Exams were close.
For Darini, everything narrowed down to notes, revisions, late nights, and the quiet pressure to do well. Her world became smaller again—focused, disciplined, distant.
But in between all that—
There was something she looked forward to.
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"After your exams… I'll come to Kolkata."
Arjun had said it casually.
But it didn't feel casual.
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At first, it was just an idea.
A "maybe."
A "we'll see."
---
But slowly—
It became a plan.
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They started talking about it more often.
Not every day.
But enough for it to feel real.
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Arjun: "Where will you take me first?"
Darini: "Nowhere crowded."
Arjun: "Of course."
Darini: "Maybe somewhere quiet… where we can actually talk."
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It sounded simple.
But for both of them—
It meant everything.
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For the first time, they wouldn't be voices on a phone screen.
They would be real.
In front of each other.
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Darini didn't say it out loud—
But the thought made her nervous.
Not the meeting.
But what it could change.
---
They spoke about small things.
Walking through the city in the evening.
Sitting somewhere with music playing softly.
Spending time without rushing.
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Arjun: "We'll finally not have to wait for replies."
Darini: "Hmm… let's see if we even talk that much in real life."
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There was teasing.
But beneath it—
Anticipation.
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One night, the conversation slowed.
Then shifted.
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Arjun: "We should just sit somewhere… maybe with a drink… and talk properly."
Darini read it.
Paused.
Then replied—
Darini: "Yeah… maybe."
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It wasn't about the drink.
It was about the moment.
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A space where they could be themselves—
without screens, without distance, without hesitation.
---
They talked about music they'd play.
The kind of silence they'd share.
The things they wouldn't need to say out loud.
---
And then—
They stopped planning details.
Because some things…
They wanted to feel naturally.
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Days passed.
Exams got closer.
Conversations became shorter again.
---
But this time—
There was something waiting at the end of it.
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A meeting.
A moment.
A reality.
---
Two people who had built something through words—
now standing at the edge of turning it into something real.
---
They didn't know what would happen when they finally met.
Whether it would feel the same.
Or completely different.
---
But one thing was certain—
This wasn't just a plan anymore.
It was a turning point.
And neither of them realized—
Some meetings don't just bring people closer.
They change everything.
To be continued...