The first time Aanya saw him, it was raining.
Not the light, polite kind of rain — but the dramatic, monsoon-type rain that floods the streets and makes the sky look like it's crying too hard to stop.
She was standing at the bus stop, clutching her bag to her chest, annoyed that her umbrella had betrayed her at the worst possible moment. Her white kurti was dotted with rain, her hair clinging to her cheeks, and her mood… let's just say it wasn't poetic.
That's when a deep voice said,
"Are you planning to fight the rain, or would you like some backup?"
She looked up.
He was holding an umbrella. Navy blue. Slightly tilted toward her already. He wasn't smiling widely — just a small, knowing smile, like he understood something she didn't yet.
"I'm fine," she said, stubborn.
Lightning flashed.
Thunder cracked.
And within seconds, she stepped under his umbrella.
He didn't laugh. He just adjusted the umbrella so it covered her more than him.
That was the first thing she noticed about Aarav — he always made space for her, even before she asked.
Chapter 1
The Coincidence that Wasn't happened.It turned out they were both headed to the same place — the local library near College Street.
"What are you reading these days?" he asked casually as they walked.
"Romance," she replied quickly, then felt embarrassed. "And poetry."
He nodded like she had said something intelligent, not silly.
"Good. The world needs more people who believe in love."
That sentence stayed with her.
Inside the library, they discovered something strange — they were reaching for the same book.
Their fingers brushed.
Not dramatic fireworks — just a quiet awareness. The kind that feels dangerous because it feels real.
"After you," he said.
"No, you take it."
They both smiled.
That was the second thing she noticed about Aarav — he never rushed anything.
Chapter 2
The Slow Burn Days turned into weeks.They started meeting "by coincidence." Same library corner. Same tea stall outside. Same bus stop.
Eventually, coincidence turned into routine.
He learned she loved Rabindra Sangeet.
She learned he secretly wrote poetry but never showed anyone.
He learned she hated being called "cute."
She learned he softened whenever someone talked about family.
One evening, as the sky turned orange and pink, they sat by the river.
"Do you believe in destiny?" she asked.
"I believe," he said slowly, "that some people walk into your life at exactly the moment your heart is ready."
Her breath caught.
She didn't know if he meant her.
But she hoped he did.
Chapter 3
The Distance
Love doesn't always announce itself gently.
Sometimes it arrives quietly… and then tests you.❤️
Aarav got a job offer in another city.
It was a big opportunity. The kind you don't say no to.
He told her under the same bus stop where they first met.
"I don't want to go," he admitted.
"Don't say that," she whispered. "You have to."
Rain started falling again.
Not heavy.
Just enough.
They stood closer than ever before, but neither of them touched.
"Will you forget me?" she asked before she could stop herself.
He looked at her like she had said something impossible.
"I could forget my own name," he said softly, "but not you."
That night, neither of them slept.
Chapter 4
Letters and Longing
He left.
Calls turned into voice notes.
Voice notes turned into late-night texts.
Texts turned into silence on some days.
Long-distance is cruel.
She missed his quiet smiles.
He missed the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was nervous.
One evening, she received a package.
Inside was a notebook.
On the first page, it said:
"You once said I never show my poetry. This one is yours."
Every poem inside was about her.
Not just her smile.
Not just her beauty.
But her stubbornness.
Her overthinking.
Her strength when she thought she was weak.
She cried while reading it.
Not because it was romantic.
But because she felt seen.
Chapter5
Months passed.One afternoon, while walking home from the market, she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Still fighting the rain alone?"
She froze.
Slowly turned.
There he was.
No umbrella this time.
Just him.
"You came back?" she breathed.
"For good," he said. "Some opportunities are big. But some people are bigger."
She didn't think.
She didn't overthink.
She stepped forward and hugged him.
For the first time, he held her close.
No hesitation.
No distance.
Just warmth.
Chapter 6
It started raining again.
Of course it did.
But this time, neither of them moved.
"Do you remember the first day we met?" he asked.
"You shared your umbrella," she smiled.
He shook his head gently.
"No. The rain shared you with me."
She laughed through tears.
And for the first time, she didn't feel like the rain was something to fight.
It was something that had brought her love.
Epilogue
Years later, whenever it rains, she still looks up at the sky and smiles.
Because some love stories don't begin with grand declarations.
They begin with a shared umbrella.
And two hearts that didn't even realize…
The rain had already chosen them.😊😊