ECHOES OF ETERNITY

2: Unexpected Meetings

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."
- Carl Jung

Ivan stood at the periphery of the crowd, a solitary figure amidst the throng of people. His presence exuded a quite confidence, a sense of calm amidst the storm of activity that surrounded him.
With his dark hair tousled and his eyes cast downwards, he seemed lost in thought, a silent observer in a world of noise.

Ivan too didn't like crowded places. He had a dance programme, so he showed up to the function.

Ivan is a young man of quite strength and stoic demeanor. Tall and lean, with dark brooding eyes that hold depth of emotion. Reserved and introspective, Ivan prefers solitude to the bustling chaos of social gatherings. He is not someone who likes communicating people.

Riley found herself drawn towards him, her curiosity piqued by the mystery. She knew this wasn't the first time she saw him. As she approached, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of nerves dancing in the pit of her stomach.

Thier eyes met across the crowded room, a moment suspended in time as the world fell away around them. In the brief instant moment, Riley felt a spark of recognition ignite with her soul, a connection of boundaries of reason and logic.

Riley stared at him. She had this weird habit. She deeply observed him. She thought to herself,something was missing on his face. Those eyes, there was something missing. His features are chiseled, his expression was unreadable, but there is a warmth in his gaze that hints at a gentler soul beneath the mask he wears.

Well. Riley ignored him. Ok, at least she tried to ignore him, but she couldn't. She stared at him with her doe eyes. She was sure this wasn't the first time she saw him.

Ivan's gaze flickered upwards, his expression unreadable as he met her eyes. There was a tiny glow in his eyes. For a moment, they stood in silent, the weight of their shared gaze hanging heavy in the air between them.

Riley was the one who broke the eye contact. She was shy. She went away from there. She remembered she was searching for Nuha. She had seen a girl, she was sure it was her Nuha's friend, because she had seen her in pictures. She took a step to talk to her.
"Um..heyy..If am not wrong you're Haleema right?" The girl in front of her replied,"yes and you are?" Hm yeah. She was sure it was Haleema, now she's confirmed. " am Nuha's cousin, Riley. I guess you're a friend of hers."
"Yes yes I am. I heard a lot about you from Nuha." Riley didn't knew that was coming. "I see..Where is Nuha by the way, I was searching for her."
Riley hoped she knew where Nuha was.
"Yes, let me take you to her."
"Thank you." Haleema was one of Nuha's friend Riley adored.

Riley had fun hanging out with Nuha's friends. Now it was late. She didn't wanted to stay any longer.

She did took the courage and asked Nuha about this handsome stranger. She wanted to know more about him. But she didn't wanted to ask Nuha. Atleast she got to know his name.
'IVAN.'

Little did she knew, she would be hearing that name over and over. Their paths were destined to intertwine in ways they could never imagined.