When I was twelve, my world was very small. It was filled with school, homework, evening games, and the little lane where I lived. I didn't know much about love back then, but somehow my heart started to feel something new.
His name was Aryan.
He joined our school in the middle of the year. On the first day, the teacher asked him to sit beside me because there was an empty seat. I remember how nervous he looked, holding his bag tightly.
"Hi," he said softly.
"Hi," I replied, trying not to smile too much.
From that day, we started talking. At first it was about homework and class tests. Then slowly it became about everything—our favorite cartoons, our dreams, and even the silly things that made us laugh.
Every morning I started looking forward to school. I would check if my hair looked okay and if my uniform was neat. I didn't know why it suddenly mattered so much.
One day during lunch break, he shared his chocolate with me.
"Don't tell anyone," he whispered.
I laughed and promised I wouldn't.
That moment felt so special, like a tiny secret only we knew.
Sometimes after school we walked a little distance together before our roads separated. Those short walks were my favorite part of the day. We talked about the future—how he wanted to become a cricketer and how I wanted to become something big, though I wasn't sure what yet.
I didn't know if it was love.
But I knew one thing: whenever he smiled at me, my heart felt lighter.
Then one day he told me his father got transferred to another city.
"I'm leaving next week," he said quietly.
I didn't know what to say. For the first time, I felt a strange sadness in my chest.
On his last day at school, he gave me a small note.
"Don't forget me," it said.
I still remember standing at the school gate as he waved goodbye.
Years passed.
Life changed, people changed, and the world became much bigger than the little lane where I grew up.
But sometimes, when I think about my childhood, I remember that shy boy who shared his chocolate with me.
And I smile.
Because maybe it wasn't a big love story.
But it was the first time my heart felt something special.
I loved him when I was twelve. 💫