Ordinary Days

Suhani’s mornings always began before the sun fully rose. The sound of her alarm felt less like a beginning and more like a reminder that another exhausting day had started. She would quietly leave her bed, careful not to wake her younger brother sleeping beside the window. Their small apartment was always silent in the mornings except for the sound of utensils from the kitchen where her mother prepared tea before leaving for work.

Life had never been easy for Suhani’s family. Her father’s small business had failed years ago, leaving behind debts that never truly disappeared. Since then, every member of the family carried some responsibility, and Suhani learned very early that dreams often came after survival. She attended college during the day and worked part-time in the evening at a convenience store near the bus station. Most days, she returned home too tired to even think about herself.

At college, Suhani was known as the quiet girl who always completed her assignments on time. She smiled politely when people spoke to her, but she rarely joined conversations for long. While her classmates discussed vacations, relationships, and future plans, Suhani worried about electricity bills and medicine expenses.

Sometimes she wondered what it felt like to live without constantly calculating responsibilities in her mind.

One evening, after finishing her shift, she stepped outside the store and realized it had started raining heavily. People rushed past her holding umbrellas while buses arrived and disappeared into the dark streets. Suhani stood beneath the small shade near the station, holding her bag tightly against her chest. She was already exhausted, and the thought of walking home in the rain made her close her eyes for a moment.

That was when she noticed him.

A boy stood near the bookstore across the road, arranging books that had been displayed outside before the rain began. He looked calm despite the weather, carefully protecting each book from getting wet. After a few moments, he looked up and noticed Suhani staring. Instead of looking away immediately, he simply gave a small smile.

It was a simple moment. Small enough to forget.

But somehow, Suhani remembered it all the way home.

The next morning, Suhani tried to forget about the boy at the bookstore, but his calm smile stayed somewhere in her thoughts. She told herself it was meaningless. People crossed paths every day in crowded cities without becoming part of each other’s lives. Still, when evening arrived and her shift ended, her eyes unconsciously searched the bookstore across the road.

The rain had stopped that day, and the streets were glowing softly under the orange streetlights. People moved quickly through the station while buses arrived one after another. Suhani adjusted her bag on her shoulder and looked toward the bookstore again.

He was there.

This time, he sat near the entrance arranging a pile of old novels. A small lamp beside him lit his face warmly. He looked peaceful in a way she rarely saw in people. Not tired. Not hurried. Just calm.

As Suhani waited for her bus, an elderly customer suddenly dropped several books near the road. Without hesitation, the boy quickly stood up and helped the man gather everything before the wind could carry the pages away. His movements were simple, but gentle.

Suhani watched quietly.

Something about him felt different from the people she usually met every day.

Not louder.

Just kinder.

A few minutes later, the old man left with a smile, and the boy looked across the road again. Their eyes met for the second time.

Suhani immediately looked away.

But before she could stop herself, she glanced back again.

This time, he laughed softly. Not mockingly. Just enough to make her embarrassed.

Her bus finally arrived, and she stepped inside quickly. As she found a seat near the window, she noticed him standing outside the bookstore again.

For a brief moment, under the evening lights and moving traffic, their eyes met once more.

Then the bus drove away slowly into the night.

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