Chapter one

𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 💗

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❦ 𝑺𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒉 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒂'𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒗

"𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆"

What?

Why are you looking at me like that as if I know the answer i have been a side character my whole life.

Honestly, girls like me are usually side characters you know. the introverted ones the awkward ones and the nerds, oh god how embarrassing

The girls who overthink every conversation three days later and suddenly remember something embarrassing they did in sixth grade

Yeah, those girls.

The main characters are different they're extroverted and they dance freely without any fear of judgement they laugh loudly without worrying who's watching.

They light up every room they walk into.

People notice them and remember them.

Girls like me?we're usually standing somewhere in the background and honestly, I was perfectly fine with that.

Oh, by the way, I forgot to introduce myself.

I'm Sarah Sharma twenty one years old.

A final year B.A. English Honours student at Banaras Hindu University.

I love books more than people, avoid attention like it's a contagious disease, and if given a choice between attending a party and staying home with a novel, I'll choose the novel every single time.

Simple and Boring just the way I like it or at least that's what I thought.

"Sarah!"A loud voice interrupted my thoughts.

I blinked.

"Sarah, kaha reh gayi? Jaldi aa!"

Oh Mummy calling guys and there goes my peaceful morning.

"Aa rahi hoon, Mummy!" I shouted back before getting up and hurrying toward the dining table

By the time I reached the dining area, everyone was already seated.

Dadi was busy sipping her tea, Papa was reading the newspaper, Bhai was scrolling through his phone, and Mummy was placing hot parathas on the table.

"Finally," Bhai muttered. "Kumbharan ki chachi uth gyi"

I rolled my eyes and pulled out a chair.

"Chup Karo,I've been awake for hours."

"Reading novels doesn't count as being awake," he shot back.

Before I could reply, Dadi chuckled.

"Meri bachi ko tang mat kar or chupchap khana thus"I smiled gratefully at Dadi and reached for a paratha.

Big mistake the conversation immediately shifted.

"Yaad aya" Mummy said, sitting down. "That Sharma family's wedding was beautiful, wasn't it?"

Dadi nodded"Haan, especially the bride's cousins. such cheerful girls naachna gaana sab karti hai"

Bhai smirked "And then there's Sarah."

I froze with a bite halfway to my mouth.

"What?"

"What what?" Bhai laughed.

"You went to the wedding and spent half the time sitting in a corner."

"I was enjoying myself."

"By staring at the decorations?"

"I like decorations."

Everyone laughed even Papa lowered his newspaper to hide a smile.

"Arey" Mummy said, shaking her head, "Mujhe to ye ladki samajh hi nahi aati baaki ladkiya itna ghumti firti hai and my daughter barely leaves her room"

"I leave my room."

"To go to college and come back."my annoying brother again interrupt

"That's still leaving."Dadi laughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea.

I groaned this was exactly why I preferred books over people books didn't gang up on you during breakfast.

"You know," Bhai continued dramatically, "if we accidentally lose Sarah in a crowd, nobody will find her."

"Why?"

"Because she won't ask anyone for help."

Everyone burst out laughing even I couldn't stop a reluctant smile thoda sa funny to hai ye kutta then Mummy suddenly cleared her throat.

"Waise."that tone never led anywhere good.

"What?" Papa asked.

"A proposal came for Sarah."

The entire table went silent,inearly choked on my tea.

"A WHAT?"bhai immediately started laughing.

Dadi's eyes lit up,Papa folded his newspaper and looked at Mummy.

"Proposal?"

"Haan Mishra log keh rahe the "

"Mummy!" I protested.

"What? bas bta rahi hu"

I could feel my ears turning red Marriage?For me? That was ridiculous.I was only twenty one.I had assignments due next week my biggest concern should've been my career not marriage proposals.

Papa looked completely unbothered.

"That's fine," he said calmly.

"People will send proposals. It doesn't mean we're getting her married."

Relief instantly washed over me.

Thank you, Papa.

"Exactly," he continued. "She's still studying Graduation to hone do"

I silently thanked every god in existence.

Dadi sighed.

"Hmare time me to is is umar me do bache ho jate the"

Oh no! Not again my Pyari Dadi

"In your time there were no semester exams either," I muttered.

Bhai snorted into his tea papa pointed a finger at me.

" Stop worrying nobody is forcing you to get married."

"Good."

"At least not for now."he looked at me and started reading newspaper again the entire table laughed again.

I buried my face in my hands wonderful.

Ten minutes at the breakfast table and somehow my future marriage had become the topic of discussion.

If this was how my morning started, I couldn't even imagine what the rest of the day had planned for me.

❦ 𝑴𝒂𝒂𝒉𝒊𝒓'𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒗

The train slowly came to a halt Banaras.

For a moment, I simply stood there, looking out of the window.

Three years.

Three long years of training, discipline, sleepless nights, bruises, sacrifices, and countless moments when giving up would've been easier and now I was finally here not as a cadet but as an Army Lieutenant.

A faint smile appeared on my face as I picked up my duffel bag and stepped onto the platform.

The station buzzed with life vendors shouted, many passengers hurried past each other ,children laughed,the scent of chai mixed with the morning air.

Everything felt alive in Banaras I adjusted the strap on my shoulder and walked forward For as long as I could remember, serving the nation had been my dream.

While other children wanted to become doctors, actors, or businessmen, I had always imagined myself in uniform.

The olive green uniform wasn't just a job it was responsibility and duty and today, I was finally living that dream.

A few hours later, after completing the formalities, I found myself standing at Assi Ghat.

The sight before me was breathtaking.

The Ganga flowed peacefully beneath the golden rays of the setting sun.

Priests performed evening rituals the temple bells echoed through the air devotional chants floated with the breeze For the first time in days, my mind felt quiet

I folded my hands and closed my eyes.

"Thank you," I whispered not for the rank.

or the uniform but for the opportunity to serve and make my parents proud.

"Give me strength to fulfill my duty with honesty."

The prayer left my lips naturally simple

and sincere as me opening my eyes, I stared at the river for a few moments before my phone vibrated

Maa Calling 🤳🏻

A smile immediately appeared on my face I accepted the video call.

The screen lit up with my mother's face.

"Ye raha!" she exclaimed.

"Maa."behind her, my father adjusted his glasses.

"Show me the uniform properly."I sighed.

"Papa, you've seen it hundreds of times."

"Chup kar "My mother laughed.

"You know, your father has shown your commissioning photographs to every person in the neighborhood."

Papa looked offended.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Maa replied. "Except that the milkman has seen them five times."

I couldn't help but chuckle some things never changed.

"Aaram se pahuch gye?" Maa asked.

"Yes."

"Have you eaten?"

"There it is," I muttered.

"What?"

"The first question every Indian mother asks."

Maa rolled her eyes.

"And every Indian son avoids answering."

Papa laughed,I leaned against the railing and looked at the river.

"I'm fine. Everything's good."For a moment, none of us spoke we simply smiled at each other sometimes silence said more than words.

My mother's eyes softened.

"We're proud of you, beta."The words were simple yet they hit harder than any medal ever could.

I looked away for a second.

"Thank you."

Papa nodded.

"Serve with honesty or apna khayal rakhna"

"I will."

After talking for a few more minutes, the call ended the screen went dark.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket and looked at the Ganga once again.

Little did I know that Banaras wasn't just my posting It was where destiny had already begun writing a story I never saw coming and I am already loving this city more than anything.

❦ The morning at Assi Ghat was unlike any other.

The first rays of sunlight stretched across the holy waters of the Ganga, turning the river into a sheet of liquid gold. Temple bells echoed through the air, blending with the distant chants of priests performing rituals on the ghat steps.

Devotees crowded the riverbanks, some stood with folded hands, eyes closed in prayer some released flower-filled diyas into the sacred river.

Others sat silently, watching the water flow as if it carried away every worry they had ever known.

The scent of incense lingered in the air marigold flowers decorated the stone steps pigeons flew overhead while boatmen called out to tourists for morning rides.

Banaras looked beautiful yet beneath that beauty, an unusual tension could be felt every tea stall seemed to be discussing the same thing.

The news about elections elections and growing political debates or about

the rising concerns at the borders every television screen displayed breaking news headlines and every newspaper carried stories of increasing tensions between nations.

People spoke in hushed voice some worried or argued and some simply prayed that nothing unfortunate would happen.

India felt restless as if the entire nation was holding its breath.

Yet Banaras remained Banaras no matter what happened in the world, the Ganga continued flowing.

The temple bells continued ringing faith remained untouched among the crowd stood Sarah Sharma.

A basket of fresh flowers rested in her hands visiting Assi Ghat before college had become a habit over the year

The peaceful atmosphere calmed her mind before the chaos of lectures, assignments, and daily life.

She slowly made her way through the crowd children ran past her vendors called out to customer a group of women carrying puja thalis walked toward the temple.

The morning rush made every step difficult.Sarah carefully adjusted the basket in her hands her attention briefly drifted toward the river.

The sight was beautiful golden sunlight danced across the water hundreds of floating flowers drifted along the gentle current.

For a moment, everything felt peaceful.

then it happened someone rushed past her shoulder.

A slight push and moment of imbalance suddenly her foot got caught against the edge of a stone step.

The basket slipped marigold flowers scattered into the air the world tilted.

A startled gasp escaped her lips the next thing she knew, she was falling forward.

straight toward the river time seemed to slow,the crowd blurred and flowers slipped from her fingers.

The cold waters of the Ganga rushed closer and then a hand caught hers.

Strong and warm,her fall stopped instantly the sudden force pulled her back before she could lose her balance completely,a few flowers still landed in the water, floating away with the current.

For asecond, neither of them moved.

The temple bells rang somewhere in the distance ,the chants continued ,the river flowed peacefully beside them and Sarah found herself staring directly into a pair of eyes.

Hazel eyes striking and calm there was something unusual about them something that instantly made the noise around her disappear.

For a brief moment, all she could see were those eyes strong hands still held her wrist securely.

Making sure she wouldn't fall the stranger looked at her carefully almost as if checking whether she was hurt.

"Aap thik ho" His voice was deep.

The voice of someone used to staying calm under pressure , Sarah blinked.

realizing she was still holding onto him heat rushed to her cheeks.

"I... yes."

Great! Wonderful answer, Sarah.

She quickly looked away embarrassment instantly settling in.

The stranger released her hand,the moment lasted only seconds yet somehow it felt much longer.

The morning breeze stirred gently between them,a few loose strands of Sarah's hair moved across her face.

She tucked them behind her ear awkwardly the stranger bent down and picked up the basket that had fallen near the steps.

Most of the flowers were scattered now.

only a few remained inside,he handed it back to her.

"There."Sarah accepted it quietly.

"Thank you." The words barely came out above a whisper.

He gave a small nod yet there was something about him that stood out immediately perhaps it was the way he carried himself.

The straight posture,the disciplined demeanor and confidence or maybe it was the olivegreen uniform visible beneath his jacket.

An Army officer.

Before Sarah could think of anything else to say, a loud temple bell rang nearby the sound broke whatever strange silence had settled between them.

The stranger glanced toward his phone as it vibrated a faint expression crossed his face. Sarah tightened her grip on the basket for reasons she couldn't explain, her heart was beating much faster than before.

The stranger gave her one final nod then turned and walked away into the crowd.

within moments, he disappeared among the countless devotees gathered at the ghat and just like that he was gone.

Sarah stood frozen for a moment watching the direction he had disappeared.

The morning chants continued and river flowed peacefully the flowers drifted away across the sacred waters and neither of them knew that this brief encounter was only the beginning because sometimes destiny doesn't arrive with grand announcements sometimes it arrives quietly in the form of a stranger's hand reaching out just before you fall.

Sarah quickly looked away from the direction where the stranger had disappeared.

What was that?more importantly why am I even thinking about it?shaking her head, she bent down and started collecting her things.

A few loose papers had slipped out of her bag during the chaos her diary lay near one of the stone steps.

The same diary that carried half her life inside it random thoughts poems and embarrassing observations about people and things she would rather die than let anyone read.

"Oh God."

She hurriedly picked it up and dusted it off next came her headphones one was somehow near the edge of the stairs the other had rolled under a bench.

After an awkward struggle and several annoyed looks from nearby devotees, she finally managed to gather everything.

"Perfect," she muttered.

"Almost fell into the Ganga and now I've entertained half of Banaras."Satisfied that nothing was missing, she adjusted her bag and hurried toward the road.

Her first lecture was starting soon and Professor Verma was not the kind of person who tolerated late entries The road outside Assi Ghat was crowded as usual.

Everyone seemed to be in a hurry sarah immediately spotted a rickshaw.

"Bhaiya!" she called the rickshaw stopped.

"BHU chalo"

"Baitho, bitiya."

"Jaldi chalna please."without wasting another second, she climbed inside just as she settled down, the rickshaw driver suddenly looked toward someone standing nearby.

"Sahab!"Sarah wasn't paying attention.

she was busy stuffing her diary back into her bag.

"Sahab, aaiye agr chai pee li to"the driver continued.

"Do kilometer aage hi toh jana hai Madam ko bhi BHU side hi chhodna hai. Baith jaiye."

Sarah froze slowly , looked up and immediately regretted it because standing right there was him.

The stranger from the ghat for a second, neither of them spoke recognition flashed across both their faces.

Sarah's eyes widened his expression changed slightly too not much just enough to show that he remembered her.

Absolutely wonderful! out of all the people in Banaras of course! ofcourse it had to be him.

The rickshaw driver remained completely unaware of the awkwardness floating between them.

"Aaiye na, sahab," he insisted for a brief moment, the stranger seemed to consider refusing.

Then he glanced toward the busy road.

"Hmm" his voice remained calm before Sarah could mentally prepare herself, he stepped forward and sat on the opposite side of the rickshaw.

A respectful distance away,the rickshaw started moving and suddenly the journey to BHU felt much longer than two kilometers,Sarah stared out at the road.

the stranger looked ahead neither of them said a word.

The only sounds were the creaking wheels of the rickshaw and the bustling streets of Banaras around them.

Yet somehow the silence wasn't uncomfortable it was simply unfamiliar.

like the beginning of something neither of them understood yet.

The rickshaw continued moving through the busy streets of Banaras.

Neither Sarah nor Maahir had spoken a word since getting in.

Sarah was busy looking outside while pretending she wasn't aware of the stranger sitting across from her.

Meanwhile, Maahir seemed equally focused on the road ahead then suddenly the rickshaw hit a pothole.

A sharp jolt ran through the vehicle.

"Sorry" the driver called out.

The impact wasn't strong enough to hurt anyone, but it was enough for something to slip from Sarah's lap.

One of her earphones fell onto the floor of the rickshaw before she could bend down to pick it up, another hand reached it first.

Sarah looked up he had already picked it up.

For a second, his fingers held the small white earbud before he extended it toward her.

"There"just one word.

Sarah quickly accepted it.

"Thank you"her voice was soft almost hesitant as if she wasn't used to speaking to strangers.

Maahir simply nodded and just like that, the silence returned.

No dramatic conversation or unnecessary introductions just two strangers sharing a short ride through the crowded streets of Banaras.

A few minutes later, the familiar gates of BHU appeared ahead the moment Sarah noticed them, relief crossed her face.

Her destination,the rickshaw slowed down.

"BHU aa gaya, bitiya."

Sarah immediately adjusted her bag and stood up "Thank you, bhaiya."paying the fare, she stepped out onto the road.

For a brief second, she glanced toward Maahir.

"Bye."

The word came out awkwardly almost accidentally then, before she could embarrass herself further, she hurried away toward the university entrance.

within moments, she disappeared into the crowd of students.

Maahir watched her leave only for a second then another and another.

Eventually, she vanished completely yet somehow his eyes remained fixed on the place where she had been standing.

The driver started moving again a few moments later, something caught Maahir's attention.

A notebook wait no a diary.

Lying quietly on the seat beside him as if forgotten ,he picked it up.

The familiar cover immediately reminded him who it belonged to.

Sarah.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips in less than an hour, fate had managed to throw that girl in front of him twice.

First at the ghat then in the rickshaw and now she had left her diary behind.

He leaned back slightly thinking about her she wasn't loud or the kind of person who demanded attention the moment she entered a room.

In fact, she seemed quite the opposite quiet and awkward as if she was constantly worried about saying the wrong thing.

He remembered the way her hands had slightly trembled while collecting her belongings near the ghat.

The way her eyes had widened every time she got embarrassed the way she avoided holding eye contact for too long and yet there was something genuine about her.

Something refreshingly simple no pretence or unnecessary drama.

Just a girl who looked more comfortable around books than people and a girl who seemed to carry an invisible fear of being judged.

The thought was oddly amusing,especially considering she had spent most of the ride avoiding him as if conversation itself was a dangerous task.

A small smile appeared on his face for the first time that morning without thinking much about it, he slipped the diary into his bag.

He would return it after all something told him this wouldn't be the last time their paths crossed.

- 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 -

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