Rain-Soaked Silences

1. Unexpected First MeetingThe monsoon had turned Mumbai into a watercolor blur. Rain hammered the tin roof of the bus stop at Dadar station, where Arjun waited, his backpack soaked through. He was 28, a software engineer from a modest Bengali family in Malegaon—visiting relatives for Durga Puja prep, though the festival was weeks away. His phone was dead, and the buses were delayed. He cursed under his breath, huddling under the flimsy shelter.That's when she collided into him. Riya, 26, dashed from the downpour, her dupatta tangled in her elbow, umbrella flipping inside out. She stumbled right into his