End....
Ananya had just turned eighteen that winter. She wasn't the kind of girl who tried to stand out in a crowd. She liked quiet evenings, old songs playing softly in her room, and long chats that stretched past midnight.
Her best friend was Riya.
They met in school years ago, but it wasn't until their final year that they became inseparable. They would sit together in the last bench, share tiffin, exchange silly doodles in notebooks, and laugh at jokes no one else understood.
But everything changed one evening.
It was raining lightly. Ananya and Riya were chatting online, as usual.
"Do you think love just… happens?" Riya typed.
Ananya stared at the screen longer than usual.
"I don't know. Maybe it grows quietly," she replied.
Her heart was beating strangely fast. She didn't understand why that question felt different.
Over the next few days, Ananya started noticing small things.
The way her mood lifted instantly when Riya texted.
The way she smiled at her phone like a fool.
The way she felt a tiny ache when Riya didn't reply for hours.
One afternoon, they were studying together at Ananya's house. Riya leaned closer to look at a math problem, their shoulders brushing. It was such a small touch — but to Ananya, it felt like electricity.
She froze.
That night, lying in bed, she finally whispered the truth to herself.
"I think… I love her."
It wasn't loud or dramatic. It was soft. Scary. Beautiful.
For days she struggled. What if it ruined their friendship? What if Riya didn't feel the same?
But love has a way of showing in the smallest gestures. Ananya started caring a little more, listening a little deeper, noticing every little detail about Riya's dreams and fears.
One evening, while chatting again, Riya typed:
"You know, you're the only person who makes me feel completely safe."
Ananya's fingers trembled.
"Riya… can I tell you something honestly?"
"Always," Riya replied.
There was a long pause.
Then Ananya typed what she had been holding in her heart:
"I think my first love… is you."
The typing bubble appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
Finally, Riya replied:
"I was hoping you'd say that."
Ananya's heart felt like it might burst.
Sometimes first love doesn't come with fireworks.
Sometimes it begins with friendship, late-night chats, shared laughter, and the quiet realization that one person has become your favorite place in the world.
And for Ananya, at eighteen, love didn't feel loud or complicated.
It felt like coming home. 💫