Episode 1: The First Question
The college campus was full of noise on Monday morning.
Students were rushing towards their classrooms, some discussing assignments while others were busy making plans for the upcoming college fest.
Among them was Aarohi.
She walked through the college gate with her books in her hands and a small smile on her face. It was her first week in the new semester, and she was determined to make it a memorable one.
Her best friend Maya suddenly ran towards her.
“Aarohi! Wait!”
Aarohi turned around and laughed.
“You’re always late.”
“Excuse me? I was waiting for you!”
“Really?”
“Okay… maybe not.”
Both laughed and entered the classroom together.
Aarohi sat near the window. She loved that seat because she could see the trees outside and feel the fresh breeze during breaks.
A few minutes later, the professor entered.
But before the lecture started, someone else walked into the classroom.
A boy.
He was wearing a simple black shirt and carrying a notebook. He looked around the room quietly.
The professor looked at him.
“You must be Dev?”
“Yes, sir.”
“New admission?”
Dev nodded.
“Take any empty seat.”
Dev looked around.
Almost every seat was occupied.
The only empty seat was behind Aarohi.
He walked there and sat down.
Aarohi didn't pay much attention to him.
But during the lecture, she noticed something strange.
Every time she turned around, Dev seemed to be looking at her.
Finally, she turned completely.
“Why are you looking at me?”
Dev looked surprised.
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
He smiled slightly.
“Maybe you imagined it.”
Aarohi frowned.
“Whatever.”
She turned back towards the board.
But for the first time, Dev smiled.
Not because of her question.
Because he already knew her.
Much more than she could imagine.
---
During lunch break, Aarohi and Maya were sitting under a tree.
Maya suddenly asked,
“What do you think about the new guy?”
“Dev?”
“Yes.”
“I don't know. He's strange.”
“Strange?”
“He keeps looking at me.”
Maya laughed.
“Maybe he likes you.”
“Stop it!”
Aarohi threw a small piece of paper at her.
“I'm serious.”
“Okay, okay. But you should talk to him.”
Aarohi shook her head.
“I don't even know him.”
At that exact moment, Dev walked past them.
He stopped.
“Aarohi?”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
Dev held out a small notebook.
“You dropped this in class.”
Aarohi took it.
“Thanks.”
Dev nodded and walked away.
Maya looked at Aarohi with a huge smile.
“Interesting…”
“Don't start.”
---
That evening, Aarohi reached home and opened her notebook.
While checking her notes, a small folded piece of paper fell onto the floor.
She picked it up.
There was only one sentence written on it.
“Do you remember me?”
Aarohi stared at the paper.
She couldn't understand.
She had never met Dev before.
At least, she thought she hadn't.
She kept the note inside her drawer and tried to forget about it.
The next morning, another note appeared inside her book.
This time, it said:
“You don't remember the promise you made.”
Aarohi's heart started beating faster.
She immediately looked around the classroom.
Dev was sitting at the back.
He was reading a book.
Aarohi walked towards him.
“Dev.”
He looked up.
“Yes?”
“Did you write these?”
She placed both notes on his desk.
Dev looked at them.
For a moment, his expression changed.
Then he looked directly into her eyes.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
Dev slowly closed his book.
“Maybe one day you'll understand.”
“Understand what?”
He stood up.
“The reason I came here.”
Aarohi stared at him.
“What reason?”
Dev didn't answer.
He simply walked away.
Aarohi watched him leave.
For some reason, she felt that her life had just changed.
---
That night, Aarohi opened an old family album.
She didn't know why, but something about Dev's words kept bothering her.
She turned page after page.
Then she stopped.
There was an old photograph from when she was a child.
Aarohi was standing beside her parents.
And next to them was another family.
There was a little boy standing beside them.
She looked closely at his face.
Her eyes widened.
It was Dev.
Aarohi immediately turned the photograph over.
There was a date written on the back.
“Summer vacation — 10 years ago.”
Below it, someone had written:
“A promise that must never be forgotten.”
Aarohi's hands trembled.
She had no memory of that day.
But Dev clearly did.
Meanwhile, Dev was sitting alone in his room, looking at the same photograph.
He whispered,
“I came back for one reason, Aarohi.”
He looked at the old photograph.
“To find out if you still remember me.”
Then his phone received a message.
Unknown Number:
“Don't get close to her.”
Dev stared at the screen.
His expression became serious.
He typed one reply:
“It's already too late.”
And somewhere else, Aarohi was holding the old photograph, wondering about the same question.
Who was Dev to her?
And why had he returned after ten years?
To be continued…
1writing-block{title="Do You Love Me? — Episode 1: The First Question" id="74126" variant="document"}
# Do You Love Me?
## Episode 1: The First Question
The college campus was full of noise on Monday morning.
Students were rushing towards their classrooms, some discussing assignments while others were busy making plans for the upcoming college fest.
Among them was **Aarohi**.
She walked through the college gate with her books in her hands and a small smile on her face. It was her first week in the new semester, and she was determined to make it a memorable one.
Her best friend **Maya** suddenly ran towards her.
“Aarohi! Wait!”
Aarohi turned around and laughed.
“You’re always late.”
“Excuse me? I was waiting for you!”
“Really?”
“Okay… maybe not.”
Both laughed and entered the classroom together.
Aarohi sat near the window. She loved that seat because she could see the trees outside and feel the fresh breeze during breaks.
A few minutes later, the professor entered.
But before the lecture started, someone else walked into the classroom.
A boy.
He was wearing a simple black shirt and carrying a notebook. He looked around the room quietly.
The professor looked at him.
“You must be Dev?”
“Yes, sir.”
“New admission?”
Dev nodded.
“Take any empty seat.”
Dev looked around.
Almost every seat was occupied.
The only empty seat was behind Aarohi.
He walked there and sat down.
Aarohi didn't pay much attention to him.
But during the lecture, she noticed something strange.
Every time she turned around, Dev seemed to be looking at her.
Finally, she turned completely.
“Why are you looking at me?”
Dev looked surprised.
“I wasn't.”
“You were.”
He smiled slightly.
“Maybe you imagined it.”
Aarohi frowned.
“Whatever.”
She turned back towards the board.
But for the first time, Dev smiled.
Not because of her question.
Because he already knew her.
Much more than she could imagine.
---
During lunch break, Aarohi and Maya were sitting under a tree.
Maya suddenly asked,
“What do you think about the new guy?”
“Dev?”
“Yes.”
“I don't know. He's strange.”
“Strange?”
“He keeps looking at me.”
Maya laughed.
“Maybe he likes you.”
“Stop it!”
Aarohi threw a small piece of paper at her.
“I'm serious.”
“Okay, okay. But you should talk to him.”
Aarohi shook her head.
“I don't even know him.”
At that exact moment, Dev walked past them.
He stopped.
“Aarohi?”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
Dev held out a small notebook.
“You dropped this in class.”
Aarohi took it.
“Thanks.”
Dev nodded and walked away.
Maya looked at Aarohi with a huge smile.
“Interesting…”
“Don't start.”
---
That evening, Aarohi reached home and opened her notebook.
While checking her notes, a small folded piece of paper fell onto the floor.
She picked it up.
There was only one sentence written on it.
**“Do you remember me?”**
Aarohi stared at the paper.
She couldn't understand.
She had never met Dev before.
At least, she thought she hadn't.
She kept the note inside her drawer and tried to forget about it.
The next morning, another note appeared inside her book.
This time, it said:
**“You don't remember the promise you made.”**
Aarohi's heart started beating faster.
She immediately looked around the classroom.
Dev was sitting at the back.
He was reading a book.
Aarohi walked towards him.
“Dev.”
He looked up.
“Yes?”
“Did you write these?”
She placed both notes on his desk.
Dev looked at them.
For a moment, his expression changed.
Then he looked directly into her eyes.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
Dev slowly closed his book.
“Maybe one day you'll understand.”
“Understand what?”
He stood up.
“The reason I came here.”
Aarohi stared at him.
“What reason?”
Dev didn't answer.
He simply walked away.
Aarohi watched him leave.
For some reason, she felt that her life had just changed.
---
That night, Aarohi opened an old family album.
She didn't know why, but something about Dev's words kept bothering her.
She turned page after page.
Then she stopped.
There was an old photograph from when she was a child.
Aarohi was standing beside her parents.
And next to them was another family.
There was a little boy standing beside them.
She looked closely at his face.
Her eyes widened.
It was Dev.
Aarohi immediately turned the photograph over.
There was a date written on the back.
**“Summer vacation — 10 years ago.”**
Below it, someone had written:
**“A promise that must never be forgotten.”**
Aarohi's hands trembled.
She had no memory of that day.
But Dev clearly did.
Meanwhile, Dev was sitting alone in his room, looking at the same photograph.
He whispered,
“I came back for one reason, Aarohi.”
He looked at the old photograph.
“To find out if you still remember me.”
Then his phone received a message.
**Unknown Number:**
*“Don't get close to her.”*
Dev stared at the screen.
His expression became serious.
He typed one reply:
**“It's already too late.”**
And somewhere else, Aarohi was holding the old photograph, wondering about the same question.
**Who was Dev to her?**
And why had he returned after ten years?
**To be continued…**
:::1
