“Rain Beneath Our Hearts”

Chapter 1: A Night of Rain

It was one of those evenings when the city felt like it was crying. Heavy raindrops slammed against the windows, and the street lights flickered like old memories. Arman, a 21-year-old university student, stood under a small tea stall canopy, trying to shield himself from the storm. His bus had broken down two blocks away, and now he was drenched from head to toe.

"Ek cup cha dao, bhaia," he said, pushing his wet hair back.

As he took the first sip, the sound of hurried footsteps caught his attention. A girl, half-soaked in the rain, ran toward the stall.

“Excuse me! May I stand here for a bit? Please?” she asked, catching her breath.

Arman moved slightly to make space. “Of course.”

She smiled, brushing wet strands of hair off her face. That smile stayed in Arman's head for a moment longer than he expected.

"I'm Zinia," she said, noticing his gaze.

"Arman."

They both laughed awkwardly. And just like that, two strangers became a shared moment in the storm.

Chapter 2: More Than Just Rain

Minutes turned into an hour. The rain refused to stop, and neither did their conversation.

“I love rain,” Zinia said, holding her cup of tea close. “It hides tears, washes away things we don’t want to carry.”

“That’s deep,” Arman replied, surprised by her words.

“I write sometimes,” she said. “Stories. Poems. Nobody reads them, though.”

“I’d like to,” Arman said without hesitation.

She looked at him, her eyes curious. “Really?”

“Yeah. I think I already like the way you think.”

The rain stopped, but neither of them moved. It felt like they were supposed to meet that day, at that exact place, under that exact storm.

Before parting, they exchanged numbers.

“Maybe… we could talk again?” Zinia asked, almost shyly.

“I’d like that.”

And so it began.

Chapter 3: The Bloom

Days turned into weeks. They texted every night, shared playlists, recommended books, and slowly peeled away the layers of each other’s lives.

Arman found out Zinia was studying literature, loved sketching in her free time, and had a small scar on her right hand from a childhood accident. Zinia learned that Arman loved astronomy, played guitar, and had never been in love before.

One evening, they met again this time, not under rain but under stars.

“I feel like we’ve known each other for years,” Arman said.

“Maybe we have,” she smiled. “In another life?”

They sat on the rooftop, music playing low from Arman's phone, city lights glowing like fallen stars.

“Arman,” Zinia whispered, “Do you think things happen for a reason?”

“I think some people are meant to meet… even if everything else feels like chaos.”

She rested her head on his shoulder.

Silence followed. The comfortable kind.

Chapter 4: Cracks in the Sky

Just when things felt perfect, life twisted.

Zinia suddenly stopped replying one week. No texts. No calls.

Arman tried everything.

After three days, she finally responded:
"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disappear. I just… needed time."

They met again, this time in a quiet park.

“I’m moving,” Zinia said. “To Chittagong. Family issues.”

Arman’s heart sank. “For how long?”

“I don’t know. Maybe permanently.”

“But… us?” he asked, unable to hide the crack in his voice.

“I don’t want to lose what we have, Arman. But I also don’t want to give false hope.”

He didn’t argue. He just held her hand tight, wishing time would freeze.

“Will you wait?” she asked, tears filling her eyes.

“Even if the stars fall, I’ll wait,” he said.

Chapter 5: Love Beyond Distance

Months passed.

They stayed in touch. Long-distance was hard calls dropped, messages delayed, and sometimes, silence lasted longer than it should have.

But they always found their way back to each other.

Arman sent her poems. Zinia sent him sketches. On their “rainiversary” one year since the tea stall meeting she sent him a voice note:

"Arman… If this world ever gave me one real thing, it was you. I’m coming back soon. Wait for me."

Chapter 6: Rain Again

It was a cloudy evening, just like that first day.

Arman stood near the same tea stall, heart beating like a drum.

Then he saw her.

Zinia. Umbrella in hand. Smile on lips. Eyes glowing.

Without words, they ran to each other and hugged tight rain falling gently around them.

“I told you I’d wait,” he whispered.

“I told you I’d come back.”

The tea stall owner laughed. “Arrey! Oi dui premik abar firse!”

They laughed too this time, together, forever.

Epilogue: Love Always Returns

Now they walk in the rain hand in hand, every drop a memory of how their hearts met in a storm and survived.

Not all love stories need dramatic fights or grand confessions.
Some just need a little rain, a cup of tea, and two souls willing to stay.

– The End –