Aditya was flipping through books in the college library, as usual, when his eyes fell on a girl. She was sitting near the window, sunlight softly illuminating her face. Her long black hair, deep thoughtful eyes, and the faint smile as she lost herself in a book—Aditya’s heart skipped a beat.

"Who is she?" he asked his friend Rahul.

"Oh, that’s Naina. The topper from the Arts department. She’s really quiet, doesn’t talk much to anyone," Rahul replied.

From that day on, Aditya began noticing Naina. Every day, she sat in the same spot in the library, and every day, he watched her from afar. Sometimes, he would take the seat opposite her just to steal glances while pretending to read. But no matter how much he wanted to, he could never gather the courage to talk to her.

**Chapter 2: Silent Admiration**

Days turned into weeks, and Aditya’s one-sided crush grew stronger. He noticed little things about her—the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when concentrating, the way her nose scrunched when she laughed at something in her book, the way she always carried a blue water bottle.

One day, he mustered the courage to leave a note in the book she often read. It simply said: *"Your smile makes the library brighter."*

The next day, he saw her find the note. She looked around, confused, then smiled slightly before slipping it into her bag. His heart raced—she hadn’t thrown it away!

*Chapter 3: The Almost-Talk**

Aditya decided he *had* to talk to her. He planned to "accidentally" bump into her at the café near college. When he saw her there, his palms turned sweaty. Just as he was about to approach her, a guy from her class joined her. They laughed and chatted like old friends.

Aditya froze. *Was that her boyfriend?* His confidence shattered. He turned around and left without a word.

**Chapter 4: The Truth Revealed

A month later, Aditya overheard Naina talking to a friend. "I always wondered who left that sweet note in my book," she said. "I wish they’d said something more."

His heart pounded. *She liked the note!* But before he could react, her friend teased, "Still hung up on that mystery admirer? What about Rohan? He’s clearly into you."

Naina sighed. "Rohan’s just a friend. But yeah… I guess I like the idea of someone noticing the little things about me."

Aditya wanted to kick himself. *He had a chance all along.*

*Chapter 5: The Letter

Graduation day arrived. Aditya knew it was now or never. He slipped a letter into Naina’s bag when she wasn’t looking. It read:

*"Dear Naina,

For two years, I’ve admired you from afar. I loved the way you got lost in books, the way you smiled at little things. I wish I’d spoken up sooner. Maybe we could’ve been friends—or more. But even if nothing happens, I just wanted you to know: you made my college days special.

—Your secret admirer"*

He walked away before she could see him, his heart heavy but at peace.