Chapter 1:A Pair of Unfamiliar Eyes.
It was pouring outside. Stepping into the glass-enclosed coffee shop, Mihu felt a cool breeze brush against her skin. Despite having an umbrella, her dupatta and parts of her hair were damp. She gently adjusted her hair as her eyes scanned the surroundings, before settling at a table.
Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a guy sitting a few tables away.
He was wearing a black hoodie, headphones plugged into his ears, with a thick book open in front of him. He was completely absorbed in its pages, occasionally glancing out the window at the rain and taking a sip from his coffee cup. Seeing his aloof, intense, yet strangely mesmerizing look, Mihu froze for a second. Her heart skipped an unfamiliar beat.
Meanwhile, the waiter was trying to call her, but she didn’t even notice—her attention was entirely fixed on the guy.
"Umm... Excuse me, ma'am?" the waiter said.
"Oh, yes?" Mihu snapped back to reality.
"What would you like to order?"
"Coffee..."
Completely distracted by the guy, she ordered coffee without a second thought—even though she absolutely hated coffee!
Mihu pulled out a book from her bag, but her unruly eyes kept wandering back to him. The waiter brought the coffee. Still lost in her thoughts, she absentmindedly took a sip, only to spit it out immediately due to the bitter taste!
Puckering her face, Mihu muttered under her breath, "Ugh! My entire mood is ruined!" She kept grumbling to herself.
Suddenly, when the guy packed his bag and stood up to leave, Mihu could only watch him walk away from afar, letting out a heavy sigh. She thought to herself, "He didn't even look this way once! Will I ever see this stranger again?"
A whole week went by! Every single day, Mihu watched his serious face from a distance. He remained engrossed in his world of books as usual. But for Mihu, simply gazing at him from afar had become the most cherished moment of her day.
One afternoon, Mihu was hanging out with her best friend, Adrita. In the middle of their conversation, Adrita nudged her teasingly.
"Ugh, your life is so boring! College is almost over, and you haven't liked a single guy yet? Are you ever going to fall in love or what?" Adrita asked.
Blushing slightly, Mihu stammered, "Actually... I do like someone."
"No way!!" Adrita jumped up in excitement. "Who is he? Do I know him? What's his name?"
"Oh, no, you don’t know him. I don’t even know his name myself! I've been seeing him every day at a coffee shop for a week now," Mihu replied softly.
Adrita gave her a disbelieving look. "You've been watching him for a whole week and still don't know his name? You total idiot! If it were me, I would've walked up to him on the very first day and asked! Don't delay anymore. Go tomorrow and at least ask for his name. Drop this hesitant habit of yours once and for all!"
Her friend’s words gave Mihu a boost of courage. She decided that no more staring from afar—she would gather all her courage and speak to him tomorrow. At the very least, she needed to know his name!
On the eighth day, before heading to the coffee shop, Mihu adjusted her outfit in front of the mirror again and again—a dress she had bought for an upcoming family trip, which she decided to wear today. She rehearsed her opening line in her head: "Umm... Do you study here every day?" Or maybe a simple "Hi?" Her heart was beating fast.
She was definitely going to talk to him today! The sky was clear, and so was her mind. She felt so happy.
However, as she entered the coffee shop, Mihu froze cold. The guy was nowhere to be seen.
Mihu sat there for two full hours. With eager anticipation, she looked up every time the door opened, but the familiar face never appeared. He didn't come the next day either, nor the day after that. Another week passed in the blink of an eye, but he never returned to that coffee shop again.
A deep wave of regret settled in Mihu's heart—"Why didn't I talk to him just one day earlier? Why couldn't I express what was in my heart?"
With a heavy sigh, Mihu wondered if this was the quiet end to her unrequited feelings.
[To be continued...]
