The campus library smelled faintly of paper, dust, and coffee—a mix that somehow made everything feel both ancient and alive. Aryan stood by the tall wooden shelves, a notebook tucked under his arm, glancing at the project brief pinned to the noticeboard. He had been assigned to work on the annual “Community Reading Project,” and to his quiet dismay, his partner was Kavya.
She arrived a few minutes late, breathless, her hair slightly wind-tossed from running up the stairs. “Sorry, the printer jammed again,” she said, holding a stack of forms. “You’re early, as always.”
He shrugged. “Old habit.”
They took a seat by the window, sunlight spilling across the long oak table. Outside, autumn leaves fluttered down like slow rain. Inside, the silence between them wasn’t awkward anymore—it was f
