Friendship

When Aarav first noticed Meera, it wasn't because she was particularly talkative or strikingly beautiful. Rather, it was because she wasn't. She sat by the window in the college library every afternoon, the sunlight falling softly on her notebook, as if she belonged there. She wrote slowly, often pausing, as if listening to thoughts no one else could hear. Aarav told himself he was simply curious, but that curiosity began to shape his days around that window seat. They spent two years on the same campus without speaking. Aarav was known for his easy smile and friendly confidence, the kind of guy who made friends effortlessly. Meera, on the other hand, wore her silence like a shawl— comfortable , protective. She spoke only when necessary and rarely laughed, but when she did, it was like a weight had been lifted. Their first conversation happened unexpectedly. Meera dropped her pen. It rolled across the floor and stopped at Aarav's feet. He picked it up, walked over...