Chapter - 01 - The Meeting of Souls
The rain was a gentle drizzle, the kind that didn’t soak you to the bone but rather felt like a soft whisper from the skies. Gaurav pulled his jacket closer, the collar shielding him from the occasional gust of wind that carried the faint aroma of wet earth. The old book market in the heart of Delhi NCR was alive with muted chaos—vendors yelling out prices, the rustle of plastic sheets protecting books from the rain, and the occasional squeak of someone’s wet shoes on the uneven pavement.
He wasn’t sure why he was there. He had no urgent need for a new book, no particular craving for literature that day. But something about the market called to him, as if an unseen force was guiding his steps.
It was then he saw her.
She stood under a fragile canopy, her figure slightly hunched as she flipped through the pages of an old, leather-bound book. Her umbrella rested precariously against the edge of the stall, forgotten in her immersion. The first thing Gaurav noticed was her hair, dark and damp at the edges, falling in loose waves around her face. Then her hands—delicate fingers with chipped nail polish, tracing the lines of text as if memorizing each word.
For a moment, he just stood there, observing her. Not out of rudeness or creepiness, but because she seemed like a scene out of a novel herself—captivating, mysterious, and achingly beautiful.
“Do you believe books find people?”
Her voice startled him. It was soft but carried a certain confidence, as if she was used to being listened to. He realized with mild embarrassment that she had caught him staring.
He recovered quickly, a lopsided grin spreading across his face. “Only the good ones.”
She chuckled, the sound warm and melodic, like the opening notes of a favorite song. “I’d argue it’s the other way around. People find books. When they’re ready.”
“And what book has found you today?” he asked, stepping closer.
She held up the leather-bound tome. Its title, embossed in faded gold, read “The Eternal Quest.”
“A fitting choice,” he remarked. “An eternal quest—sounds like something worth getting lost in.”
Her eyes, dark and glinting with mischief, met his. “Only if you’re willing to be found.”
There was a pause, the kind that feels too long yet too short at the same time. The rain continued its gentle patter around them, the world seeming to fade into the background.
“I’m Gaurav,” he said, breaking the silence.
“Aarohi,” she replied, her lips curving into a smile that he swore could light up the entire market.
They ended up sharing a cup of chai at a nearby stall, the rain now a comforting backdrop to their conversation. Aarohi spoke with the ease of someone who had lived many lives in one, her words weaving tales of her childhood, her love for painting, and her belief in the magic of serendipity.
“You’re an artist,” Gaurav said, watching her animatedly describe a mural she once painted on the wall of an orphanage. “It’s in the way you see the world.”
She tilted her head, considering his words. “And you? What’s your story?”
“I tell stories,” he said simply. “Through a camera, mostly. I run a production house.”
Her eyes lit up. “Ah, the storyteller meets the artist. Sounds like the beginning of something, doesn’t it?”
“Depends on the story,” he replied, unable to keep the smile out of his voice.
Aarohi leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Tell me your favorite story.”
He thought for a moment. “There’s a story about a man who wanders into a forest and meets a stranger. The stranger promises to show him the secret of happiness but warns that it comes at a price. The man agrees, and the stranger gives him a small, glowing orb. It fills him with light, joy, and purpose. But over time, the light fades. The man searches for the stranger again, desperate to know why the happiness didn’t last. When he finds him, the stranger smiles and says, ‘Happiness is not something I can give you. It’s something you have to create, every day.’”
Aarohi listened intently, her expression thoughtful. “So the man had to become his own light?”
“Exactly.”
She nodded, a slow smile spreading across her face. “I like that. Maybe we’re all just trying to find our own light.”
Hours passed like minutes, their conversation flowing effortlessly. Aarohi had an aura of calm mixed with an undercurrent of passion, a combination that fascinated Gaurav. He found himself opening up in ways he rarely did, sharing stories from his life, his struggles, and his dreams for the future.
By the time they realized how late it was,
Impressum
Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 10.12.2024
ISBN: 978-3-7554-8041-9
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