"Whispered Hearts"

Unexpected Encounters

Avni sat in her room, her heart heavy with the weight of her family's expectations. She was a shy and intelligent girl with a mind full of dreams, but her self-esteem was low, constantly doubting her own worth. Her family had started pressuring her to get married, urging her to find a suitable match. However, Avni was not interested in arranged marriages and was not currently dating anyone. She longed for a love that would blossom naturally, rather than being forced into a lifelong commitment with a stranger.

To escape the impending marriage talks, Avni began to weave a web of lies. She started inventing an imaginary guy from her office, concocting a story that they were kind of dating. Whenever her mother brought up the topic of marriage, Avni would assure her that she was already seeing someone and that they were taking things slow. This fabrication gave her a temporary sense of relief and bought her more time to figure out her own path.

Avni's mother, growing impatient, set a deadline for her to marry this imaginary guy by the end of the year, warning that if she failed to do so, she would have to marry someone of her mother's choosing. The pressure mounted, and Avni felt trapped in her own web of lies. Still, she put on a facade of happiness and contentment, pretending that everything was under control.

In the office, Avni led a solitary existence. She rarely engaged in conversations, always avoiding people, and burying herself in her work. But one day, as she was driving home from work, lost in her own thoughts, she noticed a guy on the street. He had curly hair, a warm smile, and an air of confidence that caught her attention. Unintentionally, she found herself captivated by his presence, forgetting that she was driving until a car behind her honked, jolting her back to reality. Blushing with embarrassment, she drove away, hoping that the guy hadn't noticed her absent-mindedness.

The following day, as Avni entered the office building, she saw the same guy again. This time, he was dressed in a blue shirt. Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly dismissed any hope of a connection. She believed that someone as good-looking as him would never take an interest in someone like her. Resigned to her fate, she smiled politely and continued on her way.

Days turned into weeks, and Avni would catch glimpses of the blue-shirted guy now and then. She noticed his routine, the way he carried a laptop bag and a water bottle. One day, while waiting for the elevator, he approached her and asked if she could press the third floor button for him, explaining that his hands were full. Avni, caught off guard, nodded and pressed the button. He thanked her with a warm smile, and the elevator doors closed, leaving Avni feeling a mix of excitement and confusion.

During her lunch break, Avni made her way to the ground floor to grab a bite to eat. To her surprise, she saw the blue-shirted guy sitting in the cafeteria, enjoying his meal. Emboldened by a surge of courage, she approached the café counter and asked the guy to give her a patty and a cold drink. As she was waiting for her order, she heard a voice behind her saying, "Are you following me?"

Startled, Avni turned around to find the blue-shirted guy standing there, looking at her with a playful smile. Panic surged through her veins, and she felt a mixture of embarrassment and awkwardness. She wanted to disappear at that moment, feeling completely lost for words. "What?" she managed to stammer, her mind racing to find

a suitable response. "Why would I do that? No, just kidding," she blurted out, attempting to salvage the situation.

"I have seen you around a lot," he said, his smile widening. "You work on the fourth floor, right?" Avni nodded, momentarily forgetting to be cautious about sharing personal information. "Yes, I work at K2 Minds ," she replied, berating herself internally for revealing her company's name without him even asking. "Oh, nice. I work for GT the Finance firm," he said, his voice filled with a friendly tone. "Yeah, I've heard of that company," Avni responded, trying to appear nonchalant.

Just then, the café guy called out, "One patty for Avni." Realizing her order had arrived, she muttered, "Oh, my order," while moving to collect it. Before she could fully turn away, she heard him say, "Avni, hi, I'm Prateek." Avni's heart skipped a beat as she turned back to face him. "Oh, hi," she managed to say, her face blushing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind Prateek, calling him to leave. "Prateek, let's go," a guy said. Prateek turned towards his friend and replied, "Yeah, let's go. Okay, bye, Avni. See you around." With a final smile and a wave, he left, leaving Avni standing there, trying to hide her blushing face and the whirlwind of emotions that had consumed her.

As she watched him walk away, a glimmer of hope ignited within Avni. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for something more than her imagined romance. For the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of confidence, a belief that life could surprise her in the most unexpected ways.