Chapter 1: The Day Everything Changed
Rain was falling heavily that evening.
The sky was dark, covered with thick clouds, and the streets were almost empty. Water gathered along the roadside, reflecting the dim light from the streetlamps.
Arjun walked alone through the rain.
His clothes were wet, his hair sticking to his forehead, but he didn't care. His hands were in his pockets, and his eyes were fixed on the ground as he walked slowly.
People passed by him sometimes, running to avoid the rain… but no one noticed him.
No one ever did.
At school, Arjun was invisible.
He sat at the back, never spoke unless asked, and never tried to make friends. Most students didn't even know his name.
At home… things weren't any better.
Silence filled the house most of the time. Conversations were short. Cold. Empty.
It felt like he didn't belong anywhere.
"Maybe this is just how my life is supposed to be…"
He muttered quietly to himself.
His voice was almost lost in the sound of rain.
A loud thunder echoed in the sky.
Arjun stopped walking for a moment and looked up.
Raindrops fell on his face, mixing with something else he didn't even realize—
A feeling.
A strange emptiness.
Then suddenly—
CRASH!
A loud sound broke the silence.
Arjun turned his head quickly.
Not far from him, near a bus stop, someone had slipped.
A girl.
She was sitting on the ground, clearly in pain. Her bag had fallen beside her, and books were scattered everywhere, getting wet in the rain.
For a moment, Arjun just stood there.
Normally…
He would have walked away.
Ignored it.
Like everyone else.
But something felt different today.
Without thinking, he started walking toward her. Then faster. Then almost running.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, slightly out of breath.
The girl looked up at him.
Her eyes met his.
And for a moment—
Everything felt… still.
She looked like she was in pain, holding her ankle slightly, but even then—
There was something warm in her eyes.
Something alive.
"I… I think I twisted my ankle," she said softly.
Her voice was gentle, but a little shaky.
Arjun didn't say anything for a second.
He wasn't used to situations like this.
He didn't know what to say.
So instead—
He quietly bent down and started picking up her books from the wet ground.
Carefully.
One by one.
"You should be careful… the road is slippery," he said, avoiding eye contact.
The girl watched him for a moment.
Then she smiled slightly.
"Thank you… most people would have just walked away."
Arjun paused for a second.
Because deep down—
He knew she was right.
"…Maybe," he replied quietly.
After picking up all the books, he handed them to her.
She tried to stand up—
But winced in pain.