That night, Lilly and Sam arrived at the party.
The place was lively—music playing, people laughing, lights flickering in soft colors. Lilly quickly got into the mood, pulling Sam along with her excitement.
She introduced him to her cousin, and soon enough, to several guys at the party.
"Sam, this is Rohan."
"And this is Aarav."
"Oh—and he's really sweet, you should talk to him!"
Sam smiled politely, exchanged a few words, even laughed here and there.
But deep down… nothing clicked.
The conversations felt empty. The connections felt forced.
After a while, he leaned toward Lilly and said quietly,
"I don't know… my vibe just doesn't match with anyone here."
Lilly looked at him, a little disappointed but understanding.
"Okay," she said softly. "Let's go then."
Later that night, they returned home.
The noise of the party faded, replaced by silence.
Sam changed into something comfortable and lay down on his bed. He picked up a fictional gay novel he had been reading and flipped through its pages.
The story was simple—but full of the kind of love he longed for.
Slow. Deep. Real.
As he read, a small smile appeared on his lips.
"I wish…" he whispered softly, his eyes growing heavy,
"I could find someone like that… love at first sight."
The book slipped slightly in his hands as sleep slowly took over.
A few minutes later, his mother quietly entered the room.
She saw him sleeping, the book still resting in his hand.
With a gentle smile, she carefully took the book and placed it on the bedside table. Then she pulled a blanket over him, tucking it in softly.
She leaned down and kissed his forehead.
"Good night," she whispered.
She turned off the light and quietly left the room.
The room fell into darkness.
And somewhere, between dreams and reality…
Sam's story was just beginning.
The next morning, Sam woke up to the soft light coming through his window.
His phone buzzed beside him.
He picked it up and saw a message from Lilly.
"I'm going to a wedding with my mom and dad. I'll be back in 5–6 days."
Sam smiled slightly and typed back:
"Okay. Take care."
He put his phone aside and got out of bed.
After a quick shower, Sam headed to the café.
The day was unusually hot. Even inside, the air felt heavy.
He sat at the manager's seat near the counter, holding a small handheld fan and fanning himself lazily.
The café was quiet.
The only sound was the soft hum of the fan…
and the occasional cling of the doorbell whenever someone entered or left.
Time passed slowly.
Then—
Trring…
The doorbell rang again.
Sam looked up casually—
And then… he froze.
A man had just walked in.
Tall. Confident. Effortlessly handsome.
He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans, but somehow… it suited him perfectly. His build was strong, well-defined—exactly the kind of physique Sam had jokingly described the day before.
For a moment, everything else faded.
Sam's eyes stayed fixed on him.
And suddenly—
A strange feeling hit him.
Like a rush.
Like something fluttering wildly inside his chest.
Butterflies.
Sam blinked, almost forgetting to breathe.
No way…
The man stepped further inside, glancing around the café.
Calm. Unaware.
And yet… somehow, it felt like the entire world had shifted.
Sam tightened his grip on the small fan in his hand.
His heart was beating faster now.
Love at first sight…?
The thought crossed his mind before he could stop it.
And for the first time—
It didn't feel like a fantasy anymore.