It was the summer of 2019, and I was only twelve years old. Six months earlier, my sister had gotten married in a nearby town called Ojtoo, barely six kilometers from my village.
During the long vacation, she invited me to stay with her for about a week. The first day, I didn't even step out of the house—I was shy, the kind of boy who spoke little and avoided new faces.
But on the second day, I finally went outside. The afternoon air was hot, filled with the buzzing of insects and the distant cries of children playing. That's when I met a few boys around my age.
At first, I nervously asked, "So… what's your name?"
They laughed lightly, introducing themselves one by one. Soon, the conversation grew deeper.
"What about school?" I asked.
"Seventh class," one of them replied casually.
I blinked. "Seventh? I'm only in fifth…"
They chuckled, but not in a cruel way. Still, I felt strangely small inside. They were my age, yet somehow ahead of me, like I was always a step behind.
Then one of them grinned. "We're going to play cricket. Want to join?"
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, sure."
I wasn't much of a batsman, but I was good at fielding. Soon, the game began, and our laughter echoed under the blazing summer sun. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I guarded the boundary—the dusty road that cut through the neighborhood.
"Catch it, catch it!" someone shouted.
I crouched, ready, my eyes on the ball. But then… it happened.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a small group of students passing by, their shadows stretching long under the burning light. Among them was a girl. Her name… was Niru.
The very moment I saw her, my heartbeat raced wildly. My grip loosened, my body froze.
What… what is this feeling?
I had seen girls prettier than her before, yet none had ever made me feel like this. The sunlight fell directly on her face, outlining her features with a golden glow. And her eyes…
They weren't just eyes. They were like rare pearls hidden deep in the ocean, glowing with secrets untold. They weren't mere pupils, but windows—windows that opened into the very soul within her.
"Hey! Throw the ball already!" one of the boys shouted.
I flinched, realizing I had been staring too long. But even as I bent down to pick up the ball, my gaze betrayed me—it drifted back to her.
When she finally disappeared down the road, I stood there silently, the world around me fading away.
What was that? I thought, my lips trembling. It felt like… like I wanted to follow her, to walk beside her.
I muttered under my breath, "I want to know about her… I want to talk to her."
But deep inside, I knew the truth. I wasn't the kind of boy who spoke to girls. Even in school, if I needed a notebook, I would ask through my friends instead of approaching one directly. Talking to them was impossible for me.
And yet… after seeing her, it felt like every wish, every prayer should be about her alone.
My chest tightened. My fists curled. I wanted to walk up to her, to ask her name, to hear her voice—yet my legs refused to move.
The hot breeze swept across the dusty field, carrying the sound of my friends laughing, still playing. But my world was silent now, filled only with the echo of her presence.
For the first time in my life, I wanted something so badly, and yet I couldn't even take the first step toward it.
Still… as the sun dipped slightly west, I whispered to myself, a shiver running through me:
"This… this isn't the last time. I have to see her again."