🌙 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒕 🖤

sometimes the most unexpected journeys begin with the wrong seat 🌧️📖

The tourist bus was already crowded by the time Jiya and her family reached there.

“Hum late ho gaye…” her mother sighed while adjusting the bags.

People were settling into their seats, children were shouting excitedly, and the loud sound of the bus engine made everything feel even more chaotic.

Jiya quietly held her little brother’s hand and walked inside the bus, searching for two empty seats.

But almost every seat was occupied.

“Didi, udhar dekho!” her little brother pointed toward the back side of the bus.

Two seats were empty.

Well… almost empty.

Someone’s bag and headphones were placed there as if the seats had already been claimed.

Jiya looked around for a moment, but no one came forward.

And honestly, after an exhausting trip and the unbearable heat inside the bus, she didn’t care anymore.

A small fan was attached above those seats, and cool air was finally reaching there.

“Didi please yahi baithte hain… bohot garmi lag rahi hai,” her brother complained dramatically.

Jiya let out a tired sigh before picking up the bag carefully and placing it on the seat behind them.

“Bas thodi der ke liye,” she murmured.

Both siblings quickly sat down.

For the first time in hours, Jiya finally felt relaxed.

But peace didn’t last long.

A few minutes later, two boys entered the bus laughing about something. One of them suddenly stopped after noticing the occupied seats.

“Bro… ye hamari seats hain,” he said sharply.

Jiya looked up.

The boy’s expression instantly turned annoyed.

“Excuse me,” he spoke more aggressively this time, “humne saman rakha tha yahan. Uthiye.”

Normally, Jiya avoided arguments.

But something about his tone irritated her immediately.

“Naam likha tha kya seat par?” she replied coldly.

The boy frowned. “Excuse me?”

“We also need seats,” Jiya said, trying to stay calm despite her growing irritation. “Bus khali nahi hai.”

The argument slowly started attracting attention from nearby passengers.

Her little brother nervously looked between them.

“Yaar rehne de.”

A calm voice interrupted.

The second boy finally stepped forward.

Unlike his friend, he looked surprisingly relaxed.

His eyes briefly landed on Jiya before he turned toward his friend.

“Tu peeche baith ja,” he said casually. “Inhe baithne de.”

The first boy looked shocked. “Aur tu? Bus me seat bachi hi nahi.”

“It’s okay,” he replied softly. “Main adjust kar lunga.”

Without arguing further, his friend rolled his eyes and walked toward the back seats.

Now the boy was left standing beside Jiya’s seat, quietly holding the overhead railing as the bus slowly started moving again.

The awkward silence felt strangely loud.

And somehow… Jiya suddenly felt a little guilty.

Just then, an aunty sitting nearby smiled warmly.

“Beta, thodi jagah hai na?” she asked Jiya. “Is ladke ko baitha lo.”

Jiya hesitated for a second.

Then silently shifted a little toward the window side.

The boy sat beside her carefully.

“Thanks,” he said quietly.

Jiya looked outside the window immediately, pretending not to notice the soft smile on his face.

But somewhere between the noisy bus, the evening breeze, and that unexpectedly shared seat…Jiya didn’t know his name yet.

But for some reason…

that shared seat already felt like the beginning of something she would remember for a long time. 🌧️