Chapter 1: The beginning I never expected
Some stories begin with a grand moment.A confession.A coincidence.A dramatic twist of fate.Mine began at a family wedding.The funny thing is, he wasn't a stranger.I had seen him many times before. He was my aunt's nephew, someone who occasionally appeared at family gatherings and family functions. He was familiar enough for me to recognize him, but not important enough for me to pay much attention to him. At least, that's what I thought.Then came my uncle's wedding.The house was overflowing with relatives. Every room echoed with laughter, music, and endless conversations. Children ran through the hallways while elders discussed family gossip in every corner. The smell of flowers, perfume, and freshly prepared food seemed to fill the entire house.Everything felt alive.And somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, I noticed him.Really noticed him.For the first time.I don't know what was different that day.Maybe it was because I was seeing him after a long time.Maybe it was because he looked different.Or maybe some moments are simply meant to happen.Whatever the reason was, my eyes kept finding him in crowded rooms.Across the stage.Near relatives.Among groups of people.Everywhere.And honestly?I thought he looked really good.I remember silently admitting to myself that he was handsome.Not that it mattered.Not that I planned on doing anything about it.Then, a little later, while walking around with my friend, I noticed him texting someone on his phone.My brain immediately came to a conclusion.He probably has a girlfriend.And just like that, I dismissed the thought completely.Well, that's that.The wedding celebrations continued, and over the next few days I unexpectedly became very close to his elder sister. She was kind, funny, and incredibly easy to talk to.Meanwhile, despite seeing him almost everywhere, we still hadn't spoken a single word to each other.Not one.Which was strange.Because somehow I was becoming friends with everyone around him except him.One evening during dinner, he ended up sitting directly across from me.I remember trying very hard not to look at him.Which, of course, only made me notice him more.Every time I accidentally glanced up, he seemed restless.Almost nervous.At the time, I ignored it.Now, looking back, I sometimes wonder if he felt the same awkward curiosity that I did.But back then, neither of us said anything.The wedding events continued one after another until finally it was time for the farewell ceremony.The atmosphere changed completely.The loud celebrations were replaced by emotional goodbyes.People hugged.Some cried.Others tried not to.Everyone gathered for family photographs before leaving.His sister handed me a phone and asked me to click a family picture.I happily agreed.But just as I was about to take the photo, the phone suddenly disappeared from my hands.I looked up in surprise.He had taken it.For a second, I simply stared at him.Excuse me?My immediate conclusion was simple.Rude.Very rude.I spent the next few minutes silently judging him.Great.....So not only was he handsome, but he was arrogant too.At least, that's what I thought.If only I had known how wrong my first impression was.Later that day, after the farewell ceremony ended, we all traveled back together.I sat beside the window.My younger brother sat between us.He sat on the other side while his sister occupied the front seat.The journey began quietly.I was scrolling through Snapchat when I suddenly noticed him looking in my direction.Then he asked a question that seemed completely ordinary at the time."Don't you use Instagram?"I looked up.The question caught me off guard."I do."A few moments later, we exchanged Instagram accounts.Such a small thing.Such an ordinary thing.Yet somehow it became the beginning of everything.As the journey continued, so did our conversation.One topic became another.Questions turned into stories.Stories turned into laughter.Before I realized it, talking to him felt surprisingly easy.There was no awkwardness.No pressure.No uncomfortable silence.Just conversation.The kind that makes time disappear without warning.By the time we reached home, we had somehow become friends.Not best friends.Not close friends.Just two people who had finally stopped being strangers.Later, his sister wasn't feeling well, so I offered her some chewing gum.A little while later, he returned carrying chocolates and handed them out to everyone.Including me.It was such a small gesture.So ordinary.Yet somehow I still remember it.Maybe because sometimes it's never really about the chocolate.It's about the person giving it.The wedding celebrations had completely exhausted me.I had already eaten and wanted nothing more than to rest.Then he appeared."Come on. Let's go eat."I immediately refused.Or at least I tried to.The problem was that saying no suddenly felt harder than it should have.A few minutes later, I found myself sitting beside him at the dinner table.To this day, I still don't know how he convinced me.All I know is that somehow I ended up there.He helped serve the food.We sat together.And what should have been a simple lunch somehow turned into one of my favorite memories from the entire wedding.We talked about random things.About life.About people.About things I don't even remember anymore.What I do remember is how easy it felt.How comfortable it felt.How time seemed to move differently around us.For the first time, I realized that the boy I had labeled as rude wasn't rude at all.In fact, he was nothing like I had imagined.Unfortunately, reality always arrives too soon.I had to leave that day.When I mentioned that I would be going home, he immediately looked disappointed."Don't go."I laughed softly.He was joking.At least, I thought he was.But he continued."Seriously. Don't go yet. What am I supposed to do? You're the only friend I've made during this entire wedding."For a moment, I didn't know what to say.His words were simple.Yet they stayed with me.A strange warmth spread through my chest.I wanted to stay.More than I was willing to admit.But some things aren't really our choice."I have to go," I replied quietly. "Dad said it's time."He sighed dramatically as if he had already accepted defeat.I smiled, but somehow leaving didn't feel as easy anymore.To distract myself, I went to the kitchen and made tea for everyone.The familiar routine helped calm my thoughts.At least for a little while.Soon, the tea cups were empty.The conversations became shorter.And before I knew it, the moment I had been avoiding finally arrived.It was time to leave.As everyone prepared to say goodbye, he walked outside with me.The evening air felt cooler now.Neither of us seemed to know exactly what to say.Goodbyes are strange like that.Sometimes your heart is full of words, yet none of them leave your lips.Finally, I smiled."Bye.""Bye."Such a small word..Yet somehow it felt heavier than it should have.A few moments later, I was sitting in the car as it slowly pulled away.I looked back one last time.Then the distance swallowed everything.The house.The lights.The people.Him.And that's when something unexpected happened.I couldn't stop thinking about him.The entire journey home, my thoughts kept returning to the same person.His smile.His jokes.Our conversations.The way he had asked me not to leave.Again and again, the memories replayed inside my head.I kept telling myself it was nothing.Just a wedding memory.Just a new friend.Just a nice conversation.But somewhere deep inside, a tiny voice had already begun asking a dangerous question.What if this was only the beginning?As the car carried me farther away, I kept replaying every conversation, every smile, and every moment from the past few days.I thought I was leaving behind a wedding.I didn't realize I was carrying the first page of a story with me.....
Follow for chapter 2 ...
