Rushing for a reason!

The afternoon sun filtered through the window as Arvind stood by his balcony, absent-mindedly glancing out. And there she was. Across the road, through the narrow gap between their balconies, he saw Nisha, just for a brief moment. Their eyes met. For a second, time seemed to freeze.

Nisha’s gaze lingered for only a heartbeat before her sister called her inside. “Nisha, it’s time for lunch!”

As she disappeared from view, Arvind stood frozen, unsure whether it had actually happened. “It can’t be her, can it?” he muttered to himself, brushing off the idea, convincing himself it was just a trick of his bad eyesight.

---

At home, Nisha was distracted, lost in her thoughts. She poked at her food absent-mindedly, replaying the brief encounter over and over in her mind. Suddenly, she choked on her food, her sister’s teasing voice snapping her back to reality. “What’s going on with you today? Slow down!”

Nisha flushed, shaking her head and laughing it off. “Nothing,” she muttered, but her thoughts were still caught on that fleeting glance.

---

Meanwhile, in the living room of his house, Arvind was trying to refocus on his studies. But his mind kept wandering. He plopped down on the sofa, flicking the TV on to distract himself with some BBC Earth documentaries. Just as he settled in, Meera, his older sister, came barging in.

“You look way too happy for someone watching nature documentaries,” she teased. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Arvind shifted uncomfortably. “I’m just... relaxing.”

“Uh-huh, sure. Relaxing,” Meera said, raising an eyebrow. She was quick to notice the little signs, and this time, she was determined to poke fun. “So, tell me, who is this mysterious girl?”

Arvind immediately turned red, unable to hide his discomfort. “What girl?”

“Oh, come on, don’t play coy. You’ve never acted like this before. What’s her name? Is she in your class?”

Arvind hesitated but eventually mumbled, “Her name is Nisha... I think she’s in 9th grade. And, uh, no, she’s not in my class.”

Meera gave him a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying herself. “You like her, don’t you?”

“Shut up, Meera,” Arvind muttered, but even his blush was enough of an answer.

---

The afternoon stretched into evening, and both Arvind and Nisha, intent on sticking to their study plans, found themselves at their desks. From his window, Arvind noticed Nisha’s bedroom light flickering off as she adjusted her curtains. For a moment, the lamp stood out in the dimming light, and Arvind’s heart skipped a beat. She was there, and he was seeing her in the quiet moments, just as he had seen her earlier. They didn’t know it, but they were connected in the most subtle of ways—each aware of the other’s quiet dedication.

Arvind smiled to himself. “She’s studying too,” he thought, his thoughts a little too distracted by her presence.

---

Nisha, however, was completely unaware that her window had become a point of silent observation. She moved about her room, lost in her own world. Her focus was entirely on her studies, not noticing the quiet figure on the other side of the road. The lamps in her room, flicking on and off, became part of a quiet, unspoken routine—an unacknowledged connection between her and the boy across the street.

---

As the evening grew darker, Nisha’s siblings urged her to take them outside. It was one of those carefree moments in childhood where play meant everything. Nisha, ever the responsible older sister, hurriedly gathered her siblings and dashed out into the street, not realizing Arvind was right behind her.

His eyes followed her as she ran, her figure quickly fading into the twilight. Something pulled at him—curiosity, maybe, or something more. With a sudden impulse, he grabbed his cycle, rushing out the door to follow her.

He rode aimlessly around the neighborhood, hoping for just a glimpse of her. His sister, noticing his hurried pace, teased, “Where are you rushing off to, huh?”

“I’m just... getting some fresh air,” Arvind said, though his mind was far from the simple excuse. He cycled for nearly an hour, catching glimpses of Nisha but never quite getting close enough to speak.

---

Meanwhile, Nisha was deeply involved in her responsibilities as the older sister. She watched her younger siblings, making sure they didn’t stray too far, as they played with the other kids in the neighborhood.

Just then, a boy from the colony—someone Arvind knew—walked up to Nisha, a shy smile on his face. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Hey, what’s your name?”

Arvind, seeing this from a distance, suddenly yelled, “Hey, man, what’s up?” His tone was louder than intended, and his presence was enough to pull his friend’s attention away from Nisha.

The boy sheepishly waved and walked off, leaving Nisha to wonder what had just happened. But Arvind, now feeling an odd sense of protectiveness, let out a sigh of relief.

---

Later, when he met his friend, the conversation shifted awkwardly. “You like her, don’t you?” Arvind’s friend asked, unable to hide his teasing grin.

Arvind snorted. “You like every girl, man. What’s the difference?”

But his friend wasn’t done. “You’re acting a little different. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Arvind was about to retort when Meera, overhearing their conversation, stepped into the room, a devilish smile on her face. “Ooooh, what’s this? Getting serious, are we?”

Arvind shot a glare at his sister. “No, stop it. I’m not even—” he stammered, his face turning redder with every second.

---

Later, as the evening came to a close, both families decided to take a leisurely night walk. Arvind’s mother noticed Nisha and stopped to chat with her mother.

“Oh, my son’s also in that school!” she said casually. “Just a year older. He’s right there, Arvind.”

Nisha’s mother smiled and greeted her son. At that moment, Arvind’s heart skipped again. He heard Nisha’s voice for the first time, soft and gentle, like the calm of a quiet evening. “Hello, aunty,” she said. “My name is Nisha. I’m in 9th grade, and yes, I’ve made some friends.”

Arvind stood there, frozen. Her voice was mesmerizing. It was everything he hadn’t expected—so sweet, so calming. For the first time, he felt something stir in him beyond curiosity.

Meera, ever the observer, noticed her brother’s silent smile. “Mmm, someone’s interested,” she teased under her breath, but Arvind barely heard her. His focus was entirely on Nisha and the way her name rolled off her lips, like a secret he was only beginning to understand.

---

The night walk ended with one last, lingering moment. As their families parted ways, Arvind and Nisha exchanged a fleeting glance. It was familiar now, this quiet knowing between them, a connection they couldn’t yet explain but both felt deeply.

And as Arvind watched Nisha walk away, his heart fluttered once again, unsure of what had just begun.

---

End of Chapter 4.

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