Chaper 1 The Boy from the Small House
In a small town surrounded by dusty roads and old houses lived a boy named sujit. Sujit came from a very poor family. His house was small and made of old bricks, with a broken tin roof that made loud noises whenever it rained. Life had never been easy for him.
Rahul's father had passed away when he was young, and since then he had been working hard to support his mother and younger sister. Every morning before sunrise, Rahul would wake up, wash his face with cold water from a small bucket, and walk to a nearby grocery shop where he worked as a helper.
The shop owner, Mr. Subhashis, was a strict man but kind at heart. He allowed sujit to work there and paid him a small amount of money every month. It wasn't much, but it was enough to buy rice, vegetables, and sometimes medicine for his mother.
Sujit was only twenty years old, but the struggles of life had already made him mature. While other boys his age enjoyed life with friends, sujit spent most of his time working or worrying about his family.
Despite his difficult life, sujit had a gentle heart. He always smiled at customers and treated everyone with respect.
One afternoon, when the sun was high and the road outside the shop looked almost empty, something unexpected happened.
A woman walked into the shop.
She was wearing a simple blue saree, and her long hair gently moved with the warm wind. Her face was beautiful, but there was something else in her eyes — a deep sadness that could not be hidden.
Sujit noticed her immediately.
"Excuse me," she said softly. "Can I get a packet of tea and some sugar?"
Her voice was calm but tired.
Sujit quickly brought the items and placed them on the counter.
"Yes, madam," he said politely.
She gave him the money and for a moment their eyes met. Sujit felt something strange in his heart — a feeling he had never felt before.
Before leaving, the woman gave a small smile and said, "Thank you."
Then she walked away slowly.
Sujit stood there for a few seconds, watching her disappear down the road.
"sujit! Why are you standing like a statue?" Mr. Shubhashis shouted from behind.
Sujit quickly returned to his work, but his mind was still thinking about the mysterious woman.
Who was she?
Why did she look so sad?
The next day passed normally, but Rahul couldn't forget her face.
Three days later, she came again.
Sujit recognized her instantly.
This time she bought biscuits and milk. Sujit gathered the courage to speak.
"Madam… do you live nearby?" he asked nervously.
The woman looked at him for a moment and smiled gently.
"Yes," she said. "I moved here recently."
There was a short silence.
Then she added, "My name is khepi."
Rahul felt his heart beat faster.
"I'm sujit," he replied.
From that day, Meghla started visiting the shop more often. Sometimes she bought small things she probably didn't even need.
But every time she came, Rahul felt a strange happiness.
Slowly, they began talking more.
Sometimes about the weather.
Sometimes about the town.
Sometimes about life.
Sujit noticed something unusual about khepi.
She always smiled when she spoke, but her eyes looked lonely.
One evening, when the sky was turning orange and the birds were flying back to their nests, khepi came to the shop again.
But this time, sujit noticed something different.
Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.
Sujit hesitated, but finally asked softly,
"Are you… okay?"
Khepi looked away for a moment.
Then she forced a small smile.
"Sometimes life is not as simple as it looks," she said quietly.
Sujit didn't understand completely, but he could feel her pain.
At that moment, he realized something important.
He wanted to see her smile — a real smile, not the sad one she always wore.
Sujit didn't know it yet…
But this meeting would change both of their lives forever.
Because some love stories don't begin with happiness.
Sometimes they begin with pain, silence, and a secret that can break hearts.
And sujit had no idea that khepi was hiding the biggest secret of all.
She was already married.