Episode 1 – The First Time I Saw Her

The first time I saw her, the whole world seemed to slow down.

The college campus was buzzing with students on the first day of the semester. Everyone was busy finding classrooms, greeting old friends, and rushing through the crowded corridors.

Except me.

I stood near the entrance with my backpack hanging from one shoulder, wondering if this year would be any different from the last.

Then she walked in.

She wasn't trying to get anyone's attention. She simply adjusted the strap of her bag, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled politely at a girl who asked for directions.

That smile...

It was simple, yet somehow impossible to ignore.

For a few seconds, I completely forgot where I was.

"Hey! Earth to Arjun!"

My best friend, Kiran, snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"What are you staring at?"

I blinked and pointed toward the girl who had already disappeared into the crowd.

"The girl in the white kurti."

Kiran looked around before laughing.

"Don't tell me you've fallen in love already."

"I don't know," I admitted with a grin. "But I want to know her."

He shook his head dramatically.

"Classes haven't even started, and you're already planning your love story."

Maybe he was right.

Maybe it was just admiration.

Or maybe it was something much bigger.

The rest of the morning, I couldn't stop looking for her.

Every corridor...

Every classroom...

Every corner of the campus.

Finally, during lunch break, I spotted her sitting beneath a large tree with a book in her hands. She wasn't talking to anyone. She looked peaceful, completely lost in the pages she was reading.

I wanted to walk up and introduce myself.

But my confidence disappeared the moment I took the first step.

"What if she ignores me?"

"What if she thinks I'm weird?"

I sighed and turned away.

Coward.

The next few days became strangely exciting.

I started noticing little things about her.

She always arrived five minutes early.

She loved sitting near the window during lectures.

She smiled whenever she saw children playing outside the campus gate.

She helped classmates without expecting anything in return.

The more I observed her, the more I admired her.

It wasn't just her beauty anymore.

It was the kindness hidden in the smallest things she did.

One evening, while leaving college, fate finally gave me a chance.

A strong breeze blew through the parking area.

A notebook slipped from her hands, and loose papers scattered across the ground.

Without thinking, I ran forward.

Together, we picked up the papers before they could fly away.

As I handed her the notebook, our eyes met for the very first time.

She smiled.

"Thank you."

Just two words.

Yet they stayed with me the entire night.

She walked away without asking my name.

But I already knew one thing.

No matter how long it took...

One day, I would make her smile because of me.

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