Chapter 1: The Beginning of Us

The first time Meera met Rohan, she didn’t think much of it. It was the first week of college, and the campus was alive with the energy of fresh beginnings. Meera, a quiet yet ambitious girl from a middle-class family, was pursuing journalism. Rohan, confident and easygoing, was studying engineering. They were from different worlds, but fate had its own plans.

Their first real conversation happened on a late monsoon afternoon. Meera was sitting under a tree in the campus garden, hurriedly taking notes for an assignment when Rohan walked up, drenched from the rain.

“You always look this serious?” he asked, shaking off the raindrops from his hair.

Meera glanced up, slightly annoyed at the interruption. “Some of us actually take our studies seriously.”

Rohan smirked. “And some of us know life isn’t just about grades.”

She rolled her eyes, but there was something about his carefree attitude that intrigued her. Over time, their interactions became more frequent. They ran into each other in the library, at the canteen, during college events. Rohan was the kind of guy who made everyone laugh, while Meera was the type who observed before she spoke.

One evening, as they sat on the steps outside the college auditorium, Rohan looked at her thoughtfully.

“You know, Meera, you’re different.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Is that a compliment?”

He chuckled. “Yes. You don’t try to impress anyone. You’re just… real.”

She wasn’t sure why, but those words stayed with her.

A Friendship That Turned Into Something More

Over the next few months, their friendship deepened. They spent hours talking about everything—Meera’s love for writing, Rohan’s dreams of designing something revolutionary, their fears, their ambitions.

For Meera, Rohan became the one person who made her laugh when she was stressed. For Rohan, Meera was the one who truly listened, who saw him beyond the jokes and the charm.

Their bond was undeniable, but neither spoke about what it truly was. Until one evening, just before the semester break.

They were sitting by the lake near campus, watching the sunset.

“You ever wonder why some people just… fit?” Rohan asked, skipping a stone across the water.

Meera hesitated. “Like puzzle pieces?”

“Exactly.”

She exhaled. “Yeah, I think about that sometimes.”

Silence settled between them, heavy with unspoken emotions. Then, Rohan took a deep breath.

“I like you, Meera.”

Her heart pounded. She had felt it too, but hearing him say it made it real.

“I like you too,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

And just like that, what had been unspoken was finally acknowledged.

Love That Felt Like Forever

The next two years of college were filled with moments that felt like a dream. Late-night walks, endless conversations, stolen glances during lectures. They built memories in coffee shops, at bookstores, on long bus rides where Meera would fall asleep on Rohan’s shoulder.

They had their share of fights—Meera hated how carefree Rohan could be about deadlines, while he thought she overthought everything. But no matter how bad the argument, they always found their way back to each other.

Everyone around them saw it: theirs was the kind of love that felt effortless, like it was always meant to be.

But life had other plans.

The Choice That Changed Everything

In their final year, Rohan got an incredible opportunity—a job offer from a tech company in Germany. It was everything he had worked for, a chance to build his career on an international platform.

The day he told Meera, she felt her world shift.

“That’s amazing,” she said, forcing a smile.

He studied her face. “You don’t seem happy.”

“I am,” she insisted. “It’s just… Germany is far.”

He sighed. “I know. But it’s just a few years. We’ll make it work.”

She wanted to believe that. But something deep inside her whispered that distance changes things.

The Goodbye That Wasn’t Really Goodbye

The night before his flight, they sat on the rooftop of Meera’s house, their favorite spot. The city lights flickered below them, but Meera felt like she was watching their future fade into uncertainty.

“I wish we had more time,” she said softly.

Rohan reached for her hand. “We’ll have a lifetime, Meera. This isn’t the end.”

She nodded, trying to memorize everything about that moment—his voice, his touch, the way he looked at her like she was his whole world.

But deep down, she feared that sometimes, even true love isn’t enough to fight time and distance.

As he boarded his flight the next day, Meera whispered the words she was too afraid to say out loud.

"Please don’t let distance take you away from me."

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