Ritesh was a young man whose life revolved around books and work. His world was spent in solitude, away from the noise of the outside world. He had no special liking for crowds, parties or any kind of noisy places. He used to sit in his room most of the time, lost in the depth of books. He had few friends, and even those who were there, often tried to ask him to be social, but for Ritesh, peace and solitude were the means of solace.
One day, when Ritesh was tired of working in the city, he thought why not go to some peaceful place. To get some relief from this hectic life, he headed towards an unknown, but very beautiful and quiet cafe. This cafe, despite being in the middle of the city, seemed to be in a different world. The atmosphere of the cafe was very calm, soft music was playing, and people around were lost in their own worlds. This cafe was known for its freshness and peace, and perhaps that is why Ritesh liked this place very much.
Ritesh went to a corner of the cafe and took out his favorite book. He ordered a cup of coffee and immersed himself in reading. He got a different kind of peace by getting lost in books. Every line of that book was taking him to a new world, away from his real life. But today the book was not the center of his attention.
As soon as he sat in that corner of the cafe, Ritesh realized that a girl was sitting right in front of him, who was reading a novel with her coffee. There was a calm smile on her face, as if she was living every line of that novel. Her eyes were fixed on the pages of the book, but her smile and the peace on her face were such as if she had lost herself in the world of that book.
Ritesh looked at her unknowingly, and his eyes met the girl's eyes at the same moment. Their eyes met for a few moments, and in those few moments Ritesh felt an unspoken connection. It seemed as if there was some invisible dialogue going on between those eyes, which was saying everything without words. Ritesh's heart beat a little faster, but he himself could not understand why this was happening. He could not understand whether it was just a coincidence or a game of fate.
That meeting of eyes for a few moments created a stir in Ritesh's mind. He looked at the pages of the book, but his attention was no longer there. His eyes were now revolving around that girl. Who was that girl? What was she reading? Was she also attached to books in the same way as Ritesh?
Ritesh took a deep breath and tried to focus on the book again, but his eyes kept falling on Ananya. The simplicity and calmness of that girl had bound him in a strange silence. There was depth in her eyes, and her attention was so focused on the book that Ritesh thought that maybe she was also a book lover like him.
After a while, Ananya suddenly closed her book and picked up her coffee cup and took the last sip. She took a look around, and her eyes again fell on Ritesh. This time Ritesh felt a little embarrassed. He immediately averted his gaze, but Ananya had understood his hesitation. She smiled lightly and took out some papers from her bag. There was a different innocence in her smile, and there was a sparkle in her eyes, which indicated that she had probably noticed Ritesh's hesitation too.
Ritesh thought that maybe he should leave now, but then he stopped himself. He did not want his meeting to end so soon. A strange curiosity had arisen in his mind about Ananya. He wanted to know who she was, what she did, and what kind of books she read. But he was not able to stop himself from asking the question, why did she seem so special to him?
People were busy in their work while coming and going in the cafe, but Ritesh and Ananya's eyes were repeatedly meeting each other. As if there was something special between them, which even they themselves were not able to understand properly. That meeting had settled something in Ritesh's heart, which he had never felt before.
Ritesh put his book back in the bag and took the last sip of coffee. The question was arising in his mind whether he should talk to Ananya? But then he hesitated. He did not want his first step to prove wrong. Then he thought, maybe this is not the right time. Maybe he should just consider it a normal meeting and leave
But fate had probably decided something else. When Ritesh was about to get up, Ananya also closed her book and got up to leave. While leaving, she looked at Ritesh once again, and there was a light smile on her face. That smile seemed to be saying that this meeting will not end here. Ritesh also smiled lightly and kept looking at Ananya as she left.
That meeting of that day had left a deep impression on Ritesh's heart. While returning from the cafe, he had many questions in his mind, but one thing was clear—this meeting was not just a coincidence. It was something special, something that had created a stir in some corner of his heart.
When Ritesh returned home at night, he found himself thinking about Ananya. He could not understand why that girl had become so special for him. She was just sitting in a cafe reading a novel, but that meeting had opened a new chapter in Ritesh's life.
Now Ritesh started to understand that perhaps this first meeting was pointing towards some new beginning. From that day onwards, going to the cafe became a habit for Ritesh. He hoped every time that he would meet Ananya again and that they would exchange glances once again.
Even though this first meeting ended without any special conversation, the beginning of a new story was hidden in the silence of that meeting. There was something between Ritesh and Ananya that could not be described in words. It was an unspoken bond that connected the two to each other in a stranger meeting.