SILENT LOVE
When two hearts love each other but are too afraid to say it.
Rain poured down as Alya ran out of the campus building. She covered her head with her bag, hoping the bus stop across the street was still empty.
But after only a few steps, someone called out to her.
“If you keep running, you could fall.”
Alya stopped and turned around.
A young man stood a few yards behind her, holding a black umbrella.
“Me?”
“Yeah. You.”
Alya pointed at herself.
The young man laughed softly. “Is there anyone else?”
Alya smiled shyly.
“Use this.”
He handed her his umbrella.
“What about you?”
“I have a raincoat.”
Alya glanced at the thin jacket he was wearing.
“Where’s your raincoat?”
The young man laughed. “Well... I don’t actually have one.”
Alya finally accepted the umbrella.
“Thank you.”
“Return it tomorrow.”
“We don’t even know each other.”
“My name is Arga.”
Alya fell silent for a moment.
“Alya.”
“Now we know each other.”
Arga then ran straight into the rain.
Alya stood beneath the umbrella, watching him until he disappeared around the bend.
That night, Alya saw the black umbrella beside her bed.
For some reason, for the first time in a long while, she smiled simply because she was thinking about someone she had just met.
The next morning, Alya brought the umbrella back to campus.
But Arga still didn’t show up by the afternoon.
When Alya was about to leave, a young woman approached her.
“You’re Alya?”
“Yeah. Why?”
The woman gave her a faint smile.
“I’m Rania. Arga’s friend.”
Alya nodded.
“Arga left something for you.”
A small piece of paper changed hands.
Alya opened it.
There was only one sentence.
“Don’t return the umbrella. I want an excuse to see you again.”
Alya froze.
But before she could smile, Rania said softly,
“But I think there’s something you need to know about Arga.”