The Girl Who Could Not Stop Thinking About Him

Swati Kaur had a problem.

A very serious problem.

And his name was Harbhajan Singh.

She realized it one morning while staring at her phone for almost ten minutes.

There was no message.

No missed call.

No notification.

Nothing.

Yet she kept looking at the screen as if it might magically display his name.

The realization made her groan.

"This is ridiculous."

She threw the phone onto her bed.

Three seconds later she picked it up again.

Then she sighed.

Something was wrong with her.

A few weeks ago, her days had been simple.

Photography.

Friends.

College.

Family.

Now somehow everything seemed connected to Harbhajan.

A beautiful mountain view reminded her of him.

A quiet road reminded her of him.

A rainy evening reminded her of him.

Even her favorite coffee shop reminded her of him because he had once sat there reading a book.

The worst part?

He had no idea.

Swati buried her face in a pillow.

"Why am I thinking about him so much?"

No answer came.

Only the image of Harbhajan's calm face appeared inside her mind once again.

His mysterious eyes.

His quiet smile.

His habit of listening more than speaking.

His ability to make silence feel comfortable instead of awkward.

Everything about him seemed different.

And that difference fascinated her.

A message suddenly appeared on her phone.

Nishu.

"Come to the lake."

Swati immediately sat upright.

The lake.

Harbhajan often visited the lake.

Her heart reacted before her brain.

Within twenty minutes she was already there.

The mountain lake shimmered beneath the afternoon sunlight.

The water reflected the sky like a giant mirror.

Several people sat nearby enjoying the pleasant weather.

And there he was.

Harbhajan.

Sitting beneath a tree.

Reading.

As always.

Swati's lips curved into an involuntary smile.

Why did seeing him make her happy?

She didn't know.

And perhaps she didn't want to know.

At least not yet.

Nishu noticed her arrival.

A mischievous grin immediately appeared on his face.

"Oh."

Swati narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Why are you smiling like that?"

Nishu laughed.

"You arrived very quickly."

Swati crossed her arms.

"I was nearby."

"Liar."

"I was."

"Liar."

She glared at him.

He laughed harder.

Meanwhile, Harbhajan looked up from his book.

Their eyes met.

Something strange happened.

The noise around them seemed to disappear.

Only for a moment.

But it happened.

A simple glance.

Nothing more.

Yet Swati felt her heartbeat become slightly faster.

Harbhajan gave a small nod.

A greeting.

Simple.

Polite.

Yet somehow it made her happier than it should have.

The afternoon passed peacefully.

The three of them talked.

Mostly Nishu talked.

Harbhajan listened.

Swati laughed.

For the first time in years, she found herself enjoying silence as much as conversation.

Especially when Harbhajan was nearby.

There was comfort in his presence.

A feeling she couldn't explain.

At one point Nishu excused himself to answer a phone call.

Leaving Swati and Harbhajan alone.

An awkward silence followed.

Or at least it should have been awkward.

Instead it felt natural.

Comfortable.

The lake sparkled beneath the sunlight.

Birds flew overhead.

A gentle breeze moved through the trees.

Neither spoke.

Neither seemed bothered by it.

Eventually Swati broke the silence.

"Do you ever get lonely?"

The question surprised even her.

Harbhajan looked toward the water.

His expression changed slightly.

For a brief moment sadness appeared in his eyes.

Then it vanished.

"Sometimes."

The answer was simple.

Yet it felt honest.

Swati studied him.

"You seem lonely."

His gaze shifted toward her.

Most people would have denied it.

Most people would have laughed.

Most people would have changed the subject.

Harbhajan did none of those things.

Instead he simply smiled.

A small smile.

A sad smile.

"As if you aren't?"

The question caught her off guard.

For a moment neither spoke.

Because both knew the answer.

Everyone carried loneliness.

Some simply hid it better than others.

The conversation ended there.

Yet strangely it brought them closer.

Not because they shared secrets.

But because they understood each other.

Without explanations.

Without pretending.

Without masks.

And for both of them, that was rare.

Very rare.

Days passed.

Then weeks.

Swati found herself spending more and more time with Harbhajan.

Sometimes intentionally.

Sometimes accidentally.

At least that's what she told herself.

One afternoon they explored an abandoned mountain trail together.

Swati became distracted while taking photographs.

Before she realized it, she stepped dangerously close to a steep slope.

The ground suddenly shifted beneath her foot.

A gasp escaped her lips.

The world tilted.

Then a strong hand grabbed her wrist.

Firm.

Steady.

Safe.

Harbhajan.

He pulled her backward instantly.

The loose stones tumbled down the cliff.

Swati stared at the drop below.

Her heart pounded violently.

That could have been bad.

Very bad.

When she finally looked up, Harbhajan still held her wrist.

His expression had changed.

For the first time she saw genuine fear in his eyes.

Fear for her.

"Be careful."

His voice was sharper than usual.

Almost angry.

Almost.

Swati blinked.

"You were worried."

He released her hand immediately.

"No."

"Liar."

"No."

She smiled.

His expression remained serious.

The sight made her heart warm unexpectedly.

Because nobody becomes afraid of losing something they don't care about.

That realization stayed with her for days.

Unfortunately, something else happened a week later.

Something she absolutely hated.

The girl's name was Avneet Kaur.

Beautiful.

Confident.

Intelligent.

And completely interested in Harbhajan.

Swati noticed it immediately.

The way Avneet smiled at him.

The way she sought his attention.

The way she found excuses to remain near him.

Worst of all—

Harbhajan didn't seem bothered.

One afternoon they all met at a local café.

Swati sat across from Harbhajan.

Avneet sat beside him.

A position Swati desperately wished belonged to her.

The realization annoyed her.

A lot.

Avneet laughed at something Harbhajan said.

Actually, it wasn't even funny.

Yet she laughed anyway.

Then she touched his arm.

Swati nearly broke her spoon.

Nishu noticed.

His grin appeared instantly.

"Jealous?"

"No."

"Very jealous."

"No."

"Extremely jealous."

Swati kicked him beneath the table.

Nishu almost choked on his drink.

Meanwhile Avneet continued talking.

Harbhajan remained polite as always.

Yet something interesting caught Swati's attention.

He wasn't actually engaging much.

His answers were brief.

His attention wandered.

Occasionally his eyes shifted toward Swati.

Only briefly.

But often enough for her to notice.

The realization improved her mood considerably.

Still.

Jealousy remained.

A new emotion.

An uncomfortable emotion.

An emotion she had never associated with herself.

Later that evening she walked home alone.

Her thoughts were chaotic.

Why did Avneet bother her so much?

Why did the idea of Harbhajan liking someone else make her uncomfortable?

Why did her chest feel heavy whenever she imagined him with another girl?

The answer stood directly in front of her.

Yet she refused to acknowledge it.

For now.

Meanwhile Harbhajan faced struggles of his own.

Emotions were unfamiliar territory.

For years he had focused on responsibilities.

Secrets.

Family matters.

Questions about his past.

Relationships had never been a priority.

Feelings were distractions.

At least that was what he told himself.

Yet Swati had changed things.

Without permission.

Without warning.

Without effort.

He found himself noticing her laughter.

Her smile.

The excitement in her eyes whenever she discussed photography.

The way she genuinely cared about people.

The way she made ordinary moments feel special.

Most concerning of all—

He enjoyed being around her.

Far more than he should.

One evening he sat alone beside the lake.

The sunset painted the sky orange and gold.

Normally the peaceful scenery helped him think.

Today it did not.

Because every thought returned to the same person.

Swati.

Harbhajan sighed.

This was dangerous.

Not because of romance.

But because caring about someone created vulnerability.

And vulnerability created risk.

His life contained too many unanswered questions.

Too many dangers.

Too many secrets.

People close to him could get hurt.

That reality frightened him more than anything.

For years he had mastered emotional control.

Yet somehow a cheerful girl with a camera threatened all of it.

The thought almost made him laugh.

Almost.

Several days later Swati experienced her final moment of denial.

She was organizing photographs in her room.

Hundreds of images filled her laptop screen.

Mountains.

Lakes.

Forests.

Storms.

Sunsets.

Then she noticed something.

Harbhajan appeared in dozens of photographs.

Some intentional.

Some accidental.

Some taken from far away.

Some during conversations.

Some when he didn't realize she was watching.

Swati stared silently.

Then she opened another folder.

More photographs.

Another folder.

More photographs.

Her heart slowly accelerated.

Because the truth had become impossible to ignore.

She wasn't collecting memories.

She was collecting moments with him.

Moments she never wanted to forget.

The realization hit her like lightning.

Suddenly everything made sense.

The constant thoughts.

The jealousy.

The happiness.

The nervousness.

The excitement.

The comfort.

The longing.

All of it.

Every single part.

Her eyes drifted toward a photograph taken at the lake.

Harbhajan stood near the water.

Sunlight illuminated his face.

He wasn't looking at the camera.

He looked peaceful.

Real.

Human.

And for reasons she couldn't explain, looking at the image made her smile.

Then tears unexpectedly appeared in her eyes.

Not tears of sadness.

Tears of realization.

Slowly she touched the photograph displayed on the screen.

And finally admitted the truth she had been avoiding for weeks.

She was in love.

Deeply.

Completely.

Hopelessly.

In love with Harbhajan Singh.

The realization terrified her.

Yet it also felt strangely beautiful.

Because for the first time, her heart knew exactly where it belonged.

Unfortunately, neither she nor Harbhajan had any idea that the challenges awaiting them were only beginning.

And the secrets surrounding him would soon test that love in ways neither of them could imagine.

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