It was past eleven at night. Outside, the Mohanpur streets echoed with the sounds of horns, bikes, and people. But Aarav's room was eerily quiet. His laptop on the table, the sound panel on the wall, and the high-end router in the corner—all preparing for a different world.
Aarav put on his VR headset.
The screen went black...
Then suddenly, the lights exploded.
Meta-Love Online.
A vast digital sky opened up before him—a city decked out in neon colors, advertisements floating in the air, and avatars moving in every direction. There was no old man, no tired face. Everything was perfect, bright, and attractive.
Aarav chose his avatar—a character in a simple black jacket. He preferred simplicity over ostentation.
He headed to the "Digital Brew Café" as usual. It was a virtual cafe where people talked, listened to music, and sometimes even hid their true pain.
Today was different.
A girl sitting in the corner of the cafe wasn't like the other avatars. She had a slight frown on her face, her hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes held a strange depth—as if she was more than just code.
Above her name was written—
Inaya_404
Aarav smiled. "404? Not Found?"
He sat down in the chair across from her.
"Don't you like crowds?" he asked.
The girl raised her head. There was a strange calm in her eyes.
"Everyone is visible in the crowd, but no one is seen," she replied.
Aarav remained silent for a moment. This line wasn't like a scripted chat. It had emotion.
"I'm Aarav," she said.
"I know," she smiled slightly. "You log in every night at 11:07."
Aarav was startled. "Did you notice?"
"I did notice," she said softly.
They talked late that night—about music, books, childhood memories, and dreams that perhaps only existed in digital worlds.
When Aarav logged out, there was a strange warmth in his heart.
He knew—he would return.