Chapter 1 : Normal Days
Most days in college passed without leaving much of a mark on me.
Lectures, notes, short lunches, and the same repeated routines.
I was never the loud one in a group. Never the centre of attention. I preferred watching instead of being watched.
If someone had asked me that morning what I expected from the annual fest, I would have said the same thing – noise, just noise.
The university’s annual cultural fest was only a week away.
And suddenly everyone cared about the things they usually ignored: dance practices, costumes, stage lights, and popularity.
Right beside the university stood an old wooden house that belonged to one of our lady professors. Its wide veranda had become the unofficial dance practice spot.
I wasn’t performing. I was just there because my friend insisted.
The sun was unforgiving that afternoon.
I stood a little away from the veranda, holding my umbrella, while the boys from my class practiced their routine. Music blasted from a speaker placed near the stairs.
Some girls leaned against the wooden railing. A few sat on the steps. Others moved in and out of the house, laughing loudly.
“Come inside,” my friend called from the doorway. “You’ll melt out there.”
“I’m fine,” I replied, not looking at her.
I don’t know why I stayed. Maybe I was just curious. Maybe I was bored. Or maybe I simply liked watching from a distance, unnoticed.
But I wasn’t unnoticed. One of the boys glanced at me mid-step. Then another. Their movements didn’t stop, but their eyes kept drifting in my direction.
My fingers tightened around the umbrella handle. Heat rushed to my face, and suddenly the sunlight wasn’t the only reason I felt warm.
I quickly looked away.
