Advika's grandma lived just a few streets from my house, a coincidence that felt almost too good to be true. She had mentioned it once, casually, during one of our chats, but it wasn't until we started dating that the proximity became meaningful. We had been discussing meeting for weeks, and finally, the stars aligned. It was the first time we'd see each other outside the glow of screens, and honestly, I was nervous, though I'd never admit it.The day we planned to meet, my heart raced with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Of course, I'd seen her pictures on Instagram, but meeting someone in real life was different. What if it felt awkward? What if I didn't meet her expectations? These thoughts swirled in my head, but the moment I saw her walking toward me, all of them vanished.Advika was... stunning. Not in the polished, picture-perfect way you'd see in movies, but in a way that felt real and effortless. Her smile lit up her entire face, and the way she tucked her hair behind her ear as she approached made my heart skip a beat. I'd never been the type to get flustered easily, but something about her presence had me completely disarmed.We talked, laughed, and walked through the quiet lanes of my neighborhood, finding comfort in each other's company. And then it happened—she reached out her hand toward mine."Can I hold your hand?" she asked softly, almost hesitantly.Holding hands wasn't a big deal to me. I'd done it before, casually, with other girls. But this time felt different. Her request wasn't casual; it was intimate, filled with meaning. I nodded, trying to seem composed, and let her fingers intertwine with mine.That's when everything changed.The moment our hands touched, it was like an electric current shot through me. My heart raced uncontrollably, and my palms started to sweat. I could feel the warmth of her hand, the softness of her skin, and it was as if the world around us blurred into nothingness. My usual confidence was nowhere to be found—I was completely flustered.I tried to focus on our conversation, but my mind kept circling back to the simple yet overwhelming act of holding her hand. Why was this so different? What was it about Advika that made me feel this way?After that day, I couldn't stop thinking about her. She was on my mind all the time, and every little thing reminded me of her—her laugh, her smile, even the way she looked at me with those warm, curious eyes.But as days turned into weeks, something shifted. Advika started talking less. Our conversations, once endless and full of laughter, became shorter and more infrequent. At first, I thought she was just busy. Maybe she had exams or family stuff going on. But as time passed, it became clear—she was losing interest in me.I tried not to overthink it. Maybe it was all in my head. But the silence between us grew louder with each passing day, and I couldn't ignore the ache in my chest. Advika was pulling away, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to reach her.That first meeting, the way her hand felt in mine, had been magical. But now, I was left wondering if that magic had been one-sided all along. For her, maybe it was just a fleeting moment. For me, it was everything.