Echoes of you

Chapter 1: The Boy in the Library The library smelled of rain and old pages. Ayan liked that. It was his safe place—the one corner of the university untouched by noise or expectation. Here, surrounded by forgotten classics and sun-stained poetry collections, he could pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. At least for a while. His notebook lay open in front of him, but the words weren’t coming today. His pen tapped mindlessly against the margin as his eyes wandered, unfocused, past the dusty rows of bookshelves. It had been two years since he last saw him. Two years since he’d walked out of a life he was too afraid to hold on to. And just like that, the universe, in its cruel, twisted brilliance, placed him right in front of Ayan again—like no time had passed at all. Kai. Ayan froze. His pen slipped from his fingers, clattering softly onto the table. He didn’t move to pick it up. He knew that walk before he saw the face. The casual, almost lazy stride, like the world would slow down just to match his pace. The way his fingers tucked into the pocket of his oversized hoodie—the same dark green one Ayan remembered borrowing in their final winter together. Still too big. Still too Kai. His hair was a bit longer now, slightly messy in a way that looked entirely intentional. But it was the eyes that caught Ayan. They didn’t sparkle the way they used to. No laughter lingering in the corners, no light dancing behind them. They were tired. Quiet. Older. He was holding a poetry book. Ayan almost scoffed aloud. Poetry. Kai used to make fun of him for loving it. “I don’t get why anyone would read words that don’t mean what they say,” Kai had once told him, sprawled across Ayan’s bed, flipping through one of his favorite anthologies. “Just say what you feel.” But he had said what he felt—just not to Ayan. Not when it had mattered. Ayan ducked his head, willing himself to become invisible. Maybe if he stayed still, if he didn’t breathe too loudly, this moment would pass. Kai would pick his book, walk away, and this fragile version of peace Ayan had built would stay unshattered. But fate didn’t work that way. Not for him. The sound of approaching footsteps made his pulse spike. Please don’t. Not here. Not now. The footsteps paused. “Didn’t think I’d find you here,” a familiar voice said softly. It wrapped around Ayan like a song he didn’t want to remember. Slowly, he looked up. Kai stood there, head tilted slightly, one brow raised, the poetry book still in his hand. “Hi, Ayan.” Two words. That’s all it took to rip the floor out from under him. Ayan forced a breath through his teeth, gripping the edge of the table like it would anchor him. “Kai,” he said, voice low and hoarse. “Didn’t know you were back.” Kai gave a faint smile, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes. “Just transferred in last week. Guess we’re in the same hellhole again.” Ayan stared at him, unsure if he wanted to run or scream. The last time they’d seen each other, Kai had been yelling in the middle of a train station, and Ayan had walked away without looking back. He hadn’t planned on ever seeing him again. “You’re still into poetry,” Kai said, glancing at the notebook. His eyes flicked to the pen on the floor but didn’t mention it. “You’re still pretending not to be,” Ayan replied before he could stop himself. Kai blinked, then gave a quiet laugh. “Touché.” Ayan hated how that laugh still made his chest ache. There was a long pause. The kind filled with all the things they didn’t say. “I read something recently,” Kai said, voice softer now. “Online. A poem, actually. By someone named… EchoesOfYou.” Ayan’s stomach dropped. Kai continued, not noticing the shift in his expression. “It was about a boy who left because he was scared. And a boy who stayed even though it hurt. Sounded familiar.” “You read a lot into things, still,” Ayan murmured. Kai leaned against the table, folding his arms. “Maybe. Or maybe I just recognize your voice even when you try to hide it.” Ayan didn’t reply. He couldn’t. Kai sighed. “Look, I didn’t come here to start something. I just…” He paused. “I didn’t expect to see you, either.” “Yet here we are,” Ayan said, finally meeting his eyes. “Like a badly written plot twist.” That made Kai smile. A real one this time. Brief, but real. “Still dramatic, huh?” “Still annoying,” Ayan countered. Kai shrugged, unbothered. “You used to like that.” “I used to like a lot of things.” The words hung heavy between them. Kai looked down at the book in his hands, then set it on the table. “I’ll let you get back to pretending to write,” he said, stepping back. “But hey—if you ever want to actually talk…” He let the sentence trail off. Didn’t finish it. Typical. He turned, hands in pockets, and walked away. Ayan didn’t breathe until Kai was out of sight. --- He didn’t return to his notebook. He just sat there, staring at the poetry book Kai had left behind. The title was familiar—Letters Left Unsent. One of his favorites. A collection about heartbreak, healing, and everything in between. He opened to a random page. The first line read: Some echoes are loudest in silence. Ayan closed the book slowly. His hands were shaking. --- That night, Ayan sat on the floor of his tiny dorm room, laptop open, fingers hovering over the keyboard. The screen glowed with a blank post on the poetry forum he’d started using under the name EchoesOfYou. Anonymous, vulnerable, safe. He hadn’t written anything in weeks. Not since the nightmares started again. But now, something stirred. He began to type: You stood in front of me like a memory come back to life. I didn’t know if I wanted to run, or fall into you again. Your voice still echoes in the parts of me I tried to forget. He stopped, reread it, then hit post before he could change his mind. The poem went up instantly. Within minutes, a comment appeared. KaiNote: I remember that voice. Even in silence, I never stopped hearing it. Ayan stared at the screen, heart thudding. He didn’t know if Kai knew for sure. If it was just a guess. But he had replied. He had heard him. And somehow, that made it hurt a little less. --- [End of Chapter 1]