Chapter 3: The Curious Stranger
After that rainy afternoon in the library of the university in Kolkata, Arman Rahman could not stop thinking about Ariana.
It was strange.
Many girls on campus tried to get his attention, but Ariana was completely different. She barely looked at him after taking back her book.
The next day, Arman returned to the library.
He told himself he was only there to study.
But deep down, he knew the truth.
He was looking for her.
And there she was—sitting in the same corner, writing in her notebook.
Arman slowly walked toward her table.
"You're here again," he said.
Ariana looked up briefly.
"This is a library," she replied calmly. "People usually come here to study."
Arman laughed softly.
"I mean… you're always sitting in the same place."
Ariana closed her notebook again.
"And you're always asking too many questions."
For a moment, Arman was speechless.
Then he smiled.
"Okay, let's start again. Hi, I'm Arman."
Ariana hesitated for a second.
"I know," she said.
That surprised him.
"You know me?"
"Everyone knows you," she replied. "The famous businessman's son."
Arman sighed.
"That's exactly the problem."
For the first time, Ariana looked at him carefully.
There was something lonely in his eyes.
Maybe he wasn't as confident as everyone thought.
Chapter 4: Coffee Conversations
Days passed.
Slowly, Arman started visiting the library more often.
At first, Ariana ignored him.
But Arman was persistent.
One afternoon he placed two cups of coffee on the table.
"You study too much," he said. "Take a break."
Ariana looked at the coffee.
"I didn't ask for this."
"I know," Arman replied with a grin. "But you needed it."
After a moment, Ariana sighed and took the cup.
"Just this once."
That was the beginning.
Soon their small conversations became longer.
They talked about books.
About dreams.
About life.
Arman told her about his strict father who wanted him to become a businessman.
Ariana told him about her dream of becoming a writer.
"Why don't you publish your stories?" Arman asked one day.
Ariana shook her head.
"Because dreams don't always come true."
Arman looked at her seriously.
"Maybe you just haven't tried yet."
For the first time in a long time, Ariana felt someone truly believed in her.
And slowly, something warm began to grow between them.
Chapter 5: The First Real Smile
One evening, the campus of the university in Kolkata was glowing with the golden colors of sunset.
Arman and Ariana were walking through the quiet garden.
For once, Ariana wasn't carrying her notebook.
"You didn't bring your writing today," Arman noticed.
"I needed a break," she said.
Arman stopped walking.
"You know something?"
"What?"
"You smile more when you're not hiding behind books."
Ariana rolled her eyes.
"I don't hide."
"You do," Arman said gently.
For a moment they stood silently.
Then suddenly Ariana laughed.
A real laugh.
Arman looked surprised.
"Wow," he said. "You can actually laugh."
Ariana shook her head.
"You're impossible."
But inside her heart, she felt something she hadn't felt in years.
Happiness.
And neither of them realized yet—
Their friendship was slowly turning into love.