The alarm rang at 6:30 a.m.
Mira groaned and blindly reached for her phone on the bedside table, silencing it before the sound could wake the entire house. For a few seconds she lay still, staring at the ceiling, mentally preparing herself for another ordinary day.
Her routine rarely changed.
Wake up.
Help with household chores.
Rush to the office.
Work.
Return home exhausted.
Repeat.
Nothing dramatic. Nothing exciting. Just the simple rhythm of a middle-class working life.
From the kitchen came the familiar sound of utensils clinking and the smell of chai slowly filling the air.
"Mira! You're going to be late again!" her mother called from downstairs.
"I'm up!" Mira shouted back, though she was still wrapped in her blanket like a burrito.
She finally dragged herself out of bed and tied her hair into a messy bun before heading toward the kitchen.
The house was already alive with morning chaos.
Her mother stood near the stove flipping parathas while the pressure cooker hissed like an impatient train.
Mira grabbed a cup of chai and leaned against the counter.
"Another Monday," she sighed dramatically.
Her mother rolled her eyes.
"Every day is Monday for you."
Mira laughed and quickly finished her tea before rushing to get ready for work.
By 9:30 a.m., she was sitting at her office desk staring at a screen filled with emails.
Her job wasn't terrible.
It just… wasn't exciting either.
The office hummed with the usual sounds of keyboards clicking and colleagues discussing deadlines.
Mira adjusted her headphones and quietly played music in the background.
Music had always been her escape.
Whenever her thoughts became too loud or life started to feel overwhelming, she turned the volume up and let rhythm drown everything else.
Sometimes she listened to rap.
Sometimes she danced in her room late at night.
Sometimes she went to the gym and pushed herself through intense workouts until her mind finally felt quiet.
Anything to silence the noise of overthinking.
Anything to keep stress away.
That evening, after work, Mira returned home exhausted but restless.
Her routine continued as usual.
She helped her mother with dinner, finished small household chores, and finally retreated to her room.
Her small speaker began playing music as she stretched after a workout.
Soon she was dancing freely around the room, her energy slowly returning.
Music always had that effect on her.
It made life feel lighter.
Later that night, Mira collapsed onto her bed, scrolling through her phone absent-mindedly.
Her friend had sent her a message earlier.
"You HAVE to watch this K-drama. It's amazing!"
Mira snorted.
"People are seriously obsessed with these things," she muttered.
She had never understood the hype around Korean dramas or celebrities.
To her, it always seemed exaggerated.
Fans crying over singers.
Imaginary love stories with actors.
Endless edits and fan theories.
It all felt a little… ridiculous.
"Why would anyone fall for someone they've never even met?" she said aloud.
Still, boredom won.
With a small shrug, she tapped the link her friend had sent.
"Fine. One episode," she said.
"Just to see what the fuss is about."
She had no idea that this small moment — this random click on an ordinary night — would slowly change the way she saw the world.
And eventually…
the way she saw her own heart.