Chapter 1 : A Little Melted Chocolate
Anmol was just eighteen when life stopped feeling like life.
On 2nd February 2023, his father passed away after a long illness. That day didn't just take away his father — it took away his laughter, his dreams, and the boy he used to be.
The house that once echoed with warmth slowly filled with silence.
He left his studies.
He started working part-time, earning just enough to keep the house running. Bills, responsibilities, and unspoken grief fell on his shoulders like a weight he was never ready to carry.
Now, he had no wishes left.
No dreams.
Just survival.
But even that simple life didn't heal him. The pain stayed — quiet, heavy, and constant.
On 6th March 2024, his birthday, Anmol didn't celebrate.
Instead, he chose to be alone.
He walked into a small library, hoping the silence might calm the chaos inside him.
The place was unusually quiet — so quiet that it felt like time itself had paused. For a moment, his mind went blank, as if all his thoughts were locked inside a closed book, placed somewhere far away.
"Maybe I should read something," he thought.
It had been a long time since he had picked up a book.
He walked between shelves, confused by the endless choices… until one title caught his eye:
"My Melted Chocolate."
Something about it felt… familiar.
He sat down and opened the book.
Just as he began reading—
"Excuse me… can I have that book for a while?"
A soft voice interrupted him.
Without looking up, Anmol replied, "No… I just started reading it."
She smiled gently. "I've already read half of it… I'm really curious to know what happens next."
There was something in her voice — light, warm, almost like a melody.
It made him look up.
And for a few seconds…
Everything stopped.
The soft breeze from the window played with her long black hair, making them flow like waves of the sea. Her deep eyes held a quiet mystery, her dusky skin glowing in the sunlight, and her lips… soft, almost like velvet.
She didn't look extraordinary in a loud way.
But there was something about her — something calm, simple, and deeply beautiful.
Like she belonged to a story he had forgotten.
For a moment, Anmol forgot his pain.
Forgot everything.
"Please… you can read it next time," she said again, smiling.
Without a word, he placed the book back on the table and walked out.
Outside, reality hit him.
"I should have asked her name…"
He waited.
Five minutes.
Twenty minutes.
An hour.
Finally, unable to resist, he went back inside.
She was still there.
Sitting at the same place.
Reading.
The sunset light fell gently on her face, making her glow in a way that made his heart skip a beat.
And in her hand… was a small chocolate.
Slightly melted.
After gathering courage a thousand times, he finally sat beside her.
"Did you finish reading?" he asked softly.
She shook her head. "Not yet."
He couldn't stop looking at her. It was the first time he had ever seen someone so simple… yet so captivating.
"Can I ask your name?" he said, hesitating.
She looked at him for a moment… then smiled.
"Gunnu."
"And yours?"
"Anmol."
There was a pause.
"Not many people our age spend time reading novels," he said.
She nodded. "I don't like using my phone much. My college is starting soon… so I thought I should use my time to improve my reading."
"You're in college?"
"Yes, first year."
"That means… we're the same age."
She looked at him curiously. "You too?"
Anmol's smile faded slightly.
"Not anymore," he said quietly. "After my father passed away… I had to leave my studies and start working."
Her eyes softened.
She looked down… and said nothing.
For the first time, someone understood his silence without asking questions.
"Did you come alone?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. "I'm always alone. I'm not good at things… so people don't really like me."
Anmol looked at her, surprised.
How could someone like her feel unwanted?
Before he could say anything—
"Please keep your voices low. This is a library," someone interrupted.
They both apologized and fell silent.
She returned to her book.
And Anmol…
He kept stealing glances at her, like someone afraid that if he blinked, she might disappear.
Even the sound of turning pages felt loud now.
Time passed quietly.
But something had changed.
For the first time in months, Anmol didn't feel empty.
For the first time, silence didn't hurt.
For the first time… he wanted to come back.
As Gunnu closed the book, she placed a small piece of her melted chocolate on the table between them.
"For you," she said.
"Why?"
She smiled softly.
"Because some stories… are better when shared."
Anmol looked at the chocolate… then at her.
And for the first time in a long time—
He smiled.
End of Chapter One…
But as Anmol walked out of the library that evening, something felt different.
The same world.
The same struggles.
But now…
There was a reason to return tomorrow.
A new page had opened in his life—
And this time…
He wanted to read it till the end.
✨ (To be continued… A new chapter begins)