The Girl Beside Me

The Day Everything Changed

"Sometimes, the most important people in our lives enter without warning. They simply take the seat next to us."

My name is Amane.
I have always been an introvert. I never liked being the center of attention, and talking to strangers-especially girls-made me nervous. For seventeen years, I lived quietly, keeping my thoughts to myself.
Then came 14th February.

It wasn't Valentine's Day for me. It was the day of my Chemistry exam.

That morning, I walked into the examination hall with only one goal-to finish my paper and go home. The teacher began calling out roll numbers and assigning seats. I looked around the room without paying much attention.
Then I heard my seat number.

As I walked toward my desk, I noticed someone sitting beside me.

She was calm, focused, and beautiful in a simple way. I had never seen her before.
I didn't know it then...
...but that seat beside me was about to change my life.

I quietly placed my bag down and waited for the question paper. I had no intention of starting a conversation. In fact, I hoped the entire exam would pass in complete silence.

A few minutes later, she looked at her desk, then at her bag. Her expression changed.

She had forgotten her calculator.

She turned toward me for the first time.

"Excuse me... can I borrow your calculator for a minute?"

For a second, my mind went completely blank.

I simply nodded and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said with a gentle smile.
It was only two words.

But somehow....
It stays in my mind...

To be continued....

Thank you for reading the beginning of The Girl Beside Me. Sometimes, a story doesn't start with a grand confession-it starts with a simple "Can I borrow your calculator?" I hope Chapter 1 made you curious about what's waiting for Aman next