Chapter 1 - Chance Encounter
5th February, 2023.
It was supposed to be a special day. My relationship anniversary. Three long years. I was in a long-distance relationship with Aarav , a guy who never really made me feel special, never got me gifts, never really tried. Still, I was holding on. Loyal, stupidly loyal.
That afternoon, I went out with my friend Mira. We decided to roam around in Hazel Ganj, our favorite spot in Lucknow to hang out. We grabbed some snacks and chilled at a nearby park before heading to the metro. I had plans to go home after that.
I reached Hazel Ganj Metro Station, stood in the token queue, and turned around , and that was the moment. A guy was stuffing something in his friend’s bag and just as I turned, our eyes met.
Not a casual glance.
It was that intense kind of eye contact where everything else just fades. I don’t even know what made me freeze ,maybe it was how he looked, or how he looked at me. Tall, brown eyes, and a kind of mischievous energy around him. But I quickly looked away. Not today. Not with Aarav in my life.
I rushed down the stairs as the metro was about to leave. I was almost there and boom, the doors shut right in front of me.
Frustrated, I turned around to wait for the next one, and he was coming down the stairs. My heart literally skipped. He came and stood right beside me.
And then…
“Hi,” he said.
I looked around. No one.
“Hi,” he repeated.
I awkwardly pointed at myself. “Me?”
He nodded. “Yeah, do you know which side goes to Northline station?”
Even though the route was clearly displayed in front of us on the wall, I replied, “This side.”
He smiled, “I saw you missed the metro.”
I smiled shyly, “Yeah…”
He was wearing a white lab coat, but also carrying Victory Institute pamphlets , which confused me. I asked, “Do you go to Victory?”
He leaned a little closer, pulled the edge of his coat to show his ID. “Nope. I’m a fresher at Central Medical College.”
Turns out, he was called to Victory as an example ,since he cracked NEET from there. A little prank. He said he was bunking college that day. I laughed, eased up a little.
When the next metro came, we both entered. I was about to sit on the empty seat beside an aunty, but he stopped me.
“Hold this handle,” he said casually. “Let’s stand here.”
And I listened.
He started talking , his first time in the city, not many friends here, etc. And then suddenly, “Quick, give me your Insta ID. My stop’s next!”
I panicked. “Should I give you my art account or the main one?”
“The real one,” he grinned.
He typed slowly, almost like he wanted to miss his stop. Then the side seats near us cleared up.
He asked where I was going. I said “Moonpuria” (the last station). He said, “Chalo, aaj main bhi Moonpuria tak chalta hoon.”
His friends kept calling him. “Where are you?” “Just coming, give me 10 minutes,” he replied while sitting beside me.
I peeked at his ID. “Your name’s Jaiveer?”
“Yep,” he said. “What about you?”
“Saanvi Singh.”
“Singh?” He smiled. “You Punjabi?”
“Nope, Rajput,” I replied.
“Ohhh… same same. I’m Punjabi.”
He asked what I do, and I told him I was preparing for design college entrances ,already gave two, and one more left. He opened my art page and smiled. “You do art? That’s really cool.”
Then, as we reached the last stop, he shook my hand and said warmly, “I’ve got very few people here. It was really nice to meet you. Let’s meet again soon.”
I nodded, got down, and went home.
And the very first thing I did? I told Aarav everything. That a random boy talked to me, I shared my Insta ID with him, how it all happened. But of course , I didn’t mention the eye contact part. I didn’t even know what that was yet.
Aarav freaked out.
He asked for my Insta login, opened it, and blocked Jaiveer from my account right then and there. “Don’t ever give your ID to strangers again,” he said. “I don’t want to see that guy anywhere in your list.”
And I didn’t unblock him.
Not then.
