1 Is it love?

It was just like any other normal day. After college, I was heading back home, on the way I stopped for snacks. After having my snack I was just about to go home then suddenly it started raining, I didn't have an umbrella at that time so I just waited for the rain to stop.

Once the rain stopped, I took my cycle and started going home. I could smell the Petrichor in the air.

Since I was already late I thought of taking a shortcut. It was a new path that I never travelled down before.

I went through a narrow street, I could see houses on both my sides and the street was really slippery due to rain. I got off from my cycle and started walking through the street so that my dress doesn't get dirty from all the mud that was spraying off when I cycled.

There at a distance I saw a girl with a cute face, it was pleasure to see her flowing, moon shadow short hair in the wind after rain, she was wearing a normal top and a Capri with specs.

She was just like any other girl but with a different aura, I don't know why I started blushing when I saw her. Som how I controlled myself and kept walking.

She was also walking through that narrow slippery street. I thought if I walk fast I could get a glimpse of her. After a few moments, we were side by side but again I thought she would consider me a stalker if I kept walking by her side, so I increased the pace and as I was going to overtake her I saw that she was going to trip. I gave her a hand and prevented her from falling.

That moment was quite dramatic, I was holding her with one hand and my cycle fell on the other side. At that time I felt like time was frozen. We were like that for a few seconds but then she recognized the situation and stood up.

She was surprised,

"Thank You, I was being careless. I should walk more carefully " she said that surprisingly.

I replied, " It's okay, it happens sometimes".

I can see that she was really depressed about something, I obviously didn't know why she was depressed so I thought why shouldn't I just tell her a joke and relax her mood.

I said "We're you doing a gravity check? Because I can't believe a graceful girl like you can trip."

I said that in a funny accent.

After saying that I was thinking wasn't there any other cool joke. What the fuck did I just said, that was the lamest joke I ever said. I was sure that now she would just consider me a creep and will ignore me.

She was surprised because I said that suddenly but then she started laughing. I could see she was getting comfortable talking with me, we then talked about random topics like where she lives and what happened today in college etc. I could see that now her mood was relaxed.

Then suddenly I asked, " what's your name".

She replied, "Ana, my name is Ana."

" That's a cute name" I replied.

She blushed and asked "what's your name "

I replied " My name is Kevin"

We were talking very friendly and then a few minutes later we arrived outside her home.

She said "That's my home "

"Oh, we reached your home. "

then I paused for a minute I was feeling a bit sad, why we reached her home so quick I wanted to talk more with her. I was feeling kinda bad but then I said:" Okay then take care, bye".

As I was going ahead with my cycle, then suddenly my cycle stopped. I felt someone just grabbed my cycle. When I turned it was her. She grabbed my cycle.

I was astounded, I asked what happened

" It's really getting cold right now. Why don't you have a tea at my place" she said that in a low and sweet tone. At that moment she was not maintaining eye contact. I understood that she was feeling shy while asking that so I could not just reject her, but then again I cannot just go inside a girl's house whom I just met.

So I replied, " Is it okay ?"

She replied " Why not it's just a tea"

What was I thinking at that time? But I went inside. In her house beside her, there was her little sister and a grandmother in the house. They were in their rooms.

I was waiting in the living room for tea, then suddenly her mom appeared from outside. Apparently, she was a working woman. The first question that she asked when we met was

"Who are you?"

I startled, I thought what should I say. A stranger, that will be odd. I kept quiet for a second, then Ana arrived and she also got nervous. It looked like her mom was strict. But then, she said " Oh, mom you are back.

He is my friend, he helped me on the way back home. "

Her mom was quiet for a bit, then she asked: "why are you h....."

In middle, I stood up and said "I should go now. It's getting dark "

I stood up and as I started going towards the gate, Ana said: " I'll drop you out of the gate".

Her mom was glaring at us and my nervousness increased.

I said "Bye Aunty " and left the living room.

When we were out of her house she said" sorry for the trouble "

" It's okay, it was not a trouble at all" I replied.

Inside I was really scared of all the scenario that happened.

I said, " see you later ".

She smiled,

When I saw her smile I felt something.

Her subtle and tender smile made me blush but then I turned around so that she won't see me blushing.

She said " see you later, *Kevin*. "

" See ya," I said while rushing towards my cycle.

I don't know why I rushed my cycle, maybe when she said my name I was all red and I didn't want her to notice that

I cycled all the way home thinking about Ana. What was that feeling that was lingering inside me?

I really wanted to be there for a bit more,

I really wanted to see her again.

Why was I so restless at that time.

I didn't know the answer to all those questions, but one thing that I knew was that I was really happy.