Episode 1:
The morning air was still cool when Mihir and I stepped out of the house at 6 a.m. The big colony felt like its own small village at this hour—wide lanes lined with trees, the playground in the center quiet except for the sound of birds and the occasional distant scooter. After the 10th boards finally ended, we had made a pact: no more sleeping in. Time to focus on ourselves, get stronger, clear our heads. Running every morning was the first step.
We walked to the playground, dropped our water bottles under the big tree near the benches, and started our laps. The path looped around the open grass and the edges of the colony—simple, steady, nothing fancy. My legs felt heavy at first, but the rhythm kicked in. Mihir ran ahead a little, always pushing the pace.
On the second lap, we passed two girls near the quieter side of the playground. One was walking briskly, the other jogging lightly beside her. They looked our way for a second—quick smiles, polite nods—and we kept going. Nothing big. Just people out early like us.
We finished our rounds, breathing hard, sweat already cooling on our skin. Back at the playground, we grabbed our bottles and dropped onto the grass near one of the benches to rest. Legs stretched out, hearts still racing from the effort. That's when I noticed them again—the same two girls, now sitting on the bench a few meters away, catching their breath too.
Mihir spotted them first. "Hey," he called out casually, raising a hand. The taller one waved back with a big smile. "Mihir! You guys run here too?"
"Yeah, started this week," he said, grinning a little wider than usual. I could tell he was trying to play it cool.
She stood up and walked over with her friend. "This is my cousin, Priya. She's here for vacations. Priya, this is Mihir and…?"
"Ayush," I said, standing up too. "Mihir's younger brother. Nice to meet you."
Priya gave a small smile and nodded. "Hi. Nice to meet you too." Her voice was soft but clear. Up close, her eyes were bright, catching the early sunlight. A few strands of hair had come loose from her ponytail during the run, sticking slightly to her forehead. She looked tired in that good way—like she'd earned it.
We all ended up sitting together for a bit—on the grass, on the bench—talking about nothing important at first. How hard it was to wake up this early. How the boards had finally ended and everything felt lighter. Gargi (that was the other girl's name) teased Mihir about his running form, and he laughed it off, but I could see the way he kept glancing at her. Priya didn't talk much, but when she did, it was thoughtful. She said she was trying to build stamina too—something about feeling stronger after a tough year.
The conversation flowed easily, like we'd all known each other longer than ten minutes. After a while, though, the sun climbed higher and we knew we had to head back.
"Alright, we should go," Mihir said, standing up and brushing grass off his shorts. "See you guys tomorrow?"
"Definitely," Gargi replied. "Same time?"
Priya nodded. "Yeah. See you."
We said our goodbyes. Mihir and I grabbed our bottles and walked toward where the scooter was parked. I glanced back once—just a quick look—and Priya was looking back too. Our eyes met for half a second. She gave the smallest smile, almost shy, then turned away. My stomach did a quiet flip.
I climbed onto the back of the scooter behind Mihir. He started it up, and we rode through the empty lanes toward the house. The wind felt good against my face, but my mind wasn't on the ride. It kept replaying that last moment—her eyes meeting mine, that tiny smile.
Back home, I went straight to the room, dropped onto the bed without even changing. The ceiling fan spun slowly above me, morning light slipping through the curtains. I closed my eyes and let it all come back.
When I first really looked at Priya—when she said "Hi, I'm Priya" and smiled—my heart skipped a beat. Just like that. Her eyes were warm, bright in the sunlight. Her hair, messy from the run, framed her face in a way that felt… perfect. And that smile—it wasn't big or loud, but it reached her eyes and made everything feel lighter. Everything about her in that moment felt like something new. Something good.
I lay there for a long time, smiling to myself without meaning to. Tomorrow was another run. Another morning. And she would be there.