Leona was just an ordinary college girl — tomboyish, shy, and nowhere near the kind of beauty that turned heads. She preferred comfort over style, sneakers over heels, and quiet corners over crowded spaces. That day, she was scrolling through Instagram, as usual, when she saw it — a post from a local artist she liked, Sono Lem. His songs had been her comfort lately.

Curiously, she tapped on a featured song. Her ears caught a voice — smooth, sincere, and oddly captivating. It was Leon, singing alongside Sono Lem. Without thinking, she followed him on Instagram. His voice lingered in her head for days.

One evening, on a whim, she texted him a short encouragement. To her surprise, he replied. From then on, they started chatting. Numbers were exchanged. No phone calls, though — Leona was too shy to speak on the phone.

They even tried to meet once, but fate had other plans. A vehicle problem stopped them cold. Leon returned to Bomdila, and they stopped chatting for nearly two months.

Then one day, Leona saw it — Leon would be performing in Itanagar at the Artisan Cum Exhibition. Entry was free. She decided to go, dragging a friend along. Just in case she bailed, she also invited another classmate, who agreed. Before leaving, she messaged Leon to confirm. They chatted briefly, teasingly — enough to make her heart skip a beat.

The day arrived. Leona called her bestie, but she was busy. Her other friend came with her. Tomboy Leona dressed simply, sneakers and all. They arrived early. The performance was set for 4 PM, but it got delayed. Hours passed — two, maybe three — waiting outdoors in the rain. Still, they stayed.

Between texts, she asked him when his performance would begin. Playfully, he replied, "I can stay if you want me to." She wrote back, "WTH, please don’t go, I want to meet in real," but deleted it moments later when he was slow to reply.

Finally, at 9 PM, his time arrived. Leon stepped onto the stage with his friends, including a guy named Ash. Leona admired quietly — too shy to make herself obvious. But then a sound system problem broke the mood. After the performance, she left with her friend.

Partway out, she realized she wanted a picture with him. She hesitated. Her friend insisted, “If you don’t call him now, you’ll regret it.” So she did.

When Leon answered, her voice faltered. Her friend took over, asking if they could take a picture. He agreed. They returned.

Standing near him, Leona froze. Her gaze fell to the ground. He thanked them for staying late and apologized for not performing well. She muttered something about being shy.

“Don’t be shy,” he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

When her friend took her picture, he did not place his hand on her shoulder again — just her. Afterwards, he asked their names. Leona admitted she was the one who had texted him before. He smiled knowingly, “I already recognized by the way you’re being shy.” They shook hands. His touch was softer than she imagined.

They said goodbye, but in her heart, something had already changed.

That night after Leon’s performance, Leona lay in bed scrolling through her phone. Her mind kept replaying the awkward yet sweet moments from earlier.

A notification popped up. It was Leon.

"WTH — your singer got flopped tonight 😂"

Leona chuckled softly. She replied without thinking, "WTH no… it was a good performance."

His reply came quickly:

"It was my worst performance ever in my life. I wanted to sing raw without using a track, but the sound problem ruined it."

Leona smiled faintly, typing back, "It’s okay… it was good. I got to see you anyway 😂"

There was a pause before Leon replied, "Next time if there’s a chance to perform again, I’ll do it better."

She laughed quietly at her phone. That simple exchange made her heart feel warmer.

"Goodnight," she typed.

"Goodnight," he replied.

---

The next day, Leon had gone to Ziro for shooting. Leona spent her day quietly, occasionally glancing at her phone. That evening, she decided to text him.

"Hey… are you free on 5th October? If yes, let’s go watch Miss Arunachal finale."

Her phone buzzed a few minutes later.

"I will be free… but I don’t have a vehicle 😏"

She smiled, typing back, "I’ll come pick you up."

"Ok… let’s see later. I’ll contact you later," he replied. Then, almost like a tired afterthought,

"Goodnight. I have shooting tomorrow morning."

---

On the morning of 5th October, Leona felt a flutter in her chest. She wanted to confirm the plan again with Leon but hesitated. Vehicle trouble slowed her down too. Eventually, she managed to get her scooty ready. Her friend and little sisters insisted on coming along.

She texted Leon:

"Hey, wanna come?"

"I’m shy around your friends 😏 You go… I won’t come."

Leona smiled, half disappointed, half amused. She shrugged and went with her friend and siblings anyway.

The night was lively — music, laughter, and the buzz of the finale. Around 8 PM, her phone rang. It was Leon.

"Are you still there?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"I’ll come too," he said casually.

Her heart skipped a beat. She felt shy and excited at the same time. She told him to call when he arrived.

She waited. And waited. Until 10 PM. No call. She called him — no answer.

Her little sister yawned, sleepy. She gave up and left.

When she reached home, her phone buzzed. It was Leon.

"Did you call me?" he asked.

"No… it was my ghost who called 😏" she teased softly.

"Sorry… I didn’t hear the phone. I was here too."

"You let me wait," she murmured shyly.

"Sorry… I was with friends, so…" he trailed off awkwardly.

"How would I introduce you to them?"

Leona stayed quiet for a moment, then said softly, "At least you should’ve texted me."

"I forgot… Sorry again."

"It’s okay…" she replied.

They hung up.

About thirty minutes later, her phone buzzed again.

"Sorry I couldn’t meet you today 😔" he texted.

Leona smiled faintly to herself. Somehow, even the missed meeting felt like part of something… special.

Leona wasn’t sure why her heart was racing. It wasn’t like it was their first time meeting — okay, technically it was their second, but still. She shouldn’t be this nervous.

It had been a few days since they started texting again. Leon’s messages were casual but warm — the kind that made her smile at her phone like an idiot.

He was still in Itanagar for a few more days before heading back to Bomdila for rehearsals. So when he texted,

“I’m free today. You around?”

Leona froze.

Was he asking to meet?

“Yeah… why?” she replied, trying to sound chill while internally panicking.

“Let’s meet at the park near college before I leave,” he suggested.

Her heart did a backflip.

She hurried to get ready, trying not to look like she tried too hard. Hoodie, jeans, sneakers — simple, safe, Leona.

When she arrived, Leon was sitting on a bench under a big tree, headphones around his neck, casually scrolling on his phone. When he saw her, his expression softened.

“You actually came,” he said, with that easy smile.

“You keep saying that like I always ditch plans,” she replied, rolling her eyes but smiling anyway.

They sat together on the bench. Around them, the park was peaceful — the breeze carried the faint sound of distant traffic and laughter from students nearby.

They talked for hours. First, about small things — their upcoming college schedules, music preferences, and funny incidents from the week. Leon shared his excitement about his upcoming performance in Dimapur on the 17th.

“You should come,” he said suddenly. “Dimapur’s a big stage. I’d appreciate having at least one familiar face there.”

She smiled faintly. “That far?”

“Yeah. But I’ll be there with Sono Lem and some others. It’s going to be big.”

Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her hoodie. “Maybe… I’ll think about it.”

They grew quieter after that, sitting side by side. The silence wasn’t awkward — it was comfortable. Leon glanced at her from time to time, as if wanting to say something but holding back.

Finally, as the evening sky turned soft orange, Leon stood up.

“I guess I should head back and pack,” he said softly.

Leona nodded, standing too. For a moment, they just looked at each other.

Without thinking, she stepped closer. “Will you… come back safe?”

He smiled, and for a second, he looked almost shy. “Yeah… I will.”

Then, without warning, he pulled her into a warm hug.

Leona froze, but the warmth of it made her relax. It was quiet and soft — not a dramatic goodbye, but something real.

When they pulled apart, Leon looked at her with a faint smile. “See you soon, Leona.”

She smiled back, her cheeks tinged with pink. “Yeah… see you.”

They walked away in different directions, but for Leona, it didn’t feel like an ending — just the start of something quietly beautiful.

That night, before going to sleep, Leona picked up her phone.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she finally typed:

“Safe journey, Leon ”

She sent it without expecting a reply. But moments later, a message appeared:

“Thanks, Leona. Means a lot.”

She smiled softly, placing her phone aside. Lying in bed, she thought of him — of that park, his smile, and the strange warmth she felt when he hugged her.

Some journeys never end with a goodbye.