't take his eyes off her.
"You look…" he paused.
"How?" she asked.
"Like every poem I've ever wanted to write."
That night, beneath dim campus lights, he confessed,
"I love you. Not casually. Not temporarily. But deeply."
Ananya looked at him with steady eyes.
"I love you too. But promise me something."
"Anything."
"Never hold me back from my dreams."
He nodded. "Never."
And that was how love entered their lives—not dramatically, but quietly and sincerely.
Chapter 2:---- Distance, Doubts, and Decisions.
Love is not just poetry and rainy walks. It is also responsibility.
Ananya's family was struggling financially. Her father's health was failing, and she began tutoring children after college. Ritwik wanted to help, but she gently refused.
"I don't need sympathy. I just need you beside me."
And he stayed.
When Ananya received a job offer in Kolkata, her heart was torn. It was her dream opportunity—but it meant distance.
"What about us?" she asked one evening.
Ritwik took a deep breath.
"If our love is real, distance won't break it. And if it does… then it was never strong enough."
Tears welled in her eyes. That was love—not possession, but faith.
The first few months were hard. Video calls replaced evening walks. Messages replaced shared silences. Sometimes arguments happened over small misunderstandings. Sometimes loneliness felt heavier than words.
But they never stopped talking.
Two years later, Ritwik also found a job in Kolkata.
When they met by the riverside after months apart, they were different—more mature, more aware of life's weight.
"We survived," Ritwik said softly.
"We respected each other's dreams," Ananya replied.
He took out a small ring from his pocket.
"Any more conditions?"
She smiled gently.
"Just one. No matter how hard life gets, we never stop communicating."
"Promise."
They married in a simple ceremony—no grand decorations, no loud celebrations. Just family, blessings, and quiet happiness.
Love didn't need noise.
Chapter 3: ---- Love is a Daily Choice.
Marriage was beautiful—but not perfect.
Their small apartment was filled with warmth, but also responsibilities. Jobs demanded time. Deadlines stole evenings.
One night, Ananya returned home exhausted, only to see Ritwik still working on his laptop.
"Can you spare a little time for me?" she asked.
"I have a deadline, Anu. Please understand," he replied without looking up.
That small moment planted silence between them.
Days passed with fewer conversations. The closeness they once cherished felt slightly distant.
One evening, after a heated argument over a missed school function, Ananya whispered,
"You've changed."
Ritwik replied in frustration,
"People change. Responsibilities grow."
That sentence echoed painfully in her heart.
They slept in separate rooms that night—for the first time.
Before dawn, Ritwik found her standing alone in the balcony.
"I'm scared," he said quietly.
"Of what?"
"Of losing you. Work is taking over me. But my love hasn't changed."
She turned toward him. His eyes were vulnerable—the same boy from the library.
"I'm scared too," she admitted. "But we promised we wouldn't stop talking."
That morning, they made a rule—no matter how busy life gets, they would give each other twenty undistracted minutes every night.
No phones. No work. Just them.
Because love is not just a feeling. It is a daily decision.
A year later, sitting in a clinic, Ananya squeezed his hand as the doctor smiled.
"Congratulations. You're going to be parents."
Tears filled Ritwik's eyes.
Months later, when he held their baby girl for the first time, he whispered,
"Our love has taken a new form."
Years passed. Silver strands appeared in their hair. Yet one evening, sitting on the balcony with two cups of tea, Ritwik smiled and said,
"Remember the library?"
Ananya laughed softly.
"If you hadn't taken down that book, maybe this story wouldn't exist."
He shook his head.
"No. It would have. Because we were meant to meet."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the last evening light fell gently on their faces.
They had faced distance.
They had faced doubts.
They had faced silence.
But they never let go.
Because love is not about perfection.
It is about choosing the same person—again and again—even when life is imperfect.
And in that golden evening light, their story did not end.
It simply continued.