Where it All Begins : Chapter 1

It was the kind of rain that seemed to cleanse not just the streets of dehradun, but the soul itself. Drops dripped from the edges of the ancient Kaali Maa Mandir as Isha , umbrella-less and soaked to the skin, ran up the temple stairs.

Her white salwar suit clung to her curves, transparent in places from the monsoon's caress. Her long black hair stuck to her neck, drops sliding along her collarbone. She was late — not for aarti, but for something unexplainable in her chest, a pull she had felt all morning. Something divine… or something dangerous.

Inside the mandir, candles flickered. The scent of agarbatti filled the air, along with the sound of soft chants echoing against stone walls.

She folded her hands in front of the goddess, whispering a prayer she didn’t fully understand. Her heart thundered like the sky outside.

Just then, another figure entered. Dripping wet. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Sharp jawline, dark eyes, and a face that had known silence, discipline, and war.

Arjun.

He was dressed simply, in a soaked black T-shirt and olive cargo pants. There was an unmistakable aura of military precision in the way he walked, yet the wildness in his eyes betrayed an untamed soul. Karina's eyes met his just as thunder cracked above.

And in that moment, both froze.

Neither knew why their breath caught. Neither knew why it felt like time slowed down. But they both knew — something had changed forever.

The First Conversation

The rain outside drummed steadily against the temple roof, a steady heartbeat accompanying the flickering flames of diyas inside.

Isha stood near the marble steps, her clothes damp, her breath uneven as she tried to calm the sudden flutter in her chest. The stranger who had entered just moments ago caught her attention again.

He was tall, with eyes that seemed to hold untold stories, and a quiet intensity that made the air around him charged. He glanced at her briefly, then nodded respectfully.

“Temple looks different in the rain,” he said softly, voice calm but with a rough edge.

Isha blinked, startled by the sudden sound. “Yes,” she replied, her voice almost a whisper. “It’s peaceful.”

They stood in silence for a few moments, listening to the distant thunder and the soft chants echoing through the hall.

The man extended his hand. “I’m Arjun.”

She hesitated for a heartbeat, then shook it gently. “Isha .”

No more words came immediately, but there was something in that simple gesture — the touch of their hands, the weight of unspoken questions — that hinted at a story waiting to be written.

As the rain began to taper off, Isha felt an unexpected calm settle over her. She realized that sometimes, beginnings don’t need grand declarations. Sometimes, a shared silence says more than words ever could.

A Moment Suspended

The lingering scent of incense mixed with the fresh rain outside as Isha and Arjun stood quietly near the temple’s entrance. Neither was in a hurry to break the delicate silence between them.

Isha glanced at her wet sandals, then back at Arjun, wondering what had drawn her so suddenly to this place. It wasn’t just the rain or the temple’s aura — it was something about him, an energy she couldn’t quite explain.

Arjun shifted his weight, eyes tracing the carved pillars that framed them. “You don’t come here often,” he said softly, as if more to himself than to her.

“No,” she admitted, “not really.”

Their conversation was a dance of half-words and meaningful glances, like two strangers circling the edges of something deep and unexplored.

Suddenly, a small child darted past, laughing and shaking off raindrops from his soaked clothes. The moment cracked, and Isha smiled, the tension easing.

Arjun’s smile mirrored hers. “I guess rain brings out surprises,” he said.

“Yes,” Isha agreed. “Sometimes unexpected ones.”

As the temple bell rang again, signaling the end of the evening prayers, Isha felt a strange reluctance to leave. But the world outside called, and she had to step back into the storm.

“Maybe we’ll meet again,” Arjun said quietly, almost as a hope rather than a promise.

Isha nodded, her heart quietly hoping the same.

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