“Today, I must confess, or my heart will collapse,” Pallavi murmured as she walked toward Rahul, seated in the corner of the library, reading.

She stood opposite him and cleared her throat.

Rahul, who was engrossed in reading, instantly sprang to his feet. His eyes widened, and his heart hammered against his ribs. A smile tugged at his lips.

“Hey, grea…great to see you, Pallavi,” Rahul stuttered.

Pallavi smiled and cleared her throat again as if something were stuck and she badly needed to get it out.

Rahul slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled a strip, and said, "Here, take this. You'll feel better."

Pallavi heaved a sigh and placed her hand on her forehead.

“Oh, you have a headache, too?” he handed her another pill.

“Hey, Rahul, have you changed your profession from finance to selling medicine in a chemist's shop?”

“No. Why?”

“Hmmm. I am fine and don’t need these pills, stupid. I guess I will have to come straight to the point.

I'm unsure if you remember our first meeting in this library. We reached for the same book, but you were kind enough to let me read it first. As promised, I finished reading it in a week and handed it to you. We introduced ourselves, spoke about our professions, thanked each other, and left.  After that, I did not visit the library for days, unaware I had left a piece of my heart behind.” Pallavi said, looking into his eyes, then glancing away.

She continued, “One day, my heart began to ache. Overwhelmed by restlessness, I finally grilled my mind to figure out what was wrong with my heart. Why was it acting so strangely? But as usual, my mind remained confused.”

It was much later that I understood what my heart was hinting at.

Rahul winked and, with a grin, said, “I know what your heart is going through. It’s serious.”

“Oh God, this boy is going elsewhere. Hope he is not suggesting the names of heart surgeons,” Pallavi thought.

“Your heart loves me and vice versa. Every Saturday, I would go to the library and sit for hours, hoping to meet you again, but as days passed, there was no trace of you. I did not have your number either. I felt disheartened. Still, I never gave up. How can I? After all, it was love at first sight. Will you be my valentine forever?” Rahul’s words tumbled out in a rush, his breath struggling to keep up with his racing heart.

Pallavi’s heart leapt with joy, humming a silent melody. She tapped her foot spontaneously as if she could no longer contain the rhythm of her happiness. She couldn't take her eyes off him. She wanted to say yes, but the words stuck in her throat, tangled in a whirlwind of emotions. She swallowed hard, fighting back her feelings, and finally, the word slipped out—YES. They hugged each other tight, savouring the moment that felt like a dream coming true.