~~~SAFHA NUMBER 18~~~

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हर शाम आँखों पर तेरा आँचल लहराए

हर रात यादों की बारात ले आए

मैं सांस लेता हूँ तेरी खुशबू आती है

एक महका महका सा पैगाम लाती है

मेरे दिल कि धड़कन भी तेरे गीत गाती है

पल पल दिल के पास तुम रहती हो

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Ishvita’s POV

I entered the library again, because of course. I come here daily.

I looked at Mrs Kapoor, who was sitting at her desk.

“Hello, Mrs Kapoor.” I greeted her with a warm smile as my heart was lighter than yesterday. I got a new job, a better-paying one… hehe.

“Hello, Kid.” She greeted me back while smiling.

I went to the shelf to retrieve the book I had left half-read yesterday.

As I turned through the pages, my gaze locked onto a fifty rupee note tucked into page number 18, and as I read through the dialogues, it was the same page where I stopped reading the day before.

Smiling to myself, as my day was saved again by this note, as yes, I had forgotten where I was last reading. Thank god to this stranger for keeping the note here.

But was it a coincidence??

It didn’t exactly seem like what I read through the words scribbled on the note.

“To the girl with the mesmerising hazel green orbs. Your anklet’s chime and the encounter with you did make my day better. Thank you, Anaamya.”

I have hazel green orbs and… last evening I had an encounter with a guy who had seen only my eyes.

Probably it was him.

I walked to the front desk, where Mrs Kapoor sat.

“Mai kuch puch sakti hu, aunty?” I asked her softly, while she looked up from her record files and nodded, “Of course, beta.” She said, looking at me, waiting for me to speak.

(Can I ask something, aunty?)

“Aunty kal mere jaane ke baad koi aaya tha kya?” I asked, not trying to make my excitement too clear.

(Aunty, did someone come after me tomorrow?)

She nodded while recalling.

“Yes, yes… after you, a gentleman came, but no one else.” She said, and the words hit hard. As it was that man. The man with blue eyes.

“Thank you, aunty.” I said and was turning back when I stopped for a moment, and asked her, “Can I take this blank sheet and this pen for a moment?”

She nodded, “Sure”

I picked up the paper and pen happily and walked back to my chair.

I didn’t read the book further as my heart was already set on a new mission.

Writing a letter to the anonymous whose presence spoke the calmness to soothe my heart.

I took the sheet and began writing all my feelings into that paper until the page was filled to the very last line, and I had no more space to write.

I placed the letter back on page number 18, where the fifty-rupee note was still tucked in.

I took out the note and placed it in my pocket like a memory.

I hope that he reads this letter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Avinash’s POV

I walked into the library at 9 pm. The sun had already set, and I decided to come to the library before going back home.

I rushed towards the desi rom-com section where I had left that book last night.

It was still there. And looked unmoved.

Had she not come? A wave of disappointment fell over me as I took the book and sat in the chair.

I turned to page 18 to check whether the fifty-rupee note was still there.

But it wasn’t.

Instead of the note, there was a letter neatly folded and tucked into the same page.

[A/n: The letter is as the song in my earplugs switched to the next n italics, and Avinash's thoughts are in normal letters.]

Curiously, I opened the letter while the song switched in my earplugs to the next song in the queue.

[Chaahe tum kuch na kaho, maine sun liya

Ke saathu pyaar ka mujhe chun liya

Chun liya, maine sun liya]

Hello Ajaane!

(Hello, unknown)

The word anjaane struck a chord in me, like even if she called me a stranger, it still felt like she was the most familiar person to me.

The guy with the blue eyes holds the calmness and serenity of a river.

Kal jabse aapse takrayi hu aapke khayal dil se jaa hi nahi rahe.

(Since yesterday, when I bumped into you, I can’t think about anything else.)

I came to the library yesterday with a heart messy and mind full of thoughts, but I left with both heart and mind filled with peace.

[Pehla nasha pehla khumaar,

naya pyaar hai naya intjaar

Kar lu main kya apana haal

aye dil-e-bekaraar]

As if your eyes had soaked every drop of my pain.

I don’t know why I am sharing it all with a total stranger, but trust me, it feels so good. I feel a connection with you without even seeing you properly.

“Same thoughts”, I whispered to myself.

Aapko pata hai… arey, sorry, sorry, aapko kaise pata hoga maine toh bataya hi nahi hai. Kal meri job chali gayi thi. And I was so disheartened at the unfairness. But as I left the library, the warmth and calmness of your eyes somehow anchored me.

Aur aaj… I got another job. Is baar toh salary bhi jyada hai. Thank you, Anjaane!! Thank you so much. Agar kal mujhe aapki aankho se strength na mili hoti toh mai kabhi apply hi nahi karti dusri jagah jobs ke liye.

(You know… ohh sorry sorry how would you I haven’t told you yet. Yesterday I lost my job………..)

(And today… I got another job. Even the salary is better. Thank you, stranger!! Thank you so much. If I hadn’t got the strength from your eyes last night, I would have never applied at other places for jobs.)

[Mere dil-e-bekaraar tu hi bata

Pehla nasha pehla khumaar]

“Sab aapki mehnat hai Anaamya,” I said to myself, but it felt like I was talking to the letter as if she could hear it all through it.

(It's all your hard work, unnamed girl.)

And as fate would have it. My gaze fell onto the next sentence.

Accha waise yeh Anaamya kya hai? Maine us pachaas rupee ke note par likha dekha. Samajh nahi aaya toh socha puch leti hu.

(Anyways. What’s this, Anaamya? I saw it written on the note. I didn’t understand, so I asked.)

I chuckled softly, “Tum ho buddhu.” I said before reading.

(It's you, stupid.)

[Udata hi firu inn hawaao mein kahi

Ya main jhul jaau in ghataao mein kahi]

Ab na mujhe jaana hoga. Bahot late ho gaya hai aur mummy ghussa karengi agar aur thodi der ruk gayi toh. Waise, who pachaas rupee rakh liye maine. Aapka udhaar raha mere par. Kabhi miliyega, toh wapis kar denge.

(I have to leave now. It's very late, or else Mom would scold me if I stayed longer. Anyways, I have taken that fifty-rupee note. It’s my debt pending on you now. Meet me someday so I’ll pay it back.)

Aasha karti hu ki aap isse padhenge.

(I hope you will read the letter.)

As I read through the letter, I couldn’t help but smile. Each word was real, imperfect, but hers.

~The girl with the hazel green orbs

The ending phrase hit me again. It's her. And the words feel so relaxing, like rose petals are falling over me mixed in rain, and the fragrance is comforting me in ways I cannot describe.

[Ek kar du aasmaan jamin,

kaho yaaro kya karu kya nahi]

I decided to reply, but I didn’t have her number. So I took another sheet from the librarian and wrote my own feelings bare into the sheet.

A few minutes later, I folded the sheet back and tucked it into page number 18 of the book and took out her letter from it.

I hope she reads it tomorrow.

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